WITH ITS GROWING TRANSPORT SYSTEM, GETTING AROUND THAILAND’S CAPITAL HAS NEVER BEEN THIS EASY AND FUN GRAHAM SIMMONS HAS YOUR GAME PLAN
A
Say goodbye to stewing in a traffic jam! Today, Bangkok’s network of skytrains, underground trains and river ferries, which all connect at interchanges, makes navigating the city a breeze. And with a new fleet of state-ofthe art buses running on dedicated lanes, there’s no reason not to explore the city by bus, boat and train! Here are three great routes to discover the city. But before that, take our fun quiz and find out which one you ought to try first…
B
When you are stressed, you tune in to your favorite TV show…
a - Anything on the Discovery and Travel Living network
b - Project Runway Philippines
c - Nigella Feasts with your idol Nigella Lawson
Which famous quot e sums up your life philosophy?
a - “Culture is the wide ning of the mind and of the spirit. -Jawaharlal Nehru
b - “I always say shopping is cheaper than a psychiatrist.” -Tammy Faye Baker
c - “Drinking good wine with good food in good company is one of life’s most civilized pleasures.” -Michael Broadbent
C
What’s in your travel bag?
a - Your Lonely Planet guidebook and a digital camera for the sights
b - A wallet with all your credit cards, lots of cash and maps to shopping districts
c - Loose-fi tting clothes and a list of foodie spots - you intend to eat, drink and be merry
Finally, what’s playing on your iPod?
a- Putumayo’s latest world music album
b - Karl Lagerfeld’s Spring 2008 soundtrack
c - Podcasts by celebrity chef Jamie Oliver
Now, turn the page to begin your Bangkok adventure!
start here
A
Take a BRT express bus from Chong Nonsi BRT/Skytrain interchange to see the new Wat Pariwas temple (next to Wat
Pariwas bus station)
and its elaborate
carvings
including a
fi gure of soccer
superstar David
Beckham, in
bas-relief!
Rejoin the bus and travel along Rama III Road to Thanon Tok bus station. Walk to Ratchasingkhon Pier (next to Ratchasingkhon Temple), then catch the Chao Phraya Express Boat past Saphan Taksin riverboat/Skytrain interchange to Sri Phraya or Tha Chang pier. From both these piers, 60- to 90-minute boat tours depart, exploring Khlong Bangkok Noi and Khlong Bang Yai, also taking in the Royal Barge Museum.
Take another boat from Pier Three to Tien Pier (Pier Eight), from where the famous Wat Arun (Temple of the Dawn, showing strong Cambodian infl uences) is just across the river (by frequent fast ferry). Then, cross back to Tien Pier and visit the adjacent Wat Po (Reclining Buddha) Temple.
At Siam Station’s entrance, grab a cuppa at Black Canyon Coffee. Made from arabica beans grown in northern Thailand, it’s called, “a drink from paradise on earth”!
Feeling tired?
Rejuvenate tired feet
with a Thai foot massage.
Chang Foot Massage in Siam Soi 6 is just a
few minutes from
the BTS Siam
station!
Marvel at the recently renovated Ratachasingkhon Temple. Then explore the narrow streets of Chinatown, at Ratchawongse Pier, to shop for everything from snacks to souvenirs.
Snap a photo at the Thao Maha Brahma shrine near Chit Lom Skytrain station.
Take the riverboat back to Pier Four, adjacent to Hua Lampong Metro (MRT). Near the station, see the Golden Buddha statue in Wat Trai Mit Witthayaram, the world’s largest Buddha statue made of solid gold.
Mostly A’s You are a culture vulture! Your soulenriching journey begins with the green token
B
Take the Skytrain
or Metro to Sala
Daeng/Siam
interchange, from
where the giant MBK
Shopping Center is
fi ve minutes away.
Three zones, eight
levels, and over
2,000 shops offer
everything
under the sun!
Go by Skytrain to Chit Lom station, and walk to the giant megastore Panthip Plaza, Asia’s biggest computer/electronics center. Keen on a market? Take the BRT express bus from Chong Nonsi interchange right to the end of the route at Ratchapreuk bus station. Near the station, the Bukkhalo Old and Bukkhalo New Markets are open early mornings.
Bangkok’s only genuine vintage goods market takes place on Saturday nights (from dusk to midnight), right next to Ratchadapisek Metro station. Top buys include antique books, collectibles, used clothing, shoes, cameras, computers, auto parts and classic motorcycles.
Wear your newly-purchased
threads on a night out on the
town! Late-late-night ragers,
hang at the new and avantgarde
Club Culture (346/29 Sri
Ayudthaya Road) near Phaya
Thai SkyTrain station’s Siam
City exit, with state-of-the-art
lighting and a range of sounds
from techno-trance to hip-hop.
On weekends, hit Chatuchak Market, near Chatuchak Park MRT/Mo Chit Skytrain interchange. Shop till you drop here!
Mostly B’s You’re a shopaholic! Get thee to your retail therapy spree - just fi nd the blue token!
C
Early in the morning, do
Tai Chi with the throng
in Lumbini (aka
Lumphini) Park.
near Silom
station. Then
take a stroll and
feed the fi sh
in the park’s
scenic lake.
Reboard the Skytrain to Saphan Taksin/Central Pier boat/Skytrain interchange, and breakfast by the river at the Verandah Coffee Shop, in Oriental Hotel (right at riverboat Pier One, just one stop away from the Saphan Taksin riverboat/SkyTrain interchange).
A full buffet breakfast costs THB980(PHP1,316.29). The pictureperfect views overlooking the Chao Phrya River alone are worth the price.
Catch the Skytrain back to Siam interchange, and walk to MBK Shopping Center Dine at the hip Fifth Food Avenue food court on level fi ve. Kao Gub Kaeng Express features country-style Thai dishes.
Mostly C’s Hello foodie! Start with the red token to commence your food trip!
Bangkok Transport Information
By Bus Make sure to secure a MBTA map (available at most bus terminals). Most buses (except for the all-night ones) run from 5am to 11pm daily. Regular buses cost THB7/PHP9.38 (cream-red), and THB8/PHP10.72 (white-blue). Expressway buses costs THB8.5/PHP11.39. Air-conditioned buses (cream-blue) cost THB9 to THB19/PHP12 to PHP25.51, depending on distance. All-night buses (creamred) are THB8. EURO II buses (yelloworange) cost anything between THB12 to THB22(PHP16 to PHP29.50), again this depends on the distance you are travelling.
By Boat and Ferry Different types offer different services. River taxis ply routes up and down the river and cost from around THB6(PHP8). You can buy a day pass from the Chao Phraya Express Boat Company for THB75(PHP100.70). Trips leave every 30 minutes from Sathorn Pier, and stop at ten major piers. You can quite easily get to the Sathorn Pier by taking the Skytrain (BTS) to Saphan Taksin station.
By Skytrain It’s the fastest way to get around, with a new train arriving every three to six minutes from 6:30am to midnight (last train leaves between 11:30-11:50pm). There are two lines. The Silom line runs from National Stadium in the Siam shopping area to Saphan Taksin at the riverside. The Sukhumvit line runs along Sukhumvit Road from Mo Chit to On Nut. Both lines converge at Siam Station, and connect at two points with the MRT. Fares start from THB15(PHP20.14) for one stop.
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