| Bangkok is one of the most vibrant cities in the | | | | where known to melt down the gold from |
| world. It's loud, it's noisy, it's modern and | | | | Buddha statues. Accidentally a monk discovered |
| fast-moving, and at the same time it's quiet, slow | | | | that under the plaster, there was a golden |
| and old-fashioned. It's a fusion city, a city where | | | | Buddha, when a piece of the plaster chipped of. |
| tradition and modernity not just meet, but mix | | | | Culture and History |
| and create something new. | | | | If you want to know more about the history of |
| It's a fascinating place. Many people who make a | | | | Thailand and gain a better understanding of Thai |
| stopover in Bangkok for a couple of days before | | | | culture, the National Museum is a great place to |
| heading to one of the many beautiful beaches | | | | visit. |
| Thailand has to offer do not like it at all. All they | | | | Many people also like to visit the Grand Palace, |
| see are decadent red-light districts, annoying | | | | which is a huge compound that mixes architectural |
| traffic jams and nosy tuktuk-drivers. | | | | influences from different regions of the world. |
| But that's really just Bangkok's most outer layer - | | | | Shopping |
| that's what is the easiest to find for a tourist who | | | | Seasoned shoppers love Bangkok. It's a true |
| comes here. If you peel that first layer away, | | | | shoppers paradise. Do you have cash to spend? |
| you will find the many other faces of Bangkok: | | | | Modern shopping palaces like the Siam Paragon or |
| the gentle, the kind, the cultural, the culinary, the | | | | Central World offer you ample opportunity to buy |
| religious and more. | | | | pretty much all the material things that one can |
| Temples in Bangkok | | | | crave for. Almost every luxury brand of the |
| There are so many temples in Bangkok, if you | | | | world has a flagstore at Siam Paragon, and in |
| have an interest in Buddhism or religious | | | | case you want to buy a new Lamborghini, just |
| architecture, you will love it here. The temples are | | | | head to the second floor. |
| built in many different styles, and the "must see" | | | | If you want cheap clothes and fashion |
| temples are the Wat Pho which features the 46 | | | | accessories, you probably want to check out |
| meter long reclining Buddha image and Wat Arun, | | | | Pratunam, specially Platinum Mall. But Pahurat also |
| which is just across the river. | | | | has a lot to offer, just as Bobae. |
| Wat Trai Mit is another impressive place to see, | | | | And then there is the Chatuchak Weekend |
| as it houses the golden Buddha. It's the largest | | | | Market, also known as JJ or Jatujak market. It's |
| Buddha statue in the world made out of solid gold. | | | | the world's largest weekend market and has a |
| And it has an mysterious history. Nobody knows | | | | very diverse mix of merchandise on offer. If you |
| for sure how old this Buddha statue is. And in | | | | love markets, this is the one to check out. |
| fact, nobody even knew it existed until a couple | | | | There is so much more to do in Bangkok. But it |
| of decades ago. It was once covered in plaster, | | | | can be overwhelming. |
| probably to hide it from invading armies who | | | | |