Chao Phraya river

Located on the banks of Chao Phraya river, Bangkok (or called 'Krung Thep' by the locals), is a thrilling paradox. This Thai capital while maintaining old legacy open to welcome new things with full enthusiasm.

After becoming the capital for more than two centuries, Bangkok in the last 20 years have witnessed many changes. Skyscrapers forming a new view of the city, the Skytrain split town with fast trains, and subways have also been available to take residents on the move.

Options for shopping, dining and entertainment are also increased, ranging from the typical to treat the art of dance and music tradsional, to the international entertainment.

Bangkok - Thai Cooking School

If you are a foodie, one of the things you must do when in Bangkok is to go for a Thai cooking class in one of the countless cooking schools in the city. The more famous and expensive ones are the Blue Elephant Cooking School and the Mandarin Oriental 6 day Cooking Class which costs a cool 20,000 Thai Bahts ! But there are many others to suit all kinds of budget and schedule.

I found one which was quite good and reasonably priced - around 1,600 Thai Bahts for a half day course. It's called Baipai Thai Cooking School which is not far from the city. They will also arrange pick up from your hotel.

Don't expect to become a 3 star Thai chef in a half day cooking class, but you will get a good introduction to the basic Thai ingredients, flavours, and techniques. You will learn to cook four dishes which are served as lunch for the group after the lesson.

The school is in a nicely renovated 2-storey house in Chongnonsee - an inner suburb in Bangkok. The teaching area is on the ground floor, with cooking stations for all the participants. The dining area is on the first floor.  

The instructor and translator.

Watching really closely !

Hands-on cooking session.

Making Tung-Tongs or Golden Parcels - minced chicken in popiah skin.

The Tung-Tongs after deep-frying. Really delicious !

Basic ingredients for Tom Yam Soup. The soup is made from scratch with fresh ingredients and not bottled-pastes. It tastes great.

Panang Gai - a dry red curry with chicken. 

Thai Fried Rice.

This Cooking Class is a great way to spend half a day in Bangkok, and you get to learn a bit about Thai culture and cooking. Highly recommended !

Bangkok - Street Food

In Bangkok you will never starve - if you have money that is. But you don't really need much to feed yourself here, and the variety and taste of the street food is simply amazing. Everywhere you go, every street corner you turn to, there are bound to be stalls selling noodles, barbecued meat, grilled bananas, fish cake, som tum (green papaya salad), etc. 

The stalls start very early - about 6.00 a.m. serving customers on their way to work. They are open all day until evening when the streets are taken over by other stalls selling t-shirts and souvenirs. Prices are really cheap by Western standards, but be prepared to put up with local hygienic standards. So far I have never gotten sick from the street food though, and this is one of the joys of Bangkok you wouldn't want to miss.

Bangkok - Jim Thompson House

Jim Thompson was an American businessman who helped to revitalize the Thai silk industry in the 50s and 60s. He was a practicing architect before volunteering for military service, where he was assigned to the OSS (Office of Strategic Services) - a forerunner of the CIA. After the 2nd World War he settled down in Bangkok and founded the Thai Silk Company which later became the Jim Thompson Silk Company renowned for it's high quality silk fabric and fashion. 

When he was holidaying at the Cameron Highlands in 1967, Jim Thompson mysteriously disappeared while taking an afternoon walk in the jungle. He was never found, and till today nobody knows what happened that fateful day. 

A lover of Thai art and architecture, Jim Thompson was an avid collector. For his house in Bangkok, he brought together a few traditional Thai houses - mostly from old Thai capital Ayudhya, and assembled them in a lush tropical garden. The houses are fine examples of traditional Thai architecture, and tastefully decorated with his vast collection of antiques and Thai art. 

Bangkok - Waterfront

Bangkok doesn't have a beautiful waterfront - in the traditional sense, but it is an interesting waterfront. Here the river is not just a nice water feature to look at, but is a part and parcel of the city life. It is an important waterway for trade and commerce, and is also one of the major tourist attractions.

Taking a boat trip along Chao Phraya River which winds through the city is a must, as you get to see another side of Bangkok. Many factories are built next to the river to take advantage of cheap and easy transport. As you go into the many canals or "khlongs" branching off Chao Phraya River, you will see whole communities living at the edge of the waterways. It is always an exhilarating trip.

Temples dot the edge of the river, and if you hire a private boat you can stop and explore where you like.

Bangkok - Khlong Saen Saep

There is a part of Bangkok which may not be so obvious to the first time visitor. It is like a hidden world, but is very much a part of the city life. The city is so crowded and overbuilt that it is easy to miss them, but if you take the time to walk around you will definitely come accross one or two. They are the "khlongs" or canals of Bangkok.

Bangkok used to be a city of canals and was called "Venice of the East". Many of these have since been filled up and converted into roads, including some of the main streets. The "khlongs" are still used as major means of water transport for goods and people. Khlong Saen Saep runs through central Bangkok, and is one of the busiest waterways. There are many stops along the way, and to take one you just wave at them and they will stop to pick you up. 

The water in the khlongs look deceptively clean, but the smell gives the game away. Besides being waterways, these are also the sewers of Bangkok !

When not criss-crossed by the boats, the scene is slmost idyllic. 

Bangkok - Skytrain

The easiet way to get around in Bangkok is to use the Skytrain, which is an elevated mass rapid transit system running through the city. There are 2 main lines - the Sukhumvit Line which runs along Soi Sukhumvit, one of the main streets in Bangkok, and the Silom Line which runs through the business district. Since the tracks are elevated, you get good views of the city in the rides. It's also cheap, efficient, and you avoid the mad traffic underneath.

Stairs to the elevated stations.

The station platforms. It's usually more orderly then you would expect. 

During off peak hours, they are almost deserted.

Bangkok - Grand Palace

One of the big attractions in Bangkok is the Grand Palace. This complex of buildings is the icon of Thailand, and you can see images of the palace buildings on most things to do with Thailand. Up close they are very impressive. Built over many years by generations of monarchs, different parts of the complex are done in different architectural styles. Overall though the Thai identity is very prominent, especially in the elaborate roof structures. The intricate details and colourful sculptural designs are captivating in their beauty and complexity. If you are in Bangkok, don't miss this architectural marvel.

The intricate details and complex designs are truly captivating.