Bangkok: One day excursions

• Temples and Museums extravaganza: Start the day early by going to the Grand Palace. Plan to spend a couple of hours viewing the several throne halls and their exquisite architecture and art work. The famous Wat Phra Kaew is on the grounds of the Grand Palace. Home to the Emerald Buddha, the temple welcomes thousands of visitors a year. Next you can visit Wat Pho, which is home to another famous image of Buddha: the reclining Buddha. Wat Pho is also home to the national center for the traditional art of Thai massage. You can enjoy an hour or half-hour massage at this oldest and largest temple in Bangkok. Take a river taxi ride across the Chao Phraya River and enjoy the Khmer-influenced Temple of the Dawn, or Wat Arun. This temple is often seen in photographs of Bangkok and was once home to the Thai monarchy before the move across the river. If only one or two temple visits meet your preferences, but you would love to see more Thai art and learn more about Thai history, then the National Gallery and the National Museum are located relatively close to the Grand Palace. These sites are near Khao San Rd, which is known for its inexpensive guesthouses that back backers from all over the world come to stay. A quick word about visiting temples: these sites are sacred, religious places where modest dress is required. This means no sleeveless shirts or tanks, see-through clothing, short shorts or miniskirts and open-toed shoes. If in doubt, ask the concierge at your hotel or guesthouse before you depart if you are appropriately clothed to visit temples.

• Chinatown and Siloam areas: Start the day with a walking tour of Chinatown. This is a crowded market with all the sights and sounds of “real life” in Thailand. Walking down Trok Itsaranuphap and Sampeng Lane will give you all kinds of merchant shops, whether it is gold jewelry, fabric, meats, vegetables, dry goods, clothing and shoes and so forth. You’ll find a little bit of everything. The nearby Thieves Market attracts many tourists as well. After a couple of hours of this, hop on a river taxi and head south the Oriental Hotel pier. Exit and explore the beautiful grounds of this world famous hotel. For an unforgettable lunch, enjoy a lingering buffet lunch at the Oriental. You will take a short trip across the river for the buffet and eat Thai style. The service and food are exceptional. If you are not up for this somewhat pricey meal, all kinds of restaurants abound all over Bangkok. After lunch, the Siloam area offers the Snake Farm, for those who would enjoy seeing all kinds of poisonous snakes and how anti-venoms are made. If snakes are not appealing, but architecture is, take a taxi to the Jim Thompson House and the Vimanmek Teak Mansion.

• Shopping and more shopping: One of the most famous shopping venue’s in Bangkok is Chatujak, located in the northern part of town close to Don Muang airport. Open only on the weekend, it is easy to spend an entire day at this market. Antiques, linens, clothing, electronics, and all kinds of handicrafts are available at great prices. The Siam square district is a fabulous shopper’s paradise. High-end boutiques are found in Gaysorn’s Plaza. Next door is Narayana Phand, a fabulous (air-conditioned) complex that sells handicrafts from all over Thailand. Other nice malls are located in this area, as well as well-known western restaurants. If you are hot and tired and want to relax in some nice air conditioning, a movie in Thailand is a cultural event in itself: first of all, there are some very nice theaters with all kinds of luxury seating. You purchase your ticket for a specific seat. The beginning of the movie begins with a lovely homage to the King, where you are expected to stand quietly and enjoy the short video clip. Most movies are available in English. Just be sure to ask before purchasing a ticket.

• Other day-long excursions that can be easily made while staying in Bangkok is a trip to the Floating market. Like Wat Arun, pictures of these markets are popular images of Thailand. The Rose Garden is a cultural center that features elephants, Thai dancing and other aspects of Thai culture. Dusit Zoo is a nice place to take younger visitors. Safari World is another type of zoo that children will enjoy. There are also water parks for the young and young at heart.

• Ayutthaya Historical Park, a UNESCO world heritage site, is located about an hour north of Bangkok. This park contains the ruins of the ancient capital of Thailand, which in its peak (14th to 18th century), was one of the most civilized places in the world.