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Upon arriving at the airport in Bangkok, we discovered that the dollar was very strong here so we were able to upgrade to a nicer hotel for not much more money. We stayed at the Royal Orchid Sheraton, which is right on the Chao Praya River. Bangkok is notorious for it's filth and horrendous traffic. There is no decent public transportation system other than taxis and tuk tuks (motorized scooters that can carry about two passangers) so traffic in the center of down grinds to a stop at all hours of the day. It can take 2 to 3 hours to travel about 5 to 10 miles. We stuck close to the hotel and tried to travel by river taxi as much as possible to avoid the center of the city.
The highlight of Bangkok was a day trip we took to the Damnern Sadouk Floating Market which is about a two-hour bus ride southwest of the city. Part of the journey took place on long tail boats and we traveled by canal through villages where people live in grass thatched houses along the canal. The canals are used for everything - travel, bathing, cooking, washing, and, well, you can figure out the rest. The floating market is an amazing site. There are hundreds of canoe shaped boats guided by women selling all types of vegetables and fruits. It's a real market where locals buy their food but I think tourism brings in more business.
Bangkok has amazing architecture. We visited several temples including the Grand Palace. My favorite was the Wat Po, which also houses a massage school. You can get a massage here for about $5. It was the best massage I have ever had! Another famous area in Bangkok is the Patpong area. At night, this place lights up with a crowded outdoor street market against the backdrop of strip joints and bars where transvestites are the main entertainment. We focused on the shopping and found some pretty good deals here. Another interesting tour we went on was the Jim Thompson Museum. This isn't on most of the guided tours but worth a look if you have some extra time in Bangkok. Jim Thompson was an American who built a very lucrative silk business in Thailand. His home is filled with amazing artwork and artifacts from all over the world. He disappeared during a hiking trip in Malaysia back in the 60's but his business carries on.
The shopping was great in Bangkok, thanks mostly to the strong dollar. You can get great deals from the street merchants but you can also do well in the department stores. You can supposedly get good deals on gemstones such as rubies and sapphires but you have to know your stuff because for every honest jeweler, there's two that will try to sell you fake stones. Bangkok is filled with tailors so we each had a suit made. For me it was really a treat since, with my height, I often have trouble finding clothes that fit.
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