Bangkok Downtown Pick-Up/Drop-Off

Bangkok, the City that Never Sleeps

Bangkok, now an international force in finance, business, culture, fashion and entertainment, is a city that never rests, but instead marches on 24×7 with folks filling the bustling expressways, transit lines, bus routes and rail services that feed the rest of the country.

But Bangkok was not always so dynamic. Back in 1688, Bangkok was no more then a small village held by the French who were posted to a small fort, which today is known as Thon Buri. Thon Buri remained less developed then the rest of the city until Thon Buri and Bangkok were merged in 1972, making the combined city the largest in the nation, with just less then 2 million as the population statistic.

Today, with over 12 million inhabitants, little remains of the original site where villagers once traveled by way of khlongs and long boat to and from their stilt houses and businesses.

Things To Do in Bangkok City

The question one asks instead of “What to do in Bangkok?” is “What have we time left to do?” as the fast pace of the city and the shear number of things to do are mind-boggling. Here are a few things that may help slow things down a bit:

Visit the Jim Thompson House: Jim Thompson was the American businessman said to have revived the Thai silk business back in the 1950’s and 60’s. He was also an avid collector of SE Asian art, and after his mysterious disappearance in Malaysia in 1967, his collection and his home was turned into a museum. His originally-styled stilt Thai home and art collection make for one of the most visited attractions in the nation, and this peaceful and restful setting will take you back years to a time when life was less busy.

Visit the Temple of Dawn: during the morning or the evening, the Temple of Dawn, or War Arun, is both beautiful and relaxing to behold. The temple itself is decorate with seashells and bits of old porcelain ballast from ancient ships that once travelled from China to Bangkok. In the early or evening light, the structure shimmers with an iridescence, while the Trident of Shiva atop the temple casts a long shadow over the compound, but not across one’s soul.

Recline with Buddha at Wat Pho: as this temple speaks to one’s ego by way of a huge golden Buddha statue in the reposed position. This statue is over 150 feet long and over 49 feet high, and is the largest Buddha image in the country. The Reclining Buddha was built in honor of King Rama III, and is decorated with gold leaf and has eyes and soles inlaid with mother of pearl. The temple is also the birthplace of Thai Massage, which is another relaxing feature of the temple.

There really are no limits to the activities in a fantastic city like Bangkok, and you can find many great Bangkok day trip suggestions on 1StopBangkok.com, as well as TripAdvisor.

Events near this time of year

If you are looking for a few places to drive to with your Car Hire Bangkok Downtown rental, look no further then here (updates depending on time of year):