Bangkok (Thai: กรุงเทพฯ Krung Thep) is the capital and largest city of Thailand. With a population of over eleven million inhabitants, Bangkok is by far Thailand's main city, with the urban sprawl comprising nearly half of Thailand's population, and the largest city on the Southeast Asian mainland. Its high-rise buildings, heavy traffic congestion, intense heat and naughty nightlife do not immediately give you a warm welcome — but don't let your first impression mislead you.
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Bangkok is a huge and modern city humming with family activities, nightlife and fervor. Administratively, it is split up into 50 districts (เขต khet), which are further split into 180 sub-districts (แขวง khwaeng), but these are more often used in official business and for addresses. Visitors will find the conceptual division below of the main areas more useful for getting around. Around Bangkok are the provinces of Nakhon Pathom to the west, Nonthaburi to the northwest, Pathum Thani to the north, Chachoengsao to the east, Samut Prakan to the southeast and Samut Sakhon to the southwest.
Just under 14 degrees north of the equator, Bangkok is a tropical metropolis that is also one of the most traveller-friendly cities in Asia. A furious assault on the senses, visitors from northern climates are immediately confronted by the heat, the pollution, unpleasant smells, and the irrepressible smile worn by many Thais. The city is surprisingly safe (except for petty crimes) and more organised than it initially appears, and is full of hidden gems waiting to be discovered. The high relative humidity and warm temperature favour the growth of tropical plants — you'll find exotic orchids and delicious fruit everywhere. Bougainvillea and frangipani bloom practically all over the city.
Bangkok has a decent public transportation network by Southeast Asian standards, but much room for improvement lies in its integration. Bangkok is notorious for its traffic jams, so visitors are advised to rely on the rail and river networks whenever possible. Transit Bangkok is a journey planner that can help you choose the best route. Three separate operators form the Bangkok rail network: the Skytrain (BTS), the Metro (MRT), and the State Railway of Thailand (SRT). Each operator has a different fare system, meaning you will have to buy a separate ticket or stored value card for each network you wish to use.
Individual listings can be found in Bangkok's district articles Most of Bangkok's sights are concentrated on the island of Rattanakosin, often referred to as the "Old City". Out of Bangkok's hundreds of temples, the Grand Palace, Wat Pho and Wat Arun usually make up the top 3. The Grand Palace has an immense size, so expect to spend at least a full morning or afternoon there. Within the palace grounds is Wat Phra Kaew, the most sacred Buddhist temple of Thailand. Unlike other temples, it is not one building, nor are there living spaces for monks. Instead, it is a collection of highly decorated holy buildings and monuments.
Individual listings can be found in Bangkok's district articles All of Thailand's major festivals are celebrated in Bangkok. New Year is celebrated three times. There's the new year following the Gregorian calendar at January 1, celebrated with a huge fireworks display at Ratchaprasong intersection. Then there's Chinese New Year in January or February, with grandiose and colourful Chinese lion and dragon processions in Yaowarat. Finally, the water festivities of Songkran celebrate the traditional Thai New Year in the middle of April. Khao San Road degenerates into a war zone as farangs and locals duke it out with super soakers.
Individual listings can be found in Bangkok's district articles Bangkok boasts a stunning 50,000 places to eat; not only thousands of Thai restaurants, but a wide selection of world-class international cuisine too. With the rise of the expat community and high expenditure for local Thais, Bangkok has fast become a gastronomical paradise. Prices are generally high by Thai standards, but cheap by international standards.
Individual listings can be found in Bangkok's district articles Bangkok's nightlife is infamously wild, but it's not quite what it used to be. Due to social order campaigns, there have been quite a few crack-downs on opening hours, nudity, and drug use. Most restaurants, bars and clubs are now forced to close at 01:00, although quite a few are allowed to stay open till 02:00 or later. Informal roadside bars do stay open all night, particularly in Sukhumvit and Khao San Road.
Given its size, Bangkok is surprisingly safe, with violent crimes like mugging and robbery unusual. Most violent crime in Bangkok is connected to disputes between organized crime syndicates; if you do not bother them, they generally will not bother you. Generally speaking, the tourists who get into trouble are the ones who get into drunken fights. One of the biggest dangers are motorbikes who ride on pavements at speed, go through red lights, undertake buses as they stop to let passengers off and generally drive far too fast especially through stationary traffic. If you are going to hire a bike, make sure you have insurance in case you are injured.
Guide content from Wikivoyage contributors (CC BY-SA) — abridged; the full article has much more.
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In Jul, Bangkok typically sees ~31°C daytime highs and 30 rainy days.
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