10 Must See Places in Bangkok

East meets west, Modern era meets historic days, Industrialization in a kingly land! Wondering what I am referring to? Let me give you guys some more hints

The abode of the reclining Buddha

The chimes of the prayer wheels

A crimson hue to the river side ruins

Of age old tales that a palace sings

Just a stroll in the temple of dawn

And the peace at the Wat Phra Kaew

Where Chao Phraya guides you to pagodas around

And where a museum is also forensic bound

The wonder of today and legacy of past

That is my current fascination, Guess it fast!

Well for those who guessed it, Yay! And those who didn’t, don’t worry I was just talking about the Venice of the East - Bangkok!

Okay, to be very frank, I have developed this sudden fascination for Bangkok, thanks to AirAsia’s - World’s Best OnlineTravel Fair, where in they have amazing and very tempting travel plans for this very destination. But then if you have to travel, you need to know the place well right? Know where you want to go and what places to see, cause world is a beautiful place and a place like Bangkok just has too many amazing places in the must see zone. So if not planned well the trip to such an enchanting location might also turn out to be a disaster. Thus I started with my travel research because my mind either is uninterested or obsessed about what I come up with, and this has become my obsession for now. I had a cousin who worked in Bangkok some years back and have a couple of friends who have been there for vacations recently. So after accumulating the information from all the experienced parties I have come up with this list of the ‘10 Must See Places in Bangkok’.

1. Wat Arun or Temple of Dawn –

   

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    It is the most famous landmark of Bangkok, standing tall since the 17^th century. It is said that the structure of the central prang gives out a pearly glow in the early morning haze as it is tall and encrusted with colourful porcelain. It is completely illuminated in the evening and the sight of the temple during sunset from the banks of Chao Phraya is breathtaking.
2. Wat Phra Kaew and the Grand Palace – Another significant tourist spot of Bangkok is the
   
   Temple of The emerald Buddha or Wat Phra Kaew, which is situated in the premises of the Grand Palace. It is considered to be the most sacred Temple in Thailand and is magnificent structure glorifying the Rattanakosin or Ayudhya era architecture. The emerald Buddha is said to be from India and the Temple has a lot of instances of Ramayan in its decoration. Also the statue of Kinara sn the garuda pedestal of the Emerald Buddha have a lot of resemblance to the folk stories of India. Imagine being in a place away from your country and still not feeling out of place, sounds nice right?
3. Wat Pho-

   

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   Close to the Grand Palace is Wat Pho or the Temple of the Reclining Buddha. It is one of the oldest Wats of Thailand and is the house of the 15 meter high 160 feet long world famous reclining Buddha. Along with that, the complex has almost 1000 Buddha structures and 90 stupas or chedis. The temple is called the birthplace of traditional Thai massage, interesting right? Also people like me crazy about vedic maths and who have just read the Krishna Key would find this very fascinating. The feet of the reclining Buddha has 108 auspicious symbols of Buddha and the entrance has 108 bowls for dropping coins in them. The bowls symbolize the 108 auspicious characters of Buddha. Vedic resemblance indeed!
4. Wat Mahathat Yuwaratrangsarit – It is one of the 10 royal temples of Thailand and is yet another marvel of the Ayuthaya period. The Wat is less pompous in appearance in comparision to the other Wats but is never the less famous for its alley of Buddha, which has about 100 Buddha idols. It is also the seat of Thailand’s oldest Monk university and is now has a proper college university as well.
5. Dusit Palace Complex –
   
   Post the Wat tour would be time to explore the royal realms of Bangkok that thrived during the 19^th century. The complex has many modern palaces and villas. The most striking once among these are the Vimanmek Palace which is entirely made of teak wood, the Celestial Palace which served as the recreational royal home, the Ananta Samakhom throne hall and the Abhisek Dusit throne hall. The area is also famous for its gardens and zoo and is a hustling bustling public recreational area.
6. The Siriraj Medical Museum –
   
   Yes you read it right! It is indeed a medical Museum and has a creepy section of Forensic Medicine Musuem. Horror fans this is for you, but no ghost sightings have been reported till date though. Dead people and creepy skeletons await you here so go at your own risk. But it is a different kind of experience so definitely makes an appearance in my travel plan.
7. Safari World –
   We have all seen Dolphin shows on TV with a lot of “Aww”s and “Wow”s. Well here you will get a chance to see it live! Also it has a zoo where you would get familiarized with over 200 species of Birds. Don’t wanna let go of the child in you, then this place is a must!
8. River Cruise in Chao Phraya or more aptly The Ayuthaya River Cruise
   
   – Ayuthaya harbor grazes old ruins that are literally frozen in time and the fast growing slowing city where time just waits for no one. The best way to experience both at the same time is via the River Cruise. Imagine the sunset at the confluence of present and past with your loved one singing your song in the “My best friend’s wedding” style! Romantic much? You would want to miss out on the feeling now, would you?
9. Canal Hopping in the Bangkok Khlongs –

   

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   Bangkok is said to be the venice of the East and a trip through the canals of the city is a beautiful experience indeed. Also wanna be a part of the crowd and live a day in the Thai way, there will be no better way! The river market in the Khalongs are the most interesting part of this venture.
10. Siam Paragon Shopping Centre – Let the shopaholic in you rise and make merry. This is the hub of shopping in Bangkok and anything and everything areana. Also the famous Siam Ocean world is right here.
    

Well you know where to go now and how is fairly easy – Book a ticket and fly to the India outside India. I helped you in the where part and AirAsia can help you in the How part, so pack you bags and make way to the amazing land of Bangkok!

PS: This post has been written AirAsia's World's Best Online Travel Fair.

Picture courtesy Google.