Thailand at a Glance

Rattanakosi Island is where Bangkok was founded. It is the location of the magnificent Grand Palace and the Temple of the Emerald Buddha. Other major points of interest are Wat Pho, which houses the largest reclining Buddha in Thailand, the National Museum and Sanam Luang where many important royal ceremonies are held such as the annual Royal Ploughing Ceremony. On the other side of the Chao Phraya River, stands the magnificent Wat Arun or Temple of Dawn which is lit up at night

Palace's

National Assembly (anantasamakom thone hall )

This hall was built at the command of King Rama V for visiting foreign dignitaries and for state council meetings. The Italian architecture, Tamango; designed it in the Renaissance style.

Dome Ceiling: Frescoes depict the monarch, of the Chakri Dynasty and important works of those from King Rama I to King Rama VI are featured or, the ceiling of the dome. The rotunda under which  ?the Royal throne is placed has been used for state ceremonies
The Anantasamakom Throne Hall has played an important role in Thai political history. It reflects the bond between Royal and political institutions since the day when King Rama VII affixed his signature to give the Thai people their first constitution. The first meeting of the Thai parliament Convened in this hall.

Wangderm palace

Grand palace

This is the most famous place that is a must for all tourists. It is a large compound located near Sanam Luang in the very heart of Bangkok. The Grand Palace and the Temple of the Emerald Buddha were built after King Rama I ascended the throne as the founder of the Chakri Dynasty on 6 April 1782 and have undergone several repairs and renovations.
The Grand Palace consists of several buildings with different styles of architecture. Wat Phra Kaeo is renowned as the most beautiful and important Buddhist temple in Thailand. It houses Phra Kaeo Morakot (the Emerald Buddha), the most highly revered Buddha image carved from a single block of fine jade.
Scattered in the temple grounds are numerous interesting sculptures of artistic value, including the fanciful animals in mythology, the fierce-looking giants standing guard at the gates, the six pairs of Cambodian-style bronze lions and the stone figures from China.
On the inside walls of the temple's compound, there are extensive mural paintings depicting scenes from the famous epic "Ramayana". It is the longest wall painting in the world as well as one of the Unseen Bangkoks. A distinctive characteristic of this temple is that there are no monks living in it like other temples.

Note : Proper dress is required. Women visitors must wear long pants or long skirts. Men in short pants are not allowed to enter the temple. Photography inside the main temple is forbidden

Princess Palace

Suan Pakkad Palace is located on Si Ayutthaya Road near the Phayathai intersection. This used to be the residence of Princess Chumphot, one of Thailand's leading art collectors. Five traditional Thai houses overlooking a beautifully kept garden display a large collection of Thai arts and antiques. The traditional Thai buildings which house the Suan Pakkad Palace Collection were erected in 1952 by their Royal Highnesses Prince and Princess Chumbhot of Nagor Svarga. All are old. Some belonged to Prince Chumbhot's ancestors more than a century ago and have been reassembled here to house the exhibits. The first four houses form a group and are connected by a footbridge. Two other houses and the Lacquer Pavilion stand a short distance away

Temples

Budda Temple

Location : Chetuphon Road

Located next to the Grand Palace on the south side, this is the oldest and biggest temple with the largest number of pagodas (95 in all) in the city. Wat Pho is well known for its huge Reclining Buddha, 46 m long and 15 m high. Besides, it was the first open university of Thailand which used to offer courses in several branches of knowledge like literature, archaeology, astrology and medicine.

Nowadays Wat Pho is famous among foreign visitors for its Thai Traditional Massage School which offers three kinds of massage services namely, body massage, body massage with herbs and foot massage. The massage service opens daily from 8 a.m. till 5 p.m. For learning courses, there are three courses, i.e. general Thai massage, therapeutic and healing massage and foot massage.
For more information about the massage services and courses, please call 0 2211 2974 or e-mail WatPoTTM@netscape.net

Temple of Dawn

Located on the west bank of the Chao Phraya River, this temple can be reached either by Arun Amarin Road or by boat from Tha Tien Pier, near Wat Pho. It was restored during the brief Thonburi period to be the Royal Chapel of King Taksin. An important structure is a 79 meter-high pagoda or "Phra Phang" decorated with ceramic tiles and fragments of multicoloured porcelain. The name of this temple literary means "Temple of the Dawn" but the most beautiful view of it can be seen from the east side of the river at sunset.

Other Sites

Floating Markets

This large and popular floating market is about 80 km southwest of Bangkok in Ratchaburi province. Photos of this vibrant market featuring many small boats laden with colourful fruits and vegetables and paddled by Thai women wearing bamboo hats, are among the most often published in travel magazines and brochures of Thailand.

The Damnoen Saduak canal was ordered to be built in 1866 by King Rama IV of the Chakri Dynasty to facilitate waterborne travels between Ratchaburi and Samutsakhon Provinces. It was finished and opened to the public in 1868.

Nowadays, apart from providing transportation, Damnoen Saduak canal also provides local farmers with adequate water for agricultural purposes. A number of anals were dug to connect with it by local peasants to get water to splatter their land. As the excellent quality soil along the canal is very fertile, the area has a high potential for producing various kinds of fruits and vegetables.

The Royal Barges National Museum

The Royal Barges National Museum houses several decorative royal barges, the earliest of which dates back to 1357. Most of the barges served as War Vessels at one point, and were subsequently used on royal or state occasions on the Chao Phraya River. Due to their age the barges are now rarely used, but their intricate designs reflecting Thai religious beliefs and local history are of great importance to the country’s heritage. The barges were last used at the end of 1999 to celebrate the king’s 72nd birthday

The exhibition shows the barges and the objects used in the procession such as thrones, paddles, uniforms of oarsmen, figureheads of barges, etc. Because of the limit of museum space, only 8 important royal barges from about 51 of the whole procession are on display. Among these, the three most magnificent ones are

The Royal Barges National Museum is open everyday
from 8.30 a.m.- 4.30 p.m.

The National Museum Bangkok

Guided tours at the National Museum by National Museum Volunteers

In English and France every Wednesday& Thursday at 9.30 am

Museum entrance fee 50 Baht  (

Office Hours 9.00 am - 4.00 pm

Na Phrthat Rdm Phra Borommaharachawang Sub-district,
Phra Nakorn District, Bangkok 10200
Located between Thammasat University and The National Theatre,opposite Grand Park (Sanamluang)

Samphran Elephant Ground & Zoo

Rose Garden

Location : 30 km southwest of Bangkok on Phetkasem Highway

Covering an area of over 20 hectares, it is a beautiful flower garden resort, noted for its scenic riverside landscape. At the resort, there are a Thai cultural village and a restaurant. It also stages cultural shows, folk dances and martial arts at 14.30 every day.

Pattaya

Pattaya is 147 km. southeast of Bangkok and adjoins the Gulf of Thailand. It is Thailand's premier and most successful beach resort which annually attracts hundreds of thousands of pleasure-seeking visitors from all over the world.

Moreover, with the recent establishment of the industrial estates of Laem Chabang to the north and that of Map Ta Phut to the south, Pattaya has been developing to be a major business centre and pleasing residence for western expatriates.

For sun lovers and water-sports fans, Pattaya's sunny climate provides ideal conditions for swimming and all other imaginable water activities, including fishing, boat sailing, speed-boating, water-scooter riding, water skiing, parasailing, scuba diving and windsurfing. For those who do not want to get drenched, Pattaya also has gyms and health clubs for exercise and many kinds of land sports and games to choose from, such as shooting, car racing, horse riding, archery, golf, bowling, tennis, go-kart, paintball, etc.

For shoppers, fashionable boutiques and shops of ready-made garments, silk, paintings, handicrafts, gemstones, jewelry and trinkets are centred in the main street of Central and South Pattaya and also in the luxurious hotels. And the prices are fair.For gourmets, Pattaya's cookeries offer at reasonable prices a wide range of superlative fresh seafood and various styles of cuisine -- Thai, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, French, Italian, German, Scandinavian, Mexican, American, Indian, Russian, etc. And for night owls, Pattaya's lively nightlife caters for every taste. The most brightly colourful spot is South Pattaya where all kinds of nightly entertainment are offered.

In short, Pattaya is the place for all. No wonder it has remained popular among those who come to spend their holidays from far and near alike.

Calypso Cabaret

Calypso Cabaret - Theater.
Established 1988. At Asia Hotel. 296 Phayathai Rd., Bangkok 10400
ENTRANCE : Main-Lobby

SEATING CAPACITY :
Up to 350 visitors per show. Numbered table-seating up to 5 visitors per table.
THEATER LOBBY
GUIDE ROOM
50 PERFORMERS
TABLE RESERVATION
Booking on "First Come First Serve Basis"

PARKING: Free of Charge
- For Bus (in front of hotel)
- For Car (at hotel car park)

SHOW TIME: 8:15 P.M. and 9:45 P.M.

Shopping

The Gem Gallery

 The first jewellery store in Thailand that have received the international ISO 9002 and ISO 9001:2000.  Gems Gallery is situated in four major cities, Bangkok, Chiangmai, Phuket and Pattaya. Each branch  has a specific jewellery masterpiece and gems to choose from. Our staffs are willing and welcome to  serve you

Take you within 15-20 minutes from the central city. You are rest assured that you will get only the best  products and service at Gems Gallery's factory, Personal transaction is much more convinient than any  other transactions

Visit The Gems Gallery please call : 02-877-9780

HOTLINE : 01-314-1233 (24 hour)

    Bangkok :
    The Gems Gallery International of Bangkok Co.,Ltd.
    Rama VI Rd., Samsaennai, Phayathai, Bangkok, Thailand 10400

    Chiangmai :
    The Gems Gallery Chiangmai Co.,Ltd.
    Chiangmai Sankampaeng Rd., Sankampaeng, Chiangmai Thailand 50130

    Phuket :
    The Gems Gallery Phuket Co.,Ltd.
    Chalermprakiat Rama 9 Rd., Muang, Phuket, Thailand 83000

    Pattaya :
    The Gems Gallery Pattaya Co.,Ltd.
    North Pattaya Rd., Banglamung, Pattaya, Chonburi, Thailand 20150

MBK

Mahboonkrong (MBK center), this market-style shopping centre is packed with stalls selling everything from clothing and leather goods to cosmetics, gift items, electrical equipment, furniture and travel and camping equipment. This place is popular for its wide variety of products with inexpensive prices.

Patpong Night markets

The strip of pavement along the north side of Silom and the entire pedestrian precinct of Patpong is transformed into a busy market for garments and other products after sunset. In the daytime, Silom Road functions as Bangkok's center for business, banking and commerce. During the night, it turns into a lively entertainment zone and night market.

The main products on sale are ready-to-wear garments with many brand-name items. Please be aware that the brand-name items are cheap imitations. Also available are pirate tapes and CDs, watches, various Thai handicrafts, games, leather items, household ornaments and the like. Bargaining is a must at this lively market, which flanks some of Bangkok's notorious night spots.

World Trade Centre

World Trade Centre is now called the Central World Plaza This centre which recently changed its name is still more commonly known through Bangkok as the World Trade Centre. It comprises of the ZEN, Isetan and Duty Free shopping centres, with hundreds of additional small shops to go with it. It is opposite the Grand Hyatt Hotel and is the most central of all the shopping locations

There are hundreds of shops, scores of restaurants, cinemas, and an ice skating rink. In front, there are often open-air concerts by popular Thai bands, open-air restaurants, and beer gardens, but these seem to come and go depending on the seasons. There used to be a replica of a pirate ship serving Carlsberg beer, but it disappeared overnight!
Central World Plaza is on Rajdamri Road, go up Sukhumvit, past the railway crossing, the road changes its name to Ploenchit, When you get to the Meridien President Hotel and Amarin Plaza, World Trade is on the right just over the traffic lights at the junction of both roads and sky train. It’s so big you can’t miss it! Just get in a taxi and say "World Trade".