Bangkok City Guide

199

EXTENDED FAMILIES IN THAILAND’S ROYAL COURT History T h e Age o f P o litics

Until polygamy was outlawed by Rama VI (King Vajiravudh; r 1910–25), it was expect-
ed of Thai monarchs to maintain a harem consisting of numerous ‘major’ and ‘minor’
wives and the children of these relationships. This led to some truly vast families:
Rama I (King Phraphutthayotfa; r 1782–1809) had 42 children by 28 mothers; Rama
II (King Phraphutthaloetla Naphalai; r 1809–24), 73 children by 40 mothers; Rama III
(King Phranangklao; r 1824–51), 51 children by 37 mothers (he would eventually ac-
cumulate a total of 242 wives and consorts); Rama IV (King Mongkut; r 1851–68), 82
children by 35 mothers; and Rama V (King Chulalongkorn; r 1868–1910), 77 children
by 40 mothers. In the case of Rama V, his seven ‘major’ wives were all half-sisters or
first cousins, a conscious effort to maintain the purity of the bloodline of the Chakri
dynasty. Other consorts or ‘minor’ wives were often the daughters of families wishing
to gain greater ties with the royal family.

In contrast to the precedent set by his predecessors, Rama VI had one wife and
one child, a girl born only a few hours before his death. As a result, his brother, Pra-
jadhipok, was appointed as his successor. Rama VII also had only one wife and failed
to produce any heirs. After abdicating in 1935 he did not exercise his right to appoint
a successor, so lines were drawn back to Rama V, and the grandson of one of his re-
maining ‘major’ wives, nine-year-old Ananda Mahidol, was chosen to be the next king.

From 1964 to 1973 – the peak years of the second Indochina War –
Thai army officers Thanom Kittikachorn and Praphat Charusathien
ruled Thailand and allowed the US to establish several army bases
within Thai borders to support the US campaign in Indochina. During
this time Bangkok gained notoriety as a ‘rest and recreation’ (R&R) spot
for foreign troops stationed in Southeast Asia.

In October 1973 the Thai military brutally suppressed a large pro-
democracy student demonstration at Bangkok’s Thammasat University,
but Rama IX (King Bhumibol Adulyadej; r 1946–present) and General
Krit Sivara, who sympathised with the students, refused to support
further bloodshed, forcing Thanom and Praphat to leave Thailand.
Oxford-educated Kukrit Pramoj took charge of a 14-party coalition gov-
ernment and steered a leftist agenda past the conservative parliament.

The military regained control in 1976 after right-wing, paramilitary
civilian groups assaulted a group of 2000 students holding a sit-in at
Thammasat. Officially, 46 people died in the incident, although the
number may be much higher, and more than a thousand were arrested.
Many students fled Bangkok and joined the People’s Liberation Army
of Thailand (PLAT), an armed communist insurgency based in the hills,
which had been active in Thailand since the 1930s.

1917 1932 1935–46 1939

Bangkok’s first A bloodless coup Ananda Mahidol, The country’s name is
Western-style institute transforms Siam grandson of one of changed from Siam to
from an absolute
of higher education, to a constitutional Rama V’s ‘major’ Thailand.
Chulalongkorn monarchy; deposed wives, is appointed
king; his reign ends
University, is founded; king, Rama VII,
it’s still regarded as remains on the throne abruptly when he
the country’s most until he resigns three is shot dead in his
prestigious. room in mysterious
years later.
circumstances.

History T h e Age o f P o litics200

RAMA IX

A common backdrop in Bangkok are images of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, Thailand’s
longest-reigning monarch and the longest-reigning living monarch in the world. Also
known in English as Rama IX (the ninth king of the Chakri dynasty), Bhumibol Adulya-
dej was born in 1927 in the USA, where his father Prince Mahidol was studying medi-
cine at Harvard University.

Fluent in English, French, German and Thai, Bhumibol ascended the throne in 1946
following the death of his brother Rama VIII (King Ananda Mahidol; r 1935–46), who
reigned for just over 11 years before dying under mysterious circumstances.

An ardent jazz composer and saxophonist when he was younger, Rama IX has hosted
jam sessions with the likes of jazz greats Woody Herman and Benny Goodman. His
compositions are often played on Thai radio. The king is also recognised for his exten-
sive development projects, particularly in rural areas of Thailand. For a relatively objec-
tive English-language biography of the king’s accomplishments, King Bhumibol Adulya-
dej: A Life’s Work (Editions Didier Millet, 2010) is available in most Bangkok bookstores.

Rama IX and Queen Sirikit have four children: Princess Ubol Ratana (b 1951), Crown
Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn (b 1952), Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn (b 1955) and
Princess Chulabhorn (b 1957).

After more than 60 years in power, and having spent most of the last few years in
hospital with very few public appearances, Rama IX is preparing for his succession.
For the last few years the Crown Prince has performed most of the royal ceremonies
the king would normally perform, such as presiding over the Royal Ploughing Ceremo-
ny, changing the attire on the Emerald Buddha and handing out academic degrees at
university commencements.

Along with nation and religion, the monarchy is very highly regarded in Thai society.
Negative comment about the king or any member of the royal family is a social as well
as legal taboo.

Bangkok continued to seesaw between civilian and military rule for
the next 15 years. Although a general amnesty in 1982 brought an end to
the PLAT, and students, workers and farmers returned to their homes,
a new era of political tolerance exposed the military once again to civil-
ian fire.

In May 1992 several huge demonstrations demanding the resigna-
tion of the next in a long line of military dictators, General Suchinda
Kraprayoon, rocked Bangkok and the large provincial capitals. Charis-
matic Bangkok governor Chamlong Srimuang, winner of the 1992 Mag-
saysay Award (a humanitarian service award issued in the Philippines)
for his role in galvanising the public to reject Suchinda, led the protests.
After confrontations between the protesters and the military near the

1946 1951–63 1962 1973

Pridi Phanomyong Field marshal Sarit US involvement in Student protests lead
becomes Thailand’s Thanarat wrests the Indochina War to violent military
first democratically leads to economic suppression; 1971
power from Phibun and infrastructural
elected prime Songkhram, abolishes expansion of Bangkok; coup leader Thanom
minister; after a dissatisfaction with Kittikachorn is exiled
military coup, Pridi is the constitution and the Thai government
forced to flee Thailand, embarks on one of the leads to communist by Rama IX; Kukrit
returning only briefly Pramoj’s civilian
one more time. most authoritarian insurgency.
regimes in modern government takes
charge.
Thai history.

201

Democracy Monument resulted in nearly 50 deaths and hundreds of In 2001, days History T h e R ecent Past
injuries, Rama IX summoned both Suchinda and Chamlong for a rare before he became
public scolding. Suchinda resigned, having been in power for less than
six weeks. prime minister,
Thaksin Shina-
A mere 13 sq km in 1900, Bangkok grew to an astounding metropoli- watra transferred
tan area of more than 330 sq km by the end of the 20th century. Today his shares in
the greater city encompasses not only Bangkok proper, but also the Shin Corporation
former capital of Thonburi across Mae Nam Chao Phraya to the west, to his siblings,
along with the densely populated ‘suburb’ provinces, Samut Prakan to chauffeur and
the east and Nonthaburi to the north. More than half of Thailand’s ur- even household
ban population lives in Bangkok. servants in an ap-
parent attempt to
The Recent Past conceal his true
assets. Eventually
The Crisis & the People’s Constitution the country’s
constitutional
Bangkok approached the new millennium riding a tide of events that court would clear
set new ways of governing and living in the capital. The most defining him of all fraud
moment occurred in July 1997 when – after several months of warning
signs that nearly everyone in Thailand and the international commu- charges.
nity ignored – the Thai currency fell into a deflationary tailspin and the
national economy screeched to a virtual halt. Bangkok, which rode at
the forefront of the 1980s double-digit economic boom, suffered more
than elsewhere in the country in terms of job losses and massive in-
come erosion.

Two months after the crash, the Thai parliament voted in a new con-
stitution that guaranteed – at least on paper – more human and civil
rights than had ever been granted in Thailand previously. The so-called
‘people’s constitution’ fostered great hope in a population left emotion-
ally battered by the 1997 economic crisis.

Thaksin Shinawatra: CEO Prime Minister

In January 2001, billionaire former police colonel Thaksin Shinawatra
became prime minister after winning a landslide victory in nationwide
elections – the first in Thailand under the strict guidelines established
in the 1997 constitution. Thaksin’s new party, called Thai Rak Thai
(TRT; Thais Love Thailand), swept into power on a populist agenda that
seemed at odds with the man’s enormous wealth and influence.

The sixth-richest ruler in the world as of late 2003, Thaksin owned
the country’s only private TV station through his family-owned Shin
Corporation, the country’s largest telecommunications company. Shin
Corporation also owned Asia’s first privately owned satellite company,
Shin Satellite, and a large stake in Thai AirAsia, a subsidiary of the
Malaysia-based airline AirAsia.

1981 1985 1992 1997

General Prem Chamlong Srimuang Protests led by Thailand devalues
Tinsulanonda is is elected mayor of Chamlong Srimuang the baht, triggering
appointed prime the Asian economic
minister after a Bangkok; three years against 1991 coup
military coup and is later, after forming his leader Suchinda crisis; massive
largely able to stabilise own largely Buddhist- unemployment and
Thai politics over the based political group, Kraprayoon lead to personal debt, and a
next eight years. violent confrontations; crash of the Thai stock
the Palang Dharma
Party, he is elected Suchinda resigns market, follow.
following a public
mayor again. scolding by Rama IX.

202 History T h e R ecent Past Despite numerous controversies, during the February 2005 general
elections Thaksin became the first Thai leader in history to be re-elected
Historical to a consecutive second term.
Reads
However, time was running short for Thaksin and his party. The final
Thailand: A Short straw came in January 2006, when Thaksin announced that his family
History (David K had sold off its controlling interest in Shin Corporation to a Singaporean
investment firm. Since deals made through the Stock Exchange of Thai-
Wyatt) land (SET) were exempt from capital-gains tax, Thaksin’s family paid no
A History of tax on the US$1.9 billion sale, which enraged Bangkok’s middle class.
Thailand (Chris
Baker & Pasuk Many of the PM’s most highly placed supporters also turned against
Phongpaichit) him. Most prominently, media mogul and former friend, Sondhi Lim-
Chronicle of thongkul organised a series of anti-Thaksin rallies in Bangkok, culmi-
Thailand (Editions nating in a rally at Bangkok’s Royal Plaza on 4 and 5 February 2006 that
Didier Millet) drew tens of thousands of protesters.
Reading Thai
Murals (David K Thaksin’s ministers responded by dissolving the national assembly
and scheduling snap elections for 2 April 2006, three years ahead of
Wyatt) schedule. Thaksin initially claimed victory, but after a conference with
the king, announced that he would take a break from politics.

The Coup & the Red/Yellow Divide

On the evening of 19 September 2006, while Thaksin was attending
a UN conference in New York City, the Thai military took power in
a bloodless coup. Calling themselves the Council for Democratic Re-
form under the Constitutional Monarch, the junta cited the TRT gov-
ernment’s alleged lèse-majesté (treason), corruption, interference with
state agencies and creation of social divisions as justification for the
coup. Thaksin quickly flew to London, where he remained in exile until
his UK visa was revoked in 2008.

In a nationwide referendum held on 19 August 2007, Thais approved
a military-drafted constitution. Under the new constitution, elections
were finally held in late 2007. After forming a loose coalition with sev-
eral other parties, parliament chose veteran politician and close Thak-
sin ally Samak Sundaravej as prime minister.

Not surprisingly, Samak was regarded as little more than a proxy of
Thaksin by his opponents, and shortly after taking office he became the
target of a series of large-scale protests held by the Peoples’ Alliance for
Democracy (PAD), the same group of mostly Bangkok-based middle-
class royalists who had called for Thaksin’s resignation in the lead up to
the 2006 coup. By this point, the PAD had already begun wearing their
trademark yellow to show their allegiance to the king.

In August 2008, several thousand yellow-shirted PAD protesters took
over Government House in Bangkok. The takeover was followed by spo-

1999 2001 2004 9 June 2006

The BTS (Skytrain), Thaksin Shinawatra, The MRT, Bangkok’s Thailand celebrates
Bangkok’s first Thailand’s richest first underground the 60th anniversary
public transport of Rama IX’s ascension
expansive metro man, is elected prime to the throne; the Thai
system, opens in minister on a populist system, is opened; an king continues to be
commemoration of platform in what some accident the next year
Rama IX’s 6th cycle have called the most injures 140 and causes the longest-serving
(72nd) birthday. monarch in the world.
open, corruption- the system to shut
free election in Thai down for two weeks.

history.

203

THAILAND’S COLOURS OF PROTEST History T h e R ecent Past

Most Thais are aware of the day of the week they were born, and in Thai astrology
each day is associated with a particular colour. However, in the aftermath of the 2006
coup, these previously benign hues started to take on a much more political meaning.

To show their alleged support for the royal family, the anti-Thaksin Peoples’ Alliance
for Democracy (PAD) adopted yellow as their uniform. This goes back to 2006, when
in an effort to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Rama IX’s ascension to the throne,
Thais were encouraged to wear yellow, the colour associated with Monday, the king’s
birthday. A couple of years later, pink was added to the repertoire when protesters
wore the colour as a nod to a previous occasion when the king safely emerged from a
lengthy hospital visit wearing a bright pink blazer.

To differentiate themselves, the pro-Thaksin United Front for Democracy against
Dictatorship (UDD) began to wear red, and soon thereafter became known colloquial-
ly as the ‘red shirts’. To add to the political rainbow, during the riots of April 2009 that
disrupted an Asean summit in Pattaya, a blue-shirted faction emerged, apparently
aligned with a former Thaksin ally and allegedly sponsored by the Ministry of the Inte-
rior. And during the political crisis of 2010, a ‘no colour’ group of peace activists and
a ‘black shirt’ faction, believed to consist of rogue elements of the Thai military, also
emerged. During the protests in 2013 and 2014, antigovernment protesters ditched
yellow shirts in favour of the Thai flag, the red, white and blue stripes of which were
co-opted on ribbons, buttons, shirts and iPhone cases.

radic violent clashes between the PAD and the United Front for Democra-
cy against Dictatorship (UDD), a loose association of red-shirted Thaksin
supporters who had set up camp nearby at Sanam Luang.

On 25 November, hundreds of armed PAD protesters stormed Bang-
kok’s Suvarnabhumi and Don Muang Airports, entering the passenger
terminals and seizing control of the control towers. Thousands of addi-
tional PAD sympathisers eventually flooded Suvarnabhumi, leading to
the cancellation of all flights and leaving as many as 230,000 domestic
and international passengers stranded. The stand-off lasted until 2 De-
cember, when the Supreme Court wielded its power yet again in order to
ban Samak’s successor, Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat, from poli-
tics and ordered his political party and two coalition parties dissolved.

In addition to financial loss, the events of 2008 also had a signifi-
cant social cost in that Thailand, a country that had mostly experienced
a relatively high level of domestic stability and harmony throughout
its modern history, was now effectively polarised between the pre-
dominately middle- and upper-class, urban-based PAD and the largely
working-class, rural UDD.

19 September August 2007 November April 2010
2006 2008
In a nationwide Pro-Thaksin
A bloodless coup sees referendum, voters Thousands of yellow- supporters clash
the Thai military take shirted anti-Thaksin with troops in central
agree to approve Bangkok, leading to
power from Thaksin a military-drafted protesters – the 25 deaths, several
while he is at a UN Peoples’ Alliance for hundred injuries and
constitution, Democracy (PAD) – the torching of several
meeting in New York; Thailand’s 17th take over Bangkok’s
he remains in exile. since becoming buildings.
a constitutional airports; tourist
monarchy in 1932. numbers drop.

History T h e R ecent Past204
In December 2008 a tenuous new coalition was formed, led by

Abhisit Vejjajiva, the Oxford-educated leader of the Democrat Party.
Despite Abhisit being young, photogenic, articulate and allegedly un-
tainted by corruption, his perceived association with the PAD did little
to placate the UDD, and in February 2010 the ‘red shirts’ and self-
proclaimed prodemocracy activists united to demand that Prime Min-
ister Abhisit Vejjajiva stand down.

In April 2010, violent clashes between police and protesters (number-
ing up to tens of thousands) resulted in 25 deaths. Red-shirted protesters
barricaded themselves into an area stretching from Lumphini Park to
the shopping district near Siam Square, effectively shutting down parts
of central Bangkok. In May the protesters were eventually dispersed by
force, but not before at least 36 buildings were set alight and at least 15
people killed. The death toll from the 2010 conflicts amounted to nearly
100 people, making it Thailand’s most violent political unrest in 20 years.

In 2011, Yingluck Yingluck Shinawatra: Thaksin’s ‘Clone’
Shinawatra
Parliamentary elections in 2011 saw the election of Yingluck Shinawat-
became the first ra, the younger sister of the still-exiled Thaksin. A former business-
female prime woman, Yingluck had no prior political experience and has been de-
minister in Thai scribed by her older brother as his ‘clone’. Yingluck’s leadership was
history. tested almost immediately, when in mid-2011 the outskirts of Bangkok
were hit by the most devastating floods in decades. Although nearly all
of central Bangkok was spared from flooding, it was largely perceived
that this was done at the expense of upcountry regions.

Yingluck’s tenure progressed relatively uneventfully until 2013,
when she had to deal with the fallout from both a botched rice scheme
(p214) and a proposed bill that would have granted amnesty to her
brother, potentially allowing Thaksin to return to Thailand without
facing trial for previous corruption convictions. The bill was rejected,
but Yingluck’s intentions were made clear. Within weeks, antigovern-
ment protesters, led by former Democrat MP Suthep Thaugsuban,
were staging frequent rallies, eventually taking over sections of central
Bangkok in early 2014. After occasionally violent clashes that led to
the deaths of 28 people and a nullified election, in May 2014 Thailand’s
Constitutional Court found Yingluck and nine members of her cabinet
guilty of abuse of power, forcing them to stand down. A caretaker gov-
ernment was appointed, only for the Thai military to declare martial
law on May 20, and two days later, officially announce that they had
seized power of the country. At press time, the military had yet to re-
veal a timeframe for a return to civilian rule.

July 2011 5 August 2011 October 2013– 22 May 2014
May 2014
Heavy monsoon rains Parliament approves The Thai military
lead to floods covering the election of Antigovernment seizes control of the
protesters seize key
much of central Thailand’s first female sections of Bangkok; country in what is
Thailand, including prime minister, violent incidents lead Thailand’s 12th coup
to 825 injuries and 28
parts of Bangkok, Yingluck Shinawatra, d’etat since having
although protective younger sister of deaths. abolished absolute
measures spare nearly monarchy in 1932.
all the city’s central deposed former prime
minister Thaksin
districts. Shinawatra.

©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd 205

People & Culture

Bangkok is both utterly Thai and totally foreign. Old and new ways clash and mingle,
constantly redrawing the lines of what it means to be ‘Thai’. But despite the inter-
national veneer, a Thai value system – built primarily on religious and monarchical
devotion – is ticking away, guiding every aspect of life. Almost all Thais, even the
most conspicuously consuming, are dedicated Buddhists who aim to be reborn into a
better life by making merit (giving donations to temples or feeding monks), regarding
merit-making as the key to their earthly success.

People of Bangkok Thailand
Demo-
Bangkok accommodates every rung of the economic ladder, from the
aristocrat to the slum dweller. It is the new start for the economic hope- graphics
fuls and the last chance for the economic refugees. The lucky ones from
the bottom rung form the working-class backbone of the city – taxi Population:
drivers, food vendors, maids, nannies and even prostitutes. Many hail 66.7 million
from the northeastern provinces and send hard-earned baht back to Fertility rate:
their families in small rural villages. At the very bottom are the dispos-
sessed, who live in squatter communities on marginal, often polluted 1.6
land. While the Thai economy has surged, a truly comprehensive social Percentage of
net has yet to be constructed. Meanwhile, Bangkok is also the great in- people over
cubator for Thailand’s new generation of young creatives, from design-
ers to architects, and has long nurtured the archetype of the country’s 65: 8.5%
middle class. Urbanisation

The city has also represented economic opportunity for foreign immi- rate: 34%
grants. Approximately half of its population claims some Chinese ances- Life expect-
try, be it Cantonese, Hainanese, Hokkien or Teochew. Although the first ancy: 74 years
Chinese labourers faced discrimination from the Thais, their descend-
ants’ success in business, finance and public affairs helped to elevate the
status of Chinese and Thai-Chinese families.

Immigrants from South Asia also migrated to Bangkok and comprise
the second-largest Asian minority. Sikhs from northern India typically
make their living in tailoring, while Sinhalese, Bangladeshis, Nepalis and
Pakistanis can be found in the import-export or retail trade.

The Thai Character

Much of Thailand’s cultural value system is hinged upon respect for the
family, religion and monarchy. Within that system each person knows
his or her place and Thai children are strictly instructed in the impor-
tance of group conformity, respecting elders and suppressing confron-
tational views. In most social situations, establishing harmony often
takes a leading role and Thais take personal pride in making others
feel at ease.

Other notable cultural characteristics include a strong belief in the
concept of saving face and an equally strong regard for sà·nùk, Thai-
style fun.

206 People & Culture Religion Religion

Cultural Theravada Buddhism
Readings
Around 90% of Bangkokians are Buddhists, who believe that individu-
Being Dharma: als work out their own paths to nibbana (nirvana) through a combina-
The Essence of tion of good works, meditation and study of the dhamma (Buddhist
the Buddha’s philosophy).
Teachings (2001;
The social and administrative centre for Thai Buddhism is the wát
Ajahn Chah) (temple or monastery), a walled compound containing several buildings
Very Thai (2013; constructed in the traditional Thai style with steep, swooping roof lines
Philip Cornwell- and colourful interior murals; the most important structures contain
solemn Buddha statues cast in bronze.
Smith)
Thailand at Walk the streets of Bangkok early in the morning and you’ll catch the
Random: Facts, flash of shaved heads bobbing above bright ochre robes, as monks all
Figures, Quotes over the city engage in bin·tá·bàht, the daily house-to-house alms-food
and Anecdotes on gathering. Thai men are expected to shave their heads and don monas-
Thailand (2012; tic robes temporarily at least once in their lives.
Editions Didier
Guardian Spirits
Millet)
Sacred Tattoos of Animism predates the arrival of all other religions in Bangkok, and
Thailand (2011; it still plays an important role in the everyday life of most city resi-
Joe Cummings) dents. Believing that prá poom (guardian spirits) inhabit rivers, canals,
trees and other natural features, and that these spirits must be pla-
cated whenever humans trespass upon or make use of these features,
the Thais build spirit shrines to house the displaced spirits. These
dollhouse-like structures perch on wood or cement pillars next to their
homes and receive daily offerings of rice, fruit, flowers and water.

Other Religions

Thai royal ceremony remains almost exclusively the domain of one of
the most ancient religious traditions still functioning in the kingdom,
Brahmanism. White-robed, topknotted priests of Indian descent keep
alive an arcane collection of rituals that, it is generally believed, must
be performed at regular intervals to sustain the three pillars of Thai
nationhood: sovereignty, religion and the monarchy.

Green-hued onion domes looming over rooftops belong to mosques
and mark the immediate neighbourhood as Muslim, while brightly
painted and ornately carved cement spires indicate a Hindu temple.
Wander down congested Th Chakraphet in the Phahurat district to find
Gurdwara Siri Guru Singh Sabha, a Sikh temple where visitors are very
welcome. A handful of steepled Christian churches, including a few his-
toric ones, have been built over the centuries and can be found near the
banks of Mae Nam Chao Phraya. In Chinatown, large round doorways
topped with heavily inscribed Chinese characters and flanked by red
paper lanterns mark the location of săhn jôw, Chinese temples dedi-
cated to the worship of Buddhist, Taoist and Confucian deities.

Monarchy

All Thai kings are referred to as ‘Rama’, one of the incarnations of the
Hindu god Vishnu. The Thais’ relationship with their king is deeply
spiritual and intensely personal. Most view their king as a father fig-
ure (the king’s birthday is the national celebration of Father’s Day). The
reigning monarch, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, also known as Rama IX,
inherited automatic reverence when he assumed the throne in 1946, but
he captured the Thai people’s hearts with his actions.

In June 2006, the king celebrated his 60th year on the throne, an
event regarded by many Thais as bittersweet because the ageing king

207

WHAT’S A WÁT? People & Culture V i s ua l Ar t s

Bangkok is home to hundreds of wáts, temple compounds that have traditionally been
at the centre of community life.

Buildings & Structures
Even the smallest wát will usually have a bóht, wí·hăhn and monks’ living quarters.
¨¨Bóht The ordination hall, most sacred prayer room at a wát. Aside from the fact
it does not house the main Buddha image, you’ll know the bóht because it is usually
more ornately decorated and has eight cornerstones to mark its boundary.
¨¨Chedi (stupa) A large bell-shaped tower usually containing five structural elements
symbolising (from bottom to top) earth, water, fire, wind and void; depending on the
wát, relics of the Buddha, a Thai king or some other notable are housed inside.
¨¨Drum Tower Elevates the ceremonial drum beaten by novices.
¨¨Mon·dòp An open-sided, square building with four arches and a pyramidal roof,
used to worship religious objects or texts.
¨¨Ъrahng A towering phallic spire of Khmer origin serving the same religious pur-
pose as a chedi.
¨¨Săh·lah (sala) A pavilion, often open-sided, for relaxation, lessons or miscellane-
ous activities.
¨¨Wí·hăhn (vihara) The sanctuary for the temple’s main Buddha image and where
laypeople come to make their offerings. Classic architecture typically has a three-
tiered roof representing the triple gems: the Buddha (the teacher), Dharma (the
teaching) and Sangha (the followers).

Buddha Images
Elongated earlobes, no evidence of bone or muscle, arms that reach to the knees, a
third eye: these are some of the 32 characteristics, originating from 3rd-century India,
that govern the depiction of the Buddha in sculpture and denote his divine nature.
Other symbols to be aware of are the various hand positions and ‘postures’, which
depict periods in the life of the Buddha.
¨¨Sitting Teaching or meditating. If the right hand is pointed towards the earth,
the Buddha is subduing the demons of desire. If the hands are folded in the lap, the
Buddha is meditating.
¨¨Reclining The exact moment of the Buddha’s passing into parinibbana (post
death nirvana).
¨¨Standing Bestowing blessings or taming evil forces.
¨¨Walking The Buddha after his return to earth from heaven.

may soon leave the helm of the Thai nation. His son, Crown Prince
Maha Vajiralongkorn, has been chosen to succeed him, but it is the
king’s daughter, Princess Mahachakri Sirindhorn, that many Thais feel
a deeper connection with because she has followed in her father’s phil-
anthropic footsteps.

It’s worth mentioning that, in Thai society, not only is criticising the
monarchy an extreme social faux pas, it’s also illegal.

Visual Arts

Divine Inspiration

The wát served as a locus for the highest expressions of Thai art for
roughly 800 years, from the Lanna to Ratanakosin eras. Accordingly,
Bangkok’s 400-plus Buddhist temples are brimming with the figura-
tively imaginative, if thematically formulaic, art of Thailand’s foremost
muralists. Always instructional in intent, such painted images range

208

People & Culture Music THE CHINESE INFLUENCE

In many ways Bangkok is a Chinese, as much as a Thai, city. The presence of the
Chinese in Bangkok dates back to before the founding of the city, when Thonburi Si
Mahasamut was little more than a Chinese trading outpost on Mae Nam Chao Phraya
(Chao Phraya River). In the 1780s, during the construction of the new capital under
Rama I (King Phraphutthayotfa; r 1782–1809), Hokkien, Teochew and Hakka Chinese
were hired as labourers. The Chinese already living in the area were relocated to the
districts of Yaowarat and Sampeng, today known as Bangkok’s Chinatown.

During the reign of Rama I, many Chinese began to move up in status and wealth.
They controlled many of Bangkok’s shops and businesses, and because of increased
trading ties with China, were responsible for an immense expansion in Thailand’s mar-
ket economy. Visiting Europeans during the 1820s were astonished by the number of
Chinese trading ships on Mae Nam Chao Phraya, and some assumed that the Chinese
formed the majority of Bangkok’s population.

The newfound wealth of certain Chinese trading families created one of Thailand’s
first elite classes that was not directly related to royalty. Known as jôw sŏo·a, these ‘mer-
chant lords’ eventually obtained additional status by accepting official posts and royal
titles, as well as offering their daughters to the royal family. At one point, Rama V (King
Chulalongkorn; r 1868–1910) took a Chinese consort. By the time of the 2001 census,
more than half the people in Bangkok were able to lay claim to some Chinese ancestry.

During the reign of Rama III (King Phranangklao; r 1824–51), the Thai capital began
to absorb many elements of Chinese food, design, fashion and literature. This grow-
ing ubiquity of Chinese culture, coupled with the tendency of the Chinese men to
marry Thai women and assimilate into Thai culture, had, by the beginning of the 20th
century, resulted in relatively little difference between the Chinese and their Siamese
counterparts.

Arts from the depiction of the jataka (stories of the Buddha’s past lives) and
Reading scenes from the Indian Hindu epic Ramayana, to elaborate scenes de-
tailing daily life in Thailand.
Flavours: Thai
Contemporary The Modern Era
Art (2005; Steven
Although the origins of Thai art can be traced back to religion, today’s
Pettifor) cultural currents are as likely to be swayed by Korean soap operas, Jap-
Bangkok Design: anese manga comics, Chinese mass merchandising, European fashion
and American street culture as traditional Thai life. These influences
Thai Ideas in are fuelling introspection among artists, with more art being created
Textiles & Furni- that pertains to the condition of the self and the societal constraints im-
ture (2006; Brian posed upon it. Whereas a decade ago artists seemed to be the defenders
of a precious national identity, now themes have become more personal
Mertens) and reflective. Though such approaches seem more aligned to the mod-
Buddhist Temples ern Western artist’s mindset, there still remains an inextricable leaning
towards a more spiritual, and ostensibly Buddhist, path.
of Thailand: A
Visual Journey Music
Through Thai-
land’s 40 Most Classical Thai
Historic Wats
(2010; Joe Cum- Classical central-Thai music (pleng tai deum) features a dazzling array
of textures and subtleties, hair-raising tempos and pastoral melodies.
mings) The classical orchestra (Ъèe-pâht) can include as few as five players or
The Thai House: might have more than 20. Leading the band is Ъèe, a straight-lined
woodwind instrument with a reed mouthpiece and an oboe-like tone;
History and you’ll hear it most at moo·ay tai (Thai boxing; also spelt muay thai)
Evolution (2002; matches. The four-stringed phin, plucked like a guitar, lends subtle
counterpoint, while rá·nâht èhk, a bamboo-keyed percussion instru-
Ruethai Chai- ment resembling the xylophone, carries the main melodies. The slender
chongrak)

The Arts of Thai-
land (1998; Steve

Van Beek)

209

sor, a bowed instrument with a coconut-shell soundbox, provides soar-
ing embellishments, as does the klòo·i, a wooden Thai flute.

Lôok Tûng & Mŏr Lam Recom- People & Culture Cinema
mended
Popular Thai music has borrowed much from Western music, particu-
larly in instrumentation, but retains a distinct flavour of its own. The Thai
bestselling of all modern musical genres in Thailand remains lôok tûng. Playlist
Literally ‘children of the fields’, lôok tûng dates back to the 1940s, is
comparable to country and western in the USA, and is a genre that The Sound of
tends to appeal most to working-class Thais. Subject matter almost al- Siam: Leftfield
ways concerns tales of lost love, tragic early death and the dire circum- Luk Thung, Jazz &
stances of farmers who work day in and day out and, at the end of the Molam in Thai-
year, still owe money to the bank. land 1964–1975

Another genre more firmly rooted in northeastern Thailand, and (Soundway
nearly as popular in Bangkok, is mŏr lam. Based on the songs played Records compila-
on the Lao-Isan kaan, a wind instrument devised of a double row of
bamboo-like reeds fitted into a hardwood soundbox, mŏr lam features tion)
a simple but insistent bass beat and plaintive vocal melodies. Bird Hits for Fan:
Love Hits (Bird
Songs for Life
Thongchai)
The 1970s ushered in a new music style inspired by the politically con- Moderndog-Soem
scious folk rock of the US and Europe, which the Thais dubbed pleng
pêu·a chee·wít (literally ‘music for life’) after Marxist Jit Phumisak’s Sukhaphap
earlier Art for Life movement. Closely identified with the Thai band (Moderndog)
Caravan – which still performs regularly – the introduction of this style Mint (Silly Fools)
was the most significant musical shift in Thailand since lôok tûng arose Palmy (Palmy)
in the 1940s. Romantic Comedy
(Apartment-
Pleng pêua chee·wít has political and environmental topics rather
than the usual love themes. During the authoritarian dictatorships of khunpa)
the ’70s many of Caravan’s songs were banned. Following the massacre Begins (Big Ass)
of student demonstrators in 1976, some members of the band fled to the Lum Num Sading
hills to take up with armed communist groups.
Love You (The
T-Pop & Indie Richman Toy)
Noo Aow Yoo (Ja
In recent years, Thailand has also developed a thriving teen-pop in-
dustry – sometimes referred to as T-Pop – centred on artists who have Kunhoo)
been chosen for their good looks, and then matched with syrupy song
arrangements. Labels GMM Grammy and RS Productions are the
heavyweights of this genre, and their rivalry has resulted in a flood of
copycat acts.

In the 1990s an alternative pop scene – known as glorng sĕh·ree (‘free
drum’) or pleng đâi din (‘underground music’) – grew in Bangkok.
Moderndog, a Britpop-inspired band of four Chulalongkorn University
graduates, is generally credited with bringing independent Thai music
into the mainstream, and their success prompted an explosion of simi-
lar bands and indie recording labels.

Cinema

Thailand has a lively homespun movie industry and produces nearly 50
comedies, dramas and horror films every year. Cinema is possibly the
country’s most significant contemporary cultural export, and several
Thai films of the last two decades have emerged as international film
festival darlings.

Bangkok Film launched Thailand’s film industry with the first Thai-
directed silent movie, Chok Sorng Chan, in 1927. Silent films proved
to be more popular than talkies right into the 1960s, and as late as

210 People & Culture Tr a d i t i o n a l T h e at r e & Da n c e 1969 Thai studios were still producing them from 16mm stock. Perhaps
partially influenced by India’s famed masala movies – which enjoyed
Recom- a strong following in post-WWII Bangkok – film companies blended
mended romance, comedy, melodrama and adventure to give Thai audiences a
little bit of everything.
Thai
Movies The Thai movie industry almost died during the ’80s and ’90s,
swamped by Hollywood extravaganzas and the boom era’s taste for
Mon Rak Transis- anything imported. From a 1970s peak of about 200 releases per year,
tor (2001; di- the Thai output shrank to an average of only 10 films a year by 1997.
The Southeast Asian economic crisis that year threatened to further
rected by Pen-Ek bludgeon the ailing industry, but the lack of funding coupled with for-
Ratanaruang) eign competition brought about a new emphasis on quality rather than
Uncle Boonmee quantity. The current era boasts a new generation of seriously good
Who Can Recall Thai directors, several of whom studied film abroad during Thailand’s
His Past Lives ’80s and early ’90s boom period. Thai and foreign critics alike speak
(2010; directed of a current Thai ‘new wave’, who, avoiding the soap operatics of the
by Apichatpong past, favour gritty realism, artistic innovation and a strengthened Thai
Weerasethakul) identity.
Ong Bak (2003;
directed by Traditional Theatre & Dance

Prachya Pinkaew) Kŏhn
Satree Lex (Iron
Ladies; 2000; Scenes performed in traditional kŏhn (and lá·kon performances) – a
dance drama formerly reserved for court performances – come from
directed by the ‘epic journey’ tale of the Ramakian (the Thai version of the Hindu
Yongyoot Thong- epic, the Ramayana), with parallels in the Greek Odyssey and the myth
of Jason and the Argonauts. In all kŏhn performances, four types of
kongtoon) characters are represented – male humans, female humans, monkeys
Fah Talai Jone and demons. Monkey and demon figures are always masked with the
(Tears of the elaborate head coverings often seen in tourist promo material. Behind
Black Tiger; 2000; the masks and make-up, all actors are male. Traditional kŏhn is very
directed by Wisit expensive to produce – Ravana’s retinue alone (Ravana is the principal
Sasantieng) villain of the Ramakian) consists of more than 100 demons, each with
Suriyothai (2001; a distinctive mask.

directed by Lá·kon
Chatrichalerm
The more formal lá·kon nai (inner lá·kon, which means that it is per-
Yukol) formed inside the palace) was originally performed for lower nobility
Nang Nak (1999; by all-female ensembles. Today it’s a dying art, even more so than royal
kŏhn. In addition to scenes from the Ramakian, lá·kon nai perform-
directed by ances may include traditional Thai folk tales; whatever the story, text is
Nonzee Nimibutr) always sung. Lá·kon nôrk (outer lá·kon, performed outside the palace)
deals exclusively with folk tales and features a mix of sung and spoken
Translations of text, sometimes with improvisation. Male and female performers are
Thai short stories permitted. Like kŏhn and lá·kon nai, performances of lá·kon nôrk are
and novels can be increasingly rare.

downloaded as A variation on lá·kon that has evolved specifically for shrine worship,
e-books at www. lá·kon gâa bon involves an ensemble of about 20, including musicians.
thaifiction.com. At an important shrine such as Bangkok’s Lak Meuang, four troupes
may alternate, each for a week at a time, as each performance lasts
from 9am to 3pm and there is usually a long list of worshippers waiting
to hire them.

Lí·gair

In outlying working-class neighbourhoods of Bangkok you may be
lucky enough to come across the gaudy, raucous lí·gair. This theatrical
art form is thought to have descended from drama-rituals brought to

211

BANGKOK FICTION People & Culture Tr a d i t i o n a l T h e at r e & Da n c e

First-time visitors to virtually any of Bangkok’s English-language bookstores will
notice an abundance of novels with titles such as The Butterfly Trap, Confessions of a
Bangkok Private Eye, Even Thai Girls Cry, Fast Eddie’s Lucky 7 A Go Go, Lady of Pattaya,
The Go Go Dancer Who Stole My Viagra, My Name Lon You Like Me?, The Pole Dancer,
and Thai Touch. Welcome to the Bangkok school of fiction, a genre, as the titles sug-
gest, defined by its obsession with crime, exoticism and Thai women.

The birth of this genre can be traced back to Jack Reynolds’ 1956 novel, A Woman
of Bangkok. Recently reprinted, the book continues to be an acknowledged influence
for many Bangkok-based writers, and Reynolds’ formula of Western-man-meets-
beautiful-but-dangerous-Thai-woman – occasionally spiced up with a dose of crime –
is a staple of the modern genre.

Standouts include John Burdett’s Bangkok 8 (2003), a page-turner in which a half-
Thai, half-fa·ràng (Westerner) police detective investigates the python-and-cobras
murder of a US marine in Bangkok. Along the way we’re treated to vivid portraits of
Bangkok’s gritty nightlife scene and insights into Thai Buddhism. The book’s four
sequels have sold well in the US.

Christopher G Moore, a Canadian who has lived in Bangkok for the last two dec-
ades, has authored more than 20 mostly Bangkok-based crime novels to positive
praise both in Thailand and abroad. His description of Bangkok’s sleazy Thermae
Coffee House (called ‘Zeno’ in A Killing Smile) is the closest literature comes to evok-
ing the perpetual male adolescence to which such places cater.

Private Dancer, by popular English thriller author Stephen Leather, is another clas-
sic example of Bangkok fiction, despite having only been available via download until
recently.

Jake Needham’s 1999 thriller The Big Mango provides tongue-in-cheek references
to the Bangkok bargirl scene and later became the first expat novel to be translated
into Thai.

southern Thailand by Arab and Malay traders. The first native pub- Recom-
lic performance in central Thailand came about when a group of Thai mended
Muslims staged lí·gair for Rama V in Bangkok during the funeral com- Fiction
memoration of Queen Sunantha. Lí·gair grew very popular under Rama
VI, peaked in the early 20th century and has been fading slowly since The Lioness in
the 1960s. Bloom: Modern
Thai Fiction about
Lá·kon Lék Women (trans-
lated by Susan
Lá·kon lék (little theatre; also known as hùn lŏo·ang, or royal puppets), Fulop Kepner)
like kŏhn, was once reserved for court performances. Metre-high mari- Bangkok 8 (John
onettes made of kòi paper and wire, wearing elaborate costumes mod-
elled on those of the kŏhn, were used to convey similar themes, music Burdett)
and dance movements. Four Reigns (Si
Phaendin; Kukrit
Two to three puppet masters were required to manipulate each hùn
lŏo·ang – including arms, legs, hands, even fingers and eyes – by means Pramoj)
of wires attached to long poles. Stories were drawn from Thai folk tales, Sightseeing (Rat-
particularly Phra Aphaimani (a classical Thai literary work), and oc-
casionally from the Ramakian. Surviving examples of a smaller, 30cm tawut Lapcha-
court version called hùn lék (little puppets) are occasionally used in roensap)
live performances; only one puppeteer is required for each marionette
in hùn lék. Jasmine Nights
(SP Somtow)
Another form of Thai puppet theatre, hùn grà·bòrk (cylinder pup-
pets) is based on popular Hainanese puppet shows. It uses 30cm hand
puppets carved from wood and viewed only from the waist up.

21 2 ©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd

Eating in Thailand

There’s an entire universe of amazing dishes once you get beyond pàd tai and green
curry, and for many visitors food is one of the main reasons for choosing Thailand as
a destination. Even more remarkable, however, is the love for Thai food among the lo-
cals: Thais become just as excited as tourists when faced with a bowl of well-prepared
noodles or when seated at a renowned hawker stall. This unabashed enthusiasm for
eating, not to mention an abundance of fascinating ingredients and influences, has
generated one of the most fun and diverse food scenes anywhere in the world.

The people How Thais Eat
behind Eating
Thai Food (www. Aside from the occasional indulgence in deep-fried savouries, most Thais
eatingthaifood. sustain themselves on a varied and healthy diet of many fruits, rice and
com) have put vegetables mixed with smaller amounts of animal protein and fat. Satis-
together an 88- faction seems to come not from eating large amounts of food at any one
page illustrated meal, but rather from nibbling at a variety of dishes with as many differ-
PDF guide to ent flavours as possible throughout the day.
identifying and
ordering Thai Nor are certain kinds of food restricted to certain times of day. Practi-
dishes for foreign cally anything can be eaten first thing in the morning, whether it’s sweet,
salty or chilli-ridden. Kôw gaang (curry over rice) is a very popular morn-
visitors. ing meal, as are kôw nĕe·o mǒo tôrt (deep-fried pork with sticky rice) and
kôw man gài (sliced chicken cooked in chicken broth and served over rice).

Lighter morning choices, especially for Thais of Chinese descent, in-
clude Ъah·tôrng·gŏh (deep-fried bits of dough) dipped in warm nám
đow·hôo (soy milk). Thais also eat noodles, whether fried or in soup, with
great gusto in the morning, or as a substantial snack at any time of the
day or night.

As the staple with which almost all Thai dishes are eaten (noodles are
still seen as a Chinese import), kôw (rice) is considered an indispensable
part of the daily diet. Most Bangkok families will put on a pot of rice, or
start the rice cooker, just after rising in the morning to prepare a base for
the day’s menu.

Finding its way into almost every meal is Ъlah (fish), even if it’s only
in the form of nám Ъlah (a thin amber sauce made from fermented an-
chovies), which is used to salt Thai dishes, much as soy sauce is used in
eastern Asia. Pork is undoubtedly the preferred protein, with chicken in
second place. Beef is seldom eaten in Bangkok, particularly by Thais of
Chinese descent who subscribe to a Buddhist teaching that forbids eating
‘large’ animals.

Thais are prodigious consumers of fruit. Vendors push glass-and-wood
carts filled with a rainbow of fresh sliced papaya, pineapple, watermelon
and mango, and a more muted palette of salt-pickled or candied seasonal
fruits. These are usually served in a small plastic bag with a thin bamboo
stick to use as an eating utensil.

Because many restaurants in Thailand are able to serve dishes at an
only slightly higher price than they would cost to make at home, Thais
dine out far more often than their Western counterparts. Dining with
others is always preferred because it means everyone has a chance to

213

sample several dishes. When forced to fly solo by circumstances – such
as during lunch breaks at work – a single diner usually sticks to one-
plate dishes such as fried rice or curry over rice.

The Four Flavours Thai Food by Eating in Thailand The Four Fl avours
David Thompson
Simply put, sweet, sour, salty and spicy are the parameters that define is widely consid-
Thai food, and although many associate the cuisine with spiciness, vir-
tually every dish is an exercise in balancing these four tastes. This bal- ered the most
ance might be obtained by a squeeze of lime juice, a spoonful of sugar authoritative
and a glug of fish sauce, or a tablespoon of fermented soybeans and a English-language
strategic splash of vinegar. Bitter also factors into many Thai dishes, book on Thai
and often comes from the addition of a vegetable or herb. Regardless cooking. Thomp-
of the source, the goal is the same: a favourable balance of four clear, son’s latest
vibrant flavours. book, Thai Street
Food, focuses on
Staples & Specialities less-formal street

Rice & Noodles cuisine.

In Thailand, to eat is to eat rice, and for most of the country, a meal is
not acceptable without this staple. Rice is customarily served along-
side main dishes such as curries, stir-fries or soups, which are lumped
together as gàp kôw (with rice). When you order plain rice in a restau-
rant you use the term kôw Ъlòw (‘plain rice’) or kôw sŏo·ay (‘beautiful
rice’).

You’ll find four basic kinds of noodle in Thailand. Hardly surprising,
given the Thai fixation on rice, is the overwhelming popularity of sên
gŏo·ay đĕe·o, noodles made from rice flour mixed with water to form a
paste, which is then steamed to form wide, flat sheets. The sheets are
folded and sliced into various widths.

Also made from rice, kà·nŏm jeen is produced by pushing rice-flour
paste through a sieve into boiling water, much the way Italian-style
pasta is made. Kà·nŏm jeen is a popular morning market meal that is
eaten doused with various spicy curries and topped with a self-selection
of fresh and pickled vegetables and herbs.

The third kind of noodle, bà·mèe, is made from wheat flour and egg.
It’s yellowish in colour and sold only in fresh bundles.

Finally there’s wún·sên, an almost clear noodle made from mung-
bean starch and water. Often sold in dried bunches, wún·sên (literally

(CON)FUSION CUISINE

A popular dish at restaurants across Thailand is kôw pàt à·me·rí·gan, ‘American fried
rice’. Taking the form of rice fried with ketchup, raisins and peas, sides of ham and
deep-fried hot dogs, and topped with a fried egg, the dish is, well, every bit as revolting
as it sounds. But at least there’s an interesting history behind it: American fried rice
apparently dates back to the Vietnam War era, when thousands of US troops were
based in northeastern Thailand. A local cook apparently decided to take the ubiqui-
tous ‘American Breakfast’ (also known as ABF: fried eggs with ham and/or hot dogs,
and white bread, typically eaten with ketchup) and make it ‘Thai’ by frying the various
elements with rice.

This culinary cross-pollination is only a recent example of the tendency of Thai
cooks to pick and choose from the variety of cuisines at their disposal. Other (sig-
nificantly more palatable) examples include gaang mát·sà·màn, ‘Muslim curry’, a now
classic blend of Thai and Middle Eastern cooking styles, and the famous pàt tai, es-
sentially a blend of Chinese cooking methods and ingredients (frying, rice noodles)
with Thai flavours (fish sauce, chilli, tamarind).

E ating in Thail and Sta p l e s & Spec i a l i t i e s214

RICE POLITICS

Despite its relatively small size, Thailand maintains the world’s fifth largest amount of
land dedicated to growing rice, an industry that employs more than half the country’s
arable land and a significant portion of its population. Rice is so central to Thai food
culture that the most common term for ‘eat’ is gin kôw (literally, ‘consume rice’) and
one of the most common greetings is Gin kôw rĕu yang? (Have you consumed rice
yet?). Given these factors, perhaps it’s not surprising that the tiny grain harbours the
potential to bring down the country’s most powerful leaders.

Bar the occasional rally by Vietnam, Thailand has been the world’s predominate
rice exporter for more than 30 years. Perhaps given confidence by this long stand-
ing status quo, in 2011 the government led by Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra
thought to further ensconce Thailand’s reign of rice. They would do this by buying
the country’s rice for as much as 76% above market rates and stockpiling it. The
rationale was that the world market would be starved for the grain, driving prices
artificially high, at which point Thailand would sell its reserves at a handsome
profit.

A risky economic gamble at best, but Yingluck and her political advisors neglected
one significant factor: India. The country had traditionally not exported much of its
rice, having long maintained a policy of self-sufficiency. Yet in a symphony of bad tim-
ing for Thailand, in 2011 India abandoned this policy, subsequently dumping 10 million
tonnes of rice on the world market. Vietnam, seeing the writing on the wall, corre-
spondingly put its rice on deep discount. Fast-forward a year and Thailand had fallen
to the world’s third-largest exporter of rice. This loss of pride and profit, coupled with
the government’s inability to swiftly recompense the growers the promised inflated
rates for their rice, led to no small level of discontent.

For opponents of the Yingluck-led government, the rice debacle was the misstep
they had been waiting for. Protesters pounced, taking over parts of central Bangkok
and screaming corruption, describing the botched policy as ‘indirect vote buying’.
The unpaid bills may also have been the element that made Thailand’s rice farm-
ers, traditionally diehard supporters of Yingluck’s Pheu Thai party, reconsider their
loyalty.

‘jelly thread’) is prepared by soaking in hot water for a few minutes. The
most common use of the noodle is in yam wún sên, a hot and tangy sal-
ad made with lime juice, fresh sliced prík kêe nŏo (tiny chillies), shrimp,
ground pork and various seasonings.

Curries & Soups

In Thai, gaang (it sounds somewhat similar to the English ‘gang’) is
often translated as ‘curry’, but it actually describes any dish with a lot
of liquid and can thus refer to soups (such as gaang jèut) as well as
the classic chilli-paste-based curries for which Thai cuisine is famous.
The preparation of the latter begins with a krêu·ang gaang, created by
mashing, pounding and grinding an array of fresh ingredients with
a stone mortar and pestle to form an aromatic, extremely pungent-
tasting and rather thick paste. Typical ingredients in a krêu·ang gaang
include dried chilli, galangal, lemongrass, Kaffir lime zest, shallots, gar-
lic, shrimp paste and salt.

Another food celebrity that falls into the soupy category is đôm yam,
the famous Thai spicy-and-sour soup. Fuelling the fire beneath đôm
yam’s often velvety surface are fresh prík kêe nŏo (tiny chillies) or, al-
ternatively, half a teaspoonful of nám prík pŏw (a roasted chilli paste).
Lemongrass, Kaffir lime leaf and lime juice give đôm yam its charac-
teristic tang.

215

Stir-Fries & Deep-Fries Thailand is the E ating in Thail and Sta p l e s & Spec i a l i t i e s
world’s third-
The simplest dishes in the Thai culinary repertoire are the various pàt largest exporter
(stir-fries), introduced to Thailand by the Chinese, who are world fam- of rice, and in
ous for being able to stir-fry a whole banquet in a single wok. 2013 exported
approximately 6.6
The list of pàt dishes seems endless. Many cling to their Chinese million tonnes of
roots, such as the ubiquitous pàt pàk bûng fai daang (morning glory
flash-fried with garlic and chilli), while some are Thai-Chinese hy- the grain.
brids, such as pàt pèt (literally ‘hot stir-fry’), in which the main in-
gredients, typically meat or fish, are quickly stir-fried with red curry
paste.

Tôrt (deep-frying in oil) is mainly reserved for snacks such as glôo·ay
tôrt (deep-fried bananas) or Ъò·Ъée·a (egg rolls). An exception is Ъlah
tôrt (deep-fried fish), which is a common way to prepare fish.

Hot & Tangy Salads

Standing right alongside curries in terms of Thai-ness is the ubiquitous
yam, a hot and tangy ‘salad’ typically based around seafood, meat or
vegetables.

Lime juice provides the tang, while the abundant use of fresh chilli
generates the heat. Most yam are served at room temperature or just
slightly warmed by any cooked ingredients. The dish functions equally
well as part of a meal, or on its own as gàp glâam, snack food to accom-
pany a night of boozing.

Nám Prík

Although they’re more home than restaurant food, nám prík, spicy
chilli-based ‘dips’ are, for the locals at least, among the most emblem-
atic of all Thai dishes. Typically eaten with rice and steamed or fresh
vegetables and herbs, they’re also among the most regional of Thai
dishes, and you could probably pinpoint the province you’re in by sim-
ply looking at the nám prík on offer.

Fruits Maintained by a
Thai woman living
Being a tropical country, Thailand excels in the fruit department.
Má·môo·ang (mangoes) alone come in a dozen varieties that are eaten in the US, She
at different stages of ripeness. Other common fruit include sàp·Ъà·rót Simmers (www.
(pineapple), má·lá·gor (papaya) and đaang moh (watermelon), all of
which are sold from ubiquitous vendor carts and are accompanied by a shesimmers.
dipping mix of salt, sugar and ground chilli. com) is a good
source of recipes
Some of the more unusual types of fruit you’re likely to come across for those making
in Bangkok’s fresh markets and supermarkets: Thai food outside
Kà·nŭn Jackfruit hails from India. The giant green pod conceals dozens of waxy
yellow sections that taste like a blend of pineapple and bananas (it reminds us of Thailand.
Juicy Fruit chewing gum). At its peak from January to May.
Tú·ree·an Due to its intense odour and weapon-like appearance, the durian is
possibly Southeast Asia’s most infamous fruit, the flesh of which can suggest
everything from custard to onions. Available from May to August.
Lín·jèe The pink skin of the lychee conceals an addictive translucent flesh similar
in flavour to a grape. Available from April to June.
Ngó Known in English as rambutan, ngó has a tough hairy skin (rambut is the
Malay word for hair) that holds a clear, sweet-tasting flesh and a large pit. Available
from May to September.
Lam yai This indigenous fruit, known in English as longan, hides a sweet and
fragrant flesh under its brittle shell. Often dried and used in juices or as a snack.
Available from June to August.

E ating in Thail and Sta p l e s & Spec i a l i t i e s216

MUITO OBRIGADO

Try to imagine a Thai curry without the chillies, pàt tai without the peanuts, or papa-
ya salad without the papaya. Many of the ingredients used on a daily basis by Thais
are recent introductions courtesy of European traders and missionaries. During
the early 16th century, while Spanish and Portuguese explorers were first reaching
the shores of Southeast Asia, there was also subsequent expansion and discov-
ery in the Americas. The Portuguese in particular were quick to seize the exciting
products coming from the New World and market them in the East, thus most likely
having introduced such modern-day Asian staples as tomatoes, potatoes, corn,
lettuce, cabbage, chillies, papayas, guavas, pineapples, pumpkins, sweet potatoes,
peanuts and tobacco.

Chillies in particular seem to have struck a chord with Thais, and are thought to
have first arrived in Ayuthaya via the Portuguese around 1550. Before their arrival,
the natives got their heat from bitter-hot herbs and roots such as ginger and
pepper.

And not only did the Portuguese introduce some crucial ingredients to the Thai
kitchen, but also some enduring cooking techniques, particularly in the area of
sweets. The bright-yellow duck egg and syrup-based treats you see at many Thai
markets are direct descendants of Portuguese desserts known as fios de ovos (‘egg
threads’) and ovos moles. And in the area surrounding the Church of Santa Cruz
(p99), a former Portuguese enclave, you can still find kà·nŏm fa·ràng, a bun-like snack
baked over coals.

Má·feuang An import from the Americas, the starfruit or carambola is refreshingly
crispy and slightly tart. Available from October to December.
Chom·pôo Resembling a small pear, the indigenous rose apple is a delicate and
crispy fruit with a slightly bitter flavour and a mild rose scent. Available from
February to June.
Nóy nàh Known in English as custard apple, this native of the Americas has a soft
and slightly gritty texture and predominantly sweet flavour. Available from June to
September.
Mang·kút Known as mangosteen in English, the thick purple skin of this Queen
of Fruit conceals a creamy white flesh that is equal parts rich and tangy. Available
from May to October.
Sôm oh The flesh of this indigenous fruit, known in English as pomelo, comes in
large sections and is generally sweeter than the grapefruit it resembles. Available
August to November.

Bangkok’s Top 50 Sweets
Street Food Stalls
English-language Thai menus often have a section called ‘Desserts’, but
by Chawadee the concept takes two slightly different forms in Thailand. Kŏrng wăhn,
Nualkhair also which translates as ‘sweet things’, are small, rich sweets that often
functions well as boast a slightly salty flavour. Prime ingredients for kŏrng wăhn include
a general intro- grated coconut, coconut milk, rice flour (from white rice or sticky rice),
duction and guide cooked sticky rice, tapioca, mung-bean starch, boiled taro and various
to Thai-style fruits.
informal dining.
Thai sweets similar to the European concept of pastries are called
kà·nŏm. Probably the most popular type of kà·nŏm in Thailand are the
bite-sized items wrapped in banana leaves, especially kôw đôm gà·tí
and kôw đôm mát. Both consist of sticky rice grains steamed with gà·tí
(coconut milk) inside a banana-leaf wrapper to form a solid, almost
taffy-like, mass.

217

Although foreigners don’t seem to immediately take to most Thai E ating in Thail and D RI N K S
sweets, two dishes few visitors have trouble with are roh·đee, the back-
packer staple ‘banana pancakes’ slathered with sugar and condensed
milk, and ai·đim gà·tí, Thai-style coconut ice cream. At more tradi-
tional shops, the ice cream is garnished with toppings such as kid-
ney beans or sticky rice, and is a brilliant snack on a sweltering Thai
afternoon.

Drinks Pok Pok, by Andy
Ricker and JJ
Coffee, Tea & Fruit Drinks
Goode, features
Thais are big coffee drinkers, and good-quality arabica and robusta are recipes of the
cultivated in the hilly areas of northern and southern Thailand. The rustic regional
traditional filtering system is nothing more than a narrow cloth bag Thai dishes
attached to a steel handle. This type of coffee is served in a glass, mixed served at Ricker’s
with sugar and sweetened with condensed milk – if you don’t want ei- eponymous
ther, be sure to specify gah·faa dam (black coffee) followed with mâi sài Portland, Oregon,
nám·đahn (without sugar). and New York City
restaurants.
Black tea, both local and imported, is available at the same places
that serve real coffee. Chah tai, Thai-style tea, derives its characteristic
orange-red colour from ground tamarind seed added after curing.

Fruit drinks appear all over Thailand and are an excellent way to
rehydrate after water becomes unpalatable. Most nám pŏn·lá·mái (fruit
juices) are served with a touch of sugar and salt and a whole lot of ice.
Many foreigners object to the salt, but it serves a metabolic role in help-
ing the body to cope with tropical temperatures.

Vegetarians & Vegans

Vegetarianism isn’t a widespread trend in Thailand, but many of the
tourist-oriented restaurants cater to vegetarians, and there are also a
handful of ráhn ah·hăhn mang·sà·wí·rát (vegetarian restaurants) in
Bangkok where the food is served buffet-style and is very inexpensive.
Dishes are almost always 100% vegan (ie no meat, poultry, fish or fish
sauce, dairy or egg products).

During the Vegetarian Festival, celebrated by Chinese Buddhists in
September/October, many restaurants and street stalls in Bangkok go
meatless for one month. During the remainder of the year, the down-
loadable Vegetarian Thai Food Guide (www.eatingthaifood.com/vege
tarian-thai-food-guide) is a handy resource.

The phrase ‘I’m vegetarian’ in Thai is pŏm gin jair (for men) or
dì·chăn gin jair (for women). Loosely translated this means ‘I eat only
vegetarian food’, which includes no eggs and no dairy products – in
other words, total vegan.

Habits & Customs

Like most of Thai culture, eating conventions appear relaxed and infor-
mal but are orchestrated by many implied rules.

Whether at home or in a restaurant, Thai meals are always served
‘family-style’, that is, from common serving platters, and the plates ap-
pear in whatever order the kitchen can prepare them. When serving
yourself from a common platter, put no more than one spoonful onto
your plate at a time. Heaping your plate with all ‘your’ portions at once
will look greedy to Thais unfamiliar with Western conventions. Anoth-
er important factor in a Thai meal is achieving a balance of flavours
and textures. Traditionally, the party orders a curry, a steamed or fried

Eating in Thailand Habits & Customs218fish, a stir-fried vegetable dish and a soup, taking great care to balance
Keep up with the cool and hot, sour and sweet, salty and plain.
ever-changing
food scene in Originally Thai food was eaten with the fingers, and it still is in cer-
Bangkok by tain regions of the kingdom. In the early 1900s, Thais began setting
following BK’s their tables with fork and spoon to affect a ‘royal’ setting, and it wasn’t
restaurant long before fork-and-spoon dining became the norm in Bangkok and
section (www. later spread throughout the kingdom. To use these tools the Thai way,
bk.asia-city.com/ use a serving spoon, or alternatively your own, to take a single mouth-
restaurants). ful of food from a central dish, and ladle it over a portion of your rice.
The fork is then used to push the now food-soaked portion of rice back
onto the spoon before entering the mouth.

If you’re not offered chopsticks, don’t ask for them. Chopsticks are
reserved for eating Chinese-style food from bowls, or for eating in all-
Chinese restaurants. In either case you will be supplied with chopsticks
without having to ask. Unlike their counterparts in many Western
countries, restaurateurs in Thailand won’t assume you don’t know how
to use them.

©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd 219

The Sex Industry in
Thailand

Thailand has had a long and complex relationship with prostitution that persists
today. It is also an international sex tourism destination, a designation that began
around the time of the Vietnam War. The industry targeted to foreigners is very vis-
ible with multiple red-light districts in Bangkok alone, but there is also a more clan-
destine domestic sex industry and myriad informal channels of sex-for-hire.

An Illegal – and Vast – Industry Help stop
child-sex tour-
Prostitution is technically illegal in Thailand. However, anti-prostitution ism by report-
laws are often ambiguous and unenforced. Some analysts have argued ing suspicious
that the high demand for sexual services in Thailand limits the likeli- behaviour on
hood of the industry being curtailed; however, limiting abusive prac-
tices within the industry is the goal of many activists and government a dedicated
agencies. hotline

It is difficult to determine the number of sex workers in Thailand, the (%1300) or
demographics of the industry or its economic strength. This is because by reporting
there are many indirect forms of prostitution, the illegality of the indus- the individual
try makes research difficult, and different organisations use different ap- directly to the
proaches to collect data. In 2003, measures to legalise prostitution cited embassy of
the Thai sex industry as being worth US$4.3 billion (about 3% of GDP), their home
employing roughly 200,000 sex workers. A study conducted in 2003 by
Thailand’s Chulalongkorn University estimated 2.8 million sex workers, of country.
which 1.98 million were adult women, 20,000 were adult men and 800,000
were children, defined as any person under the age of 18.

History & Cultural Attitudes

Prostitution has been widespread in Thailand since long before the
country gained a reputation among international sex tourists. Through-
out Thai history the practice was accepted and common among many
sectors of society, though it has not always been respected by society
as a whole.

Due to international pressure from the UN, prostitution was declared
illegal in 1960, though entertainment places (go-go bars, beer bars, mas-
sage parlours, karaoke bars and bathhouses) are governed by a separate
law passed in 1966. These establishments are licensed and can legally pro-
vide nonsexual services (such as dancing, massage, a drinking buddy);
sexual services occur through these venues but they are not technically
the businesses’ primary purpose.

With the arrival of the US military forces in Southeast Asia during the
Vietnam War era, enterprising forces adapted the existing framework to
suit foreigners, in turn creating an international sex-tourism industry that
persists today. Indeed, this foreigner-oriented sex industry is still a promi-
nent part of Thailand’s tourist economy.

220
In 1998 the International Labour Organization, a UN agency, ad-

vised Southeast Asian countries, including Thailand, to recognise pros-
titution as an economic sector and income generator. It is estimated
that one-third of the entertainment establishments are registered with
the government and the majority pay an informal tax in the form of
police bribes.

The Se x Industry in Thail and Econo m i c Mot i vat i on s The Coalition Economic Motivations
Against Traffick-
Regardless of their background, most women in the sex industry
ing in Women are there for financial reasons: many find that sex work is one of the
(CATW; www. highest-paying jobs for their level of education, and they have financial
catwinternational. obligations (be it dependants or debts). The most comprehensive data
org) is an NGO on the economics of sex workers comes from a 1993 survey by Kritaya
Archavanitkul. The report found that sex workers made a mean income
that works of 17,000B per month (US$18 per day), the equivalent of a mid-level civil
internationally to servant job, a position acquired through advanced education and fam-
combat prostitu- ily connections. At the time of the study, most sex workers did not have
tion and traffick- a high-school degree.
ing in women and
The International Labour Organization estimates a Thai sex work-
children. ers’ salary at 270B (US$9) a day, the average wage of a Thai service-
industry worker.

These economic factors provide a strong incentive for rural, un-
skilled women (and to a lesser extent, men) to engage in sex work.

As with many in Thai society, a large percentage of sex workers’
wages are remitted back to their home villages to support their fami-
lies (parents, siblings and children). Kritaya’s 1993 report found that
between 1800B and 6100B per month was sent back home to rural com-
munities. The remittance-receiving households typically bought dura-
ble goods (TVs and washing machines), bigger houses and motorcycles
or automobiles. Their wealth displayed their daughters’ success in the
industry and acted as a free advertisement for the next generation of
sex workers.

Working Conditions

The unintended consequence of prostitution prohibitions is the lawless
working environment it creates for women who enter the industry. Sex
work becomes the domain of criminal networks that are often involved
in other illicit activities and circumvent the laws through bribes and
violence.

Sex workers are not afforded the rights of other workers: there is no
minimum wage; no required vacation pay, sick leave or break time; no
deductions for social security or employee-sponsored health insurance;
and no legal redress.

Bars can set their own punitive rules that fine a worker if she doesn’t
smile enough, arrives late or doesn’t meet the drink quota. Empower,

HIV/AIDS

Thailand was lauded for its rapid and effective response to the AIDS epidemic
through an aggressive condom-use campaign in the 1990s. Infection rates of female
sex workers declined to 5% by 2007 but rates have recently doubled among infor-
mal sex workers (street prostitutes). Analysts warn that the country is on the verge
of a resurgence as public education efforts have declined and cultural attitudes
towards sex have changed. Of the country’s 610,000 people living with HIV/AIDS,
intravenous drug users make up the largest portion (30% to 50% in 2007).

221The Se x Industry in Thail and

THE EXPERTS’ VIEWS: THAILAND’S SEX INDUSTRY

In an effort to provide an alternate view on one of Thailand’s most contentious issues,
we approached members of Empower (www.empowerfoundation.org), a Thailand-
based NGO that fights for safe and fair standards in the sex industry and equal rights
in society, and Associate Professor Virada Somswasdi, Head of the Women’s Studies
Center, Chiang Mai University. We asked a few of the most common questions we’ve
heard from visitors to Bangkok about Thailand’s sex industry.

Why does the sex industry appear to be so open and tolerated in Thailand? Are
Thai attitudes regarding the sex trade different than those of the West?
Professor Virada In any society – West, East and beyond, Thailand is no exception –
where a deep-rooted and dominant patriarchal social structure controls sexual-
ity and abuses women’s bodies, combined with the huge vested interests of ‘the
industry’ and a highly corruptible level of law enforcement, any ‘illegal’ deeds will go
untouched or with a low response.

Empower Because it is so open and many people are in the business and they seem
to make no harm to the public. And because the work is an economic opportunity for
many women who need a job that pays enough to support herself and her family.

What are the biggest problems with the sex industry as it exists now in Thai-
land?
Professor Virada Degradation of women and their wellbeing, sexual exploitation,
violence against women, gender inequality and sex tourism. The thin and very
blurred line between trafficking in women and prostitution.

Empower Applying criminal laws to try and enforce moral judgement turns workers
and the business into criminals to be punished, not humans to be
supported.

Why do Thai women (and to a lesser extent, men) become sex workers?
Professor Virada It’s about dominance of male sexuality that ‘the industry’ con-
tinues and expands to serve its clients, taking advantage of lower economic, social
and political capabilities of women and girls to traffic and lure them into prostitution
under the name of ‘choice’ or ‘consent’.

Empower It’s the job they chose over other jobs because it offers the most freedom,
variety and opportunities.

Many people in the West tend to associate Thailand with child prostitution – is
this still a significant problem in the country?
Professor Virada Yes, the establishments involved in commercial sexual exploita-
tion and prostitution still target girls more and more, focusing on those from neigh-
bouring countries of Thailand.

Empower As far as Empower’s 25 years of experience, we have been working with
adult women and have only seen child prostitution if we watch a documentary.

Should prostitution in Thailand be legalised? What are the potential positives
and negatives of this?
Professor Virada Legalising prostitution will merely benefit pimps, traffickers and
the sex industry; it will increase child prostitution, clandestine, hidden, illegal and
street prostitution; it does not promote women’s health, nor enhance women’s
choices; women in systems of prostitution do not want the sex industry legalised.

Empower We don’t think that there should be law to either legalise or criminalise sex
work, but rather that [sex workers] should be considered workers or employers
under the labour protection law.
As told to Austin Bush.

222 The Se x Industry in Thail and C h i l d P r o s t i t u t i on & H u m an T r a f f i c k i ng an NGO that fights for safe and fair standards in the sex industry, re-
Organisations ported that most sex workers will owe money to the bar at the end of the
working across month through these deductions. In effect, the women have to pay to be
borders to stop prostitutes and the fines disguise a pimp relationship.
child prostitu-
tion include Through lobbying efforts, groups such as Empower hope that law-
Ecpat (End Child makers will recognise all workers at entertainment places (including
Prostitution & dishwashers and cooks as well as ‘working girls’) as employees subject
to labour and safety protections.
Trafficking; www.
ecpat.net) and Other commentators, such as the Coalition Against Trafficking in
its Australian af- Women (CATW), argue that legalising prostitution is not the answer,
filiate Child Wise because such a move would legitimise a practice that is always going to
(www.childwise. be dangerous and exploitative for the women involved. Instead, these
groups focus on how to enable the women to leave prostitution and
net). make their way into different types of work.

Child Prostitution & Human Trafficking

According to Ecpat (End Child Prostitution & Trafficking), there are
currently 30,000 to 40,000 children involved in prostitution in Thai-
land, though estimates are unreliable. According to Chulalongkorn
University, the number of children is as high as 800,000.

In 1996, Thailand passed a reform law to address the issue of child
prostitution (defined into two tiers: 15 to 18 years old and under 15).
Fines and jail time are assigned to customers, establishment owners
and even parents involved in child prostitution (under the old law only
prostitutes were culpable). Many countries also have extraterritorial
legislation that allows nationals to be prosecuted in their own country
for such crimes committed in Thailand.

Urban job centres such as Bangkok have large populations of dis-
placed and marginalised people (immigrants from Myanmar, ethnic
hill-tribe members and impoverished rural Thais). Children of these
fractured families often turn to street begging, which is an entryway
into prostitution usually through low-level criminal gangs.

Thailand is also a conduit and destination for people trafficking (in-
cluding children) from Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia and China. Accord-
ing to the UN, human trafficking is a crime against humanity and in-
volves recruiting, transporting, transferring, harbouring and receiving
a person through force, fraud or coercion for purposes of exploitation.
In 2007, the US State Department labelled Thailand as not meeting the
minimum standards for prevention of human trafficking.

It is difficult to obtain reliable data about trafficked people, includ-
ing minors, but a 1997 report on foreign child labour, by Kritaya Ar-
chavanitkul, found that there were 16,423 non-Thai prostitutes working
in the country and that 30% were children under the age of 18 (a total
of 4900). Other studies estimated that there were 100,000 to 200,000
foreign-born children in the Thai workforce but these figures do not
determine the type of work being done.
This chapter was written by China Williams, Lonely Planet author

©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd 223

Survival
Guide

TRANSPORT������������� 224 Opening Hours�������������������232
Post���������������������������������������233
GETTING TO Public Holidays�������������������233
BANGKOK ������������������������ 224 Safe Travel���������������������������233
Air�����������������������������������������224 Taxes & Refunds�����������������233
Bus���������������������������������������225 Telephone ���������������������������233
Minivan���������������������������������225 Time�������������������������������������234
Train �������������������������������������225 Toilets�����������������������������������234
Tourist Information�����������234
GETTING AROUND����������226 Travellers with
BTS & MRT �������������������������226 Disabilities���������������������������235
Taxi���������������������������������������226 Visas�������������������������������������235
Boat �������������������������������������227 Women Travellers���������������235
Motorcycle Taxis�����������������227
Túk-Túk��������������������������������� 227 LANGUAGE ���������������236
Car ���������������������������������������228
Bus���������������������������������������228

TOURS������������������������������228

DIRECTORY A–Z�������229

Customs Regulations �������229
Electricity ���������������������������229
Embassies &
Consulates �������������������������229
Emergency ������������������������ 230
Health���������������������������������� 230
Internet Access������������������� 231
Legal Matters ��������������������� 231
Medical Services ��������������� 231
Money�����������������������������������232

224 ©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd

Transport

GETTING TO Bangkok’s other airport, minutes, 90B). Makkasan,
BANGKOK Don Muang International also known as Bangkok City
Airport (DMK; %0 2535 1111; Air Terminal, is a short walk
Most travellers will arrive in www.donmuangairportonline. from Phetchaburi MRT (met-
Bangkok via air, but for those com), 25km north of central ro) station, and if you show
entering the city on ground Bangkok, was retired from up at least three hours before
transport, or who have plans service in 2006 only to reopen your departure, also has
to move onward, below is a later as Bangkok’s de-facto check-in facilities for passen-
summary of the city’s major budget hub. gers flying on Thai Airways.
transport hubs. Both lines run from 6am to
Travel to/from midnight.
Flights, tours and rail tick- Suvarnabhumi
ets can be booked online at International Airport TAXI
lonelyplanet.com/bookings. ¨¨Metered taxis are available
TRAIN kerbside at floor 1 – ignore
Air The Airport Rail Link (www. the ‘official airport taxi’ touts
bangkokairporttrain.com) con- who approach you inside the
Located 30km east of central necting central Bangkok and terminal.
Bangkok, Suvarnabhumi In- Suvarnabhumi International ¨¨Typical metered fares from the
ternational Airport (%0 2132 Airport is comprised of a lo- airport are as follows: 200B to
1888; www.suvarnabhumiairport. cal service, which makes six 250B to Th Sukhumvit; 250B to
com) began commercial inter- stops before terminating at 300B to Th Khao San; 400B to
national and domestic service Phaya Thai station (30 min- Mo Chit. Toll charges (paid by the
in 2006. The airport’s name is utes, 45B), connected by a passengers) vary between 25B
pronounced sù·wan·ná·poom, walkway to the BTS (Skytrain) and 60B. Note that there’s an
and it inherited the airport of the same name, as well as additional 50B surcharge added
code (BKK) previously held by an express service that runs to all fares departing from the
the old airport at Don Muang. without stopping between airport, payable directly to the
The airport website has real- the airport and Makkasan or driver.
time details of arrivals and Phaya Thai stations (15 to 17
departures.

CLIMATE CHANGE & TRAVEL

Every form of transport that relies on carbon-based fuel generates CO2, the main
cause of human-induced climate change. Modern travel is dependent on aeroplanes,
which might use less fuel per kilometre per person than most cars but travel much
greater distances. The altitude at which aircraft emit gases (including CO2) and par-
ticles also contributes to their climate change impact. Many websites offer ‘carbon
calculators’ that allow people to estimate the carbon emissions generated by their
journey and, for those who wish to do so, to offset the impact of the greenhouse gases
emitted with contributions to portfolios of climate-friendly initiatives throughout the
world. Lonely Planet offsets the carbon footprint of all staff and author travel.

225

¨¨You can hail a taxi directly Hualamphong Train Station Th Boromaratchachonanee) Tr ansport G etting to B angkok
from the street for airport trips (24 hours); line 59, with a stop Located across Saphan Phra
or you can arrange one through near Th Khao San (24 hours); Pinklao in the far western
the hotels or by calling %1681 and line 538, stopping at suburbs, Sai Tai Mai serves all
(which charges a 20B dispatch Victory Monument BTS station points south – hello Phuket,
surcharge). (4am to 10pm); fares are ap- Surat Thani, Krabi, Hat Yai –
proximately 30B. as well as Kanchanaburi and
BUS & MINIVAN TAXI western Thailand. The easiest
¨¨A public transport centre As at Suvarnabhumi, public way to reach the station is
is 3km from the airport and taxis leave from outside the by taxi, or you can take bus
includes a bus terminal with arrivals hall and there is a 79, 159, 201 or 516 from Th
buses to a handful of provinces 50B airport charge added to Ratchadamnoen Klang, or the
and inner-city-bound buses the meter fare. minivan (Map p263) or bus
and minivans. A free airport TRAIN 40 from the Victory Monument
shuttle connects the transport The walkway that crosses (p109).
centre with the passenger from the airport to the Am-
terminals. ari Airport Hotel also pro- Minivan
¨¨Bus lines city-bound tourists vides access to Don Muang
are likely to use include line Train Station, which has Privately run minivans,
551 to BTS Victory Monument trains to Hualamphong Train called rót đôo, are a fast and
station (40B, frequent from 5am Station every one to 1½ relatively comfortable way
to 10pm) and 552 to BTS On hours from 4am to 11.30am to get between Bangkok
Nut in the Sukhumvit area (25B, and then roughly every hour and neighbouring provinces.
frequent from 5am to 10pm). from 2pm to 9.30pm (from Several minivans depart
From these points, you can 5B to 10B). from various points sur-
continue by public transport or rounding the Victory Monu-
taxi to your hotel. Bus ment (p109).
¨¨From town, you can take the
BTS to On Nut, then from near Buses using government bus Train
the market entrance opposite stations are far more reliable
Tesco Lotus, take minivan and less prone to incidents Hualamphong (Map p258;
552 (25B, frequent from 5am of theft than those departing %0 2220 4334, call centre
to 10pm), or BTS to Victory from Th Khao San or other 1690; www.railway.co.th; off
Monument, then the minivan tourist centres. Th Phra Ram IV; mHua Lam-
to Suvarnabhumi International Eastern Bus Terminal phong exit 2) The city’s main
Airport (40B, every 30 minutes (Ekamai; Map p270; %0 2391 train terminus. It’s advisable
from 5am to 9pm). 2504; Soi 40, Th Sukhumvit; to ignore all touts here and
bEkkamai exit 2) Go to this avoid the travel agencies. To
Travel to/from Don station for buses to cities on or check timetables and prices
Muang International near the eastern gulf coast in- for other destinations call the
Airport cluding Ban Phe (for Ko Samet),
Pattaya, Rayong, Chanthaburi State Railway of Thai-
BUS and Trat (for Ko Chang). land (SRT; %1690; www.
¨¨From outside the arrivals Northern & Northeast- railway.co.th) or look at its
hall, there are two airport bus ern Bus Terminal (Mo website.
lines from Don Muang: A1 Chit; %northeastern routes Wong Wian Yai (off Th Phra
makes a stop at BTS Mo Chit 0 2936 2852, ext 602/605, Jao Taksin; bWongwian Yai
(30B, hourly, from 9am to northern routes 0 2936 2841, exit 4 & taxi) This tiny hid-
midnight); A2 makes stops at ext 325/614; Th Kamphaeng den station is the jumping-off
BTS Mo Chit and BTS Victory Phet; mKamphaeng Phet exit 1 point for the commuter line to
Monument (30B, hourly, from & taxi, bMo Chit exit 3 & taxi) Samut Sakhon (also known as
9am to midnight). Commonly called Mor Chit, Mahachai).
¨¨Public buses stop on the this station serves destinations Bangkok Noi (Map p252;
highway in front of the airport. in northern and northeastern off Th Itsaraphap; bWongwian
Useful lines include 29, with a Thailand. Yai exit 4 & taxi) A miniscule
stop at Victory Monument BTS Southern Bus Terminal train station with (overpriced)
station before terminating at (Sai Tai Mai; %0 2894 6122; departures for Kanchanaburi.

226 Tr ansport G etting A round BTS & MRT Taxi

GETTING The elevated BTS (%0 2617 Although many first-time
AROUND 7300, tourist information 0 visitors are hesitant to use
2617 7340; www.bts.co.th), them, in general, Bangkok’s
Bangkok may seem chaotic also known as the Skytrain taxis are new and spacious
and impenetrable at first, (rót fai fáa), whisks you and the drivers are courte-
but its transport system is through ‘new’ Bangkok ous and helpful, making
gradually improving, and (Silom, Sukhumvit and them an excellent way to get
although you’ll almost cer- Siam Sq). The interchange around.
tainly find yourself stuck in between the two lines is
traffic at some point, the at Siam station, and trains All taxis are required to
jams aren’t as legendary as run frequently from 6am to use their meters, which
they used to be. For most of midnight. Fares range from start at 35B, and fares to
the day and night, Bangkok’s 15B to 52B, or 120B for a most places within central
70,000 clean and dirt-cheap one-day pass. Most ticket Bangkok cost 60B to 90B.
taxis are the most expedi- machines only accept coins, Freeway tolls – 25B to 60B
ent choice – although it’s but change is available at the depending on where you
important to note that Bang- information booths. start – must be paid by the
kok traffic is nothing if not passenger.
unpredictable. During rush Bangkok’s underground
hour, the BTS, MRT, river MRT (www.bangkokmetro. Taxi Radio (%1681; www.
ferries and klorng (canal, co.th) or Metro is most help- taxiradio.co.th) and other 24-
also spelt khlong) ferries are ful for people staying in the hour ‘phone-a-cab’ services
much wiser options. Locals Sukhumvit or Silom area are available for 20B above
and many local expats swear to reach the train station at the metered fare.
by the ubiquitous motor- Hualamphong. Fares cost
cycle taxis, but the accidents 16B to 40B, or 120B for a If you leave something in a
we’ve seen suggest that one-day pass. It runs fre- taxi your best chance of get-
they’re not really worth the quently 6am to midnight. ting it back (still pretty slim)
risk. is to call %1644.

BANGKOK ADDRESSES

¨¨Any city as large and unplanned as Bangkok can be tough to get around. Street
names often seem unpronounceable, compounded by the inconsistency of roman-
ised Thai spellings. For example, the street sometimes spelt as ‘Rajdamri’ is actually
pronounced ‘Ratchadamri’ (with the appropriate tones, of course), or in abbreviated
form as Rat damri. The ‘v’ in Sukhumvit should be pronounced like a ‘w’… One of the
most popular locations for foreign embassies is known both as Wireless Rd and Th
Witthayu (wí·tá·yú is Thai for ‘radio’).

¨¨Many street addresses show a string of numbers divided by slashes and hyphens,
for example, 48/3-5 Soi 1, Th Sukhumvit. The reason is that undeveloped property
in Bangkok was originally bought and sold in lots. The number before the slash
refers to the original lot number. The numbers following the slash indicate buildings
(or entrances to buildings) constructed within that lot. The pre-slash numbers ap-
pear in the order in which they were added to city plans, while the post-slash num-
bers are arbitrarily assigned by developers. As a result numbers along a given street
don’t always run consecutively.

¨¨The Thai word tà·nŏn (usually spelt ‘thanon’) means road, street or avenue. Hence
Ratchadamnoen Rd (sometimes referred to as Ratchadamnoen Ave) is always called
Thanon (Th) Ratchadamnoen in Thai.

¨¨A soi is a small street or lane that runs off a larger street. In our example, the
address referred to as 48/3-5 Soi 1, Th Sukhumvit will be located off Th Sukhumvit
on Soi 1. Alternative ways of writing the same address include 48/3-5 Th Sukhumvit
Soi 1, or even just 48/3-5 Sukhumvit 1. Some Bangkok soi have become so large
that they can be referred to both as thanon and soi, eg Soi Sarasin/Th Sarasin and
Soi Asoke/Th Asoke. Smaller than a soi is a tròrk (usually spelt ‘trok’) or alley. Well-
known alleys in Bangkok include Chinatown’s Trok Itsaranuphap and Banglamphu’s
Trok Rong Mai.

227

Boat BANGKOK TAXI TIPS Tr ansport G etting A round

River Ferries ¨¨Never agree to take a taxi that won’t use the
meter; usually these drivers park outside hotels and
The Chao Phraya Express in tourist areas. Simply get one that’s passing by
Boat (%0 2623 6001; www. instead.
chaophrayaexpressboat.com)
operates the main ferry ¨¨Bangkok taxi drivers will generally not try to ‘take
service along Mae Nam Chao you for a ride’ as happens in some other countries;
Phraya. The central pier they make more money from passenger turnover.
is known as Tha Sathon,
Saphan Taksin or sometimes ¨¨It’s worth keeping in mind that many Bangkok taxi
Central Pier, and connects drivers are in fact seasonal labourers fresh from the
to the BTS at Saphan Taksin countryside and may not know their way around.
station.
¨¨If a driver refuses to take you somewhere, it’s
The service runs from probably because he needs to return his rental cab
6am to 10pm. You can buy before a certain time, not because he doesn’t like
tickets (10B to 40B) at the how you look.
pier or on board; hold on
to your ticket as proof of ¨¨Very few Bangkok taxi drivers speak much English;
purchase (an occasional an address written in Thai can help immensely.
formality).
¨¨Older cabs may be less comfortable but typically
The most common boats have more experienced drivers because they are
are the orange-flagged driver-owned, as opposed to the new cabs, which are
express boats. These run usually rented.
between Wat Rajsingkorn,
south of Bangkok, to Non- and Jim Thompson’s House, Their other purpose is as a
thaburi, north, stopping the Siam Sq shopping cen- means of beating the traffic.
at most major piers (15B, tres –get off at Tha Saphan You tell your rider where you
frequent from 6am to 7pm). Hua Chang (Map p260) for want to go, negotiate a price
A yellow-flagged tourist boat both – and other points (from 20B for a short trip up
(40B, every 30 minutes from further east along Th Su- to about 150B going across
9am to 10pm) runs from khumvit after a mandatory town), strap on the helmet
Tha Sathon (Central Pier) change of boat at Tha Pra- (they will insist for longer
(Map p266) to Tha Phra tunam (Map p260). These trips) and say a prayer to
Athit (Banglamphu) (Map boats are mostly used by whichever god you’re into.
p254) with stops at six major daily commuters and pull
sightseeing piers and barely into the piers for just a few For more information see
comprehensible English-lan- seconds – jump straight the boxed text on Bangkok’s
guage commentary. Vendors on or you’ll be left behind. motorsai (p108).
at Tha Sathon (Central Pier) Fares range from 10B to
tout a 150B all-day pass, 20B and boats run from Túk-Túk
but unless you’re doing a lot 5.30am to 8.30pm.
of boat travel, it’s not great Bangkok’s iconic túk-túk
value. Motorcycle Taxis (pronounced đúk đúk; a type
of motorised rickshaw) are
There are also dozens of Motorcycle taxis (known as used by Thais for short hops
cross-river ferries, which motorsai) serve two purpos- not worth paying the taxi
charge from 3B to 3.50B and es in Bangkok. Most com- flag fall for. For foreigners,
run every few minutes until monly and popularly they however, these emphysema-
late at night. form an integral part of the inducing machines are part
public-transport network, of the Bangkok experience,
Private long-tail boats running from the corner of so despite the fact they
can be hired for sightsee- a main thoroughfare, such overcharge outrageously and
ing trips at Tha Phra Athit as Th Sukhumvit, to the far you can’t see anything due
(Banglamphu), Tha Chang ends of sois that run off that to the low roof, pretty much
(Map p252), Tha Tien (Map thoroughfare. Riders wear everyone takes a túk-túk at
p252) and Tha Oriental (Map coloured, numbered vests least once. It’s worth know-
p266). and gather at either end of ing, however, that túk-túk
their soi, usually charging are notorious for taking little
Klorng Boats 10B to 20B for the trip (with- ‘detours’ to commission-
out a helmet unless you ask). paying gem and silk shops
Canal taxi boats run
along Khlong Saen Saep
(Banglamphu to Ramkham-
haeng) and are an easy way
to get between Banglamphu

Tr ansport Tours228 companies have offices in rented through this local chain,
and massage parlours. En Bangkok and at Suvarnab- which has a branch at Suvar-
route to ‘special’ temples, humi airport. Rates start at nabhumi International Airport.
you’ll meet ‘helpful’ locals around 1000B per day for a Rates start at around 1000B
who will steer you to even small car. A passport plus a per day, excluding insurance.
more rip-off opportunities. valid licence from your home An International Driving Permit
Ignore anyone offering too- country (with English trans- and passport are required for
good-to-be-true 10B trips. lation if necessary) or an all rentals.
The vast majority of túk- International Driving Permit
túk drivers ask too much are required for all rentals. Bus
from tourists (expat fa·ràng
never use them). Expect to Reliable car-hire compa- Bangkok’s public buses
be quoted a 100B fare, if not nies include the following, all are run by the Bangkok
more, for even the shortest of which also have counters Mass Transit Authority
trip. Try bargaining them at Suvarnabhumi Interna- (%0 2246 0973; www.bmta.
down to about 60B for a tional Airport: co.th). As the routes are
short trip, preferably at night Avis (Map p268;%0 2251 not always clear, and with
when the pollution (hope- 1131; www.avisthailand.com; Bangkok taxis being such a
fully) won’t be quite so bad. 40 Th Sathon Neua (North); good deal, you’d really have
Once you’ve done it, you’ll h7.30am-7.30pm; mLumphini to be pinching pennies to
find taxis are cheaper, clean- exit 2) Cars and motor­cycles rely on buses as a way to get
er, cooler and quieter. can be hired through this inter- around Bangkok. However,
national chain. Rates start at if you’re determined, air-con
Car around 1000B per day, exclud- bus fares range from 11B to
ing insurance. An International 30B, and fares for fan-cooled
For short-term visitors, you Driving Permit and passport buses start at 5B or 7B. Most
will find parking and driv- are required for all rentals. of the bus lines run between
ing a car in Bangkok more Budget (%0 2203 9222; 5am and 10pm or 11pm,
trouble than it is worth. If www.budget.co.th; 19/23 except for the ‘all-night’
you need private transport, Bldg A, Royal City Ave (RCA); buses, which run from 3am
consider hiring a car and h8am-7pm; mPhra Ram 9 or 4am to midmorning. You’ll
driver through your hotel or exit 3 & taxi) A reliable car-hire most likely require the help
hire a taxi driver that you find place. of thinknet’s Bangkok Bus
trustworthy. One reputable Thai Rent A Car (Map p270; Guide.
operator is Julie Taxi (%08 %0 2737 8888; www.thairen-
1846 2014, 08 5115 5455; www. tacar.com; 2371 Th Petchaburi TOURS
facebook.com/TourWithJulie Tat Mai; h8.30am-5.30am
Taxi), which offers a variety Mon-Sat; bThong Lo exit 3 & Bangkok has a variety of
of vehicles and excellent taxi) If you’re not dissuaded, walking, bicycle and guided
service. cars and motor­cycles can be tours (p49).

But if you still want to give
it a go, all the big car-hire

229

Directory A–Z

Customs 220V/50Hz 12.15pm & 1-4.15pm Mon-Thu, to
Regulations 1pm Fri; mSi Lom exit 2, bSala
Daeng exit 4)
¨¨White-uniformed customs offic- French Embassy (Map
ers prohibit the import or export of p266;%0 2657 5100; www.
the usual goods ( porn, weapons, ambafrance-th.org; 35 Soi 36,
drugs). If you’re caught with drugs Th Charoen Krung, Bangkok;
in particular, expect life never to h8.30am-noon Mon-Fri; fTha
be the same again. The usual 200 Oriental) Consulates in Phuket
cigarettes or 250g of tobacco are and Surat Thani.
allowed in without duty, along with German Embassy (Map
up to 1L of wine or spirits. p268;%0 2287 9000; www.
¨¨For details about regulations, bangkok.diplo.de; 9 Th Sathon
see www.customs.go.th. Tai (South), Bangkok; h8.30-
¨¨Licences are required for 11am Mon-Fri; mLumphini
exporting religious images and exit 2)
other antiquities (p43). Irish Consulate (Map p264;
%0 2632 6720; www.ireland
Electricity inthailand.com; 4th fl, Thaniya
Bldg, 62 Th Silom, Bangkok;
220V/50Hz Embassies & h8.30am-12.30pm Mon-Fri;
Consulates mSi Lom exit 2, jSala Daeng
exit 1)
Australian Embassy (Map Laotian Embassy (%0 2539
p268;%0 2344 6300; www. 6667; 502/1-3 Soi Sahakarn-
thailand.embassy.gov.au; 37 Th pramoon, Th Pracha Uthit (Soi
Sathon Tai (South), Bangkok; Ramkhamhaeng 39); h8am-
h8.30am-4.30pm Mon-Fri; noon & 1-4pm Mon-Fri; mPhra
mLumphini exit 2) Ram 9 exit 3 & taxi)
Malaysian Embassy (Map
Cambodian Embassy (%0 p268;%0 2629 6800; www.
2957 5851; 518/4 Th Pracha kln.gov.my/web/tha_bangkok/
Uthit/Soi Ramkhamhaeng 39, home; 35 Th Sathon Tai (South);
Bangkok; h9am-noon Mon-Fri; h8am-4pm; mLumphini exit 2)
mPhra Ram 9 exit 3 & taxi) Consulate in Songkhla.
Myanmar Embassy (Map
Canadian Embassy (Map p264;%0 2233 7250; www.
p268;%0 2646 4300; www. myanmarembassybkk.com; 132
canadainternational.gc.ca; 15th Th Sathon Neua (North), Bang-
fl, Abdulrahim Pl, 990 Th Phra kok; h9am-4.30pm (embassy),
Ram IV, Bangkok; h7.30am-

Directory A–Z E M E R G E N C Y230 Fire (%199) You’re unlikely to can be a powerful brew of
9am-noon & 1-3pm Mon-Fri find an English-speaker at this potentially toxic air. The
(visas); bSurasak exit 3) number, so it’s best to use the good news is that more-
Netherlands Embassy default 191 emergency number. efficient vehicles (and fewer
(Map p260;%0 2309 5200; Police (%191) of them thanks to the BTS
http://thailand.nlembassy. Tourist Police (%24hr Skytrain and MRT Metro),
org; 15 Soi Tonson, Bangkok; hotline 1155) The best way and less industrial pollution
h8.30-11.30am Mon-Wed, to deal with most problems mean Bangkok’s skies are
8.30-11.30am & 1.30-3pm Thu requiring police (usually a rip- much cleaner than they used
(consular office); bChit Lom off or theft) is to contact the to be.
exit 4) tourist police, who are used to
New Zealand Embassy dealing with foreigners and can Flu
(Map p260;%0 2254 2530; be very helpful in cases of ar-
www.nzembassy.com/thailand; rest. The English-speaking unit Thailand has seen a number
14th fl, M Thai Tower, All Sea- investigates criminal activity of nasty influenza strains in
sons Pl, 87 Th Witthayu (Wire- involving tourists and can act recent years, most notably
less Rd), Bangkok; h8am-noon as a bilingual liaison with the the bird (H5N1) and swine
& 1-2.30pm Mon-Fri; bPhloen regular police. Although they (H1N1) varieties. That said,
Chit exit 5) typically have no jurisdiction it’s no worse than any other
UK Embassy (Map p260;%0 over the kinds of cases handled country in the region and is
2305 8333; www.gov.uk/gov- by regular cops, they should be probably better prepared
ernment/world/organisa able to help with translation, than most of the world for
tions/british-embassy-bang contacting your embassy and/ any major outbreak because
kok; 14 Th Witthayu (Wireless or arranging a police report you the government has stock-
Rd), Bangkok; h8am-4.30pm can take to your insurer. piled tens of millions of Tami-
Mon-Thu, to 1pm Fri; bPhloen flu doses.
Chit exit 5) Consulates in Health
Chiang Mai and Pattaya. Food
US Embassy (Map p260;%0 While urban horror stories
2205 4000; http://bang can make a trip to Bangkok If a place looks clean and
kok.usembassy.gov; 120/22 seem frighteningly danger- well run and the vendor also
Th Witthayu (Wireless Rd); ous, few travellers experi- looks clean and healthy, then
h7am-4pm Mon-Fri; bPhloen ence anything more than the food is probably safe.
Chit exit 5) an upset stomach and the In general, the food in busy
resulting clenched-cheek restaurants is cooked and
Emergency waddles to the bathroom. eaten quite quickly with lit-
If you do have a problem, tle standing around, and is
Ambulance (%via police Bangkok has some very good probably not reheated. The
191) In a medical emergency, hospitals. same applies to street stalls.
it’s probably best to call a hos-
pital direct, and it will dispatch Air Pollution Heat
an ambulance. See Medical
Services for recommended Bangkok has a bad reputa- By the standards of most
hospitals. tion for air pollution, and on visitors Bangkok is some-
bad days the combination of where between hot and seri-
heat, dust and motor fumes ously (expletive) hot all year
round. Usually that will mean
nothing more than sweat-
soaked clothing, discomfort
and excessive tiredness.
However, heat exhaustion

PRACTICALITIES

¨¨Bangkok’s predominant English-language newspapers are the Bangkok Post
(www.bangkokpost.com) and the business-heavy Nation (www.nationmultimedia.com).
¨¨The International New York Times and weeklies such as the Economist and Time
are sold at numerous news stands.
¨¨Bangkok 101 (www.bangkok101.com) is a tourist-friendly listings magazine.
¨¨The metric system is used for weights and measures.
¨¨Smoking in restaurants and bars has been banned since 2008.

231

is not uncommon, and de- hygienic conditions and is consequently see it as their duty Directory A–Z I N T E R N E T AC C E S S
hydration is the main con- therefore theoretically safe. to enforce the letter of the law;
tributor. Symptoms include for others it’s an opportunity
feeling weak, headache, Internet Access to make untaxed income via
irritability, nausea or vomit- bribes. Which direction they’ll
ing, sweaty skin, a fast, weak ¨¨There’s no shortage of inter- go often depends on drug quan-
pulse and a normal or slightly net cafes in Bangkok compet- tities; small-time offenders are
elevated body temperature. ing to offer the cheapest and sometimes offered the chance
Treatment involves getting fastest connection. Rates vary to pay their way out of an ar-
out of the heat and/or sun depending on the concentration rest, while traffickers usually
and cooling the victim down and affluence of net-heads – go to jail.
by fanning and applying cool, Banglamphu is cheaper than ¨¨Smoking is banned in all in-
wet cloths to the skin, laying Sukhumvit or Silom, with rates door spaces, including bars and
the victim flat with their legs as low as 15B per hour. pubs. The ban extends to open-
raised and rehydrating with ¨¨Most internet shops have air public spaces, which means
electrolyte drinks or water Skype and headsets so interna- lighting up outside a shopping
containing a quarter tea- tional calls can be made for the centre, in particular, might earn
spoon of salt per litre. Heat- price of surfing the web. you a polite request to butt out.
stroke is more serious and ¨¨A convenient place to take If you throw your cigarette butt
requires more urgent action. care of your communication on the ground, however, you
Symptoms come on sud- needs in the centre of Bangkok could then be hit with a hefty
denly and include weakness, is the TrueMove Shop (Map littering fine.
nausea, a hot, dry body with p260; www.truemove.com; ¨¨If you are arrested for any
a temperature of more than Soi 2, Siam Sq; h7am-10pm; offence, police will allow you
41°C, dizziness, confusion, bSiam exit 4). It has high-speed to make a phone call to your
loss of coordination, seizures internet computers equipped embassy or consulate if you
and, eventually, collapse and with Skype, sells phones and have one, or to a friend or rela-
loss of consciousness. Seek mobile subscriptions, and can tive. There’s a whole set of legal
medical help and begin cool- also provide information on city- codes governing the length of
ing by getting the victim out wide wi-fi access for computers time and manner in which you
of the heat, removing their and phones. can be detained before being
clothes, fanning them and ¨¨Wi-fi, mostly free of charge, charged or put on trial. Police
applying cool, wet cloths or is becoming more ubiquitous have a lot of discretion and are
ice to their body, especially around Bangkok. For relatively more likely to bend these codes
to the groin and armpits. authoritative lists of wi-fi hot in your favour than the reverse.
spots in Bangkok, go to www. However, as with police world-
HIV & AIDS bkkpages.com (under ‘Direc- wide, if you don’t show respect
tory’) or www.stickmanweekly. you will only make matters
In Thailand around 95% of com/WiFi/BangkokFreeWire worse, so keep a cool head.
HIV transmission occurs lessInternetWiFi.htm.
through sexual activity, and Medical Services
the remainder through natal Legal Matters
transmission or illicit intra- More than Thailand’s main
venous drug use. HIV/AIDS ¨¨Thailand’s police don’t enjoy health-care hub, Bangkok
can also be spread through a squeaky clean reputation, but has become a major desti-
infected blood transfusions, as a foreigner, and especially a nation for medical tourism,
although this risk is virtu- tourist, you probably won’t have with patients flying in for
ally nil in Thailand due to much to do with them. While treatment from all over the
rigorous blood-screening some expats will talk of being world.
procedures. If you want to be targeted for fines while driving,
pierced or tattooed, be sure most anecdotal evidence sug- Hospitals
to check that the needles gests Thai police will usually go
are new. out of their way not to arrest a The following hospitals have
foreigner breaking minor laws. English-speaking doctors.
Water & Ice ¨¨Most Thai police view drug- BNH (Map p264;%0 2686
takers as a social scourge and 2700; www.bnhhospital.com;
Don’t drink tap water, but 9 Th Convent; mSi Lom exit 2,
do remember that all water bSala Daeng exit 2)
served in restaurants or to
guests in offices or homes in
Bangkok comes from purified
sources. It’s not necessary to
ask for bottled water in these
places unless you prefer it.
Ice is generally produced
from purified water under

Directory A–Z M O N E Y232 Clinic (Map p260;%08 1987 each travellers cheque
Bangkok Christian Hos- 7700; www.siamfamilydental. cashed, you’ll save on com-
pital (Map p264;%0 2235 com; 209 Th Phayathai; missions if you use larger
1000; www.bangkokchristian h11am-8pm Mon-Fri, 10am- cheque denominations.
hospital.org; 124 Th Silom; 7pm Sat & Sun; bSiam exit 2)
mSi Lom exit 2, bSala Daeng Teeth-whitening is big here. Credit Cards
exit 1)
Bumrungrad Interna- Pharmacies Credit cards as well as
tional Hospital (Map p270; debit cards can be used for
%0 2667 1000; www.bumrun- Pharmacies are plentiful, and purchases at many shops
grad.com; 33 Soi 3, Th Su- in central areas most phar- and pretty much any hotel
khumvit; bPhloen Chit exit 3) macists will speak English. If or restaurant, though you’ll
Samitivej Hospital (Map you don’t find what you need probably have to pay cash
p270;%0 2711 8000; www. in a Boots, Watsons or local for your pàt tai. The most
samitivejhospitals.com; 133 Soi pharmacy, try one of the commonly accepted cards
49, Th Sukhumvit; bPhrom hospitals. are Visa and MasterCard, fol-
Phong exit 3 & taxi) lowed by Amex and JCB. To
Money report a lost or stolen card,
Dentists call the following numbers:
The basic unit of Thai curren- Amex (%0 2273 5544)
Business is good in the teeth cy is the baht. There are 100 MasterCard (%001 800
game, partly because so satang in one baht – though 11887 0663)
many fa·ràng are combining the only place you’ll be able Visa (%001 800 11 535 0660)
their holiday with a spot of to spend them is in the
cheap root canal or some ubiquitous 7-Elevens. Coins Tipping
‘personal outlook’ care – a come in denominations of 25
teeth-whitening treatment satang, 50 satang, 1B, 2B, Tipping is not a traditional
by any other name. Prices 5B and 10B. Paper currency part of Thai life and, except
are a bargain compared with comes in denominations of in big hotels and posh res-
Western countries, and the 20B (green), 50B (blue), taurants, tips are appreci-
quality of dentistry is gener- 100B (red), 500B (purple) ated but not expected.
ally good. and 1000B (beige).
Bangkok Dental Spa (Map Opening Hours
p270;%0 2651 0807; www. ATMs
bangkokdentalspa.com; 2nd fl, Opening hours for busi-
Methawattana Bldg, 27 Soi 19, You won’t need a map to find nesses in this book are
Th Sukhumvit; hby appoint- an ATM in Bangkok – they’re listed if they differ from the
ment only; mSukhumvit exit everywhere. Bank ATMs following.
3, jAsok exit 1) This is not a accept major international Banks 9.30am to 3.30pm
typo. Combines oral hygiene credit cards and many will Monday to Friday; banks in
with spa services (foot and also cough up cash (Thai shopping centres and tourist
body massage). baht only) if your card is areas are often open longer
DC-One the Dental Clinic affiliated with the Cirrus or hours (generally until 8pm),
(Map p268;%0 2240 2800; Plus networks (typically for including weekends.
www.dc-one.com; 31 Th Yen a fee of 150B). You can with- Bars & Nightclubs Bars 6pm
Akat; hby appointment only; draw up to 20,000B per day to midnight (officially); bars
mLumphini exit 2 & taxi) Repu- from most ATMs. close during elections and
tation for excellent work and certain religious public holi-
relatively high prices; popular Changing Money days. Nightclubs 8pm to 2am.
with UN staff and diplomats. Closing times vary due to local
Dental Hospital (Map p270; Banks or legal money- enforcement of curfew laws.
%0 2260 5000; www.dental- changers offer the optimum Government Offices 8.30am
hospitalbangkok.com; 88/88 foreign-exchange rates. to 4.30pm Monday to Friday.
Soi 49, Th Sukhumvit; h9am- When buying baht, US dol- Often closed between noon
8pm Mon-Sat, to 4.30pm Sun; lars and euros are the most and 1pm.
bPhrom Phong exit 3 & taxi) readily accepted currencies, Restaurants Local Thai places
A private dental clinic with and travellers cheques all day from 10am to 8pm
fluent English- receive better rates than or 9pm; formal restaurants
speaking dentists. cash. British pounds, Aus- around 11am to 2pm and 6pm
Siam Family Dental tralian dollars, Singapore to 10pm.
dollars and Hong Kong dol-
lars are also widely accept-
ed. As banks often charge
commission and duty for

Shops Local stores 10am to Safe Travel 233Directory A–Z P O S T
6pm daily; department stores
10am to 10pm daily. Bangkok is a safe city and Taxes & Refunds
incidents of violence against
Post tourists are rare. That said, ¨¨Thailand has a 7% value-
there is a repertoire of well- added tax (VAT) on many goods
Thailand has an efficient polished scams. But don’t be and services. Midrange and
postal service, and both spooked; commit the fol- top-end hotels and restaurants
domestic and international lowing to memory and you’ll might also add a 10% service
rates are very reasonable. most likely enjoy a scam-free tax. When the two are combined
Main Post Office (Map visit: this becomes the 17% king hit
p266;%0 2233 1050; Th Gem scam We’re begging you, known as ‘plus plus’, or ‘++’.
Charoen Krung; h8am-8pm if you aren’t a gem trader, ¨¨You can get a refund on VAT
Mon-Fri, to 1pm Sat & Sun; then don’t buy unset stones in paid on shopping, though not on
fTha Oriental) Near Soi 35. Thailand – period. food or hotels, as you leave the
Closed today Ignore any country (p46).
Public Holidays ‘friendly’ local who tells you
that an attraction is closed for Telephone
Government offices and a Buddhist holiday or for clean-
banks close their doors on ing. These are set-ups for trips Domestic &
the following public holidays. to a bogus gem sale. International Calling
For the precise dates of lunar Túk-túk rides for 10B Say
holidays, see the Tourism goodbye to your day’s itiner- ¨¨Inside Thailand you must dial
Authority of Thailand (TAT) ary if you climb aboard this the area code no matter where
website www.tourismthai ubiquitous scam. These alleged you are. In effect, that means
land.org/travel-information. ‘tours’ bypass all the sights and all numbers are nine digits; in
1 January New Year’s Day instead cruise to all the fly-by- Bangkok they begin with %02,
February (date varies) Makha night gem and tailor shops that then a seven-digit number. The
Bucha Day, Buddhist holy day pay commissions. only time you drop the initial
6 April Chakri Day, commemo- Flat-fare taxi ride Flatly refuse %0 is when you’re calling from
rating the founder of the Chakri any driver who quotes a flat outside Thailand. Calling the
dynasty, Rama I fare (usually between 100B and provinces will usually involve a
13–14 April Songkran Festival, 150B for in-town destinations), three-digit code beginning with
traditional Thai new Year and which will usually be three %0, then a six-digit number.
water festival times more expensive than the ¨¨To direct-dial an international
1 May Labour Day reasonable meter rate. Walk- number from a private phone,
5 May Coronation Day, com- ing beyond the tourist area you can first dial %001, then
memorating the 1946 corona- will usually help in finding an the country code. However,
tion of HM the King and HM honest driver. If the driver has you wouldn’t do that, because
the Queen ‘forgotten’ to put the meter on, %001 is the most expensive
May/June (date varies) Visakha just say, ‘Meter, kha/khap’. way to call internationally and
Bucha, Buddhist holy day Friendly strangers Be wary numerous other prefixes give
July (date varies) Asanha of smartly dressed men who you cheaper rates. These in-
Bucha, Buddhist holy day approach you asking where clude %007, %008 and %009,
12 August Queen’s Birthday you’re from and where you’re depending on which phone
23 October Chulalongkorn Day going. Their opening gambit is you’re calling from. If you buy a
October/November (date usually followed with: ‘Ah, my local SIM card, which we recom-
varies) Ork Phansaa, the end of son/daughter is studying at mend, the network provider will
Buddhist ‘lent’ university in (your city)’ – they tell you which prefix to use; read
5 December King’s Birthday seem to have an encyclopaedic the fine print.
10 December Constitution Day knowledge of major universi-
31 December New Year’s Eve ties. As the tourist authorities USEFUL NUMBERS
here pointed out, this sort of Thailand country code %66
behaviour is out of character Bangkok city code %02
for Thais and should be treated Mobile numbers %08
with suspicion. Operator-assisted interna-
tional calls %100
Free local directory assist-
ance call %1133

Directory A–Z T I M E234 minute rates start at less the septic system may not be
than 50 satang. The network designed to take toilet paper. In
Internet Phone & will have a promotional code such cases there will be a waste
Phonecards (eg %006 instead of %001) basket where you’re supposed
for calling internationally, to place used toilet paper and
¨¨The cheapest way to call which affords big discounts feminine hygiene products.
internationally is via the inter- on the standard international Many toilets also come with a
net, and many internet cafes in rates. small spray hose – Thailand’s
Bangkok are set up for phone ¨¨The main networks: version of the bidet.
calls. Some have Skype loaded AIS (1 2 Call) (www.ais.
and (assuming there’s a work- co.th/12call/th) Tourist
ing headset) you can use that DTAC (www.dtac.co.th) Information
for just the regular per-hour TrueMove (www.truemove.
internet fee. com) Bangkok has two organisa-
¨¨CAT offers the PhoneNet tions that handle tourism
card, which comes in denomi- Time matters: the Tourism Au-
nations of 200B, 300B, 500B thority of Thailand (TAT) for
and 1000B and allows you to ¨¨Thailand is seven hours countrywide information,
call overseas via VoIP (Voice ahead of GMT/UTC. Thus, noon and Bangkok Information
over Internet Protocol) for less in Bangkok is 9pm the previous Center for city-specific infor-
than regular rates. You can call night in Los Angeles, midnight mation. Also be aware that
from any phone (landline, your the same day in New York, 5am travel agents in the train sta-
mobile etc). Quality is good and in London, 6am in Paris, 1pm tion and near tourist centres
rates represent excellent value; in Perth and 3pm in Sydney. co-opt ‘T.A.T.’ and ‘Informa-
refills are available. Cards are Times are an hour later in tion’ as part of their name to
available from any CAT office countries or regions that are lure in commissions. These
or online at www.thaitelephone. on Daylight Saving Time (DST). places are not officially sanc-
com, from which you get the Thailand does not use daylight tioned information services,
necessary codes and numbers saving. but just agencies registered
immediately. See www.thai ¨¨The official year in Thailand with the TAT. So how can
telephone.com/EN/RateTable is reckoned from the Western you tell the difference?
for rates. calendar year 543 BC, the Apparently it’s all in the
beginning of the Buddhist Era full stops – ‘T.A.T.’ means
Mobile Phones (BE), so that AD 2014 is 2557 agency; ‘TAT’ is official.
BE, AD 2015 is 2558 BE etc. All Bangkok Information
¨¨If you have a GSM phone you dates in this book refer to the Center (Map p252;%0 2225
will probably be able to use it Western calendar. 7612-4; www.bangkoktour
on roaming in Thailand. If you ist.com; 17/1 Th Phra Athit;
have endless cash, or you only Toilets h9am-7pm Mon-Fri, to 5pm
want to send text messages, Sat & Sun; fTha Phra Athit,
you might be happy to do that. ¨¨If you don’t want to pee Banglamphu) City-specific
Otherwise, think about buying a against a tree like the túk-túk tourism office provides maps,
local SIM card. drivers, you can stop at any brochures and directions.
¨¨If your phone is locked, head shopping centre, hotel or fast- Kiosks and booths are found
down to MBK Center to get it food restaurant for facilities. around town; look for the
unlocked or to shop for a new or Shopping centres typically green-on-white symbol of a
cheap used phone (they start at charge 3B to 5B for a visit. mahout on an elephant.
less than 2000B). ¨¨In older buildings and wát Tourism Authority of
¨¨Buying a prepaid SIM is you’ll still find squat toilets, but Thailand (TAT;%1672; www.
about as difficult as finding a in modern Bangkok expect to be tourismthailand.org) Head of-
7-Eleven store. The market is greeted by a throne. fice (Map p270;%0 2250 5500;
supercompetitive and deals ¨¨Toilet paper is rarely pro- 1600 Th Phetchaburi Tat Mai;
vary so check websites first, vided, so carry an emergency h8.30am-4.30pm; mPhet-
but expect to get a SIM for stash. Even in places where chaburi exit 2); Banglamphu
as little as 49B. More expen- sit-down toilets are installed, (Map p254;%0 2283 1500; cnr
sive SIMs might come with Th Ratchadamnoen Nok & Th
pre-loaded talk time; if not, Chakrapatdipong; h8.30am-
recharge cards are sold at the 4.30pm; fTha Phan Fah);
same stores and range from Suvarnabhumi International
300B to 500B. Domestic per-

235

Airport (%0 2134 0040t; 2nd Visas noon & 1-4.30pm Mon-Fri; jMo Directory A–Z T R AV E L L E R S W I T H D I S A B I L I T I E S
fl, btwn Gates 2 & 5, Suvarna- Chit & access by taxi). Dress in
bhumi International Airport; ¨¨Thailand’s Ministry of your Sunday best when doing
h24hr) Foreign Affairs (www.mfa. official business in Thailand and
go.th) oversees immigration do all visa business yourself
Travellers with and visa issues. In the past five (don’t hire a third party). For
Disabilities years there have been new rules all types of visa extensions,
nearly every year regarding bring along two passport-sized
¨¨Bangkok presents one large, visas and extensions; the best photos and one copy each of the
ongoing obstacle course for online monitor is Thaivisa photo and visa pages of your
the mobility-impaired, with its (www.thaivisa.com). passport.
high kerbs, uneven pavements ¨¨Citizens of 41 countries ¨¨You can extend your stay, for
and nonstop traffic. Many of the (including most European the normal fee of 1900B, at the
city’s streets must be crossed countries, Australia, New Zea- immigration office. Those is-
via pedestrian bridges flanked land and the USA) can enter sued with a standard stay of 15
with steep stairways, while Thailand at no charge. These or 30 days can extend their stay
buses and boats don’t stop long citizens are issued a 30-day for seven to 10 days (depending
enough to accommodate even visa if they arrive by air or 15 on the immigration office) if the
the mildly disabled. Except for days by land. extension is handled before the
some BTS and MRT stations, visa expires. The 60-day tourist
ramps or other access points Visa Extensions visa can be extended by up to
for wheelchairs are rare. 30 days at the discretion of Thai
¨¨A few of the top-end hotels ¨¨If you need more time in the immigration authorities.
make consistent design efforts country, apply for a 60-day
to provide disabled access. tourist visa prior to arrival at Women Travellers
Other deluxe hotels with high a Thai embassy or consulate
employee-to-guest ratios are abroad. For business or study ¨¨Everyday incidents of sexual
usually good about providing purposes, you can obtain 90- harassment are much less com-
staff help where building de- day nonimmigrant visas but mon in Thailand than in India,
sign fails. For the rest, you’re you’ll need extra documenta- Indonesia or Malaysia, and this
pretty much left to your own tion. Officially, on arrival you might lull women familiar with
resources. must prove you have sufficient those countries into thinking
¨¨The following companies and funds for your stay and proof of that Thailand is safer than it
websites might be useful: onward travel, but visitors are is. If you’re a woman travelling
Asia Pacific Development rarely asked about this. alone it’s worth pairing up with
Centre on Disability (www. ¨¨If you overstay your visa the other travellers when moving
apcdfoundation.org) penalty is 500B per day, with a around at night or, at the least,
Society for Accessible 20,000B limit; fines can be paid avoiding quiet areas.
Travel & Hospitality (SATH; at any official exit point or at
www.sath.org) the Bangkok Immigration ¨¨Whether it’s tampons or any
Wheelchair Holidays @ Office (%0 2141 9889; Bldg other product for women, you’ll
Thailand (www.wheelchair B, Government Centre, Soi 7, Th have no trouble finding it in
tours.com) Chaeng Watthana; h8.30am- Bangkok.

236

Language

Thailand’s, and therefore Bangkok’s, official The Thai government has instituted the Royal
language is effectively the dialect spoken and Thai General Transcription System (RTGS)
written in central Thailand, which has success- as a standard method of writing Thai using
fully become the lingua franca of all Thai and the Roman alphabet. It’s used in official docu-
non-Thai ethnic groups in the kingdom. ments, road signs and on maps. However,
local variations crop up on signs, menus etc.
In Thai the meaning of a single syllable Generally, names in this book follow the most
may be altered by means of different tones. common practice.
In standard Thai there are five: low tone, mid
tone, falling tone, high tone and rising tone. In our coloured pronunciation guides, the
The range of all five tones is relative to each hyphens indicate syllable breaks within words,
speaker’s vocal range, so there is no fixed and some syllables are further divided with a
‘pitch’ intrinsic to the language. dot to help you pronounce compound vowels,
¨¨low tone – ‘Flat’ like the mid tone, but pro- eg mêu·a-rai (when).
nounced at the relative bottom of one’s vocal
range. It is low, level and has no inflection, eg bàht The vowel a is pronounced as in ‘about’, aa
(baht – the Thai currency). as the ‘a’ in ‘bad’, ah as the ‘a’ in ‘father’, ai as
¨¨mid tone – Pronounced ‘flat’, at the relative in ‘aisle’, air as in ‘flair’ (without the ‘r’), eu as
middle of the speaker’s vocal range, eg dee (good). the ‘er’ in ‘her’ (without the ‘r’), ew as in ‘new’
No tone mark is used. (with rounded lips), oh as the ‘o’ in ‘toe’, or as in
¨¨falling tone – Starting high and falling sharply, ‘torn’ (without the ‘r’) and ow as in ‘now’.
this tone is similar to the change in pitch in English
when you are emphasising a word, or calling some- Most consonants correspond to their
one’s name from afar, eg mâi (no/not). English counterparts. The exceptions are Ъ
¨¨high tone – Usually the most difficult for non- (a hard ‘p’ sound, almost like a ‘b’, eg in ‘hip-
Thai speakers. It’s pronounced near the relative bag’); đ (a hard ‘t’ sound, like a sharp ‘d’, eg
top of the vocal range, as level as possible, eg in ‘mid-tone’); ng (as in ‘singing’; in Thai it can
máh (horse). occur at the start of a word) and r (as in ‘run’
¨¨rising tone – Starting low and gradually rising, but flapped; in everyday speech it’s often pro-
sounds like the inflection used by English speakers nounced like ‘l’). If you read our coloured pro-
to imply a question – ‘Yes?’, eg săhm (three). nunciation guides as if they were English, you
shouldn’t have problems being understood.
WANT MORE?
For in-depth language information BASICS
and handy phrases, check out Lonely
Planet’s Thai Phrasebook. You’ll find it at The social structure of Thai society demands
shop.lonelyplanet.com, or you can different registers of speech depending on who
buy Lonely Planet’s iPhone phrasebooks you’re talking to. To make things simple we’ve
at the Apple App Store. chosen the correct form of speech appropriate
to the context of each phrase.

When being polite, the speaker ends his
or her sentence with kráp (for men) or kâ (for
women). It is the gender of the speaker that is
being expressed here; it is also the common
way to answer ‘yes’ to a question or show
agreement.

In this chapter the masculine and feminine
forms of phrases are indicated where relevant
with ‘m/f’.

237

Hello. สวสั ด ี sà-wàt-dee SIGNS
ลากอ น lah gòrn
Goodbye. châi ทางเขา
Yes. ใช  mâi ทางออก Entrance
No. ไม  kŏr เปดิ Exit
ขอ kòrp kun ปดิ Open
Please. yin dee หา ม Closed L ANGUAGE Ac c o m m o dati o n
Thank you. ขอบคณุ kŏr à-pai หอ งสขุ า Prohibited
You’re welcome. ยนิ ด ี kŏr tôht ชาย Toilets
Excuse me. ขออภยั หญงิ Men
ขอโทษ Women
Sorry.

Hสบowายaดrไี eหyมo u? sà-bai dee măi DIRECTIONS

Fine. And you? Where’s …? … yòo têe năi
สบายดคี รบั /คา sà-bai dee kráp/
... อยทู ไ่ี หน

แลว คณุ ละ kâ láa·ou kun lâ (m/f) What’s the address?

What’s your name? ทอี่ ยคู อื อะไร têe yòo keu à-rai

คณุ ชอ่ื อะไร kun chêu à-rai Could you please write it down?

My name is … เขยี นลงใหไ ดไ หม kĕe·an long hâi dâi măi

ผม/ดฉิ นั ชอื่ ... pŏm/dì-chăn chêu … (m/f) Can you show me (on the map)?
ใหด ู (ในแผนท)ี่ hâi doo (nai păan têe)
Dอคงณัุoกพyฤoดูษuภไsาดษpไ eาห aมk English? ไดไ หม dâi măi
kun pôot pah-săh
Turn left/right.
ang-grìt dâi măi
เลย้ี วซา ย/ขวา lée·o sái/kwăh
I don’t understand.

ผม/ดฉิ นั ไม เขา ใจ pŏm/dì-chăn mâi kôw jai (m/f)

ACCOMMODATION It’s … อยู ... yòo …
têe lăng
Where’s a …? ...อยทู ไี่ หน …yòo têe năi behind ทห่ี ลงั đrong nâh
in front of ตรงหนา glâi glâi
campsite คา ยพกั แรม kâi pák raam ใกล ๆ kâhng kâhng
near đrong Ъai
guesthouse บา นพกั bâhn pák
next to ขา งๆ
โรงแรม rohng raam
hotel straight ahead ตรงไป

youth hostel บา น bâhn
เยาวชน yow-wá-chon
ไมหหี มอ ง ... EATING & DRINKING
Do you have mee hôrng …
a … room? măi Iขอ’dาอหl(iารkราe)ย(กหtานhรeอ ยm enu), please.
kŏr (rai gahn
single เดยี่ ว dèe·o ah-hăhn) nòy

double เตยี งค ู đee·ang kôo What would you recommend?

twin สองเตยี ง sŏrng đee·ang คณุ แนะนำ� อะไรบา ง kun náa-nam à-rai bâhng

That was delicious!
อรอ่ ยมาก
air-con แอร  aa à-ròy mâhk
bathroom หอ งนำ้� hôrng nám
laundry หอ งซกั ผา hôrng sák pâh Cheers! chai-yoh
mosquito net มงุ múng
window หนา ตา ง nâh đàhng ไชโย

Please bring the bill.

ขอบลิ หนอ ย kŏr bin nòy

238 ผม/ดฉิ นั pŏm/dì-chăn pork หม ู mŏo
ไมก นิ ... mâi gin … (m/f) seafood อาหารทะเล ah-hăhn tá-lair
I don’t eat … squid ปลาหมกึ Ъlah mèuk
ไข  kài
eggs ปลา Ъlah
fish เนอื้ แดง néu·a daang
red meat  L ANGUAGE E atin g & D r in k in gถว่ั tòo·a Fruit & Vegetables
nuts กลว ย
banana glôo·ay

beans ถวั่ tòo·a

Key Words coconut มะพรา ว má-prów

bottle ขวด kòo·at eggplant มะเขอื má-kĕu·a
chahm
bowl ชาม ah-hăhn chów fruit ผลไม  pŏn-lá-mái
ráhn gah-faa
breakfast อาหารเชา mái đà-gèe·ap guava ฝรงั่ fa-ràng
yen
cafe รา นกาแฟ tôo·ay lime มะนาว má-now
kŏrng wăhn
chopsticks ไมต ะเกยี บ ah-hăhn yen mango มะมว ง má-môo·ang
rai gahn
cold เยน็ krêu·ang dèum mangosteen มงั คดุ mang-kút
sôrm
cup ถว ย gâa·ou mushrooms เหด็ hèt
rórn
dessert ของหวาน mêet nuts ถว่ั tòo·a
ah-hăhn
dinner อาหารเยน็ glahng wan papaya มะละกอ má-lá-gor
đà-làht
drink list รายการ jahn potatoes มนั ฝรงั่ man fa-ràng
ráhn ah-hăhn
เครอ่ื งดม่ื pèt rambutan เงาะ ngó
chórn
fork สอ ม kon gin jair tamarind มะขาม má-kăhm
mee/mâi mee
glass แกว tomatoes มะเขอื เทศ má-kĕu·a têt

hot รอ น vegetables ผกั pàk

knife มดี watermelon แตงโม đaang moh

lunch อกาลหางาวรนั Other

chilli
market ตลาด egg พรกิ prík
fish sauce ไข  kài
plate จาน noodles นำ�้ ปลา nám Ъlah
restaurant รา นอาหาร oil เสน sên
spicy เผด็ pepper นำ้� มนั nám man
ชอ น rice พรกิ ไทย prík tai
spoon salad ขา ว kôw
salt ผกั สด pàk sòt
vegetarian คนกนิ เจ เกลอื gleu·a
with/without ม/ี ไมม ี

Meat & Fish
beef เนอื้
ไก ่ néu·a QUESTION WORDS
chicken gài
crab ป ู Ъoo What? อะไร à-rai
duck เปด็ Ъèt When? เมอื่ ไร mêu·a-rai
fish ปลา Ъlah Where? ทไ่ี หน têe năi
meat เนอื้ néu·a Who? ใคร krai

239

soup นำ้� ซปุ nám súp TIME & DATES
soy sauce นำ้� ซอี ว้ิ nám see-éw
sugar นำ�้ ตาล nám đahn What time is it?
tofu เตา ห ู đôw hôo
กโี่ มงแลว gèe mohng láa·ou

Drinks morning เชา chów  L ANGUAGE E m e r g en c ies
beer เบยี ร  afternoon บา ย bài
กาแฟ bee·a evening เยน็ yen
coffee gah-faa yesterday เมอ่ื วาน mêu·a wahn
nom jèut today วนั น ี้ wan née
milk นมจดื nám sôm tomorrow พรงุ นี้ prûng née
orange juice นำ�้ สม nám đôw hôo
นำ�้ เตา ห ู nám ôy วนั จนั ทร 
soy milk chah Monday วนั องั คาร wan jan
nám dèum Tuesday วนั พธุ wan ang-kahn
sugar-cane juice นำ�้ ออ ย Wednesday วนั พฤหสั ฯ wan pút
tea ชา Thursday วนั ศกุ ร wan pá-réu-hàt
water นำ้� ดมื่ Friday วนั เสาร  wan sùk
Saturday วนั อาทติ ย  wan sŏw
EMERGENCIES Sunday wan ah-tít
Help! ชว ยดว ย
ไปใหพ น chôo·ay dôo·ay
Go away! Ъai hâi pón TRANSPORT

Call a doctor! Public Transport
bicycle rickshaw สามลอ
เรยี กหมอหนอ ย rêe·ak mŏr nòy

Call the police! boat เรอื săhm lór
reu·a
เรยี กตำ� รวจหนอ ย rêe·ak đam·ròo·at nòy rót mair
rót gĕng
I’m ill. bus รถเมล  mor-đeu-sai
car รถเกง ráp jâhng
ผม/ดฉิ นั ปว่ ย pŏm/dì-chăn Ъòo·ay (m/f) krêu·ang bin
rót fai
I’m lost. pŏm/dì-chăn motorcycle มอรเ ตอรไ ซค  đúk đúk
lŏng tahng (m/f) รบั จา ง
ผหมล/งดทฉิ านัง taxi rót mair kan …
mah mêu·a rai
Where are the toilets? plane เครอ่ื งบนิ râak
sùt tái
หอ งนำ้� อยทู ไี่ หน hôrng nám yòo têe năi train รถไฟ

SHOPPING & SERVICES túk-túk ตกุ ๆ

I’d like to buy … When’s รถเมลค นั ...
the … bus? มาเมอื่ ไร
อยากจะซอื้ ... yàhk jà séu …

How much is it? first แรก

เทา ไร tôw-rai last สดุ ทา ย

That’s too expensive. ขอตวั๋ ...
แพงไป
paang Ъai A … ticket, kŏr đŏo·a …
please.
Can you lower the price? one-way เทย่ี วเดยี ว têe·o dee·o
ลดราคาไดไ หม return ไปกลบั Ъai glàp
lót rah-kah dâi măi

There’s a mistake in the bill.
นบละิ คใบรบัน/ผี้คดิะ
bin bai née pìt ná
kráp/kâ (m/f)

240

What time does it get to (Chiang Mai)?
กถงโึี่ ม(เงช ยี งใหม)
NUMBERS หนงึ่ nèung tĕung (chee·ang mài)
สอง sŏrng gèe mohng
1 สาม săhm
2 ส ี่ sèe Does it stop at (Saraburi)?
3 หา hâh
4 หก hòk รไถหจมอ ดที่ (สระบรุ )ี rót jòrt têe (sà-rà-bù-ree)
5 เจด็ jèt măi
L ANGUAGE  T r ansp o r t 6 แปด Ъàat
7 เกา gôw I’d like to get off at (Saraburi).
8 สบิ sìp
9 สบิ เอด็ sìp-èt ขอลงท(่ี สระบรุ )ี kŏr long têe (sà-rà-bù-ree)
10 ยส่ี บิ yêe-sìp
11 ยส่ี บิ เอด็ yêe-sìp-èt Driving & Cycling
20 สามสบิ săhm-sìp
21 สสี่ บิ sèe-sìp I’d like to อยากจะ yàhk jà
30 หา สบิ hâh-sìp hire a/an … เชา่ ... chôw …
40 หกสบิ hòk-sìp
50 เจด็ สบิ jèt-sìp 4WD รถโฟรว์ ลี rót foh ween
60 แปดสบิ Ъàat-sìp
70 เกา สบิ gôw-sìp car รถเกง๋ rót gĕng
80 หนงึ่ รอ ย nèung róy
90 หนงึ่ พนั nèung pan motorbike รถ rót
100 หนงึ่ ลา น nèung láhn มอรเ์ ตอรไ์ ซค ์ mor-đeu-sai
1000
1,000,000 đôrng gahn I‘d like … ตอ้ งการ ... đôrng gahn …
têe nâng …
đìt tahng deun my bicycle ซอ่ มรถ sôrm rót
đìt nâh đàhng repaired จกั รยาน jàk-gà-yahn
to hire a เชา่ รถ
chôrng kăi đŏo·a chôw rót
đah-rahng bicycle จกั รยาน jàk-gà-yahn

wair-lah Is this the road to (Ban Bung Wai)?
ท(บาา้งนนบไ้ี ง่ปุ ห วาย)
ไหม tahng née Ъai măi
(bâhn bùng wăi)

Where’s a petrol station?

ปม๊ั นำ�้ มนั อยทู่ ไี่ หน Ъâm nám man yòo têe năi

I’d like ตอ งการ How long can I park here?
a/an … seat. ทน่ี ง่ั ...
ตดิ ทางเดนิ จอดทนี่ ไ้ี ดน้ านเทา่ ไร jòrt têe née dâi nahn tôw-rai
aisle ตดิ หนา ตา ง
I need a mechanic.
window
ตอ้ งการชา่ งรถ đôrng gahn châhng rót

I have a flat tyre.
ยางแบน
ticket window ชอ งขายตวั๋ yahng baan

ตารางเวลา I’ve run out of petrol.
timetable หมดนำ�้ มนั
mòt nám man

©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd 241

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OUR READERS AUTHOR THANKS

Many thanks to the travellers who used Austin Bush
the last edition and wrote to us with help- A huge shout out to LPers for life Ilaria Walker
ful hints, useful advice and interesting and Bruce Evans, super carto Diana Von Holdt
anecdotes: and new LPer Sarah Reid, as well as to the kind
folks on the ground in Bangkok.
Maarten de Jong, Janine Kaestner, Debbie Liang,
Philippe May, David Ochel, Lucia Piccioli, Gita ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Pitter, Anke Schneider, Edwin Schuurman, Anne-
Marie Schuurman-Kleijberg Illustrations pp60-1 and pp64-5 by Michael
Weldon. Cover photograph: Wat Bencham-
abophit, Bangkok, Naxerdam/Getty Images.

THIS BOOK China Williams and repur- Senior Cartographer
This 11th edition of Lonely posed by Austin Bush. This Diana Von Holdt
Planet’s Bangkok guide- guidebook was commis- Assisting Cartographer
book was researched and sioned in Lonely Planet’s Alison Lyall
written by Austin Bush, Melbourne office, and pro- Book Designer
who also wrote the previ- duced by the following: Wibowo Rusli
ous edition. The Bangkok Commissioning Editors Language Content
Today chapter was written Glenn van der Knijff, Ilaria Branislava Vladisavljevic
by Dr Thitinan Pongsu- Walker Cover researcher
dhirak, Director of the Destination Editor Naomi Parker
Institute of Security and Sarah Reid Thanks to Imogen Ban-
International Studies, Chu- Product Editor nister, Bruce Evans, Claire
lalongkorn University. The Kate James Naylor, Karyn Noble, Mar-
Sex Industry in Thailand Assisting Editors Katie tine Power, Angela Tinson
chapter was written by Connolly, Trent Holden,
Kellie Langdon, Ali Lemer

242 ©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd

Index See also separate subindexes for:

5 EATING P024050

66 DRINKING & NIGHTLIFE P024060
3 ENTERTAINMENT P024070
7 SHOPPING P024070
24 SLPEOERPTISNG& PA0C0T0IVITIES P248
4 SLEEPING P248

100 Tonson Gallery 107 Amulet Market 68 bargaining 44, 46 child prostitution 222
Ananta Samakhom Throne bars, see drinking & children, travel with 22-3,
A
Hall 92 nightlife 154
Abhisek Dusit Throne Hall Ancient City 150, 17 bathrooms 234 Chinatown 10, 55, 95-102
91, 90 Ancient Cloth Museum 91 beaches 162, 165, 168-9
animism 206 beer 34-5 95, 100, 258, 3, 6
accommodation 15, 177-92 antiques 43, 47, 147 Benjakiti Park 135-6 accommodation 184
airport 192 apartments 191 Bhuddhaisawan Chapel drinking & nightlife 101
Amphawa 165 architecture 19, 123, 207, entertainment 102
Ayuthaya 160 69, 18 food 96, 100, 101
Banglamphu 180-2 123 Bhumibol Adulyadej, King highlights 95-6, 97
Chinatown 184 art galleries 19, see also  shopping 102
Greater Bangkok 192 (Rama IX) 21, 91, 195, sights 97-101
Hat Chao Samran 168-9 individual art galleries 200, 206-7 transport 96
Kanchanaburi 172 Artist’s House 151 bicycle tours 49-50, 87, walks 100
Khao Yai 176 arts 19, 207-11 132, 144 Chinese influence 208
Ko Ratanakosin & Assumption Cathedral 120 boat tours 19, 50, 68, 125 Chinese New Year 20
Thonburi 180 ATMs 232 boat travel 227 Chitlada Palace 92
Ko Samet 163 Ayuthaya 157-60, 159 books 194, 211, 213 Chulalongkorn, King
language 237 Ayuthaya Historical Park arts 208 (Rama V) 91, 92, 197-8,
Phetchaburi 168 culture 206 208
Riverside, Silom & 157-9 food 216, 217 Chung Kai Allied War
Lumphini 186-9 bowling 117 Cemetery
Siam Square, Pratunam, B boxing, see moo·ay tai (Kanchanaburi) 171-2
Ploenchit & Brahmanism 206 Church of Santa Cruz 99
Ratchathewi 184-5 Baan Krua 106 Bridge on the River Kwai Chuvit Garden 135
Sukhumvit 189-92 Baiyoke II Tower 109 170, 171 cinemas 40, 42, 111, 154, see
Thewet & Dusit 182-4 Ban Baat 78 brunch 136 also film
websites 15, 178, 191 Ban Kamthieng 135 BTS (Skytrain) 226 climate 15, 20-1
Bang Nam Pheung Market Buddhism 206, 207 clothing
activities 20-1, 48-51, see bus travel 225, 228 etiquette 59, 91
also individual 150-1 business hours 25, 34, 40, shopping 43-4, 115, 142
activities, Sports & Bang Rak Museum 120 44, 232-3 consulates 229-30
Activities subindex Bangkok Art & Culture cookery courses 12, 50, 132,
C 143, 155
addresses 226 Centre 106 costs 14, 25, 178
AIDS 220, 231 Bangkok Doll Factory & cabaret 40 counterfeits 44-6
air pollution 230 canal trips 50, 227 courses 50, 75, 117, 143 see
air travel 224-5 Museum 107-8 car travel 228 also cookery courses,
Allied War Cemetery Bangkok University Art cell phones 234 Sports & Activities
Chakri, Phraya (Rama I) subindex
(Kanchanaburi) 171 Gallery 151-2 credit cards 232
ambulance 230 Bangkokian Museum 120 196-7 cruises, see boat tours
Amphawa 163-5 Banglamphu 9, 54-5, 76-87, Chantharakasem National culture 205-11
Amphawa Floating Market currency 232
76, 85, 254, 8 Museum (Ayuthaya) 158 customs regulations 229
(Amphawa) 165, 174, 24 accommodation 180-2 Chao Phraya River 11 cycling, see bicycle tours
drinking & nightlife 84-6 Chao Sam Phraya National
Sights 000 entertainment 86
Map Pages 000 food 77, 81-4 Museum (Ayuthaya) 158
Photo Pages 000 highlights 76-7, 79, 80 Chatuchak Weekend Market
shopping 77, 86-7
sights 78-81 9, 147-9, 149, 8, 25,
sports & activities 87 29, 147
transport 77
walks 85

243

D F HIV/AIDS 220, 231 L INDEX D-M
holidays 233
đà·grôr (Thai volleyball) ferry travel 227 Holy Rosary Church 99 ladyboys, see transgender
87 festivals 12, 20-1 hospitals 231-2 people
film 21, 194, 209-10 Hualamphong Train
Damnoen Saduak Floating fire 230 Lak Meuang 70
Market (Ratchaburi) Flashlight Market 98-9 Station 99 language 15, 236-40
174 floating markets 174
flu 230 I courses 117
dance 40, 210-11, 5, 39 food 7, 19, 24-32, 212-18, legal matters 231
dangers 69, 233 immigration 205 lesbian travellers 37-8
Death Railway Bridge see also individual influenza 230 libraries 92-3, 121, 135
neighbourhoods, internet access 231 Lingam Shrine 107
(Kanchanaburi) 170 Eating subindex itineraries 16-17 literature 211, see also
Democracy Monument books 216, 217
children 23 J books
79-80 costs 25 live music 21, 39-40, 84
dentists 232 festivals 21 Jamjuree Art Gallery 106-7 Loi Krathong 21
Dhevasathan 79 health 230 Jeath War Museum
disabilities, travellers language 237-9 Lumphini 55, 118-32, 118,
food courts 110 (Kanchanaburi) 171 268
with 235 jewellery 43 accommodation 186-9
Don Hoi Lot 165 G Jim Thompson Art Center drinking & nightlife
Don Muang International 128-9
galleries, see art galleries 105 food 126-8
Airport 224 gà·teu·i, see transgender Jim Thompson House 7, highlights 118, 119, 122
Don Wai Market (Nakhon sights 121-2
people 105, 7 sports & activities 132
Pathom) 174 gay travellers 37-8, 127 jogging 49 transport 119
drinking & nightlife 33-6, gem scams 43, 233
go-go bars 41 K Lumphini Park 122
see also individual Golden Buddha 97, 11
neighbourhoods, Golden Mount 80 Kaeng Krachan National M
Drinking & Nightlife golf 49 Park (Phetchaburi) 168
subindex Grand Palace 58-62, Madam Tussaud’s 116
opening hours 34 Kanchaburi 169-73, 170 Mae Nam Chao Phraya 11
drinks 34-5, 217 53, 58 Kathmandu Photo magazines 230
driving 228 GranMonte Estate (Khao Mahakan Fort 80-1
Dusit 55, 88-94, 88, Gallery 121 Mahidol, King Ananda
257, 90 Yai) 175 kàthoey, see transgender
accommodation 182-4 Greater Bangkok 55, 145- (Rama VIII) 199, 200
food 89, 93-4 people malls 43, 47, 110
highlights 88, 89, 90-1 55, 145 Khao Laem Ya/Mu Ko markets 43, 47, see also
sights 90-3 accommodation 192
transport 89 drinking & nightlife 146, Samet National Park Shoppping subindex
Dusit Palace Park 90-1, 90 162 massage 48-9, 50, 144
Dusit Zoo 92, 22 152-3 Khao San Road 82, 48
entertainment 153-5 Khao Yai 173-6 courses 75, 143
E food 146, 152 Khao Yai National Park measures 230
highlights 145, 146 (Khao Yai) 175 medical services 231-2
electricity 229 shopping 146, 155 Khlong Toey Market 135 meditation 50, 74, 75
Elephant Kraal (Ayuthaya) sights 147-52 King Buddhalertla (Phuttha mermaid statue (Ko
sports & activities 155 Loet La) Naphalai
158-9 transport 146 Memorial Park Samet) 160-2
embassies 229-30 Gurdwara Siri Guru Singh (Amphawa) 165 Metro 226
Emerald Buddha 59, 62 Sabha 99-101 King Prajadhipok minivans 225
emergencies 230 gyms 49 Museum 81 mobile phones 234
klorng boats 227 monarchy 206-7
language 239 H Ko Kret 151 money 14, 25, 178, 232
entertainment 39-42, see Ko Ratanakosin 54, 56-75, Mongkut, King (Rama IV)
H Gallery 121 56, 71, 252
also individual Hat Chao Samran 168-9 accommodation 180 66, 79, 197
neighbourhoods, health 230-1 drinking & nightlife 75 moo·ay tai 40-1, 50, 93,
Entertainment heat exhaustion 230-1 entertainment 75
subindex Hellfire Pass Memorial food 57, 73-4 94, 144
opening hours 40 highlights 56, 57, 58-67 motorcycle taxis
Erawan Museum (Chang (Kanchanaburi) 172 sights 58-73
Sam Sian) 152 Hinduism 206 sports & activities 75 (motorsai) 108, 227
Erawan National Park history 196-204 transport 57 MR Kukrit Pramoj House
(Kanchanaburi) 172 walks 71
Erawan Shrine 106 Ko Samet 160-3, 161 121-2
events 20-1 MRT (Metro) 226
muay thai, see moo·ay tai
Museum of Siam 68-9

INDEX m-S244 Phraphutthayotfa, King Rama IX 21, 91, 195, 200, Siam Society 135
museums 18-19, see (Rama II) 63 206-7 Siam Square 55, 103-17,
also individual
museums pilates 49 Ratchathewi 55, 103-17, 103, 114, 260
music 39-40, 84, 208-9 planning 263, 103, 263 accommodation 184-5
accommodation 184-5 drinking &
N Bangkok basics 14-15 drinking &
Bangkok’s neighbour- entertainment 113 entertainment 111-12
Nakhon Kasem 102 food 111 food 104, 109-11
Nam Tok Haew Narok hoods 54-5 highlights 103, 104 highlights 7, 103, 105
budgeting 14, 25 sights 107-9 shopping 104, 113-17
(Khao Yai) 175 children, travel with 22-3 transport 104 sights 105-7
Nam Tok Haew Suwat festivals & events 20-1 sports & activities 117
itineraries 16-17 Reclining Buddha 63, 64 transport 104
(Khao Yai) 175 repeat visitors 13 red shirts 108, 203, 204 walks 114
National Gallery 70 travel seasons 15, 20-1 refunds 46
National Library 92-3 websites 14 religion 206 Silom 55, 118-32, 118, 264
National Museum 69, 18 Ploenchit 55, 103-17, 103, Riverside 55, 118-32, 118, accommodation 186-9
Neilson Hays Library 121 260 drinking & nightlife 128
newspapers 230 accommodation 184-5 123, 266 entertainment 130
nightlife, see drinking & drinking & accommodation 186-9 food 124-6
drinking & nightlife 128 highlights 118, 119
nightlife entertainment 111-12 entertainment 130 shopping 130-2
Nong Pak Chee food 109-11 food 122-4 sights 120-1
highlights 103, 104 highlights 118, 119, 120 sports & activities 132
Observation Tower sights 106-7 shopping 130-2 transport 119
(Khao Yai) 175 sports & activities 117 sights 120
Nonthaburi Market 150 transport 104 sports & activities 132 Silpakorn University 72
Number 1 Gallery 121 police 230 transport 119 Silpakorn University Art
politics 194-5, 202-4 walks 123
O pollution 230 Royal Barges National Centre 73
Pom Phet (Ayuthaya) 158 Museum 70 Skytrain 226
October 14 Memorial 80 population 205 Royal Thai Elephant smoking 34, 230
Old Customs House 120 postal services 233 Museum 91
opening hours 25, 34, 40, Prajadhipok, King (Rama Songkran 12, 20, 12
VII) 81, 198 S Songkran Niyomsane
44, 232-3 Pratunam 55, 103-17, 103,
Or Tor Kor Market 151 260 Saan Jao Phitsanu 79 Forensic Medicine
accommodation 184-5 safety 69, 233 Museum & Parasite
P drinking & Sai Yok National Park Museum 69-70
spas 48-9, 144
Pak Khlong Talat (Flower entertainment 111-12 (Kanchanaburi) 172 spirits 35
Market) 98 food 109-11 Sampeng Lane 99 sports 48-51, see also
highlights 103, 104 Sanam Luang 70-2 individual sports,
Patpong 129, 130 sights 106-7 Santichaiprakan Park 78-9 Sports & Activities
PB Valley Khao Yai Winery transport 104 Sao Ching-Cha 78 subindex
prostitution 129, 219-22 Saphan Phut Night Bazaar Sri Mariamman Temple
(Khao Yai) 175 public holidays 233 120-1
Phahurat 98 99 Suan Pakkad Palace
Phanomyong, Pridi 73 Q Saranrom Royal Garden 73 Museum 107
pharmacies 232 scams 43, 44, 69, 233 Sukhumvit 55, 133-44,
Phetchaburi (Phetburi) Queen Saovabha Memorial sex industry 129, 219-22 133, 270
Institute 121 Shinawatra, Thaksin 201-2 accommodation 189-92
165-9, 166 Shinawatra, Yingluck 194, drinking & nightlife 134,
Phra Buddha Maha Queen’s Gallery 81 139-42
204, 214 entertainment 142
Suwanna Patimakorn R shopping 10, 43-7, see food 134, 136-9
Exhibition 97 highlights 133, 134, 135
Phra Nakhon Khiri Rama I 196-7 also individual shopping 142-3
Historical Park Rama II 63 neighbourhoods, sights 135-6
(Phetchaburi) 167 Rama III 80, 208 Shopping subindex sports & activities 143-4
Phra Pradaeng Peninsula Rama IV 66, 79, 197 language 239 transport 134
150 Rama V 91, 92, 197-8, 208 opening hours 44 Sundaravej, Samak 202
Phra Si Sakayamuni 79 Rama V Memorial 92 shopping malls 43, 47, 110 Suvarnabhumi
Phra Sumen Fort 78-9 Rama VII 81, 198 Si Nakhon Kheun Khan International Airport
Phranangklao, King (Rama Rama VIII 199, 200 Park 151 224
III) 80, 208 Siam Ocean World 106

Sights 000
Map Pages 000
Photo Pages 000

245

T Tiger Temple 173 Wat Phra Si Sanphet Big Bite 137 INDEX EATING
time 14, 234 (Ayuthaya) 157 Blue Rice (Kanchanaburi)
tailors 43-4, 47, 142 tipping 25, 232
Taksin, King 67 toilets 234 Wat Ratburana (Ayuthaya) 173
Talat Khlong Ong Ang 102 tourist information 14, 157 Bo.lan 139
Talat Khlong Thom 102 Bonita Cafe & Social
Talat Mai 98 234-5 Wat Ratchanatdaram 78
Talat Noi 98 tours 49-50 Wat Saket 80 Club 125
Talat Rot Fai 150 train travel 225 Wat Saket Fair 21 Boon Tong Kiat Singapore
Taling Chan Floating transgender people 37, 112 Wat Suthat 79
travel to Bangkok 15, 224-5 Wat Suwannaram Hainanese Chicken
Market 174 travel within Bangkok 15, Rice 136
Tang Gallery 121 (Ayuthaya) 158
tax refunds 46 226-8 Wat Tham Khao Pun C
taxes 233 túk-túks 227-8
taxi boats 227 (Kanchanaburi) 172-3 Cabbages & Condoms 137
taxis 153, 226, 227 V Wat Thammikarat Café Ice 148
telephone services 14, Chennai Kitchen 124
vegetarian travellers 81, (Ayuthaya) 157 Chocolate Buffet 128
233-4 101, 217 Wat Traimit 97, 11 Chote Chitr 82
Temple of the Emerald Wat Yai Chai Mongkhon Coca Suki 110
Victory Monument 109 Coconut Palm 74
Buddha, see Wat Phra Vimanmek Teak (Ayuthaya) 159 Crystal Jade La Mian Xiao
Kaew Wat Yai Suwannaram
Temple of the Golden Mansion 90 Long Bao 109
Buddha, see Wat Raimit visas 235 (Phetchaburi) 167
temples 18, 207, see visual arts 207-8 water 231 D
also individual temples volleyball 87 wáts 18, 207
Th Bamrung Meuang weather 15, 20-1 Daimasu 125
Religious Shops 79 W websites 14 Dairy Home (Khao Yai) 176
D’Sens 126
Th Khao San 82, 48 walking tours 49 accommodation 15,
Th Mittraphan 102 walks 178, 191 E
Th Santiphap 102
Tha Kha Floating Market Chinatown 100 children 23 Eat Me 126
Banglamphu 85 food 213 Erawan Tea Room 110
(Samut Songkhram) 174 Ko Ratanakosin 71 gay & lesbian Escapade Burgers &
Thai boxing, see moo·ay tai Riverside 123
Thai volleyball (đà·grôr) 87 Siam Square 114 travellers 38 Shakes 83
Thailand Creative & Design Wat Amphawan nightlife 34
Chetiyaram (Amphawa) shopping 44 F
Center 135 164 travellers with
Thailand-Burma Railway Wat Arun 67, 11 Fatbird 152
Wat Bang Nam Pheung disabilities 235 Firehouse 137
Centre Museum Nok 151 weights 230 floating restaurants
(Kanchanaburi) 170-1 Wat Benchamabophit 92 wi-fi 231
Tham Khao Luang Wat Bowonniwet 79 women travellers 235 (Kanchanaburi) 173
(Phetchaburi) 168 Wat Chai Wattanaram Food Loft 110
Thammasat University 73 (Ayuthaya) 158 Y Food Plus 109
Thavibu Gallery 121 Wat Ko Kaew Sutharam Food Republic 110
theatre 40, 210-11 (Phetchaburi) 167 Yaowarat Chinatown FooDie 125
theme parks 154 Wat Lokayasutharam Heritage Center 97 FoodPark 110
(Ayuthaya) 157 Foon Talop 148
Thewet 55, 88-94, 88, 257 Wat Mahathat Worawihan yoga 49, see also Four Seasons Sunday
accommodation 182-4 (Phetchaburi) 167 Sports & Activities
drinking & nightlife 94 Wat Mangkon subindex Brunch 110-11
entertainment 94 Kamalawat 98 Fuji Super 138
food 89, 93-4 Wat Na Phra Meru 5 EATING
highlights 88, 89 (Ayuthaya) 159 G
sights 92-3 Wat Phanan Choeng A
transport 89 (Ayuthaya) 158 Gaggan 111
Wat Pho 9, 63-6, 9, 63 Amphawa Floating Market Ginzado 138
Thompson, Jim 105, 130 Wat Phra Kaew 58-62, (Amphawa) 165, 174, 24 Gourmet Market 139
3, 58 Gourmet Paradise 110
Thonburi 54, 56-75, 56, Wat Phra Mahathat Appia 138-9
252 (Ayuthaya) 157 Arawy Vegetarian Food 81 H
accommodation 180 Wat Phra Mongkhon Bophit
food 57 (Ayuthaya) 157 B Hemlock 83
highlights 56, 57 Hua Seng Hong 101
transport 57 Baan Suan Pai 152
Bacco-Osteria da Sergio

139
Bei Otto 139
Bharani 136

246 INDEX DRINKING & NIGHTLIFE N Samsara 13, 101 B
Sanguan Sri 109
I Naaz 122 Saras 136 Badmotel 13, 140
nahm 127 seafood restaurants Balcony 127
Imoya 138 Nang Loeng Market 93-4 Bangkok Bar 140
Indian Hut 122 Narknava (Khao Yai) 176 (Amphawa) 165 Bar 23 140
Indigo 126 Nasir Al-Masri 138 Seven Spoons 83-4 Barlamphu 84
Issaya Siamese Club 126 Never Ending Summer Sheepshank 84 Barley 128
Shoshana 83 Baywatch Bar (Ko Samet)
J 13, 122-4 Snapper 137
New Light Coffee House Soi 10 Food Centres 124-5 163
Jaa Piak (Hat Chao Soi 38 Night Market 136 Bearbie 127
Samran) 168-9 109 Som Tam Nua 109
New Sri Fah 33 137 Somboon Seafood 126 C
Jay Fai 83 Ngwanlee Lung Suan 126 Somtam Convent 124
Jay So 124 night market Soul Food Mahanakorn 139 Castro 153
Jep’s Restaurant (Ko Spring Epicurean Market Center Khao Sarn 86
(Kanchanaburi) 173 Cheap Charlie’s 140, 33
Samet) 163 night market 137 Club 84
Jidori-Ya Kenzou 138 Sra Bua 111 Co-co Walk 111-12
(Phetchaburi) 169 Steve Café & Cuisine 94
K Nuer Koo 13, 109 Sunday Jazzy Brunch 136 D
Supanniga Eating Room
Kai Thort Jay Kee 126 O Duangthawee Plaza 127
Kalapapruek 124 137
Kaloang Home Kitchen 94 Old Siam Plaza 101 Sushi Tsukiji 125 F
Khao Chae Nang Ram Opposite Mess Hall 13, 139 Sut Jai Kai Yaang 151
Fake Club 153
(Phetchaburi) 169 P T Foreign Correspondents’
Khinlom Chom Sa-Phan 94
Khrua Khao Yai (Khao Pa Aew 73 Taling Pling 125 Club Of Thailand 112
Pathé 111 Tapas Café 137
Yai) 176 Phat Thai Ari 152 Tenkaichi Yakiton Nagiya G
Khunkung 74 Phen Phrik Phet
Kimleng 83 138 Glow 141
Koko 109 (Phetchaburi) 169 Thanon Phadungdao Grease 140
Krua Apsorn Phen Thai Food 83
Pier 21 136 Seafood Stalls 101 H
(Banglamphu) 83 Pizza Romana Pala 137 Thip Samai 81
Krua Apsorn (Thewet) 94 Poj Spa Kar 83 Tida Esarn 111 Happy Monday 141
Krua ‘Aroy-Aroy’ 124 Toh-Plue 148 Hippie de Bar 84
Q Hyde & Seek 112
L V
Quince 138 I
La Monita 110 Villa Market 139
Le Du 126 R Viva 8 148 Iron Fairies 140
Le Normandie 124
Likhit Kai Yang 93 Rabeang Baan (Ko Samet) Y K
Little Beast 138 162
Lord Jim’s 124 Yusup 152 Ku Dé Ta 129
Ran Nam Tao Hu Yong
M Her 124 Z L

Mallika Restaurant 111 Rang Mahal 136 Zanotti 128 Levels 141
Mangkud Cafe 74 Red Ginger (Ko Samet) Long Table 141
Mangosteen Cafe 6 DRINKING &
163 NIGHTLIFE M
(Kanchanaburi) 173 River Vibe 101-2
Marriott Café 136 Rosdee 152 A Madame Musur 84
May Kaidee’s 81 Rot Det 151 Maggie Choo’s 13, 128
MBK Food Island 110 Roti-Mataba 83 Above 11 141 Molly Bar 84
Ming Lee 74 Royal India 101 Alchemist 141 Moon Bar 128
Mizu’s Kitchen 125 Rub Aroon Cafe 74 Amorosa 75
Mondee (Phetchaburi) 169 Ruea Thong 136 Apoteka 141 N
Muslim Restaurant 122 Aree 152-3
Myeong Ga 139 S Arena 10 140 Naga Bar (Ko Samet) 163
Narz 141
Sights 000 Sala Rattanakosin 74 Nest 141
Map Pages 000 Salt 152 Nung-Len 140
Photo Pages 000 Saman Islam 148

247

O DJ Station 127 D P INDEX ENTERTAINMENT
G Bangkok 127
Oskar 141 Hollywood 154 Dasa Book Café 143 Pak Khlong Talat (Flower
House 154 Digital Gateway 115 Market) 98
P Lido 111 DJ Siam 115
Living Room 142 D-narn 149 Palio (Khao Yai) 175-6
Phra Nakorn Bar & Lumpinee Boxing Doi Tung 116 Pantip Plaza 116
Gallery 84 Papachu 147
Stadium 154 E Pariwat A-nantachina 147
Post Bar 94 Mambo Cabaret 154 Patpong Night Market
Nana Entertainment Emporium 143
Q 131-2
Plaza 142 F Pinky Tailors 116
Q Bar 141 National Theatre 75 Pratunam Market 115
Paragon Cineplex 111 Flashlight Market 98-9 Propaganda 116
R Parking Toys 153-4 Flynow III 116
Patpong 129, 130 Fortune Town 155 R
Red Sky 112 Playhouse Theater
River Bar Café 94 G Raja’s Fashions 142
Rolling Bar 86 Cabaret 113 Rajawongse 142
Roof (Ko Ratanakosin) 75 Raintree 113 Golden Shop 147 Ricky’s Fashion House 142
Roof (Siam Square) 112 Ratchadamnoen Stadium RimKhobFah Bookstore 87
Route 66 153 H River City 130
94 Roi 148
S Rock Pub 113 House of Chao 131
Sala Chalermkrung 102 S
Scratch Dog 142 Sala Rim Naam 130, 39 I
Shades of Retro 140 Saxophone Pub & Sampeng Lane 99
Sky Bar 128 It’s Happened To Be A Saphan Phut Night Bazaar
Slim/Flix 153 Restaurant 113 Closet 116
Sugar Member Scala 111 99
Siam Niramit 154-5 J Siam Center 115
(Kanchanaburi) 173 Sky Train Jazz Club 113 Siam Discovery Center
Suk Sabai 84 Soi Cowboy 142 Jim Thompson 130
Sonic 142 July 131 115-16
T Tawandang German Siam Paragon 115
K Siam Square 115
Taksura 86 Brewery 154 Soi Lalai Sap 132
Tapas Room 128 Titanium 142 Khaki-Nang 148 Sop Moei Arts 143
Telephone Pub 127 Three Sixty 130 Khlong Toey Market 135 Spice Boom 149
To-Sit 112 Kitcharoen Dountri 147
Triple-D 84 7 SHOPPING T
Tuba 140 M
A Taekee Taekon 86
V Maison Des Arts 131 Talat Khlong Ong Ang 102
Almeta 143 Marché 147 Talat Khlong Thom 102
Viva & Aviv 128 AnyaDharu Scent Library Marco Tailors 116 Talat Mai 98
Viva’s 148 MBK Center 113-15, 10 Tamnan Mingmuang 131
149 Meng 147 Tango 116
Asiatique 13, 130 Terminal 21 13, 143
N Th Bamrung Meuang
W B
Nakhon Kasem 102 religious shops 79
Wine Pub 113 Baan Sin Thai 147 Nandakwang 142 Th Mittraphan 102
Narai Phand 116 Th Santiphap 102
Wong’s Place 128-9 Bangkok Farmers’ Market N & D Tablewares 149 Thai Home Industries 131
137 Nickermann’s 142 Thai Nakon 86
WTF 139-40 Nittaya Curry Shop 86 ThaiCraft Fair 143
Bang Nam Pheung Market Nonthaburi Market 150 Thann 116
150-1 Thanon Khao San
O
3 ENTERTAINMENT C Market 86
Or Tor Kor Market 151 Thanon Sukhumvit Market
Ad Here the 13th 86 Central Chidlom 117 Orange Karen Silver 148
Bamboo Bar 130 143
Brick Bar 86 Central Embassy 117 Ton-Tan 149
Calypso Bangkok 130 Tuptim Shop 147
Cosmic Café 154 CentralWorld 115
Cotton 102
Diplomat Bar 112 Chatuchak Weekend
Market 9, 147-9, 147,
8, 25

Chiang Heng 130

248

INDEX SPORTS & ACTIVITIES U H V Chakrabongse Villas 180
Chaydon Sathorn 187
Uthai’s Gems 116 Health Land 132, 144 Velo Thailand 87 Chern 180
Helping Hands 143 Chetuphon Gate 180
Z House of Dhamma 155 W
D
ZudRangMa Records 143 I Wat Mahathat 75
Wat Pho Thai Traditional Diamond House 182
2 SPORTS & International Buddhist
ACTIVITIES Meditation Center 75 Medical & Massage E
School 75
Escape at Sathorn Terrace
A K Y 186

AAA 117 KidZania 117 Yoga Elements Studio 117 ETZzz Hostel 186
ABC Amazing Bangkok Krudam Gym 144 Eugenia 190
4 SLEEPING
Cyclists 144 L F
Absolute Yoga 117 @Hua Lamphong 184
Amita Thai Cooking Class Lavana 144 Federal Hotel 190
A Feung Nakorn Balcony 181
155 M Fortville Guesthouse 180
Asia Herb Association 144 Aloft 191 Four Seasons Hotel 185
Manohra Cruises 155 Amari Airport Hotel 192 Fusion Suites 190
B Meditation Study & Retreat AriyasomVilla 190
Arom D Hostel 180 G
Baan Dalah 144 Center 75 Arun Residence 187
Babylon 127 MuayThai Institute 155 Asadang 187 Glow Trinity Silom 186
Baipai Thai Cooking School Atlanta 189 Grand Inn Come Hotel 192
O Aurum: The River Place Greenleaf Guesthouse
155
Banyan Tree Spa 132 Oriental Hotel Thai Cooking 180 (Khao Yai) 176
Blue Elephant Thai Cooking School 132
B H
School 132 Oriental Spa 132
Baan Dinso 187 Hansaah Guesthouse 186
C P Baan Dinso @ Hansar 185
HI Mid Bangkok 184
Co van Kessel Bangkok Pilates Studio 117 Ratchadamnoen 182 HI-Sukhumvit 183
Tours 132 Pussapa Thai Massage Baan Ku Pu (Amphawa) Hotel Dé Moc 181
Hotel des Artists (Khao
Coran 144 School 143 165
Baan Lotus Guest House Yai) 176
D R Hotel Muse 185
(Ayuthaya) 160 House by the Pond 191
Divana Massage & Spa 144 Rabieng Rim Nam Baan Manusarn 182-4 HQ Hostel 183
Dream World 154 (Phetchaburi) 168 Baan Saladaeng 186
Baan Sukhumvit 190 I
E Rakuten 144 Baan Tepa Boutique House
Ruen-Nuad Massage Inn A Day 180
Eugenia Spa 144 187 Iudia on the River
Studio 132 Bangkok Christian Guest
F (Ayuthaya) 160
S House 186-7
Fairtex Muay Thai 155 Bangkok Tree House 192 J
Fireflies Guided Tours Safari World 154 Be My Guest Bed &
Segway Tour Thailand 75 J.J. Home (Phetchaburi)
(Amphawa) 165 SF Strike Bowl 117 Breakfast 192 168
Fun-arium 144 Siam Park City 154 Bed Bangkok 189
Silom Thai Cooking School Bhuthorn 187 K
G Blue Sky (Hat Chao
132 Khaosan Baan Thai 183
Grasshopper Adventures So Thai Spa 144 Samran) 168 Khaosan Immjai 181
87 Sor Vorapin Gym 87 Blue Star Guest House
Spa 1930 117 L
Sights 000 (Kanchanaburi) 172
Map Pages 000 T Lamphu Treehouse 181
Photo Pages 000 C Le Méridien Bangkok 189
Thann Sanctuary 117 Lit 185
Café Ice Residence 187
U ChababaanCham Resort

Union Language School 117 (Amphawa) 165