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The largest and most accessible island in Thailand, Phuket, lying off the South West coast, is also one of the most diverse and developed. It is blessed with a wealth of natural resources to entice the visitor. Lime stone cliffs, white sand beaches, rocky headlands, peaceful sweeping bays and a forested tropical interior. Alongside its natural assets Phuket has a range of accommodation and entertainment to offer something for everyone. Phuket island is about 850 kilometers South of Bangkok. The province covers 590 square kilometers including the additional 39 small islands. The main island itself covers about 540 kilometer square and measures 48 kilometers North to South and 21 kilometers...
Over six million foreigners fly into Thailand each year. It has become Asia's primary holiday destination and is well located, serviced and popular as a first stop on any overland journey through Southeast Asia. Tourist money has played a significant part in the country's recent development. Yet amazingly Thailand's cultural integrity remains largely undamaged. In this country of fifty-three million people, over 90% are practicing Theravada Buddhists. King Bhumibol is a revered figure across his nation. Temple rooftops and saffron-robed monks dominate the entire country. Though some cities and beach resorts are have been westernized by high-rises and neon lights, the typical...
Thailand is known as “Land Of Smiles”, an impression the Tourism Authority of Thailand happily use to promote the tourism by focusing on its people’s hospitality. And if you spend any amount of time in most parts of Thailand, you will understand why this slogan has stuck for so long. Even in the buzzing capital city of Bangkok where people usually mind their own businesses, you can smile at a Thai and you can almost guarantee to get a smile back. A lot of visitors consider this to be quite fascinating, considering the low incomes, polluted air, bad traffic and such, giving Thai people very little to smile about. Yet they still manage to be so happy-looking, friendly and willing to show...
Chinatown Bangkok was started when King Rama I decided in 1782 to establish the new capital Bangkok on the eastern bank of the Chao Phraya River. The Chinese immigrants who were originally settled in the area that is now the Grand Palace had to move out to a strip of land a kilometre down the river.
Over the years the settlement grew. Today, Chinatown Bangkok or Yaowarat covers a square bounded by Phadung Krung Kasem Canal to the east, the Ong Ang Canal to the west, Luang Road to the north and the Chao Phraya River to the south, an area of about 2 sq km.
The casual visitor to Chinatown would probably only have the time and energy to cover the main street Yaowarat Road where most of the activities are concentrated. The other road of interest is Rachawong Road which is off Yaowarat Road.
If you are coming to Chinatown by road the most convenient way to start your tour of this Bangkok legacy is to take the subway to the Hua Lam Phong station located on the eastern bank of the Phadung Krung Kasem Canal. Nearby is the Hua Lam Phong railway station from which trains travel to every part of Thailand.
Across the road from the train station is Traimit Road where the famous Wat Traimit or Temple of the Golden Buddha stands. This wat houses a 3 m high Buddha made of more than 5 tonnes of gold!
Within the same compound as Wat Traimit, is the Saphanthawong Museum a community museum dedicated to the early Chinese immigrants in Bangkok.
Outside the main entrance of Wat Traimit is a traffic island on which stands a huge Chinese arched gate, the Odeon Gate, built in 1999 to mark the 72nd birthday of King Bhumipol, the present king. This gate marks the start of Yaowarat Road and the walking tour of the rest of Chinatown.
Yaowarat Road, the main street in Chinatown Bangkok, was built in the reign of King Rama V. The crowded street winds through bustling heart of Chinatown like a mythical dragon rearing its head at the Odeon Gate. Shop signs in both Thai and Chinese give the visitor a clear indication that he's in Chinatown.
The street is lined with ubiquitous goldsmith shops, sharks' fin and birds nest restaurants, shops and vendors selling Chinese herbal medicine, dried mushrooms, salted fish, roast duck, Chinese calendars, almanacs and of course, lottery tickets. The avid bargain hunter would have a ball a time browsing through the shops and stalls.
Every year during the Chinese New Year, Yaowarat Road is closed to traffic for street festivities, lion dances and food fairs. A member of the royal family attends the occasion every year much to the joy and pride of the Yaowarat community.
Most of the bigger hotels in Chinatown are located along Yaowarat Road. The most prominent however is the Grand China Princess at the Ratchawong junction, right in the heart of Chinatown, overlooking the old city and the Chao Phraya.
About a kilometer down Yaowarat Road turn left into Ratchawong Road another street full of vendors selling everything from stickers, deep-fried snacks to roasted chestnuts. Ratchawong Road has two significant landmarks in Chinatown.
Fifty metres after turning into Rachawong Road you'll encounter a tall Chinese arch to a narrow soi on the left. During the Lunar New Year in 2004, this soi, Soi Phalittaphon, was renamed Soi Sun Yat Sen, after the father of the Chinese revolution who visited Chinatown Bangkok in 1908, during his tour of South East Asia to raise money from the overseas Chinese for the revolution.
Walking through this narrow soi, the visitor would have to cope with the crowds of shoppers and the frequent passage of vehicles. The shops and stalls along this packed soi sell a wide variety of goods and even Christmas trees.
Further along Rachawong Road is an even narrower soi to the right. The soi is so congested that it's barely passable to human traffic. Packed with stalls on either side, it would take a very determined shopper to weave his way through.
It's difficult to imagine that this is the famous Soi Sampheng or Soi Wanit where the original Chinese settlers first moved in and started Chinatown in 1782.
At the end of Rachawong Road is the Rachawong Pier on the Chao Phraya River. If you are coming by boat, this is the pier to alight and start your of Chinatown in reverse. If you have arrived by road, you may wish to leave by boat for a change.
A tour of Chinatown Bangkok provides a fascinating insight into a very different way of life. The busy streets are a melting pot of communities engaging in trade and commerce at every level - a legacy of the early Chinese immigrants and their enterprise.
About the author:
Chinatown Bangkok first appeared in Tour Bangkok Legacies a historical travel site on people, places and events that left their mark in the landscape of Bangkok. The author, Eric Lim, is a free-lance writer who lives in Bangkok Thailand.
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Mention Thailand and images of beaches, elephants and Bangkok come to mind. Less known is the fact Thailand rock climbing is some of the best in the world. Thailand Rock Climbing Located in Southeast Asia, Thailand is bordered by Cambodia, Burma and Laos in the north and Malaysia in the south. The shape of the country is somewhat similar to Italy, and you'll find similar differences between northern and southern Thailand that you do in Italy. For rock climbing enthusiasts, the south of Thailand is where the action is. The rock formations in Thailand are almost universally limestone. The level of climbing can be as simple as bouldering or as challenging as tackling over vertical cliffs. This makes Thailand a popular rock climbing destination since it has a little something for everyone. Krabi Located on the southern section of the "tail" of Thailand, Krabi has a wide variety of rock climbing challenges. Most of the climbs in this area are of the pre-bolted sport route variety. There are literally hundreds upon hundreds of climbs with difficulty levels from beginner to multi-pitch knuckle crushers. The beauty of climbing in Krabi is...well, the beauty. While you might have visions of jungles and mosquitoes when thinking of Thailand, Krabi is an area of a different sort. Most of the climbs have been set up on cliff faces on the beach. Being natural capitalists, the Thai's have built hotels, bars and so on at these locations. As a result, you can literally climb a multi-pitch route for five hours, cool off with a swim and then have a beer. If there is such a thing as a rock climbing heaven, many feel Krabi is it. Before you cash in your savings, keep in mind that Thailand is a seasonal vacation spot. If you go...
Examiner.com - Found Feb. 2, 2012 Newport Beach International Travel Examiner + Subscribe Thailand is home to the famous floating markets, which are natural waterways lined with
Examiner.com - Found Feb. 1, 2012 Asia Travel Examiner + Subscribe For many visitors to Bangkok, Thailand, while they love to see as much as they can of what this amazing city has to
Examiner.com - Found Jan. 28, 2012 Asia Travel Examiner + Subscribe To show how seriously Thailand takes its tourist industry, you only have to look at the budget for the country's new ...
MSNBC - Found Jan. 27, 2012 ... hospital kills 26 - Costa Concordia crash victims offered over $14,400 plus travel and medical costs - Thailand elephants now being poached...
Yahoo! Singapore - Found Dec. 21, 2011 The United States on Wednesday canceled a travel alert for Thailand, saying that conditions have improved in the month since the kingdom was hit by
The World News - Found Jan. 13, 2012 Australia has not altered its travel warnings for Thailand in response to warnings by US authorities about the increased chances of terrorist attacks ...
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