Bangkok Hotels

Bangkok, the capital of Thailand, is located on the east bank of the Chao Phraya River, near the Gulf of Thailand. The city houses more than 10 million people, making it a highly traffic-congested city.
As one of the fastest-growing, most economically dynamic cities in South East Asia, Bangkok is emerging as a rival to Singapore and Hong Kong.
April and May are the only hot months; other months are mild. Its rainy season from July to October rainy is normally very pleasant.
Bangkok's hotels offer a great combination of service and facilities to meet the budgeting requirements of every traveler. Conrad Hotel is one of the more expensive hotels, with 392 luxurious and spacious rooms with contemporary Thai-styled silk and wood furnishings. A 24-hour stay costs around 5,650 Baht (Approx 137 US$) in this stylish deluxe hotel situated in All Seasons Place - the heart of the central business district. The hotel is close to major embassies and the Skytrain. The rooms give wonderful panoramic views over the popular Lumpini Park.
There are some less expensive hotels as well. Grand Hyatt Erawan, situated near the Erawan Shrine in the city’s business and commercial district, is just a 30-minute drive from Bangkok International Airport. Inter Continental Bangkok is very nominal; a room costs nearly 1,900 Baht (Approx 45 US$). This hotel is also situated in a prime central location opposite the Erawan Shrine. This five-star hotel offers comfort, luxury and spectacular views from all its 37 floors. It’s just five minutes’ walk to the World Trade Center, shopping centers and a Skytrain station. Some of the hotels that offer opportunities for leisure as well as business meetings are JW Marriott Bangkok, Athenee Bangkok A Royal Meridien Hotel, Bangkok Marriott Resort & Spa, Millennium Hilton Bangkok, Shangri-La Bangkok, The Oriental Bangkok, The Peninsula Bangkok, Banyan Tree Bangkok, Metropolitan Hotel, Dusit Thani Bangkok, Pan Pacific, Sheraton Grande and many more.
Thai cuisine is a centuries-old blend of Eastern and Western influences. Today Thai food is relished all over the world. Almost all metropolitan cities in the world have Thai restaurants.
The best way to locate a hotel would be to talk to the travel agent who books the travel ticket to this City of Angels, as it is sometimes called.

Bangkok Hotels: Where to Stay?

Finding a Thailand hotel is super easy these days. Do a search at google or banner in web page, and you'll have some pretty good idea of where you want to stay. Plus, you can just go ahead and book for a Bangkok Thailand hotel right online.
If you plan to find a Bangkok hotel, you have tons of choices. Stay at Kaosan road if you're a backpacker. If you're not one, then stay close to the skytrain if you love shopping. If you're into good atmosphere and don't care much about getting around the city, then stay close to the Chao Phraya river, which is the main river of Bangkok.
If you want to stay at Kaosan road, you don't even need to book in advance. You can just walk around to see the guesthouse you like, and then just walk in. They always have a vacancy.
If you prefer to stay in the city center in order to get around easily for shopping, (and let me tell you, Bangkok is shoppers' paradise -- Hong Kong isn't cheap... but Bangkok is) then I suggest you check out Patumwan Princess hotel Bangkok. It's right in the MBK shopping center (fake jeans, watches and bags) and also right at the Siam Square skytrain station. Grand Hyatt Erawan hotel Bangkok, Le Meridien and the Four Seasons hotel Bangkok are more luxurious. They're right at the intersection where you can see Zen and Isetan shopping malls right across the street. The Siam Square (where they sell funky clothing) and the Chidlom (Central shopping mall) skytrain stations are within minutes away.
A lot of tourists like to stay at the Asia hotel Bangkok, which is right at a Rajdevi skytrain station (one station away from MBK shopping center). It may be cheap, but it's kind of old. Well, very old actually. I don't recommend it. But it's totally up to you.
If you don't care much about shopping in Bangkok, then I'd really suggest you stay at the Sukothai hotel Bangkok. It's a classy and luxurious Thai-styled hotel --but you'll have to take a taxi if you want to go anywhere. Or even better, stay by the Chao Phraya river if you can. It will give you a different feel of Bangkok, especially at night. It's rather expensive though, especially if you want to stay at the world-renowned Oriental hotel Bangkok or the Peninsula hotel Bangkok. If these two are too expensive for you, try Shangri-la hotel Bangkok. It may be a little bit cheaper. And don't forget to book a Bangkok river cruise dinner at your hotel. The Chao Praya river is glamorous at night -- with a view of well-lit Wat Arun.
To get around town from your Bangkok hotel, you can ask the hotel's doorman to help you get a taxi. It's not expensive at all.

Bangkok Paradise Of Thailand

Thailand is a wonderful place to visit. It is also the travel hub of Southeast Asia region. If you have a chance to visit Thailand, you must visit Bangkok. Bangkok is considered to be one of the world’s top tourist hotspots. Bangkok is known for traffic jams. Sometime walking is better than taking a taxi or bus. Another good option is the new BTS Sky train. At the end of year 2000, it went into services. You can also take the MRT metro (underground railway) to get around Bangkok. The temples in Bangkok are very spectacular and beautiful. Wat Phra Kaew is located in the center of Bangkok. It is considered to be the most important Buddhist temple in Bangkok and Thailand. Bangkok has an amazing nightlife. You can find bars, live music, and even Latin Salsa. If you want to experience nightlife in Bangkok, you must visit Kao San Road. The street is full of great clubs and restaurants. Bangkok also has a variety of shopping experiences from street markets to malls. The Chatuchak weekend market is known for the largest shopping area in Bangkok. You can also find water markets in the tourist areas. Siam Paragon complex is the biggest shopping mall in Bangkok and South East Asia. Bangkok has many great hotels. For example, the Peninsula Bangkok recently won Travel and Leisure magazines top hotels list. The Oriental hotel has won world-wide recognition for its magnificent use of land. If you have a chance to visit Bangkok, you are sure to come back.

Bangkok Travel

Bangkok is a metropolitan city and is also the capital city of Thailand. It is one of Southeast Asia's most thriving commercial centers. More than anywhere else in the country, Bangkok tops the list in expressing the culture's uncanny ability to blend the old with the new. This lends a thrilling sense of discovery to one's sightseeing, which is favored by nature with a good climate and adds an element of surprise when exploring what is called the orient's most fabled city. Bangkok embraces modern development and presents an initial picture of thrusting office towers, world-class hotels offering deluxe comforts, towering shopping plazas, restaurants serving Thailand's acclaimed spicy specialties and virtually every other national cuisine, and importantly the neon-lit entertainment spots.
Bangkok houses busy airports coupled with excellent hospitality. Bangkok International Airport has a domestic as well as an international terminal. Bangkok hotels range from cozy suites to moderate rooms that cost a few bahts, the country's currency. Early bird reservations are possible at these hotels. A simple application online will suffice. Bangkok is known for having some of the best restaurants in the world. Almost every major cuisine in the world is available in specialty restaurants located throughout the city. Quality Thai and ethnic food is omnipresent in outlets and is also as diverse as street front restaurants and markets.
Bangkok is an excellent place to shop and is often called "the shopper's stop." The city is full of many shopping streets which are very unique on their own. The entire street usually sells only one kind of product ranging from fresh flowers, fabrics and clothes, gemstones, electrical goods, monk supplies, and guns. From the historical public ground to the sensational public park, Ratanakosin Island is one of Bangkok's highest ratios of parkland per capita. Aerobic dances are the area's major attraction. The city's other cultural attractions are the Siam society, national museum, national library and the Thai cultural center. This cultural center is considered as an avenue for musical and visual entertainment.
Travel in Bangkok is made even more interesting by the tuk-tuks and the ferry services. Private cars and vans operate in the city almost round the clock.

Bangkok New Airport ,Thailand's Suvarnabhumi

Suvarnabhumi Bangkok New Airport
For most people coming through the new Bangkok airport for the first time, will see nothing that would be notable from any other new international airport that has been built in the last few years. Most new airports tend to be big box or tent like affairs, with little or no aesthetic appeal, and this one falls neatly into the pile of boring designs. Most of those who have been through the old Bangkok airport would prefer it to the new as it had a character all of its own. Wanting to keep the old airport is understandable as you know where everything is, like where you need to go to catch your favorite airline, as well as where and what the procedure is for getting your luggage, and the fastest way to get through customs and catch a taxi home, or to your favorite Bangkok Hotel, if you are a returning businessman or Thailand tourist.
If people have a problem with the new Bangkok airport it would be with the way that they have the taxi stand set up. In the past, you went out through the doors on the end of the customs area, past the money changers, then the limos, and out the doors and into the cue for a taxi. You would tell the expediters where you want to go to, and away you went, it was a very smooth and efficient process. The taxi stand at the new airport is downstairs and it is not marked, so the first time that you come through, you have to figure out that the price to get to town has not risen overnight to 800 baht, but that you are at the charter taxi stands, which are mainly there to fleece unsuspecting tourist I suspect. So, if you are reading this and you are going to be coming into Bangkok for the first time to the new airport, make note that you need to go down one level to catch the meter taxis from the baggage claims. When in Thailand always insist on the meter.
The good news is like a few of the best international cities in the world like Singapore, Chicago and San Francisco You will be able to get a mass transit train directly to the airport, this is suppose to happen soon and you can see the progress on your way into Bangkok as they extend the BTS line out. When this project is finished you will have access to the whole city, and you can get there quick regardless of the hour. On the last two trips from the airport to town, the fare all together was around 350 baht with the tolls and the airport taxi tax, a increase of 100 baht approximately, the time to a hotel on Suhkumvitt was just about the same, even though the distance increased.. If you are coming from or to Pattaya your travel time should decrease especially during the busy travel periods.
Fred Tittle has lived in holiday vacation resorts his entire life, from the famous Lake Geneva Playboy Club , Aspen Colorado where he was a rock jock for KSPN FM, Hawaii Scuba Diving in Waikiki on Oahu and now as a owner of EcoSea Dive in Sihanoukville Cambodia where he teaches PADI and SSI Scuba Diving and runs adventure tours, http://www.ecosea.com/
Fred's 2 new projects http://www.cheapcharlieshotels.com/ where he reviews cheap hotels & budget guesthouses but really is an excuse to go on vacation more with his lawyers and http://www.cheap-lawyers.us/ where he gives up the free advise he gets on vacation.
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Shopping in Bangkok

From the glittering high end department stores such as Emporium or Siam Paragon where the beautiful people get a fix of genuine Gucci and Armani to the bustling crowds of Pratunam where traders from all over the world jostle to buy in bulk and pile it high.
For those staying in the tourist areas of Silom or Sukhumvit the place to start is just a short walk from your hotel. At night the lower end of Sukhumvit is lined with stalls selling clothing, DVDs, handicrafts, bags, furnishings, watches and jewelry. Bargain hard because the vendors will often test your knowledge by asking an absurdly high price at first. The night market around Silom and Patpong is even more hard headed. The traders here only get about four hours of selling time each evening and the rents are high so they will try hard to get overly high prices from those who, maybe, have just arrived. It is worth taking your time to look and ask before you start bargaining. Don’t be afraid to set your starting price at a third or a quarter of the asking price as long as you do it with a smile. There are some excellent goods to be found however. Household furnishing in traditional styles and clothing can be some of the best deals.
Up Surawong or Silom towards the river near the Oriental hotel is the place to buy antiques and it is also a jewelry making area. Ask for the River City Complex which puts you at the heart of the district.
The bustling area of Pratunam on Petcheburi is the place to buy really cheap clothing. It’s an ant heap of activity with traders falling over each other often carrying impossibly large bags of textiles and loading them on to waiting tuk tuks. Opposite Pratunam market is Panthip Plaza which is devoted to all manor of electronic and computer related goods.
If you want higher end shopping the place to start is Sukhumvit and Ploenchit. This is effectively one road starting with the high end Emporium where the well heeled parade in Prada. It stretches to Siam Square and just beyond. On the way is Robinsons, Gaysorn Plaza, Central, Siam Discovery and World Central Plaza. Siam Paragon is the new rival to Emporium for high end shopping. Beyond Siam Square BTS is Mahboonkrong or MBK. This is a great place for cheaper goods and is usually packed with young Thais for whom it is a place to see and be seen.
The backpacker area of Banglamphu centered on Khao San Road is a Mecca for those who yearn for bright tie-dye, beaded jewelry, baggy fishermen’s trousers and ethnic nik naks. It is also a very good place to buy silver and costume jewelry if you know what you are doing.
Perhaps the king of all markets in Bangkok is the Chatuchak weekend market in the north of the city. This place is vast where you can find anything from heavy furniture to exotic wildlife to second hand clothing. It is also open during the week and is a little less hectic if claustrophobia (or heat stroke!) present a problem. Each area of merchandise is in a zoned area and color and letter coded. No matter. Entering Chatuchak for the first time is like entering a separate city state of frantic commerce and actually finding what you want can take a long time and involve a complicated journey around the labyrinth. This is fun in itself though if you like browsing. Around the perimeter are shipping companies where you can send home anything, however vast, or simply sit on the terrace of a café and contemplate either your shopping spoils or just relax in the triumph of actually having made your way out of the vast labyrinth at all.
Alex Smith maintains and manages the Cheap Thailand Travel website at http://www.cheapthaitravel.com/
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Fun and Cheap Shopping in Bangkok - Chatuchak Weekend Market

When mentioning about markets in Bangkok, Chatuchak, weekend market always tops the list. It is the most famous market in Bangkok for cheap shopping, with an endless variety of products in massive scale. In recent years, other markets soon subsequently sprout around the city, attempting to challenge the authority of Chatuchak's. But Chatuchak still stands firmly as the mother of all markets.
Covering 35 acres of land area, Chatuchak boasts over 15,000 stalls. This weekend market, as the name states so explicitly, is opened only on weekends, and it is probably one of the most famous markets in the world as well. Exploring this enormous market is no easy task, even with a good map in hand. However, if you do so, you will pretty much find everything here, right in this market. The numbered alleys and lanes are helpful if you happen to lose your way around.
The market is divided into different sections, with a different colour depicting each different zone. There's a section for clothing, a section for handicrafts, and other sections will include items such as jewellery, antiques, ceramics, pets, vintage magazines, stamps and coins, collector's items, household goods, arts, plants, wholesale items, and food. Some shops do not always adhere to the goods specified in the stated sections, so most of the time it boils down to our exploration skills. It's rather impossible to see everything the market has to offer, so just try to explore each zone and you should see most of the products selling in the market. In some shops, you might even see surprises like an old Levi's jacket that has not been seen in shops for years.
For the best time to be there, it is advised to visit the market early, as the place can get really crowded as the day goes on. In addition, the temperature can rise rapidly as the afternoon sun hangs in the sky, and most likely you will get all wet and sticky and uncomfortable in the high heat and humidity conditions.
Bargaining is a must in this market, and it is considered the perfect location to put your bargaining skills to the test. Thai people even when bargaining, likes to do it with a smile. With a friendly and humorous attitude, and armed with a big smile, they are your best weapons to secure the best possible deal.
As few stalls or shops accept credit cards, it is recommended to bring enough cash along with you. But do be aware and on the alert for pickpockets, as theft is common in this place, and it's up to us to proper protect our belongings and valuables. It takes just an instant to lose something valuable like our wallets.
There are many novel stalls in the market, as an interesting feature of this market is that many up-and-coming Thai artists and businessman actually started their careers with a stall at this market. So following in their footsteps, there are lots of aspiring talents hoping to emulate previous successes with their innovative crafts. Food and drinks are aplenty all over the market, together with unusual and mind-boggling Thai snacks such as deep-fried insects, scorpions and frogs, mostly heavily spiced. Try them if you dare, and you might just fall in love with them.
Chatuchak is opened from 0800 to 1800 hours on weekends and also Fridays (wholesale day).
For more information on cheap airfares and hotels, head on to http://www.getcheapholidays.com/
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Siam Paragon -The Pride of Bangkok

Siam Paragon serves as its slogan "the Pride of Bangkok" goes. Located in the heart of Bangkok, Siam Paragon is the fist mega shopping complexin Thailand, offering a magnificent and elegant shopping experience as it houses various world-class international brands and flagship stores of the most prestigious hi-end brands; truly a shopping paradise for brand name lovers. Shop 'til you drop and explore our 10 facets of luxury, beauty, sports, hi-tech communications, lifestyle and dining. Don't forget to visit Paragon Department Store where all the best of everything are waiting for you—all under one roof. Enjoy a gastronomic delight with the finest international cuisines from the best restaurants in town gathered at Siam Paragon for your utmost pleasure; or visit Gourmet Market and select the freshest and foremost ingredients from every corner of the world that will make your home cooking a fantastic meal. Indulge all your senses with 21-screen Paragon Cineplex, Krungsri IMAX theatre, Nokia Ultra screens and Enigma, the motion picture grandeur like none other. Give your children valuable knowledge with various extra lessons from famous institutions in our Facet of Edutainment. Get fit and firm at 6-star California Fitness and spend quality time with your family and learn more about marine life in its own environment at Siam Ocean World.Apart from superb goods and exceptionally diversified services, prepare to enter the realm of absolute gratification and divine mega entertainment as Siam Paragon will soon unveil Siam Opera, the latest grand theatre of Thailand, as well as a five-star hotel and serviced apartment. Experience all these and more only @ Siam Paragon.

ZEN

Welcome to a world of inspired shopping. Bangkok's all-time, trend-setting department store is back! ZEN is part of the massive upgrade of the entire Central World complex. Making its debut in December 2006, it will have 7 levels totalling a whopping 50,000 square meters of space, topped by 13 levels of ZEN World with another 30,000 square meters of lifestyle services in one spectacular building thus creating the largest lifestyle specialty store in Asia and possibly the World!

The new ZEN will feature selections of famous cutting-edge and fashionable brands in every category, and will be presented in an exciting atmosphere that will appeal to Young @ Hearts, affluent Thais, Expatriates, and Tourists who appreciate good design, the latest designer trends and top-notch creativity. The main store is home to some of the best names in fashion and design, from Thailand and the world over. ZEN is destined to create a new buzz making shopping all the more fun and appealing.
World Iconic Landmark
Situated at the Ratchaprasong Intersection of downtown Bangkok , in the heart of the city's shopping belt, the new ZEN is distinguished by its gleaming facade with a 70X10 metre high vertical LED display screen installed in the front. This LED Board will be the largest in Asia and will feature amazing light and sound effects and breath-taking hourly World Time Countdown.
Located between two of the busiest BTS sky train stations, Zen is easily accessible from any areas within Bangkok . Shoppers who drive will access the store through a new ring road that borders Central World and will be delighted to find the city's largest car park that can host up to 7,000 vehicles. Central World houses many famous brands with flagship stores, restaurants, and has grand movie cineplexes, Convention Hall and a 5-star Hotel scheduled to open at the end 2007.

Hip Store Design
ZEN is a composition of industrial edge, modern furnishings and pop-graphic cool. Polished concrete forms a backdrop for wall-papered panels and imaginative illustrations that can be described as happy luxe. Each level will have its distinctive personality to reach out to its core customers while still flowing seamlessly from space to space. Together with creative visual merchandising, the store provides shoppers a seductively enjoyable entertainment with a theartical setting!

Regional Fashion Hub
The new ZEN aims to be the city's fashion and lifestyle leader as it becomes the trendy heart of Thailand shopping. With many international and top local brands, up-to-date styles will be the hallmark of its merchandise mix seen on all levels, from fashion to accessories, gifts to home wares. The main attraction will be creative and special products alongside up-coming labels, all characterized by uniqueness of design and fineness of quality.

For tourists, ZEN's terrific services make shopping a true pleasure. Overseas visitors will also enjoy 7% VAT refund and 5% tourist discount plus many attractive store promotions and services
Asia's First Lifestyle Megastore ZEN is a shopping Zensation like no other. We take pride in being truly one of a kind. A behemoth that offers total lifestyle products and services under one haloed roof! ZEN is the must-visit shopping destination. It's the hub of style. It's the haven of fashion. It offers both luxury labels as well as trendy affordables. It's about the new and the next. It's about creative expression

Siam Discovery Center

Siam Discovery Center is the first and foremost lifestyle shopping complex in Thailandand is famous for its specialty stores under the idea of "One Floor - One Concept"Since its opening in 1997.It has received a warm welcome from lifestyle lovers as well as high-end touristsand is known as one of the most celebrated shopping complexes in Asia.

Siam Center

The first shopping complex in Thailand that meets international standards, Siam Center, with the total gross area of 40,000 square meters, has been the center of the trends since its grand opening in 1973. This modern complex is a creation of Dr. Luois Berger, an American Architect. Siam Center has been the ultimate trendsetter for teens and fashion hipsters and the proud supporter of Thai designers.

Central

The Emporiem

Centralworld