Bangkok the Capital of Asia :

Discover the Charms of Bangkok

Bangkok is the largest as wall as the capital city of Thaialnd. Situated near the gulf of

Thailand and on the eastern banks of the Chao Phraya River, in the south-west part of the country, Bangkok is perhaps the number one tourist spot in the South-East Asia, and serves as the gateway to the country. Bangkok is an incredible destination that is a blend of east and west, and one can see here historic as well as ancient shrines overlooking towering modern building that dominate the skyline. Apart from being a popular tourist spot, Bangkok serves as the country's seat of administration and government. Bangkok is also the main port of the country, and is home to about one tenth of the population of the country. Further, Bangkok is sometimes refered to as the Venice of the East due to its beautiful canals and rivers. No matter you are honeymooners, business traveler, spiritual traveler, history buffs, or just a sightseer, Bangkok provides excellent options for all. From ancient Buddhist Wat, historic monuments, and interesting museums to amusement parks, parks, and gardens, Bangkok boasts of a spectrum of attractions. Of the attractions in Bangkok that deserves a special mention are its magnificent royal palaces. Just few among many of them are Grand Palace, which is exquisitely decorated and attached with areas such as Borombinan Hall, Amarindra Hall, and Dusit Hall; Chitlada Palace, which is the current residence of the King; Vimanmek Mansion - a stupendous as weel as expansive wooden palace made from golden teak; and Suan Pakkad Palace, with a collection of traditional style Thai mansions. Equally interesting is the Buddhist Wats and temples found in the city, such as Wat Phra Kaew, which is considered the most prominent Buddhist temple in the country; Wat Arun, otherwise known as the Temple of Dawn; Wat Pho, whose centerpiece is a 46 meters along statue of Lord Buddha in reclining posture; and Wat Traimit, also known as the Temple of Golden Buddha.

A visit to Bangkok would not to be complete without taking a tour to many of its interesting museums such as Bank of Thailand Museum, located within Bangkhunphrom Palace; Erawan Museum, in whose front one can find a statue of three-headed elephant that stands on an gargantuan pedestal; Bangkok National Museum, which has on display an amazing collection of Thai art and artifacts; Bangkok Folk Museum, with exhibits such as traditional utensils and ceremonial related artifacts.

Human Imagery Museum, which throws light on the Thai life and culture; Corrections Museum, which is located at the site of the Bangkok Remand prison; Forensic Museum, where you can see preserved corpses; Science Museum, with an interesting aquarium, a planetarium, and several other sections for entertainment and education; Philatelic Museum, which is a must-see for stamp collectors; and Royal Barge National Museum, which has on display an array of royal barges that wre used during royal occasions.

Additionally, Bangkok is also home to much famed Ancient City, which is the world's largest outdoor museum. On display here are gigantic-sized replicas of renowned monuments and temples found across the nation.

Other not to miss attractions in Bangkok are Lumpini Park, the largest as well as the oldest park in the city; Dusit Zoo, boasting o f more than 200 mamals, 150 reptiles, and 1,000 birds; Thai Cat Palace, featuring several breeds of cats such as Siamese, white pure Maeo Khao Mani, and diamond-eyed cats; Snake Farm, also known as the Queen Saovabha Memorial Institute, which is one of the leading producers of anti-venom Serum in Asia; Crocodile Farm- the largest of its kind in the world, where you can see more than 60,000 fresh as well as sea water crocodiles; and Rose Garden, a well-manicured area where cultural shows are conducted. (Wolfgang Jaegel).

Thailand

Thailand

The country's official name was Siam (Thai : สยาม; IPA : sa'ja:m RTGS : Sayam origin unknown) until 24 June 1939, and between 1945 and 11 May 1949, when it was changed to Thailand. The word Thai (ไทย) is not, as commonly believed to be, derived from the word Tai (ไท) meaning "Free" in the Thai language; it is however, the name of an ethnic group from the central plains (the Thai people). A famous Thai scholar argued that Tai (ไท) simply means "people" or "human being" since his investigation shows that in some rural areas the word "Tai" was used instead of the usual Thai word "khon" (คน) for people. With taht mind the locals seemed to have also accepted the alternative meaning and will verbally state that it means "Land of free". This might be due to languge barriers and avoidance of long difficult explanations. (http://en.wikipedia.org/) The region known today as Thailand has been inhabited by humans since the paleolithic period (about 500,000-10,000 years ago). Prior to the fall of the khmer Empire in the 13th century, various states thrived there, such as the various Tai, Mon, Khmer and Malay kingdoms, as seen through the numerous archaeological sites and artifacts that are scattered throughout the Siamese landscape. Prior to the 12th century however, the first Thai or Siamese state is traditionally considered to be the Buddhist kingdom of Sukhothai, which was founded in 1238, following the decline and fall of the Khmer empire in the 13th-15th century AD.

A century later, Sukhothai's power was overshadowed by the larger Siamese Kingdom of Autthaya, established in the mid-14th century. After Ayuttha fell in 1767 to the Burmese, Thonburi was the capital of Thailand for a brief period under King Taksin the Great. The current (Rattanakosin) era of Thai history began in 1782 following the establishment of Bangkok as a capital of the Chakri dynasty under King Rama I the Great.

European powers began traveling to Thailand in the 16th century. Despite European pressure, Thailand is the only Southeast Asian nation never been colonised by a European country. Two main reason for this were that Thailand had a long succession of very able rulers in the 1800s and that it was able to exploit the rivalry and tension between the French and the British. As a result, the country remained as a buffer state between parts of Southeast Asia that were colonised by two colonial powers. Despite this, Western influence led to many reforms in the 19th century and major concessions, most notably being the loss of large territory on the east side of the Mekong to the French and the step by step absorption by Britain of the Shan (Thai Yai) States (now in Myanmar) and the Malay Penisula. The loss initially included Penang and Tumasik and eventually culmnated in the loss of three predominantly ethnic-Malay southern provinces, which later became Malaysia's three northern states, under the Anglo-Siamese Treaty of 1909.

Welcome to Thailand

Welcome to Thailand