Bangkok (Lonely Planet) - Andrew Burke [217]
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ORGANISED TOURS
Mastering Bangkok is the urban aficionado’s version of conquering Everest. But not everyone enjoys slogging through the sprawl and heat, and for those sensible folk there are many tours available. Almost every hotel and guesthouse can book you on tours of the main historic sights, and a good number of túk-túk (pronounced đúk đúk) drivers will probably try their luck too (don’t be tempted). Tours of the river and adjoining klorng are the most popular, and bicycle tours (yes, serious) are finding a growing number of happy peddlers; see Click here.
River & Canal Tours
The car has long since become Bangkok’s conveyance of choice, but there was a time, and there are still places today, where roads are made of water, not asphalt. Taking to these traditional thoroughfares reveals children swimming in the muddy (that’s a generous descriptor) waters, huge cargo barges groaning under the weight of sand being shipped to construction sites, and wake-skipping longtailed boats roaring by. At sunset the famed Wat Arun and the riverside towers of the luxury hotels are bathed in red and orange hues.
The cheapest and most local way of experiencing riverine Bangkok is by boarding the Chao Phraya Express Boat ( 0 2623 6001; www.chaophraya boat.co.th) at any tâh (pier) and taking it in either direction to its final stop; see Click here for details. The company also offers a one-day river pass (150B) for unlimited trips aboard the Chao Phraya Tourist Boat, which stops at 10 major piers from 9.30am to 3pm and has a distracting loudspeaker guide. Even guidebook writers who sightsee at warp speed find this pass poorer value than the average 13B fare. More appealing are the Sunday trips to Ko Kret.
Hiring a longtail boat, sometimes known as a ‘James Bond boat’ after the chase scene in The Man with the Golden Gun that first brought them to the attention of the world, is a popular way of touring the Thonburi klorng. Shop around for a tour that doesn’t include Wat Arun and the Royal Barge Museum, both of which can be more easily (and more cheaply) visited independently. Longtails can be hired from numerous piers along the river, most notably Tha Si Phraya (N3, Map), Tha Chang (N9, Map), and Tha Phra Pin Klao (N12, Map); a standard set of fees applies, ranging from 800B for an hour to 1500B for three hours. Bargaining is encouraged. Private tours can be arranged at other piers, including Tha Oriental (N1, Map) and Tha Phra Athit (N13, Map), at the private pier about 200m south of the express boat pier). You’ll need two hours to do it justice and, if you’re on a budget, some accomplices to help split the cost.
For dinner cruises, see Click here.
The restored wooden rice barges in the Manohra Cruises (Map; 0 2477 0770; www.manohracruises.com) fleet are the grandest of all, having been converted into luxury cruisers with real character. There are several cruising options, all departing the Marriott Resort & Spa (take a hotel boat from Tha Sathon). The dinner cruise (1460B or 2340B depending on menu, 7.30pm to 10pm) is rightly popular for its old-world ambience. If you have both time and money, consider the two- or three-day trips between Bangkok and Ayuthaya, via Ko Kret and Bang Pa-In.
Other Tours
Most Bangkok sights can be visited easily under your own steam, but every travel agent and most hotels can arrange guided tours of important sites. If you want a custom tour with an expert guide, Bangkok Private Tours (www.bangkokprivatetours.com) can cook up an itinerary for just about any interest; their food tours have a particularly good reputation.
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POST
Thailand has an efficient postal service, and both domestic and international rates are very reasonable. Bangkok’s monolithic, art deco–influenced main post office (Communications Authority of Thailand, CAT; Map; 0 2233 1050; Th Charoen Krung) is open from 8am to 8pm Monday to Friday and from 8am to 1pm Saturday and Sunday and holidays. If you’ve bought too much at Chatuchak Weekend Market the parcel counter