Bangkok (Lonely Planet) - Andrew Burke [42]
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HOW TO USE THIS TABLE
The table below allows you to plan a day’s worth of activities in any area of the city. Simply select which area you wish to explore, and then mix and match from the corresponding listings to build your day. The first item in each cell represents a well-known highlight of the area, while the other items are more off-the-beaten-track gems.
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KO RATANAKOSIN & THONBURI
Eating; Shopping; Sleeping
Bordering the eastern bank of Mae Nam Chao Phraya, Ko Ratanakosin is the historic heart of Bangkok and is a veritable Vatican City of Thai Buddhism. Several of Thailand’s most honoured and holy sites stand inside burly white walls here, Wat Phra Kaew and the Grand Palace (opposite) and Wat Pho being the most notable. As it happens, these are also Bangkok’s most spectacular tourist attractions – and most obligatory sights – so expect camera-toting crowds rather than exotic eastern mysticism.
Ko Ratanakosin’s collection of religious and architectural treasures wasn’t accidental. Rama I (Phraphutthayotfa Chulalok; r 1782–1809) intended to re-create the glory of the sacked Siamese capital of Ayuthaya by constructing a new island city – one that would be fortified against future attacks – and to elevate the newly established dynasty in the imagination and adoration of the populace. Both intentions succeeded. The Burmese and other noncommercial invaders never staged an assault on the new capital and the Chakri dynasty survives to the present day.
The ancient city has matured in modern times and is now a lively district of contradictions that only Thailand can juggle. The temples, with their heavenly status, are tethered to earth by nearby food markets shaded by faded green umbrellas sprouting like mouldering mushrooms from the pavement. In the shadows of the whitewashed temple walls are Buddhism’s ancient companions – the animistic spirits who govern fortune and fate, neatly packaged into amulets and sold by the thousand in the markets of Thanon Maharat.
While the glimmering golden spires and Buddha images are must-sees, the charm of Ko Ratanakosin is felt just as much – if not more – by wandering on foot, taking in the street life, stopping for lunch at local restaurants or The Deck and mixing with young Thais in Thammasat and Silpakorn universities.
Opposite Ko Ratanakosin, across the busy waters of Mae Nam Chao Phraya, Thonburi enjoyed a brief 15-year promotion from sleepy port town to royal seat of power immediately before the capital moved to Bangkok. If it weren’t for timing, it might otherwise be a footnote in Thai history. Instead it is still revered as a patriotic and divinely inspired step in reuniting the country after the fall of Ayuthaya. The stories of the post-war reunification are filled with poetic symbolism: General Taksin, who expelled the Burmese and subdued rival factions, came across this spot in the river at dawn and pronounced it Ayuthaya’s successor. But Taksin was later deposed by a more strategic leader, who decided on a more strategic position across the river for his capital.
Today Thonburi is a rarely visited gem for anyone looking to experience the less commercial, quieter side of Bangkok life. Where Bangkok’s klorng have largely been concreted over to create traffic-packed roads, in Thonburi they remain an integral part of daily life. To really experience this unique neighbourhood, stay at the Thai House.
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top picks
KO RATANAKOSIN & THONBURI
Amulet market Traders, monks and collectors trading for countless sacred amulets.
Wat Arun Mosaic-decorated stupa on the far bank of the river.
Wat Phra Kaew and Grand Palace The Hollywood blockbusters of Thai architecture.
Wat Pho One seriously large Reclining Buddha in a rambling complex of hidden sights.
Amorosa Unbeatable sunset views over the river and Wat Arun to go with your cocktail.
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KO RATANAKOSIN
Forming almost a