Thailand (Lonely Planet, 13th Edition) - China Williams [75]
RimKhobFah Bookstore (Map; 0 2622 3510; 78/1 Th Ratchadamnoen) This shop specialises in scholarly publications from the Fine Arts Department on Thai art and architecture.
Saraban (Map; 0 2629 1386; 106/1 Th Rambutri) Stocking the largest selection of international newspapers and new Lonely Planet guides on Th Khao San.
Shaman Bookstore (Map; 0 2629 0418; D&D Plaza, 71 Th Khao San) With two locations on Th Khao San and one at 127 Th Tanao, Shaman has the area’s largest selection of used books; titles here can conveniently be searched using a computer program.
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BANGKOK IN…
For the best of what this city has to offer, try mixing and matching these suggestions.
ONE DAY
Get up as early as you can and take the Chao Phraya Express (Click here) to Nonthaburi Market (Click here). On your way back, explore the ancient sites of Ko Ratanakosin (Click here), followed by an authentic lunch in Banglamphu (Click here).
After freshening up, get a new perspective on the city with sunset cocktails at one of the rooftop bars (Click here), followed by dinner downtown such as upscale Thai at Bo.lan (Click here) or flawless international cuisine at Cy’an (Click here).
THREE DAYS
Allow the Skytrain (Click here) to whisk you to various shopping (Click here) destinations, punctuated by a buffet lunch (Click here) at one of the city’s hotels. Wrap up the daylight hours with a traditional Thai massage (Click here). Then work off those calories at the dance clubs of RCA (Click here).
ONE WEEK
Now that you’re accustomed to the noise, pollution and traffic, you’re ready for Chinatown (Click here). Spend a day at Chatuchak Weekend Market (Click here) or enrol in a cooking school (Click here). Fresh air fiends can escape the city at Ko Kret (Click here), a car-less island north of Bangkok, or charter a long-tail boat to ride through Thonburi’s canals (Click here).
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Cultural Centres
Various international cultural centres in Bangkok organise film festivals, lectures, language classes and other educational liaisons.
Alliance Française (Map; 0 2670 4200; www.alliance-francaise.or.th; 29 Th Sathon Tai; Metro Lumphini)
British Council (Map; 0 2652 5480; www.britishcouncil.or.th; Siam Sq, 254 Soi Chulalongkorn 64, Th Phra Ram I; Skytrain Siam)
Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand (FCCT; Map; 0 2652 0580; www.fccthai.com; Penthouse, Maneeya Center, 518/5 Th Ploenchit; Skytrain Chitlom)
Goethe Institut (Map; 0 2287 0942; www.goethe.de; 18/1 Soi Goethe, btwn Th Sathon Tai & Soi Ngam Duphli; Metro Lumphini)
Japan Foundation (Map; 0 2260 8560; Serm-mit Tower, 159 Soi Asoke/21, Th Sukhumvit; bus 136, 206)
Emergency
If you have a medical emergency and need an ambulance, contact the English-speaking hospitals listed on opposite. In case of a police or safety issue, contact the city hotlines for the following emergency services:
Fire (199)
Police/Emergency (191)
Tourist police (1155; 24hr) An English-speaking unit that investigates criminal activity involving tourists, including gem scams. It can also act as a bilingual liaison with the regular police.
Internet Access
There’s no shortage of internet cafes in Bangkok competing to offer the cheapest and fastest connection. Rates vary depending on the concentration and affluence of net-heads – Banglamphu is infinitely cheaper than Sukhumvit or Silom, with rates as low as 20B per hour. Many internet shops are adding Skype and headsets to their machines so that international calls can be made for the price of surfing the web. A convenient place to take care of your communication needs in the centre of Bangkok is the TrueMove Shop (Map; 0 2658 4449; www.truemove.com; Soi 2, Siam Sq; 7am-8pm; Skytrain Siam). It has high-speed internet computers equipped with Skype, sells