Anyone who has been to Southeast Asia has been through Thailand's "City of Angels," and anyone going to SE Asia will also spend some time here. Not that that's a bad thing. Bangkok is legendary city: the hedonism of Las Vegas, the religious significance of a devout Buddhist city, a pragmatism not observed anywhere else in the world, and a steamy atmosphere that will hits visitors as soon as they step onto the plane's stairs at Don Muang.

Bangkok is a truly amazing and entirely unique city. Guests of the $300/night Oriental (often considered the world's best hotel) gather at a Patpong bar to watch an Asian Elvis impersonator alongside scruffy backpackers staying at $2/nt places on Thanon Khao San. A watermelon can be had for a quarter at Carrefour, or one could blow his dough on the helicopter taxi service offered by the Oriental.

Bangkok is also a setting-off point for other destinations, including Chang Mai in the North, Sukothai, Ayutthaya, and Kanchanaburi (home of the Death Railway Bridge and River Kwai). Thailand makes tourism almost too easy, with even a separate police force to aid tourists. Still, it pays to keep one's wits about him in Bangkok, as scammers, touts, and other annoyances can occasionally be found.

For an affordable luxury hotel, I recommend the Raffles Merchant Court. This is a Raffles-managed property on the outskirts of the city with very easy access to Don Muang. It sits atop a subway stop that should be opening soon. The going rate when I was there was $56/night, which is terribly expensive by Bangkok standards but potentially the cheapest Raffles in the world.

History

The key event in Bangkok's modern history was in 1782 when King Rama I moved the capital from Thonburi (across the river) to Bangkok proper. Thonburi had been a trading center since its founding around the 1550s and became capital after Ayutthaya was sacked by the Burmese in 1765.

Construction on the Royal Palace and government buildings began almost immediately after 1782 using Khmer POWs. Thailand and Cambodia (the present-day Khmer kingdom) have a long history of violence towards each other, which continues to the present day. (For instance, the name of Siem Reap, home of Ankor Wat, means "flattened Thai soldier.")

Temple-building continued in earnest through the reign of Rama III (1824-51), though during the reign of Rama IV the Thai rulers began to get worried about growing British and French colonial influence in Burma, Lao, Viet Nam, and Cambodia.

Bangkok endured a rather difficult 20th century, which included a bloodless revolution in 1932, the Japanese invasion in WWII, the Indochina War, on-and-off dictatorship until as recently as 1992, and the 1997 Asian currency crisis.

Bangkok is hazy even before the sun rises and it gets worse as the morning progresses. By the time one finishes breakfast, the city's traffic gridlock is as bad as anywhere in the world. I spent a half hour in the back of a taxi waiting for one stoplight while trying to get downtown. In fact, I thought the thing's meter was broken because it never budged off 35 bhat (about 75 cents). Finally it began ticking up in 4-cent increments to reach 180 bhat (about $4) an hour later when I finally arrived at my destination. Tipping isn't common in Bangkok, but I gave the guy 200 bhat for the hour's ride.

When getting a taxi at Don Muang, it is imperative to step outside the terminal building to the queue of public taxis. They will be green and yellow or red and blue (see the pic below). You will see three lines of them; step up to the booth at the front of the line and give them your destination. You will get back a paper. Keep your half and give the other half to your driver. Touts for the "official taxi service" work inside the terminal. They charge more and make visitors wait for the vehicle. Don't fall for it.

Also, as in any Asian city, it helps to have the name of your hotel and its address printed in the local language available for the driver, else the meter will run while he figures out where you're going. When leaving the hotel, get a name-card from the doorman to give to a driver you hail for the return trip.

Central Bangkok is a mixture of wide alleys, smaller sidestreets, and narrow alleys (called "soi"). Food smells permeate the city, as small food vendors can be found in any commerical area. No tourist could possibly go hungry here.

Nearby this picture is the campus of Thammasat University, site of a bloody democracy demonstration in 1973 that was brutally supressed by the military.

Empty shells of buildings stand like giant sarcophaguses along the outskirts of Bangkok's central business district. The 1997 Asian currency crisis brought a near-instant halt to dozens of construction projects, like the highrise shown. They are in various stages of completion; if one floor had windows in 1997 and the others did not, one floor has windows today and the others do not.

Driving along Bangkok highways is almost a surreal experience with the sight of these many giant rusting hulks of buildings. Many are window-less and see-through, giving them a look like a car-park, but for there being no way for cars to actually ascend the upper floors.