Bangkok – the heart of Southeast Asia

Bangkok has metamorphosed into a modern, vibrant city over the past decade.  It offers visitors all the amenities of a world-class city without having relinquished its unique cultural identity.  It has a seemingly endless number of attractions – the city is dotted with 400 beautiful Buddhist temples, grand palaces, classical dance extravaganzas, numerous shopping centers and an array of restaurants. It offers a glimpse of traditional ways of life, especially along the Chao Phraya River. A trip along its waters will reveal a network of canals and the old Bangkok which lives on in its floating markets. The Silom Night Market and Chatujuk Weekend Market are other must-sees.

Chinatown: houses some of the best and most expensive Chinese restaurants in the city, along with many of the best and cheapest food stalls, especially at night. Large restaurants line the bustling Yaowarat Road, but venturing into sois, or lanes, will lead you to less impressive yet equally enjoyable establishments. The restaurants mostly specialize in southern Chinese cooking, with noodles, seafood and, at lunchtime, dim sum dumplings dominating the menus. A short walk from Yaowarat’s Chinatown to Phahurat’s little India.

Siam Square: This shopping area is crammed with medium to high-priced eateries as well as American fast-food outlets. Whether you crave Thai, European, Chinese or Japanese foods, there is a place for you somewhere in this fashionable area. Traditional Thai restaurants are flanked by gaudy fast-food franchises and Japanese suki parlors. Soi 1 has conventional Chinese restaurants.

Sukhumvit Road: There is no shortage of eating places on Sukhumvit. Some people say that from any spot along the road you are within 100 meters of at least one restaurant. And the food could not be more cosmopolitan. Off Sukhumvit Road is Ratchadapisek Road a fast growing business district that is lined with 3-star hotels, lively pubs, bars and nightclubs.

At its western end, around Soi Nana, an enclave of Pakistani and Middle Eastern restaurants fills the sois with the aroma of spices, earning this area the name “Little Arabia”. Further up the road Indian cuisine takes over, with restaurants offering both northern and southern Indian specialties.

European and American cooking balance the equation, with Italian, French, British, German, and Mexican restaurants lining the road and presenting a variety of options in terms of menus, atmosphere, and prices. Sukhumvit 55, also known as Soi Thonglor, and its labyrinthine branches are also full of restaurants of every kind.

Then there is Thai food. Both authentic nouvelle dishes can be found at small, sparingly decorated restaurants or lavishly ornate ones, along the pavements, and in the markets.

Soi Lang Suan: Like Sukhumvit Road, Soi Lang Suan offers a diverse mix of Thai, Asian, and European influences. Fashionable restaurants present interesting eating possibilities at medium to high prices. It is also home to some of the most popular jazz pubs in the city and is a favorite watering hole after sundown

Silom Road: Several food streets are linked to this road in Bangkok’s busiest area. Seafood stalls sprout along the section near Saladaeng Intersection after sunset until late at night. The nearby Convent Road offers everything from Indonesian to an Irish tavern. Opposite, a crush of Japanese restaurants makes Soi Thaniya into a lively walkway for Japanese visitors and sushi lovers of all nationalities.

Useful tourist information on Bangkok visit the official website of the Bangkok Tourism Division : http://www.bangkoktourist.com/