I LOVE BANGKOK
When you travel as much as I do, people often ask what my favorite country is. My answer is mostly always the same: Thailand.
I’ve lived and worked in the country of smiles from 2004 till 2008.
Since I returned to Belgium , I still follow up the news and stories from Thailand.
There has been some many changes over the last 10 years.
Many good but from the other hand, unfortunately many less positive changes as well.
Some travelers feel like Thailand is too touristy, or they have heard too many stories about sex tourism and the dirty full moon party .
But if you avoid that and try to discover the destinations off the beaten track, sure you will spent a great time.
No place in the world is perfect and despite it’s less positive facts,
Thailand still remains an incredible country with a unique wealth of natural and inner human beauty.
I always recommend to visit the non-tourist attractions, but never skip the capital Bangkok ‘The City Of Angels’
What I adore about the Thai capital is food. It Is amazing and most people will agree on this. Possibly everybody.
The variety of tasty things to eat is outstanding, and there is always a yummy street vendor around the corner dishing up the most delicious soup you’ve ever tasted.
But when the news came this year that Bangkok was planning to clear the streets of its beloved street food vendors,
outrage broke out among fans of the city’s famously cheap eats as the story racked up the worldnews.
But I wouldn’t worry too much about it at this point, there will be always still street food stalls all over the city!
Bangkok has been hailed as one of the best food destinations in the world and we should do everything we can to continue to earn that reputation.
Bangkok is ranking second among the top 3 of my favorite capitals (nr 1 Sarajevo and nr 3 Sydney).
Whenever I come to Thailand I always plan a few days to spend here, taste great food,
do amazing shopping and enjoy the great variety of people living and visiting this city.
The Grand Palace is a must for any first time visitors. It’s located in the old city of Bangkok on the banks of the Chao Phraya river is one highlights of Thailand.
This complex is one of the most famous landmarks of the country and offers spectacular buildings and sacred sites.
The Wat Pho is one of the oldest and largest temple complexes in Bangkok and houses the famous huge Reclining Buddha.
It also contains the highest number of Buddha images in Thailand, more than a thousand, most of which originate from the former capital cities of Ayutthaya and Sukhothai.
The Reclining Buddha image is gold plated and measures a very impressive 46 meters long and 15 meters high and illustrates the passing of the Buddha into nirvana.
Tuk tuks in the tourist areas seem to be still there primarily to people who don’t know any better.
Use safer, cheaper and more comfortable air-conditioned metered taxis.
In outlying areas of Bangkok they’re useful for a short ride to the end of a soi or to the next mass transit station.
Outside of Bangkok in many places tuk tuks are still the primary means of public transportation. Their drivers tend to be honest.
Have a look to all my Thailand photo albums: www.myworldtrips.com