One of the busiest times to visit is between two and three in the morning as this is when the markets receive their freshest deliveries of flowers. You can also purchase fruit and vegetables here as well as herbs and spices. One of the best times to go the the Bangkok Flower Market is in the cool of the evening. Because of the often humid and dense climate of Thailand, visiting the market place in the evening can be a better way to choose any blooms you wish to purchase. Fluorescent lighting will provide a well lit path for you to go from vendor to vendor and strike up a deal for your favourite flower bunch. Renowned as one of the most voted flower markets in the world, the Bangkok Flower Market is certainly a destination that must be seen on your travels to Thailand.

For Bangkokians, the maintenance of surface calm and harmony is crucial. Loss of temper, arguing, or direct criticism are best avoided among them, because they feel it serves little purpose in any case. The famous wai is a used as a gesture for both greeting and respect. Wai requires the person to use both of his hands as if praying in front of his face. In general, it is considered to be a mark of respect to try to keep the head at a lower level than that of a senior or older person when talking to or passing them. On entering a private chamber or house, it is customary to remove your shoes. The polite form of address when talking to or about people of similar or older age are to use the title “Khun” and the person’s first name. Many Bangkokians will be too polite to comment on behaviour that is disrespectful of a fellow Bangkokian, but you should be aware that it is still offensive. Looks and appearances are important to Bangkokians. When meeting them, dressing smartly, or at least appropriately, reflects the degree of respect you hold for them.

The Grand Palace is the city’s most famous landmark and a visit to Bangkok will not be complete without going here. It was built in 1782 and has been the home of the King, the Royal court and the administrative seat of government for 150 years. The intricate details and beautiful architecture continues to draw tourist and admire it. Today, the Grand Palace still serves as spiritual center of Thailand because within the complex lies the Wat Phra Kaew or The Temple of the Emerald Buddha which of course contains the revered Emerald Buddha. Thai Kings stopped living in the palace around the 1900′s but all ceremonies are still performed here. Behind the Temple of the Emerald Buddha is the Temple of the Reclining Buddha or Wat Pho. It is the largest temple in Bangkok and houses the majestic reclining Buddha. The Buddha measures 46 meters in length and is covered in gold leaf. Its 3 meter long feet are decorated with mother-of-pearl illustrations. Traditional Thai massage is also offered here.

There are several floating markets in Bangkok, the Damnoen Saduak, Taling Chan, Bang Khu Wiang and the Tha Kha floating market. Although these markets cater more to tourists than locals, the boats are still piled up high with fresh fruits, fresh vegetables and food that are cooked on the boat. The city is also known as the “Venice of the East”. Although many canals have been filled to make way for roads and prevent the spread of cholera, some still remains but these canals or khlongs are no longer used as avenues for trade. For a few bahts, tourists can still take a ride on boats and see old wooden houses laden with colorful flowers and old bridges. These rides can offer a glimpse of how people used to live. One just has to be careful of the spray of rancid water as boats speed forward.

Despite the increase in the Bangkok hotel supply, Bangkok occupancy rates and REVPAR increased but the Average daily rate decreased in quarter. International Tourist Arrivals increased by 27.1% on Q1 2010. Obviously Q2 numbers will be very poor and it remains to be seen how long it will take for business and tourist arrivals to recover. The majority of new condominium launches in the first quarter were mainly small one bedroom units.

The office market remained weak. There was no increase in supply. Take up grew by 17,481 square metres. Grade A CBD rents fell by 3.8% year on year. Retail Occupancy increased to 93.4%. Rents remained at similar levels. A number of shopping centres were closed in Central Bangkok for much of April and May. 882 Rai (349 acres) of SILPs were sold on industrial parks and estates in Q1 2010. This was an increase 891% y-o-y. There was 175% increase in townhouse completions on quarter on quarter but developer built single detatched house completions fell by 74% quarter on quarter.

The existing supply in downtown Bangkok reached 67,176 units, up from 65,067 units in Q1 2010. This was an increase of 3.2% Q-o-Q and 15.8% Y-o-Y. There were 2,109 units completed in this quarter. Another 5,220 units are scheduled to be completed by the end of 2010 which will raise the total downtown condominium stock significantly to 72,396 units, or by 11.3 % Y-o-Y. In Q1 2010, the average asking price for an off-plan freehold condominium unit (high-end and above) in downtown Bangkok was 156,460 THB/m2 an increase of 19.2% Q-o-Q or 3.0 Y-o-Y. The total number of units occupied by owners or tenants decreased from 74.2 in Q4 2009 to 74.0% in this quarter.

Today these merchants are really metal traders and brokers. They sell gold in jewelry format and bullion formats. They will also buy back them from their customers in both formats. When they buy back from you, there is a small transaction fee, at current prices approximately one hundred baht per half ounce. A half ounce of the yellow metal in Bangkok is about twelve thousand five hundred baht today. So a hundred baht transaction fee is pretty small when you trade bullion for cash. For foreigners in Thailand, one confusing aspect of Thai bar is the system of measurement. The weight unit for Thai gold is called baht. One baht is about half an ounce or 15.16 grams. Adding to the confusion, the Thai paper currency is also called baht. Thus one bar baht is about twelve thousand five hundred baht. It sounds confusing, but it is nonetheless accurate.

Gold in Bangkok is of high grade, though somewhat less than standard international investment grade. Bullion is 96.5% pure. By contrast, Swiss bullion is 99.99% pure. A jewelry such as a wrist watch bands might be a bit less pure to enhance the sturdiness. The price of the bar is set daily by the Thai Gold Traders Association. Practically all bar transactions are done in cash. You walk into a metal shop, tell them how many baht of the yellow piece you want, and pay them in cash. By the way most metal shops do accept credit cards as well. With all the uncertainty in international markets, it might not be a bad idea to have some bullions stashed away for a rainy day. It has stood the test of time as a store of value. It will continue to be popular in Bangkok for a long time to come.

By Sky Train you will go downtown Bangkok to near Sukumvit road. You can get off just about anywhere desired. Find your destination point, hotel location or other. Plot a course, and look up the Sky train stop nearest your destination. You can also e-mail your hotel in advance, ask the right questions, away you go, almost a seasoned expert at this point, and a survivor. Taxis are every where. They start at 35 baht/ approximate 1 us dollar for about 5 minutes, or 2 kilometers. Sometimes just nice to take an air conditioned break. He will ask you in Thai Ba-Ni’, which means where do you want to go. Best to have a hotel name, or card with a map on the back.

Inner City travel. My favorite is the Sky Train, built back about year 2000. From the upper level, not only is it cheap around the main city, but good for the budget, one way about $1.50 US Dollar, or 50 baht. Not only do you stay above the city and traffic, you get a bit of a view, and notice tall buildings which will help get your bearing straight for next time. Also within the city, you can take a 3 wheeled Tuk-Tuk. Now they are not cheap, start at 40 baht, but you have to experience this once in Bangkok, night is best, much cooler, a short distance is advised.

General safety tips, passports are worth gold, there are serious pick pocket folks about in the crowded malls. Be smart. Gold necklace also a nice grab and go item, easy to change to baht, just use common sense. Food is great, every where you go there is food. The best, is the wide range of travel cost from simple guest houses, to 5 star hotels located everywhere. You can travel extremely reasonable for those on a tight budget. Enjoy your travels to Bangkok, be smart be safe.

But that’s really just Bangkok’s most outer layer – that’s what is the easiest to find for a tourist who comes here. If you peel that first layer away, you will find the many other faces of Bangkok: the gentle, the kind, the cultural, the culinary, the religious and more. There are so many temples in Bangkok, if you have an interest in Buddhism or religious architecture, you will love it here. The temples are built in many different styles, and the “must see” temples are the Wat Pho which features the 46 meter long reclining Buddha image and Wat Arun, which is just across the river.

Wat Trai Mit is another impressive place to see, as it houses the golden Buddha. It’s the largest Buddha statue in the world made out of solid gold. And it has an mysterious history. Nobody knows for sure how old this Buddha statue is. And in fact, nobody even knew it existed until a couple of decades ago. It was once covered in plaster, probably to hide it from invading armies who where known to melt down the gold from Buddha statues. Accidentally a monk discovered that under the plaster, there was a golden Buddha, when a piece of the plaster chipped of.

If you want to know more about the history of Thailand and gain a better understanding of Thai culture, the National Museum is a great place to visit. Many people also like to visit the Grand Palace, which is a huge compound that mixes architectural influences from different regions of the world. Seasoned shoppers love Bangkok. It’s a true shoppers paradise. Do you have cash to spend? Modern shopping palaces like the Siam Paragon or Central World offer you ample opportunity to buy pretty much all the material things that one can crave for. Almost every luxury brand of the world has a flagstore at Siam Paragon, and in case you want to buy a new Lamborghini, just head to the second floor.

At the first part of the swamp, there is the semi -wooden bridge across it which looks like the river. But the water in the swamp is calm. Some fountains were set in the middle and the other parts of the swamp. There are also concrete bridges across the other parts of the swamp. Whereas two parts of the park are full of various trees, bushes, and flowering trees. In the water, abounds with kinds of fishes such as dace, cat fish, snakehead and etc. You can enjoy feeding them, especially in the evening; they can be seen a lot. You can travel to this park at any time in your convenience. However if you would like to take exercise, both in the morning and evening are ok. But if you need to relax yourself, in the early afternoon is better.

Located far from downtown area, Serithai Park is a good atmosphere one in Bangkok. You can travel to the park in your own car or by bus. Take the regular bus number 27, 151 or air-conditioned bus number 27, 502 in front of The Mall Bangkapi and then get out off at Buengkum District, left side. You can drive in your own car from The Mall Bangkapi to the park easily, because you can do on direct road until get to the park. It takes you about ten minutes to reach there.

Khao San road is situated near the historical districts in Bangkok. It borders the meandering waters of the Chao Phraya River. The royal Grand Palace and the peaceful majestic grounds of Wat Po are within walking distance as well as Thailand’s national museums and other cultural and educational institutions. For many travelers who wish to explore Bangkok’s historical and cultural sights on a budget, making Khao San road as your base is ideal. Hostels are dotted all over Bangkok but staying in a hostel in Khao San road will ensure you’re near a cheap and filling authentic Thai meal served al fresco at arms reach.

Charoendee Hostel for example cost 250 Baht with coffee, tea and toast for breakfast. They even include free wi-fi for all you Internet junkies who who can’t wait to check emails. And there’s the Chada Hostel with 350 Baht rooms that include a private bathroom, which is the truest luxury in the hostel living backpacker’s world. Though they don’t include breakfast though. Not a shame at all since you can land yourself a tasty Pad Thai outside for 25 Baht.

Finally we have the Shambara Boutique Hostel. It’s a unique little former house with old world charms set on the side road off the noise and sometimes chaos of Bangkok’s heavy traffic. It’s peaceful settings and homey feel will leave you feeling homesick when you checkout. A room at the Shambara will set you back around 350 Baht including a simple breakfast. Hostels in Khao San road are one of the true best values in Bangkok and a great area to explore other parts of this exotic and fascinating city. Plus it doesn’t hurt that staying in Khao San road will leave you with enough money in your pocket once you return home.

1.Tuk Tuk (three-wheeled taxi)
For some of you who have already visited Bangkok for few times may be familiar with this kind of transport. They are a kind of non-air condition taxi, which you can ask them to take you to anywhere in Bangkok area. The most distinct advantage of using Tuk Tuk is the price is really cheap and you can negotiate for the fare before you decide to take it. The first rule of thumb of using Tuk Tuk is you must negotiate to get cheaper price and this is possible. Normally you can negotiate for up to 50 – 100 Baht less that what the driver offer, if the driver refuses to discount, do not waste your time with him, and just go for another one.

2. Bus
It is quite common for Bankokians to take bus, but for foreign travellers, especially first time travellers to get confused. This is because there are almost five hundred bus lines throughout Bangkok. However, bus is the cheapest transport in Bangkok. There is information about Bangkok bus line available in tourist information center around Bangkok area. The disadvantage of bus transport is you have to know the name of destination that you are going to visit, so it seems to be very difficult for first visit travellers. Therefore, if you intend to use bus as you major transport, make sure that you study about bus routes, number as well as the name of destinations that you are going to visit.

3. Air-conditioned taxi
This is probably the most convenient way of transport and it is also cost a lot too. Fare is varied depends on the distance of your travel. The distance and fare will be automatically calculated by electronic meter so you do not have to ask for fare quote or make negotiations. All you have to do is know the name of destination and tell the driver.