Bangkok

At first glance Bangkok seems chaotic. At second glance, too. But that is precisely what makes this lively, vibrant metropolis of 8 million - or perhaps 12 million - so charming. The city on the Chao Phraya River with its mixture of tradition and hyper-modernity, hustle and bustle and serenity, the exotic and the banal, the meditative and the extroverted, polarizes and fascinates with its complexity and seemingly irreconcilable opposites. Nevertheless, it continues to cast a spell over me.

In the ranking (Global Destination Cities Index) of the most popular cities in the world, Bangkok is the frontrunner with more than 22 million visitors - number 1. The Thai metropolis is known for its rich cultural heritage, XXL shopping, nightlife and an exciting gastronomic scene that has long since moved on from street food to Michelin-starred cuisine. But it's not just the culinary scene in Thailand's capital that is changing at a dizzying pace, the skyline is also growing as you look. Along the Chao Phraya, the omnipresent river of kings that runs through Bangkok like a main artery, the golden domes and roofs of centuries-old temples glitter in the morning mist, competing with avant-garde, glass skyscrapers. The face of the city is currently changing more than ever before here by the river. South of the hyper-luxury mall ICONSIAM, which opened at the end of last year on the east bank, new designer residential towers with 70 floors and more are rising into the sky.

City of angels and contrasts

Brand new high-end hotels such as Four Seasons and Capella will open their doors on the riverbank early next year. A new creative district has developed to the right and left of the river. The creative scene has settled in old colonial buildings and renovated warehouses with galleries, restaurants, cafés, start-ups and individual and innovative design and interior stores. Cool lifestyle districts such as Jam Factory and Lhong1919 have emerged.

"One night in Bangkok" is not enough. It should be a few days, because there is so much to discover. Sightseeing classics include the Grand Palace with its magnificent architecture, Wat Phra Kaeo, the temple of the legendary Emerald Buddha, Wat Arun, the Temple of Dawn, and Wat Pho with its mighty reclining Buddha - 46 meters long and made entirely of gold. You should throw a few baht into the silver bowls behind his back - this is said to promote good karma and a happy rebirth. Like Munich's English Garden or Central Park in New York, the lake-filled Lumphini Park is the green lung of the city. In the morning, people jog, cycle or do tai chi. In the evenings, bands perform on a stage and rock the park. The new Bangkok is more likely to be discovered along Sukhumvit Road, a large street that stretches endlessly towards the south-east. Luxury malls, countless chic bars, clubs and restaurants are lined up here. Further east is the hip district of Thonglor - one of the most sought-after residential areas for well-heeled Thais and expats with a cool bar and gallery scene, gourmet temples, cafés and community malls.

Other must-sees & -dos are the lively Chinatown, the exuberant flower market, which may soon no longer exist, or a boat trip through the klongs, e.g. to the Baan Silapin artists' house. Recommended means of transport are the express boat on the Chao Phraya and - wherever possible - the Skytrain, which floats air-conditioned on high concrete stilts over the permanent traffic jam - while a cab can take half an hour to travel one kilometer. The more daring can plunge into the hustle and bustle in a tuk tuk, which is guaranteed to fit through the eye of every needle, and are happy to accept a higher adrenaline level in return. If you then need to relax, treat yourself to a massage at the Footmaster in Amarin Plaza or at Wat Pho, the traditional massage school in Bangkok's oldest temple.

Gourmet kitchens & temples

Clouds of chili waft from cookshops and woks . It smells of coriander and lemongrass. Food is a passion of the Thais. It is not for nothing that Thai cuisine is one of the best in the world. Bangkok's culinary scene is now on a par with established gourmet destinations such as Tokyo or Hong Kong. The choice of restaurants is limitless and ranges from the hyped star temple Canvas to Le Du, Indigo or the Supanniga Eating Room to Sala Rim Naam in the Oriental and Thiptara in the Peninsula Hotel. And it wouldn't be surprising if you wanted to sign up for a cooking class immediately after enjoying your meal. Many hotels and restaurants also have their own cooking schools. Renovated and spruced up according to state-of-the-art criteria, hotel legends such as the famous Mandarin Oriental or the classically beautiful Sukhothai shine in new splendor. Hardly any other metropolis is richer in luxury hotels than Bangkok and new hotels are still being added.

If you have always wanted to see the "City of Angels" , as Bangkok is called, from heavenly heights, head up to the Sky Walk of the 314-metre-high King Power Mahanakhon (Bangkok's second tallest building) - the 360-degree view is breathtaking and the glass platform promises pure adrenaline. The glamorous star among the luxury shopping malls is the ICONSIAM Mall, which was opened last year by HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, the King's sister - Thailand's largest mall with a fabulous investment volume of 1.6 billion dollars. With its impressive architecture directly on the Chao Phraya and the limitless range of art, culture and lifestyle activities on offer, even shopping paradises such as Dubai or London seem boring. Here you can buy a Porsche or Maserati sports car to match your Gucci silk skirt. But shopping temples such as EmQuartier, Emporium, Central Embassy and Siam Paragon, where fashion by Dior, Armani and Jimmy Choo is just as trendy as in Paris or Milan, also make the hearts of all shopping aficionados and fashionistas beat faster. The famous night markets with guaranteed fake Rolexes, Pradas and Tods are cheaper. For antiques and fine souvenirs, the elegant River City on the Chao Phraya is the place to be.

Shop till you drop

If you are looking for a two-tonne Buddha for your garden at home or your loft, you are guaranteed to find it at Bamrung Muang, where Bangkok's monks also shop. For market lovers with a penchant for haggling, the gigantic Chatuchak Market is an absolute must at the weekend with its incredibly diverse range of goods: a labyrinth of alleyways and aisles with crowds and shuffling along the thousands of stalls, where the unusual, rare and expensive are sold alongside banal everyday items, fake luxury brands, spices and even pets. Thais say that if you can't find what you're looking for here, you won't find it anywhere else in Thailand. In addition to culture and shopping, you should definitely also experience Bangkok's green side and play a round of golf. There are more than 50 excellent courses in and around Bangkok, designed by renowned golf course designers such as Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo and Greg Norman. The private Thai Country Club, which is under Peninsula management, is one of the best courses in the country. Guests of the Peninsula Hotel can fly directly from the hotel to the golf course by helicopter, bypassing the constant rush hour traffic jams.

Bangkok's nightlife is famous, sometimes infamous and definitely overwhelming. If you want to experience nightlife in Thailand's capital, you can't miss the clubs: The Sing Sing Theater, a Hollywood version of the 1930s in Shanghai, was created by Ashley Sutton with lots of red light, lanterns and a sensational interior design - the ultimate club experience with DJs and live musicians on Sukhumvit Road. This is where the young Thai society parties, which you can also meet in the trendy bars in Thonglor. A relaxed start to the evening always begins in one of the many spectacular rooftop bars at dizzying heights. We sip a cocktail recommended by the beautiful waitress and watch as the glowing red sun disappears behind the Bangkok skyline. The city at our feet begins to sparkle and glow.

Text: Heike Neuenburg

Bangkok fascinates with a world between modern glass facades and the golden roofs of Buddhist temples.

! Photo: © shutterstock!

Highlights

Connoisseur special tip:
Visit the Pak Klong Talat flower and spice market, the visual and olfactory impressions are breathtaking. Here you can see all of Thailand's blossom and flower glories - for sale by the kilo and bag at ridiculously low prices.
www.thailandtourismus.de

And if you want to relax after so many tourist activities, then we recommend the Oriental Hotel's spa, for example, which also serves external guests by appointment. A massage in this stylish old Thai building, to which you are taken by barge across the river from the hotel's main building,
is an experience!
www.oriental.com

DIPLOMATISCHE VERTRETUNGEN

in Germany
Royal Thai Embassy
Lepsiusstrasse 64/66, 12163 Berlin, Germany
Phone: +49 30 794810
Fax: +49 30 79481511
E-mail: general@thaiembassy.de
www.thaiembassy.de

in Austria
Embassy of the Kingdom of Thailand in Austria
Cottagegasse 48, 1180 Vienna, Austria
Phone: +43 1 4783335
Fax: +43 1 4782907
E-Mail: embassy@thaivienna.at
www.thaiembassy.at

in Switzerland
Royal Thai Consulate General
Löwenstrasse 42, 8021 Zurich, Switzerland
Phone: +41 43 3447000
Fax: +41 43 3447001
E-mail: info@thai-consulate.at
www.thai-consulate.ch

Lage

Thailand

Fläche

513 115 km² (Bangkok 1 569 km²)

Bevölkerung

69 Mio

Anreise

Der Airport Suvarnabhumi wird mehrmals täglich ab Frankfurt, München, Wien oder Zürich angeflogen. Für den Weg in die Stadt sollte man 45-60 Min. rechnen.

Hauptstadt

Bangkok

Religion

Theravada Buddhism

Weather

Bangkok befindet sich in der tropischen Klimazone.Hauptregenzeit ist zwischen Mai und Oktober, in einzelnen Stadtgebieten muss im September und Oktober mit Überschwemmungen gerechnet werden. März und April sind die heißesten und anstrengendsten Monate in Bangkok.

Beste Reisezeit

Die Monate November bis Februar entsprechen einem mitteleuropäischem Traumsommer

Klima

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Max. Temperaturen	32	33	34	35	34	33	32	32	32	31	31	31
Min. Temperaturen	20	23	24	26	25	25	25	24	24	24	23	20
Sonnenstunden	8	8	8	10	8	6	5	5	5	6	7	8
Regentage	1	2	3	4	13	14	15	15	17	13	4	1

Zeitverschiebung

MEZ +6 Stunden (während der europäischen Sommerzeit +5)

Währung

Bhat

Visa

Ein Aufenthalt ohne Visum ist bis zu 30 Tage möglich. Der Reisepass muss mindestens noch sechs Monate gültig sein. Nähere Informationen bei Ihrer Botschaft.

Vaccinations

No special vaccinations are required and Bangkok is considered malaria-free.