This reception hall was built in the early 1900s and is part of the vast complex called Dusit Palace. Construction began under HM King Chulalongkorn, but he did not live to see the marble structure completed. These days Throne Hall, which is across the street from Dusit Zoo on U-Thong Nai Road, houses dazzlingly ornate palanquins and other royal regalia....

This little museum offers a very unique and intimate portrait of Bangkok in the mid-20th century. The teak houses on the shady, somewhat overgrown grounds are filled with furniture and photos of the family that lived here. The ground floor of the back house contains a motley assortment of household items dating from the early 20th century through the 1970s....

This Italo-Thai collaboration was built as a monument to Thailand’s first constitution in 1939. Since that time it has served as the rallying point of many political demonstrations. In 1992 hundreds of thousands of people protested against General Suchinda Kraprayoon’s regime at the Monument, and dozens if not hundreds of them were killed for it. Anusawari Prachathipatai, as it is called...

This red, towering, almost modernist monument looks Chinese, yet it isn’t. The original structure dates back to the beginning of Bangkok itself and was used in Brahmanic rituals that were dangerous and at times deadly. No one knows how tall the original swing was. It has been replaced multiple times since its construction in 1784, most recently in 2005. It...

When Rama I moved the capital of the kingdom, the city of Krung Thep – or Bangkok as foreigners call it – was born. So was this extensive complex of buildings and monuments of both royal and religious significance. Some are still used for ceremonies, but Wat Phra Kaew, the most sacred temple in Thailand, has no resident monks these...

Hualamphong is Bangkok’s main train station and most long-distance trains depart and arrive from here. Trains make their way to major cities and destinations throughout Thailand and beyond on Northern, Northeastern, Eastern, Western, and Southern Lines. The station is also a terminus of the Eastern & Orient Express, with luxury service to Singapore, Chiang Mai, and the capital of Laos,...

This museum is very well designed and informative. The exhibits are engaging and interactive, and adults as much as children like playing the animated educational games, handling traditional toys made of reeds, and sitting in the post-WWII Thai diner. Texts are all in Thai and English. Exhibits begin with the Suvarnabhumi era 5,000 years ago and run up to the...

This text-heavy historic and anthropological museum with a nationalistic bent is ready for a renovation. It’s one of those field-trip destinations that become too didactic. The best approach here is to look at the artifacts and not read too much. Don’t miss the musical instruments, the terracotta Buddhas, the wood carvings, the royal palanquins. Be sure to wander the grounds...

This fort once formed part of a city wall built during the reign of Rama I. The wall headed east from here, reaching a canal that ran south and functioned as a moat. This effectively formed a protected island, and that’s why the neighborhood is still called Rattanakosin Island. For years the fort was in disarray, but today the whitewashed...

This huge boathouse on the Chao Phraya River has eight ornately carved Royal Barges and other artifacts and documentation. The tradition of members of royalty sailing on the river in ornate, carved golden boats dates back to the Ayutthaya Period. The boats have carved figureheads on the bows that often depict stars from the Hindu pantheon such as Hanuman the...

King Chulalongkorn and his family lived in this carved golden teak structure during the early 20th century. Its East-meets-West luxurious domesticity and modern advancements, like the kingdom’s first indoor bathtub, reflect key interests of its royal owner. Surprising to learn, then, that Rama V only resided here five years. To see the mansion and all of the antiques and royal...

The Temple of Dawn is one of the most easily recognized monuments in Bangkok thanks to its 81-meter-high Phra Buddha Prang. The tower, covered in ceramic shards and shells, can be climbed via steep staircases, above each of which are statues of Indra riding Erawan. The four smaller prangs – or spires – around it feature statues of the wind...

While the Temple of the Emerald Buddha and Grand Palace are undeniably high on the list of sites to see, Wat Pho wins big points for its seniority and pastel-colored beauty. Known as The Temple of the Reclining Buddha in English, this is one the oldest temples in Bangkok, dating to the 16th century before the city was here. The...

Yaowarat Road is the heart of Chinatown in Bangkok and a must-see for anyone who wants to immerse him or herself in Chinese culture. It’s bustling all the time. The street is lined with traditional Chinese pharmacies that sell herbal and medicinal remedies, gold shops, and dim sum parlors. There are some good hotels here, including Shanghai Mansion, which used...