Key areas

Siam Square Bangkok never had a definitive downtown per se, but this is changing now that the two Skytrain lines intersect at Siam Square. Here are large shopping plazas like Mahboonkrong Centre, Siam Discovery Centre and Siam Centre, lots of movie theatres, restaurants and shops, as well as several large shopping/office buildings still under construction.

Silom Road Near Siam Square, this road runs from the serene Riverside neighbourhood, with some of the best hotels in the world, through sleepy office towers, banks and embassies in the city’s financial district, and finishes at Patpong Road, a red-light district, which is such a famous tourist attraction that it has a McDonald’s at either end.

Chinatown When asked to vacate the land where the Grand Palace now stands, the late 18th-century Chinese residents established themselves here. It seethes with people, markets, restaurants and temples and gives a glimpse of what Bangkok used to be like.

Ko Ratanakosin The oldest part of Bangkok, this is where the ancient Royal Palace, Wat Phra Kaew and Wat Pho stand. For these and other reasons it’s the first stop for most visitors.

Banglamphu is home to Bangkok’s backpacker ghetto, centred on and around Khaosan Road.

Dusit North Banglamphu is the royal district, with the Chitralada Palace, the actual residence of King Bhumipol and Queen Sirikit. This is closed to the public. Klong Toey A large district west of Siam Square, it is sliced in half by Sukhumvit Road. This is the heart of the new Bangkok and home to many mid-priced hotels, bars, clubs, restaurants, bookstores, tailors shops and more than a few red-light districts.

Thonburi On the other side of the Chao Phraya River lies the vast other half of Bangkok, where millions sleep but few foreign travellers venture.

Getting around

Since opening in December 1999, the Skytrain has been a godsend to anyone who needs to get around the congested city quickly. Its two lines meet at Siam Square. One line travels east along Sukhumvit Road and north to Chatuchak weekend market. The other goes south from Siam Square, along Silom Road, ending at Saphan Taksin, a bridge over the Chao Phraya River. The average fare is about 50p (40 baht), but you can make big savings with multi-trip and multi-day tickets if you’re moving around a lot. Travelling became even easier in mid-2004 with the opening of a new 22km subway, forming with the Skytrain a giant rectangle across central Bangkok. Subway fares are currently 15-25p (10-15 baht).

Take metered taxis anywhere the Skytrain and underground don’t go. Fares are 45p (35 baht) for the first 2km and about 6p (4.50 baht) for each kilometre after. You have to pay the expressway tolls.

The alternative is a tuk-tuk, the loud, three-wheeled marvel for which Thailand is famous. Tuk-tuks have a roof, but are otherwise open to the elements, and unmetered, so agree a price before sitting down. A short trip should cost no more than 50-65p (40-50 baht). Some drivers might try to take you to a shop where they will be on commission. Be firm and say no. Motorbikes are another alternative, at 70p (60 baht) per journey.

Shopping

Chatuchak Weekend Market, on both the Skytrain and underground, is an amazing experience if you have a Saturday or Sunday to spare. Thousands of tiny stalls in rows of buildings sell all types of clothing, Thai and Asian handicrafts, snakes, puppies, chickens, jewellery, plants and furniture to more than 200,000 people a day. The crowds can be stifling, with narrow aisles separating the stalls, so watch your possessions and your step. If you see something you like, by all means negotiate a price and buy it, because you’ll never find that stall again.

Get lost for a few hours in Central World Plaza on Rajadamri Road, near Chit Lom Skytrain stop. It’s a massive eight-floor shopping mall with hundreds of trendy shops, department stores at each end, a hotel and an ice-skating rink upstairs. Across the street is Narayana Phand, a government-private joint venture that is the city’s largest handicrafts emporium.

It has fixed, reasonable prices for silk, jewellery, ceramics, bronze figurines, silver and wood carvings (website: www. naraiphand.com)—an ideal place to buy souvenirs and gifts.

Panthip Plaza (604/3 Petchaburi Road) is geek heaven. A short taxi ride or fairly easy walk from Central World Plaza, it has five floors crammed with computer-related shops. It is most famous for cheap, pirated software, which police crackdowns have discouraged but not quite eliminated. But there is much more here for those with a technical bent.

Mahboonkrong, or MBK Centre (National Stadium Skytrain stop), dominates Siam Square. There are hundreds of tiny shops and stalls, selling just about everything, and prices are often not fixed, even when marked. Kitty-corner to MBK Centre, accessible by a raised walkway, is the Siam Discovery Centre, and beside it is the Siam Centre, both with upmarket shops, boutiques and restaurants.

It has just been reported that the property under the delightful Suam Lum Night Bazaar, a small, comfortable market near Lumphini subway station, has been sold to a developer and may close in the next year—so get there before it does.

Gifts to buy

Very little is made in the provinces of Thailand that does not find its way to Bangkok, including wood carvings, paintings and woven baskets. Thai silk is justifiably world renowned. Jim Thompson’s (main store 9 Suriwong Road) has high-quality silk by the metre or hand-crafted into shirts, blouses, dresses and cushion covers. Items can be made to measure very quickly.

Thais create some of the finest jewellery in the world. Unfortunately, the industry has been tarnished by gem scams. It takes an expert to recognise quality, so it’s best to stick to reputable shops like Johnny’s Gems at 199 Fuang Nakhon Road in Ko Ratanakosin, or from shops in big hotels.

Things to do

A blend of sightseeing, people-watching, souvenir shopping and perhaps a taste of nightlife on the wild side sum up most visitors’ time in Bangkok. First stop for many is the Royal Palace, near the riverside in Ko Ratanakosin. It’s like something from a dream, with gilded Thai roof lines, but it’s no longer the royal residence. It adjoins Thailand’s most sacred temple, Wat Phra Kaew, the spired home of the tiny, mysterious Emerald Buddha. You can’t take pictures and should dress appropriately and show respect. Entry is about [00a3]2.70 (200 baht). Nearby is Wat Pho, home of the massive Reclining Buddha, and the National Museum, giving an insight to Thai history and culture.

Bangkok was once known as the ‘Venice of Asia’, but many canals (klongs) were filled in for roads because they technically weren’t owned by anyone and were therefore simple to acquire. Sukhumvit, Silom and Sathorn roads were all formerly canals. Still, the view from the water that remains can be hypnotic. The Chao Phraya River Express starts near Saphan Krungthep at Wat Ratsingkhon pier and travels north to Nonthaburi, taking about 45 minutes, but you can board it at many piers along the way. For a fascinating round trip, take the Klong Bangkok Noi taxi from Chang pier, near the Royal Palace, which travels north through Thonburi, terminating at Bang Yai. Then walk to nearby Wat Sao Thong Hin to catch the Klong Om water taxi to Nonthaburi, from where the Chao Phraya River Express will take you south again to Chang pier. Fares on river taxis are up to 40p (30 baht).

Excursions

After an intense week traipsing around Asia and a couple of days fighting the Bangkok traffic between meetings, you’ll deserve a relaxing ‘away from it all’ weekend. There are many easy escape routes from Bangkok, with the islands being just a short flight away. Bradmans checked-out two resorts on the islands of Samui and Phuket.

Samui has been extensively developed in the past decade but not overly so. Whilst the main drag of Chaweng is fairly hectic, with lots of shops, clubs and girly bars, the southern and northern parts of the island offer greater seclusion.

The Sila Evason Hideaway is located on the northern tip, about 20 minutes from the airport. It is set amongst 20 acres of indigenous plants and offers stunning views. All villas are private, split level and have an open-style bathroom, creating an atmosphere of space and light. There are also uninterrupted views of the surrounding sea and islands from almost every location in the villa. Infinity edge private swimming pools in most of the villas blend into the horizon and help maintain a feeling of seclusion even though all of the resort’s facilities are close at hand and augmented by your very own butler.

This place is pure escapism and the spa offers an opportunity to put the stressful week behind you. There are just the right programmes to send you back to Bangkok thoroughly refreshed and ready to challenge the vigour’s of your business week. The island also has an excellent PGA championship golf course.

Phuket also has a huge amount to offer; shopping in Patong, good golf courses, The Aquarium at Cape Panwa, Gibbon Rehabilitation Centre (Khao Phua Thaew Forest reserve), night markets or island hopping on a speedboat, stopping in deserted coves and snorkelling off the boat.

The Banyan Tree offers 115 stunning villas surrounded by lush tropical gardens and Asian watercourts. It’s located on Bang Tao Bay, just 20 mins from Phuket International Airport and has rightly earned the honour of being voted the ‘World’s Best Spa Resort’ by readers of Condé Nast Traveller, the ‘Best Resort Hotel in Asia’ by The Asian Wall Street Journal and CNBC Asia. There are different styles of villas, ranging from the traditional Thai style pavilions to the top end Spa Pool Villas, which have glass edged private pools with underwater hydro beds, separate outdoor Jacuzzi and bath area, outdoor massage beds under a gilded canopy and a huge king size bed set in a glass enclosed floating pavilion, surrounded by a lily pond. The whole spa experience can be performed in villa, so you need never leave the room till its time to be chauffeured back to the airport. Superb golf, great food and relaxing spa treatments make this a truly wondrous place to escape too.

There are literally hundreds of similar resorts throughout Asia that are easily accessible from Bangkok, such as Pataya, Trat, Krabi or even Male in the Maldives. But be sure to follow one motto though, work hard, but play and relax harder.

Sila Evason Hideaway & Spa at Samui 9/10 Moo 5, Baan Plai Laem, Bophut, Koh Samui, Surathani 84320 Thailand Tel: 66 077 245 678 www.sixsenses.com/hideaway-samui/ index.php

Banyan Tree 33 Moo 4 Srisoonthorn Road Cherngtalay, Amphur Talang Phuket 83110 Thailand Tel: 66 76 324 374 www.banyantree.com Bangkok Airways, Asia’s boutique airline, operate daily flights from Bangkok to Samui and Phuket. www.bagkokair.com

Convention centres

Bangkok International Trade and Exhibition Centre (BITEC), 8 BangnaTrad Road in Bangna, eastern Bangkok, Tel: 749 3939, Fax: 749 3949, email: info@bitec.net. 14/49 Moo 6, Srinakarin Road (Tel: 366 0505, email: business@nov otelbangnabangkok.com).

Bangkok Convention Centre is within the Sofitel Central Plaza Bangkok, a hotel/ shopping complex at 1695 Phahonyothin Road, Tel: 541 1234, email: scp@chr.co.th for both convention centre and hotel.