Sa Wa Dee Kah! "Welcome" We at BangkokHotels.com have put together this information more as a primer for first time visitors to Bangkok; certainly Bangkok veterans will already know most of this material. That said, this should get most people off to a good start. If you are looking for more information on Bangkok there are any number of good guide books from which to choose. BTW, if you are one of those Bangkok veterans and you think we missed something, don't hesitate to drop us an e-mail.

Weather
Bangkok lies 13° 50' (1,539 km) north of the equator. The weather is tropical; hot, sunny and humid. There are essentially three seasons in Bangkok; warm, hot and wet. That said, November - March are the most temperate months and generally considered the best time, weather wise, to visit. Daytime temperatures range between 24° to 30° C (75° to 86° F)

April - June are the hot months. Daytime temperature averages between 28° C to 36° C (83° F to 96° F) although it can get as high as 40°C (104° F) and together with 75% humidity (not to mention the heat from vehicle engines idling in a traffic jam) it often feels much hotter. Nighttime, whilst not as stifling, is still warm by any standard making Bangkok what must be one of the warmest metropolitan areas in the world

The third season, the wet season, occurs July - October with September being the wettest with over 30 centimetres of rainfall on average during the month. However the rainy season is still not a bad time to visit. It doesn't rain all day (rain showers, although intense, last an hour or so during mid afternoon) and the cloud cover during the day keeps the temperature down while the rain clears and cleanses the air.

General Information
The city of Bangkok is located on an alluvial plain bisected by the Chao Phraya River. The name Bangkok is a very short version of the official name (click here) and usually translated as "City of Angels". The urban sprawl combined with the lack of a definable "downtown" makes orientation somewhat complicated. Because of its many canals (klongs) Bangkok was once known as the "Venice of the East". Today Bangkok is growing upwards as quickly as outwards but don't be mislead by the Bangkok's modern skyline; Bangkok is an Oriental city disguised by western architectural styles.

It is also home to some of the most time consuming maddening traffic jams in Asia. Air and noise pollution are a major source of irritation for city residents. However in an attempt to ease the legendary traffic congestion some klongs have been filled in and turned into streets while in 1999 the BTS (sky train) became operational. These developments together with MRT (subway), which opened in late 2004, have made a noticeable difference. Indeed, anyone who claims that Bangkok has the worst traffic in Asia would do well to visit Jakarta, which, from what we can see, seems to have succeeded in wresting this dubious distinction away from Bangkok.

With an ever increasing population of approximately 8-9 million people, Bangkok continues to grow as people from the countryside flock to the city looking for work. Overcrowding, pollution, traffic jams and oppressive heat can at times, overwhelm the visitor. Our advice is to not despair or get frustrated by the many physical and cultural challenges this megalopolis presents. After all you are there for a relatively short time and do not have to face these challenges everyday. The fact is, that with a little guidance and some careful planning you can have a very pleasant stay in the capital city of "The Land of Smiles".

A Short History
Early history suggests that the Thai people are descendants of a race of people known as the Tai, who lived in China and began migrating south approximately 10,000 years ago. Until approximately 800 AD the area today known as Thailand was a series of small fiefdoms ruthlessly controlled by local war lords. From the 9th century to 13th century the neighboring Khmer empire of Ankor was the major power player in Southeast Asia. Ankor dominated Siam, which was the official name of the country until 1939 when the country officially became known as Thailand.

In 1238 a Tai lord by the name of Sri Indraditya joined forces with Pha Muang to chase the Khmer rulers out of the city known as Sukhothai (the city name translates into "the dawn of happiness"). Thereafter Sri Indraditya established the Kingdom of Siam. His son King Ramkhamhaeng expanded the kingdom's borders to include what is now Chang Mai, western Cambodia, eastern Burma and Malaysia. It is in fact King Ramkhamhaeng who is blamed for the destruction of Ankor Wat.

It was during this time that the Tai people started referring to themselves as Thai. The glory that was Sukhothai lasted only as long as the king himself. The Kingdom of Ayutthaya took control of Sukhothai in the fourteenth century and Ayuththaya became the regional power from 1351 until 1767. As such it established diplomatic relations and maritime trade with China, Japan, Portugal, Netherlands, England and France.

The Kingdom of Burma invaded Ayutthaya in 1767, destroyed the city and occupied the territory. Shortly thereafter a former official named Taksin raised a small army and drove the Burmese out. The self proclaimed King Taksin reclaimed the lost territories of Cambodia, Burma and Laos. He also established his capital city near what is today known as Bangkok. Illness forced Taksin to turn over control to one of his most successful generals in Thai history, Chao Phraya Mahakasatsuk. After his coronation Chao Phraya was given the name Rama, after the hero in the epic poem, Ramakian.

Chao Phraya was thus the first monarch of the Chakri dynasty, which rules the country to this day. Rama’s grandson was King Mongkut (Rama IV). Mongkut ruled from 1851 - 1868 and is credited with keeping Siam from becoming a European colony, the fate that had befallen Burma, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Malaysia. Nonetheless Rama IV is credited with westernizing the country, it is in fact Mongkut who is featured in the book "Anna and the King of Siam" by the self indulgent Anna Leonowens. It is this book, which is the basis for the popular musical "The King & I". As a point of interest, that musical can never be performed in Thailand as it is considered disrespectful to King Mongkut. The author is known to have written false accounts of the king in order to sell more books and she had very little direct contact with the King, contrary to the play and film versions so popular in the West.

Mongkut's heir, Chululongkorn, is credited with modernizing the country. When he ascended to the throne there were no railroads, schools or hospitals in Siam. He also expanded the government ministries from four to twelve and included post and telecommunications. He remains one of the most revered and popular Monarchs in the country's history.

Siam participated in World War I on the side of the Allies. In 1932 King Prajadhipok changed the government from an absolute Monarchy to a Constitutional Monarchy after a military coup. Then in 1941 the Thai government sided with the occupying force of Japan and declared war on the US and Great Britain. However, the Free Thai movement gained control of the country late in the war and fought openly against Japan.

1946 saw Thailand become a member of the United Nations and the ascent to the throne of the current Monarch, the much beloved King Bhumibol Adulyadej. Since W.W.II, Thailand has been dominated by the military and has experienced more than twenty coups and countercoups interspersed with short-lived experiments with democracy. The present civilian government is has been popularly elected.

Religion
Buddhism is the official religion of the Kingdom and is practiced by 95% of the population. Buddhist monks often lead prayers at official ceremonies. Many Buddhists in Thailand go to the temple only on special occasions and holidays. Every Thai neighborhood or village has a wat, or temple. That said, Thailand has a history of tolerance for other religious beliefs. Muslim traders from the Middle East, India, Malaysia and Indonesia brought Islam to southern Thailand centuries ago. Today Muslims are concentrated in the south of the country and make up approximately 4% of the Thai population. Only about one half of one percent of Thais are Christians but there are fewer Hindus than Christians and some hill tribes are Animists who believe that all things have souls (the sun, the weather, the mountains etc.).

All Buddhist images, old, new, ruined or incomplete must be shown "respect". When visiting temples be sure to cover shoulders (no tank tops). Also no short shorts or "provocative, attention getting" clothing should be worn. Shoes may be worn on temple grounds but must be removed when entering an area containing the image of Buddha.

Simple Etiquette
Thais are tolerant, gentle, easy going, very modest and ooze hospitality. They do however, place importance on certain social conventions that any visitor should follow to avoid embarrassment and demonstrate respect.

The proper greeting is the ‘wai’. This is performed by placing the palms together and raising them to the face with the fingertips at eye level and inclining the head slightly forward. In general a younger person will perform the wai to an older person who will then return the greeting. It is not expected that visitors perform the wai. However, if and when you do wai, you will be rewarded with a wonderful smile, for being such a culturally sensitive farang (foreigner).

It is also common courtesy to use the first name, given name or nickname and not the family name. This is actually a very convenient custom as most Thai family names are polysyllabic tongue-twisters for visitors. Use the title Khun for adults.

Thais regard the head as most important part of the body. It is a serious insult to touch anyone's head. If you should touch someone's head unintentionally, you should immediately offer a sincere apology.

As for the feet it is extremely rude to step over someone or kick them and do not point to an object on the ground with your foot. Avoid placing your feet on the table while sitting. Remove your shoes before entering a private residence.

Losing one's temper is the ultimate in "bad manners". Do not raise your voice if (when) you are upset. You lose respect and any consideration when doing so. Take a deep breath and say "mai pen rai" which translates into "never mind" or "it doesn't matter".

Women should never touch a Buddist monk nor give anything directly to him or receive anything directly from him.

Finally, the visitor must not underestimate the reverence the average Thai citizen feels toward their monarch. Anything that bears a likeness of the King is shown respect (and that includes money!).