Now it’s time to go on your way to Bangkok. Bangkok which has gotten more attention lately than the original touristy city of Pattaya is busy with activity, crowds and history. Thailand and more specifically, Bangkok have some of the best spas in the world. The spas in Bangkok are worth the price and a great way to unwind from a busy day sightseeing. Playing golf in Bangkok is another great activity, and they offer some of the most beautiful golf courses in the world. Shopping is popular here as well. With great prices and stores that love to give up to 80% off, shopping in Bangkok is worth an afternoon exploring the shopping districts instead of relaxing in your hotel or sitting down at a caf.

The Top 3 Bars You Must Visit in Bangkok or Regret It for the Rest of Your Life

1. V9. The V9 Hotel is must for any bar goer. It gets packed with young travelers and locals every night of the week and won’t stop until early in the morning. It is located on the 37th floor of the lovely Sofitel Silom hotel and has an extensive wine collection, relaxing environment and beautiful views of the city.

2. The Bed. The Bed is a hot spot for locals, and even more so for travelers in Bangkok for a short time. It has drinking, dancing and food, and is split up in two sections. There are beds for customers to relax on, music that goes until the early morning and waitresses in elegant nightwear.

3. Lucifer. Lucifer is one of the most popular discos in Bangkok, and stays open until 2am. If you want a club to dance all night, have wonderful drinks and meet a lot of people, don’t miss out on this Bangkok club.

Just as important as the clubs, restaurants, hotels and attractions you should see in Bangkok and Pattaya, there are a few overpriced and overhyped places you should miss altogether. Here are three to stay away from.

The Top Three Areas to Stay Away From in Bangkok & Pattaya

1. Patpong. Patpong is notorious in Bangkok for being full of naked ladies – and then some. If you’re on a family vacation or on a trip with your wife, you may want to skip this one altogether.

2. The Golden Buddha. In Bangkok’s Chinatown, tourists come from all over the world to see an enormous Buddha statue. It can be disappointing and slightly overhyped, as the real deal is a medium sized Buddha in an overcrowded area of Bangkok. Consider spending your day at the beach or visiting a shrine instead.

3. Ripley’s Believe It or Not. This can be a waste of an afternoon for many tourists. Believe It or Not is a major tourist destination, although if you can find it back at home, why spend your time here on a Thai vacation? With many unique things to do in Pattaya, you should skip this one and see the sights.

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Author: Fabricio Viet Hoang
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The Bangkok Honeymoon Packages offers you an economy class airfare for your return journey. The couple will be accommodated in good 4-star and 5-star hotels. You will be provided with buffet breakfasts all through your vacation. Moreover, at Phuket you can visit the renowned James Bond Island through a long tail boat. The lunch and refreshments will be delivered to the island by a coach. You can also visit the Big Buddha, the great waterfalls and the other historical temples of the place. The Bangkok Tour Packages ensure that you are provided with a private car to facilitate easy transport while returning.

The nightlife in Bangkok is not much different from what it is during the day; it is noisy and vibrant as ever. But at the same time, it is comfortable, silent and secure for the tourists. The Bangkok Honeymoon Packages offers you a visit to all those places that provide the couples with the seclusion and privacy they are looking for. The nightlife includes a number of paranormal and entertaining activities that will keep you engrossed all through the night. Bangkok Tour Packages provides you with a sumptuous dinner, drink and side by side, the facility to listen to the live jazz performance.

The Bangkok Honeymoon Packages also takes you to Krabi, where you can get to stay for 3 nights in luxurious 3 star hotels. You will be taken for a tour around Bangkok for half a day. This package is specially designed to provide you with a lifetime experience. You can also visit the Koh Samui, the entertaining and engrossing island. The Bangkok Tour Packages engages you a visit to the amazing golden temples, the floating markets and coral reefs and also offers a number of sports to engage in, like scuba diving, parasailing, air ballooning, river-rafting, etc.

Author is an associate editor for Bangkok Tour Packages. Get all possible information about International Vacation Packages and Bangkok Honeymoons. We also provide information about online hotel reservation, Flights Booking and Holidays in India.

Author: Jone Gail
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

A major road linking Thonburi on the west bank of the Chao Phraya to the city center, Sathon Road actually consists of two roads; North Sathon and South Sathon separated by a narrow canal that’s hardly noticeable in the heavy traffic. Our story begins with this canal.

Back in 1892, 24 years into the reign of King Rama V, Chao Sua Yom a wealthy Chinese immigrant was commissioned to dig a canal linking the Chao Phraya River near Wat Yannawa to Hua Lam Pong canal. The earth from the excavation was used to build a road running along each bank of the new canal. Locals called this canal Chao Sua Yom Canal and the road Phor Yom Road.

For his enterprise, Chao Sua Yom was granted to the rights to the land north and south of the canal. In recognition of his services, Chao Sua Yom was awarded the royal title Luang Sathon Rachayuk and the names of the road and canal were subsequently changed to Sathon, in his honor.

The land in Sathon was parceled off into smaller lots and sold to rich merchants, both foreign and Thai, who built European styled mansions. Immigrants flocked to the less fashionable areas to cultivate orchards and plantations.

In the following century however, Sathon went through a complete transformation. The mushrooming of hotels, condominiums, serviced apartments, banks and offices turned Sathon into a prime district in Bangkok. The main Sathon Road hosts some of Bangkok’s best; Banyan Tree, Metropolitan Hotel and Sukhothai Hotel, the pride of the hotels in Sathon.

The embassies caught the trend as well. Twenty countries have established their embassies in Sathon Road; Australia, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Kuwait, Malaysia, Mexico, Myanmar, New Zealand, Oman, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Slovak, Taiwan, the Vatican and the United Arab Emirates.

Many of the sois off Sathon Road, where some of the hotels in Sathon are located, have their stories too.

Would guests at Somerset Park Suan Plu, a serviced apartment is in Soi Suan Plu, have imagined that the area used to be betel plantations and orchards cultivated by Chinese immigrants at the turn of the 20th century. Some of their descendants still live here in the shop houses that line the street. You can occasionally hear the strains of Teochew, a southern Chinese dialect, among the older residents.

Few visitors would have realized the significance of the road names; Soi Suan Plu (betel plantation) and the connecting Nang Linchi Road (Mrs Lychee).

In the seemingly endless sub-branching of sois, Soi Phra Pinit off Suan Plu is the site of M.R. Kukrit Pramoj’s House, a set of traditional Thai houses. Designated a national heritage, the house was the former home of the 13th Prime Minister of Thailand in the mid 1970s. It’s open to visitors on weekends and public holidays. The Yellow Ribbon Hills Executive Mansion, a comfortable hotel/apartment popular with the Japanese, is in this quiet residential lane.

Soi Saladaeng, off North Sathon Road, was part of a large tract of royal land that extended all the way to Lumphini Park and Siam Square. The area got its name from Sala Daeng, the red roofed railway station of the old Paknam line ran by a Danish company linking the city with the port at the mouth of the Chao Phraya.

Saladaeng, is now an up market area popular with cafes, restaurants, condominiums and serviced apartments. The Jim Thompson Saladaeng Café is here. So are three of the hotels in Sathon; Centre Point Saladaeng, Chin House Luxurious Residence and Siri Sathorn Hotel.

At the junction of Convent Road and North Sathon Road, there’s an old Anglican church, Christ Church, built in 1906 by the English residents in Bangkok from a land grant by King Rama V. Unico Grande Sathorn Boutique Service Residence in Soi Pipat off Convent Road is not far away from the walled convent of the Carmelite order of nuns who gave Convent Road its name.

Every hotel tries to establish a distinct signature. In the case of the Evergreen Laurel Hotel, at the junction of North Sathon and Soi 6, its Chinese restaurant serves one of the best Hong Kong tim sum in Bangkok.

The other canal in the area is the Chong Nonsi which runs in a north south direction perpendicular to the Sathon canal. When a road was built along the Chong Nonsi, its name was commonplace, Liap Khlong Chong Nonsi, literally the road skirting the Chong Nonsi canal.

In 1996, the prestige of this road was enhanced when it was renamed Naradhiwas Rajanagarindra Road, (na-ra-thi-wat ra-ja-na-ga-rin), after Kromma Luang Naradhiwas Rajanagarindra, the royal title of HRH Princess Galyani Vadhana, the elder sister of HM the King.

To help non-Thais avoid tripping over their tongues, the name of this road is sometimes spelt as Narathiwat Rajanakarin. Oakwood City Residence, a member of the international apartment chain, is located further down Naradhiwas Road.

Overhead, the skytrain from Silom Road turns into Naradhiwas, stops at the Chong Nonsi station before it turns right into Sathon Road, passing the Ascott Sathorn, another of the hotels in Sathon.

The St Louis Hospital nearby is a non-profit hospital named after King Louis IX of France, the only French king to achieve sainthood. When Bishop Louis Vey founded the hospital in 1898, he provided land for a church in future. His wish was fulfilled much later when the St Louis Church was built in 1957.

Coincidentally the priest responsible for the construction of the church was Bishop Louis Chorin. So it’s no surprise that the soi nearby, though officially named Soi Sathon 13, is commonly known as Soi St Louis.

In 1982, the Taksin Bridge, named after King Taksin of Thonburi, spanning the Chao Phraya was completed, linking Sathon Road with Thonburi. Sathon Road was widened to take the extra traffic and Sathon canal reduced in width. Naradhiwas Road and the Chong Nonsi canal were similarly affected. Though considerably narrower, Sathon and Chong Nonsi are two of the remaining canals in Bangkok.

Few of the old mansions remain, their places taken by condominiums. The orchards and plantations are gone. The Hua Lam Pong canal was filled up to build Rama IV Road where Pinnacle Lumpinee Hotel, a budget hotel not far from the Lumphini subway station, keeps a respectful distance from her 5 star neighbors in the prime embassy row.

There’s an old photo in the Bangrak Museum of what Sathon Road was like in the early 1900s. It’s a scene of old Fords chugging down the road, boats being rowed in the canal and perhaps the occasional bullock cart.

Chao Sua Yom’s decision to dig a canal south of Silom more than a century ago has paid off handsomely. He couldn’t have foreseen then that the road he built would have some of the heaviest traffic in Bangkok a century later. Or that the area would be home to the hotels in Sathon, the crown jewels among Bangkok’s premium hotels.

Hotels in Sathon is part of a series of articles on the historical significance of the locations of Bangkok Hotels. These articles can be found in Tour Bangkok Legacies a historical travel site on people, places and events that left their mark in the landscape of Bangkok.

The author Eric Lim, a free-lance writer, lives in Bangkok Thailand and writes for this do-it-yourself historical travel guide for independent travelers.

Author: Eric Lim
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Some of the biggest banks in Bangkok are Bangkok Bank, Morgan Stanley, Deutsche Bank, ING Bank, and Bank of China. Many banks offer online finance services, as well. They open up a cornucopia of online finance products and promotions, bank information, calculators, branch locators and real-time rates, plus the latest financial news in one complete package.

Every bank in Bangkok offers flexible lending and refinancing options, combined with attractively low interest rates that start at 3.75% for the first year, credit lines of up to 90% of the property appraisal value, and flexible loan terms. They also provide convenient repayment options like the direct debit service. Banks also offer the much needed expert advice and attentive personalized service from their home loan marketing officers.

Internet banking is the latest trend for all Bangkok banks. Direct banking services have been made available on the banks’ Web sites. Internet banking is great for viewing account balances, payment of bills, transfer of funds, suspension of check payment, and many even house secure internal e-mail accounts to contact the bank officials in case of enquiries. Bangkok banks use highly advanced and sophisticated technology to ensure fool-proof banking services. Credit card or plastic money is more popular than ever Bangkok. Banks reward their customers with new offers and special discounts. Many banks offer MasterCard, which offer many special privileges to their users.

Other services offered are ATM cards, prompt branch services, currency exchange, maintenance of foreign customers, and phone banking. Banks recognize that good corporate governance is vital to continued growth and they are very much committed to providing quality news and information to keep their stakeholders and potential investors informed and abreast of developments at the bank.

Bangkok [http://www.Bangkok-Web.com] provides detailed information on Bangkok Hotels, Bangkok, Bangkok Airfare, Bangkok Nightlife and more. Bangkok is affiliated with Bali Culture.

Author: Ken Marlborough
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Cheap Flights to Bangkok are Now Available Online!

To buy tickets to Bangkok, I recommend that you get in touch with an online ticket vendor. These ticket vendors are always open to give you drooling offers and special deals and promotions that are always better than the ordinary.

Famous Landmarks In and Around Bangkok

Every year, people from around the world book cheap flights to Bangkok to experience the glitz and charm of this amazing city. Listed below are some important landmarks in and around Bangkok.

• Palaces and Wats: Bangkok is the home to many palaces and wats. Grand Palace, Wat Phra Kaew, Wat Pho are a few of the most popular palaces and wats.
• Museums: People from around the world love to visit museums when they book cheap flights to Bangkok. The National Museum, which is also the most visited museum in Bangkok, treasures impressive collection of Thai art.
• Chinatown: Include visiting Chinatown on your list of to-do things in Bangkok! This is a great place to taste Chinese food and buy traditional Chinese merchandise.
• Siam Square: Siam Square is popularly called the “Time Square of Bangkok”. This place is the house to large shopping malls, restaurants, fast-food chains, pubs and nightclubs, and a whole lot of modern amenities!
• Floating Market: Floating Market is just an hour’s drive away to the southwest of the city. You will be all worked with the sights and sounds of this amazing place. Visiting Floating Market will be a wonderful experience for sure!
• Dinner Cruise: Dinner cruise is a wonderful way to experience Bangkok while floating down the Chao Phraya River. Good food, good times, and everything else are always available aboard a dinner cruise. This will truly be a remarkable experience.

Do not wait anymore. Book your flights to Bangkok right away and spend time at a place where time stands still!

Luke Brown has been offering Cheap Flights to bangkok information for your travel. To find flights to Bangkok Booking Flights, Last Minute Flights and Airline Tickets that best suit your needs visit crystaltravel.

Author: Luke Chris Brown
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Often referred as “City of Angles”, Bangkok offers endless delight to the vacationers. With Bangkok packages you get the glimpse of the sparkling skyscrapers, dazzling shopping centers, terrific nightlife and Thai hospitality.

Fantastic Nightlife

You will just be enchanted with the vibrant nightlife of Bangkok and would love to be a part of it while enjoying your Bangkok holiday. The city has large number of discos, clubs, restaurants, bars and pubs. While on Bangkok tour, you can even explore the artistic performances in various art forms like music, dance, pop and ballet in the cultural centers.

Delicious Thai Food

One of the most interesting parts of the Bangkok holidays is that you get to relish some of the best Thai cuisines. You can find numerous restaurants which offer traditional Thai dishes, Indian delicacies, Chinese food and even American cuisines. Some of the well planned and customized Bangkok packages include trips to the famous eateries and restaurants.

Soothing Spas

A large number of people organize Bangkok tour with friends or family members to refresh their mind and to escape the humdrum of their busy schedules for a few days. You can discover some of the best spas in Bangkok where you will be provided natural treatments, massage therapies and beauty treatments at affordable prices. Just relaxing in the perfect ambience and enjoying your Bangkok holidays gives an exhilarating feeling. After the completion of your Bangkok tour, you will feel refreshed to the core and will be ready to take on your life with vigor and energy.

World Famous Temples

Almost every Bangkok packages include visit to the city’s oldest and largest temple, Wat Pho or Temple of the Reclining Buddha. Build around 200 years ago, the gold plated statue of Lord Buddha which symbolizes Lord Buddha passing into nirvana makes a stunning sight. The temple is also renowned for its teaching of traditional massage and herbal medications. Also, Wat Arun or The Temple of Dawn with its decorative tiles and creative designs magnetizes the onlookers even from a distance.

Come on a Bangkok tour with your friends, family and loved ones and savor some of the most exciting moments of your life!

Author is an associate editor for Bangkok Packages. Get all possible information about International Travel Packages and Bangkok Tour Packages. We also provide information about Online Hotel Reservation, Flights Booking and Holiday Packages.

Author: Jone Gail
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

National Museum

This is among the largest museums in Thailand and houses an exotic array of artifacts dating back until the Neolithic age. Done up in traditional Thai architectural style, this immense museum is a sight in itself. The grand Teak Pavilion is perhaps the hottest draw here.

Wat Pho

Wat Pho or Temple of the Reclining Buddha is Bangkok’s largest and oldest temple. The temple’s main claim to fame is its humongous statue of a reclining Buddha. This gold plated statue makes for an imposingly stunning sight. The temple is also famed for its emphasis on teaching herbal medication and traditional massage.

Vimanmek Palace

Opulence all but screams at the Vimanmek Palace. This is the largest building in the world to be entirely made up in golden teak. Standing in the midst of excellently maintained lawns, the palace has as many as 31 exhibition rooms.

Royal Grand Palace

This historic structure is a walled complex housing a number of magnificent palaces elaborately done up in ceramics and tiles. A major highlight here is the Wat Phra Khaeo, the holiest temple in Thailand. This temple is home to the statue of the well renowned holy statue of the Emerald Buddha.

Wat Arun

Wat Arun or The Temple of Dawn or Wat Arun stands on the banks of the Chao Phraya River. The elaborate usage of colourful tiles in its decoration gives the temple a brilliantly dazzling appearance from a distance. Wat Arun was the earlier site of the Emerald Buddha statue.

Royal Barge National Museum

Check out the barges once used by the royal family. These intricately gilded long narrow boats required 50 to 60 rowers each.

Jim Thompson Thai House

Jim Thompson was an American who revolutionised the silk industry of Thailand. Today, his house in Bangkok serves as a museum, showcasing Jim’s Asian artifact collection. The house itself is an attraction of sorts. It was made up of six traditional teak structures brought from different parts of Thailand.

Sanam Luang

Nestling among old tamarind trees, Sanam Luang serves as the venue for different ceremonies like kite flying and the Ploughing Ceremony. To get a complete feel of the place, book a cheap Bangkok holiday during one of the major festivals.

Floating Market and Night Markets

Holidays to Bangkok remain incomplete without a feel of its shopping scene. Among the numerous shopping experiences in the city, the floating market makes for a unique and unforgettable experience. Similarly, bargain hunters may steal some fabulous deals at the night markets of Bangkok.

Siam Ocean World

This is the place to come up close to exotic deep sea denizens. The adventurous souls may go diving with sharks here. These are just a few of the numerous spoilers awaiting those who buy holiday packages to Bangkok.

Chinatown

Finally, the Chinatown does merit a mention. This bustling area fascinates with its numerous maze like lanes and charming little shops selling a wide plethora of items. Near to Chinatown is Phahurat, or the main Indian area packed full of bright little fabric shops and restaurants.

For more details about the bangkok holidays, holidays in bangkok and holidays to bangkok visit our site http://www.awayholidays.co.uk/thailand/bangkok/

Author: Neha Rajput
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Bangkok in the April summer heat was seething with political agitation. Earlier in the year, the PM Taksin Shinawatra sold his entire holdings in Shin Corp to Temasek, the Singapore government investment company.

Shin Corp owned the major cell phone operator in Thailand, a satellite, a TV station, a domestic budget airline and a property company. There are strict limits on foreign ownership of telecommunications and local airlines in Thailand. The sale caused a national uproar.

To make matters worse, the law governing limits on foreign holdings of such industries was raised from 20% to 49% just a day before the deal was announced.

The deal netted a tax-free sum of 73 billion baht (US$1.95 bn) and rankled ordinary tax payers. In the raging emotions, it mattered little that Thailand had no capital gains tax.

For a government facing accusations of corruption and nepotism, aggravated by the abrasive and autocratic Taksin, this deal was the last straw. This contentious issue in early 2006 sparked the chain of events that led to the 2006 coup later in September.

In the April snap elections, that was boycotted by the opposition, the ruling party won again. This election was later nullified by the Constitutional Court as parties were paid to put up token opposition. Fresh elections were set for October 2006.

By July, conflict between the pro and anti Taksin camps was getting increasingly acrimonious. Taksin won’t resign and his critics can’t get him out. This impasse and the daily bickering paralyzed the caretaker government.

2006 coup – Conflicts with the military

To add fuel to fire, Taksin tried to influence the annual army promotions list, a prerogative jealously guarded by the military. His move was seen as an attempt to promote the Class 10 officers (his classmates in military academy) over their seniors.

In August, the army was accused of an assassination attempt with a car bomb near the PM’s residence. The sacking of a general, investigations and arrest of officers pushed the situation closer to the brink.

2006 coup – The pre-coup planning and preparations

The first tactical move in the 2006 coup was made two months earlier in July. Several Class 10 officers holding battalion commands were transferred to non-combat positions. This move weakened the Taksin loyalists.

In a distant base to the north, soldiers sensed a coup two weeks before when they were ordered to wash the M41 tanks and support vehicles, fit auxiliary weapons and vehicle accessories. This was done in small batches of vehicles under the cover of routine maintenance.

A day before, all vehicles were given a complete change of oils and lubricants. With the arrival of tank transporters, the big move was on.

2006 coup – The forces deployed

The forces deployed for the 2006 coup were:

• The Special Forces from the Special Warfare Center in Loburi 100 km north of Bangkok. (General Sonthi the army chief is a Red Beret.)
• The 1st Army in Bangkok.
• The 2nd Army based in the north-east.
• The 3rd Army based in the north.

19 September 2006 coup – The execution

On that fateful day of the 19th, the PM Taksin was in New York scheduled to address the United Nations General Assembly.

At 1900 hours, 10 bus loads of fully armed and equipped Special Forces troops from Lopburi entered Bangkok. That was the trigger point. The 2006 coup had been set in motion.

From 2130 – 2230 hours, normal TV programs started to go off the air channel by channel, replaced by royal music and films. That set Bangkok buzzing. Troops were occupying all the TV stations, the key targets in any coup.

Taksin must have got wind of the coup because he tried to announce a state of emergency and the arrest of the army chief via satellite. Only one station, Channel 9, agreed to air this a little after 2200 hours. But this was stopped minutes later.

By the time CNN broke the news of the 2006 coup to the world at 2200 hours, tanks and troops were fully deployed in the city. Government House, the seat of power, was seized. Troops secured key junctions in the city, manning checkpoints and checking traffic.

At 2300 hours the coup was officially announced. The statement, made at regular intervals, ended with an apology to the public for the inconvenience caused!

By midnight, CNN and BBC transmissions were blacked out. Local TV announced the suspension of the 1997 constitution, the Constitutional Court, both houses of Parliament and Cabinet.

2006 coup – The day after

On the morning of 20 September 2006, more troops and tanks were seen entering Bangkok along the Vipavadi-Rangsit Highway. These were the reinforcements from units outside Bangkok.

The coup leaders were tightening their grip on the city making any counter-measure near impossible.

Martial law was imposed. Public demonstrations and assemblies of more that five persons were banned. The military council promised to hand over to an interim government in two weeks.

Four ex-ministers deemed close to the deposed premier were ordered to report to Army Headquarters. They remained in military custody.

2006 coup – The coup of roses

Actually it wasn’t as drastic as it appeared. The 2006 coup in Bangkok was, in many ways, a coup of contradictions.

Some have described it as an undemocratic use of force to overthrow a democratically elected government that has systematically subverted the democratic institutions in the country.

Even the original name adopted by the coup leaders was shrouded in respectability, the Council for Democratic Reform under a Constitutional Monarchy.

For every Thai who despised Taksin, another supported him. For a nation weary from the seemingly endless political deadlock, the coup might even be a welcomed relief or last resort.

A Thai journalist noted wryly that the troops were showered with roses and not bricks. Indeed the public response to the troops from the onset was warm and friendly. So was the behavior of the troops towards the people.

The morning after the 2006 coup, children were clamoring on an armored personnel carrier as if it were some playground equipment. Soldiers chatted merrily with foreigners and Thais alike. It transpired a few days later that they were under strict orders to keep on smiling!

As the days past, yellow roses adorn tanks. People offered soldiers food and water. These gifts turned out to be more than just token offerings. By the end of September, it was reported that the army was running low on funds for food and fuel for the troops.

(The Thai budget year starts on 1 October each year. In the political turmoil, no new budget was passed.)

Snapping photos with troops in the 2006 coup was popular. Like the young lady cheekily pointing a rifle at a soldier with his hands up in mock surrender (the M16 assault rifles carried by the troops were not loaded). Or the bridal couple, who had their wedding photo with a military guard of honor and tank.

When a local radio station sponsored a troupe of bare midriff dancers in skin tight costumes to entertain the troops, that was the limit. The army banned further displays of such frivolity. Soldiers also were prohibited to allow members of the public to handle weapons.

These scenes gave a measure of the mood of the day.

2006 coup – The aftermath

On 1 October 2006, General Surayud Chulanont, ex-Privy Councilor and ex-chief of army, was appointed the 24th Prime Minister of Thailand.

On the same day, the troops started their withdrawal from the city. The military council promulgated an interim charter appointing themselves the Council for National Security with powers to appoint and sack the PM and the government.

Taksin flew from New York to London and is still there with his family.

The four ex-Ministers who were arrested were released on the day the interim PM was appointed.

The managing director of TV channel 9, the only channel to broadcast Taksin’s declaration of emergency, resigned shortly after the coup.

The people await fresh elections in a year’s time and a new constitution, the 17th in 74 years of constitutional government.

We can only hope that this constitution will last longer than the last one. It’s anyone’s guess if the 2006 coup will be the last.

For a history of the other coups in Bangkok [http://tour-bangkok-legacies.com/coups-in-bangkok.html%20].

2006 coup in Bangkok [http://tour-bangkok-legacies.com/2006-coup.html%20] is the latest article in Tour Bangkok Legacies a historical travel site on people, places and events that left their mark in the landscape of Bangkok.

The author Eric Lim, a free-lance writer, lives in Bangkok Thailand.

Author: Eric Lim
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Thai Airways operates regular flights to almost all countries in the region. Tourists who would like visit Thailand from the United States can book their tickets through travel agents located in their own towns and cities.

There is a wide variety of airfare options available to travelers to Bangkok. One of the easiest ways to book tickets to visit the websites of different airlines. Most of these websites have provisions for entering details such as destination, number of passengers, start date and return date. Once the details are entered, which takes not more than five minutes, the traveler just has to click the “submit” button on the webpage. The cost of the ticket is displayed on the computer screen immediately. Information from different airlines can be gathered, prices compared and a decision made.

Some people prefer to consult a travel agent who takes all these steps on behalf of the passenger. Payments can be made online or through the travel agent.

When visiting Bangkok, it’s advisable to visit nearby areas of tourist interest inside Thailand and, if possible, neighboring countries.

A round trip tour from New York to Bangkok and back can begin as low as USD 200. The affordability depends on the number of passengers, length of stay, whether economy or business class, whether normal fare or excursion fare, and so on. Most airlines also charge for the interim hotel accommodation, onward reservations, etc.

Imagine that someone leaves New York on March 1st for Bangkok and returns on March 8th. An airline may charge $740 per person for this flight ticket. (This quote is only illustrative.)

Some of the major world airlines that offer excellent discount tickets to Bangkok are Japan Airlines, All Nippon Airways, United Airlines, and China Airlines of Taiwan.

The Association of Thai Travel Agencies is a very good source of information on airfares to Bangkok. It can be found online at http://www.atta.or.th. Tourism Authority of Thailand and Thai embassies or consulates are very good sources too.

Bangkok [http://www.Bangkok-Web.com] provides detailed information on Bangkok Hotels, Bangkok, Bangkok Airfare, Bangkok Nightlife and more. Bangkok is affiliated with Bali Culture.

Author: Ken Marlborough
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Over the years the settlement grew. Today, Chinatown
Bangkok or Yaowarat covers a square bounded by Phadung
Krung Kasem Canal to the east, the Ong Ang Canal to the
west, Luang Road to the north and the Chao Phraya River to
the south, an area of about 2 sq km.

The casual visitor to Chinatown would probably only have the
time and energy to cover the main street Yaowarat Road
where most of the activities are concentrated. The other road
of interest is Rachawong Road which is off Yaowarat Road.

If you are coming to Chinatown by road the most convenient
way to start your tour of this Bangkok legacy is to take the
subway to the Hua Lam Phong station located on the eastern
bank of the Phadung Krung Kasem Canal. Nearby is the Hua
Lam Phong railway station from which trains travel to every
part of Thailand.

Across the road from the train station is Traimit Road where
the famous Wat Traimit
or Temple of the Golden Buddha stands. This wat houses a 3 m
high Buddha made of more than 5 tonnes of gold!

Within the same compound as Wat Traimit, is the Saphanthawong
Museum a community museum dedicated to the early
Chinese immigrants in Bangkok.

Outside the main entrance of Wat Traimit is a traffic island on
which stands a huge Chinese arched gate, the Odeon Gate,
built in 1999 to mark the 72nd birthday of King Bhumipol, the
present king. This gate marks the start of Yaowarat Road and
the walking tour of the rest of Chinatown.

Yaowarat Road, the main street in Chinatown Bangkok, was
built in the reign of King Rama V. The crowded street winds
through bustling heart of Chinatown like a mythical dragon
rearing its head at the Odeon Gate. Shop signs in both Thai
and Chinese give the visitor a clear indication that he’s in
Chinatown.

The street is lined with ubiquitous goldsmith shops, sharks’ fin
and birds nest restaurants, shops and vendors selling Chinese
herbal medicine, dried mushrooms, salted fish, roast duck,
Chinese calendars, almanacs and of course, lottery tickets. The
avid bargain hunter would have a ball a time browsing
through the shops and stalls.

Every year during the Chinese New Year, Yaowarat Road is
closed to traffic for street festivities, lion dances and food fairs.
A member of the royal family attends the occasion every year
much to the joy and pride of the Yaowarat community.

Most of the bigger hotels in Chinatown are located along
Yaowarat Road. The most prominent however is the Grand
China Princess at the Ratchawong junction, right in the heart
of Chinatown, overlooking the old city and the Chao Phraya.

About a kilometer down Yaowarat Road turn left into
Ratchawong Road another street full of vendors selling
everything from stickers, deep-fried snacks to roasted
chestnuts. Ratchawong Road has two significant landmarks in
Chinatown.

Fifty metres after turning into Rachawong Road you’ll
encounter a tall Chinese arch to a narrow soi on the left.
During the Lunar New Year in 2004, this soi, Soi Phalittaphon,
was renamed Soi Sun Yat Sen,
after the father of the Chinese revolution who visited
Chinatown Bangkok in 1908, during his tour of South East
Asia to raise money from the overseas Chinese for the
revolution.

Walking through this narrow soi, the visitor would have to
cope with the crowds of shoppers and the frequent passage of
vehicles. The shops and stalls along this packed soi sell a wide
variety of goods and even Christmas trees.

Further along Rachawong Road is an even narrower soi to the
right. The soi is so congested that it’s barely passable to human
traffic. Packed with stalls on either side, it would take a very
determined shopper to weave his way through.

It’s difficult to imagine that this is the famous Soi Sampheng or Soi Wanit where the
original Chinese settlers first moved in and started Chinatown
in 1782.

At the end of Rachawong Road is the Rachawong Pier on the
Chao Phraya River. If you are coming by boat, this is the pier
to alight and start your of Chinatown in reverse. If you have
arrived by road, you may wish to leave by boat for a change.

A tour of Chinatown Bangkok provides a fascinating insight
into a very different way of life. The busy streets are a melting
pot of communities engaging in trade and commerce at every
level – a legacy of the early Chinese immigrants and their
enterprise.

Chinatown Bangkok is one of the old treasures in Tour Bangkok Legacies, a historical travel site on renowned places preserved for posterity, the momentous events surrounding these places and the legendary figures who left these legacies in the landscape of Bangkok. The author Eric Lim, a free-lance writer, lives in Bangkok Thailand.

Author: Eric Lim
Article Source: EzineArticles.com