"Sawasdee" Bangkok by Ramonq

The most vivid memory I have of Bangkok was the sight of those shapely gilded temples called "wats", that pierce the skyline as it drifted past my area of vision whilst bobbing up and down in a wooden boat on the murky Chao Phraya River. Bangkok, the great oriental city, appears serene and traditional, which belies the modern chaotic realities of the Thai capital. Lurking in the background, behind the sensuous wats, are tall modern skyscrapers in a variety of shapes and colours, that lends Bangkok a contrasting image of tradition and progress. Hot and steamy Bangkok is the most visited Southeast Asian city, and most travellers are drawn to it because of the exotic experiences it provides.

Grand Palace

The Thais call Bangkok, "Krungthep" which means the City of Angels. Its official name is "Krungthep Maha Nakorn Amorn Ratanakosindra Mahindrayudhya, Mahadilokpop Noparatana Rajthani Burirom Udom Rajnivet Mahastan Amorn Pimarn Avatarn Satit Sakkatuttiya Vishnukarm Prasit". What a mouthful, and don't ask me what it means! Bangkok is the city that completely dominates Thai society. The much-respected Royal family lives here, but not within the compounds of the Grand Royal Palace, Bangkok's most visited tourist spot. The Grand Palace, built in the 18th century, is the city's premier icon and I think it aptly symbolises the Bangkokian's whimsical outlook towards life. Footloose and fancy free, Bangkok has a reputation of providing guilt-free hedonistic pleasures, perhaps owing to the Buddhist psyche which isn't that much preoccupied with sexual hangups.

Tuktuk outside the palace

Bangkok is a thoroughly Buddhist city. Amongst the Armani-dressed yuppies in the Ratchadamri business district, one will spot a group of shaven Buddhist monks clad in saffron robes soliciting charity from willing passers-by. This odd vision of spiritual self-imposed deprivation is quite ironic for a city that is materialistic and pleasure-seeking. These monks must have fortitudinous willpower to resist the worldly temptations that Bangkok has to offer. The sight of Buddhist temples, wats, and mini-shrines on many street corners, are daily reminders that Bangkok is very-much still a traditional Buddhist society despite the modern facade.

Bangkok owes some of its charms from the Chao Phraya River's tributaries and canals or locally known as klongs, that meander through the city. There were lots of these murky klongs that Bangkok once earned the title "Venice of the East". Sad to say, many of them have disappeared and they have been reclaimed for even more roads in able to cope with Bangkok's oppresive and congestive traffic. And unlike Venice, the remaining klongs are raw, verdant and flanked with wooden houses on both banks; some dwellings are unsightly shanties while others are exquisitely-carved wooden teak houses that conform to the classic Thai architecture. Like Venice, the klongs are fluvial streets but in Bangkok, they're also the place to do commerce in the form of floating markets and stores.

Jumping at Wat Arun

The city has expanded in all directions. Many of the rice paddies that immediately surround Bangkok have been paved to make room for more roads and buildings. Bangkok roads are notoriously congested that it diagnostically deserves a coronary triple by-pass. New motorways and subways are being built but these create new headaches for the over-burdened city, such as air pollution and the urban sprawl which chew up fertile agricultural lands. From Nonthaburi to the north to Phra Pradaeng to the south, the freeways act as Bangkok's gateways that lure millions of Thai peasants into the already overburdened city.

Lumphini Park

Most of the city's attractions are in Dusit, Phranakon and Pomprap districts, within Chao Phraya's right bank. These areas are dotted with golden wats, well-tended gardens, parks and colourful palaces. Many of Bangkok's fine hotels that cater to the hordes of tourists and business travellers are also located here.

In the Silom, Sukhumvit, Pathumwan district, overlooking Lumphini park, Bangkok's takes a very modern shape with skyscrapers and wide roads. Bangkok is seriously playing catch-up to Asia's industrialised cities such as Hong Kong or Singapore and the broad upwardly-mobile skyline certainly proves that point. Huge shopping malls and high-rise condominiums are being built around Bangkok that in some parts, the city now looks like any other modern Asian city.

Grand Palace

I cannot imagine that a little bit over 300 years ago, this sultry Southeast Asian city was once covered with tropical forests and mangroves. It was founded out of the destruction of the old Thai capital city of Ayuthaya by the Burmese invaders. So thorough was the destruction of Ayuthaya, that the ruler chose another spot to build the new capital on the Chao Phraya River in what's now the Bangkok suburb of Thonburi. In 1782 King Rama I, the man who led the expulsion of the Burmese invaders and the first king of the Chakri dynasty, then moved the capital again across the river to its present day location and built the awesome Wat Phra Keo and the Grand Royal Palace. Subsequent kings especially King Mongkut (of "the King and I" fame) and King Chulangkorn, modernised Bangkok by inviting the help of European traders to build roads, railway lines and other infrastructure. Bangkok grew rapidly in the later half of the 20th century, particularly during the Vietnam War when tired allied troops used the city as fleshspots, and this free-wheeling reputation has remained despite efforts by city governments to tone it down. Nowadays, Bangkok is industrialising rapidly and its image has vastly improved.

At the State Tower Skybar

The Bangkok lifestyle is fast-paced and modern. However, it's a city of enigmatic contrast which amuses many foreigners. The ubiquitous presence of Buddhist shrines in the main entrances of office buildings; the saffron-clad monks talking on the mobile phone, the pizza delivery-man using the klongs; the peasant farmer looking in awe at the concrete and glass condominiums; the passenger meditating inside a crowded bus that's caught in a massive traffic jam; the elephants being led around the city by street entertainers are serendipitous things that make Bangkok a delightful place to visit. Bangkokians certainly know how to incorporate Western trappings and adopt them in a Thai way.

• Pros:Exotic temples and palaces
• Cons:Humidity and Traffic
• In a nutshell:Bangkok, the Great Oriental City