Bangkok Ambience

		Today’s Bangkok sprawls in every direction, extending beyond a horizon bristling with skyscrapers, elevated expressways and sky trains, blending colonial, contemporary and commercial shop houses, residential areas, pockets of greenery, and glittering temples. Bangkok has modernized into a 21st century metropolis with its energetic cosmopolitan fl air for merging east and west. Rattanakosin is the original area of Bangkok, when it was fi rst established as the capital over 200 years ago. Located here are the Grand Palace, the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, the Temple of the Reclining Buddha, and Wat Suthat Thepwararam Ratchaworamahawihan, The Giant Swing as well as two universities and several government ministries.
Enduring Old World Bangkok Charms of Rattanakosin and Vicinity		An important landmark in this area of Bangkok is the Democracy Monument, built to honor the establishment of the country’s constitution in 1932. The monument was erected in 1940.
	The UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund) building was built during the Fourth and the Fifth reigns (1851-1910).		At the corner of the Tha Chang area, there are 33 units of beautifully decorated shop houses that were built during the reign of King Rama V (1868 - 1910), with beautiful plaster pediment pilasters and stucco.
	The Tha Tian shop houses are a good example of the early market development in Rattanakosin, where a fresh food market is surrounded by rows of shop houses as in the past. This area was one of the signifi cant communities in Rattanakosin.		At the corner of the Tha Chang area, there are 33 units of beautifully decorated shop houses that were built during the reign of King Rama V (1868 - 1910), with beautiful plaster pediment pilasters and stucco.
	Established in 1912 (Fifth reign) with donations from senior civil servants. At present, the twobuildings are no longer used as a school, but as the offi ce of the Thai Fortune Teller Association and as a Traditional Thai Medical Clinic.		Located on the land of an old palace in the First reign (1782 - 1809), the present building was constructed in 1962 and from that time until 1989 was rented as an offi ce by the Goethe Institute.The house has been restored and is today the headquarters of a local Thai media conglomerate.
	Khao San Road is the “In Crowd” area for young foreign tourists and increasingly a hip place to hang out for young Thais. A variety of different ethnic restaurants can be found here. It is also particularly popular for celebrating the Thai New Year Festival, Songkran, during mid April.		Just to the southeast of the old town, Chinatown began to take shape at the same time as the establishment of Bangkok, when the Chinese inhabitants in the old areas of town moved outside the city walls. Chinatown is situated along the river, with its dense, frenetic alleys offering shrines, myriad markets, Little India, gold shops and the solid gold Buddha of Wat Trimitwitthayaram Worawihan. It then merges into the genteel riverside quarters around the Oriental Hotel.
	Westward, Ploenchit and Sukhumvit roads are brimming with shopping malls, high-end restaurants, hotels, nightlife and expatriate quarters extending from Soi Arab (Sukhumvit Soi 3/1) and Korea-town (Sukhumvit Soi 12) to the Anglo- American haunts around Benjasiri Park.		To the north of Sukhumvit Road is the extension of Phetchburi Road, which is rather quiet in the daytime. After dark, however, the long street is brightened with colorful neon signs and enlivened by people going out to enjoy themselves in dozens of entertainment places scattered along the road. Royal City Avenue (RCA), it’s located between Rama IX Road and New Phetchburi Road, features several pubs, discos and restaurants. It was once the hottest spot of entertainment in Bangkok and has attracted teenagers and stylish people seeking amusement in pubs. Though its popularity is reduced, night-life here is still lively.
	Half a century ago, it would have been hard to predict that the Silom-Sathorn area, then a remote district with paddy fi elds around it, would become the most important business and fi nancial center of Bangkok. Today, from end to end, these two parallel streets are full of multi-story buildings that house many banks, fi nancial firms, insurance companies, export-import houses, hotels, airlines offi ces, restaurants, shopping arcades, department stores, and entertainment establishments.		This area is often referred to as “Embassy Row”, as there are many embassies located here. There are also many luxury hotels and offi ces, and high-end residential condominiums have recently sprung up.