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Essential Further Reading

Bangkok
Lonely Planet Guide
Price: £6.99
Discover twice the city in half the time as our resident author lists the best neighbourhoods, sights, restaurants, shops and entertainment. get some local insight with a top Bangkok food reviewer's secrets on eating out, a veteran designer's shopping tips, and suggested places to get arty. Features unique itineraries and highlights help you make the most of a short trip, plus full-colour pull-out neighbourhood maps for easy navigation.
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Okay. First things first. How to get around this Asian metropolis.

Well, you haven't done Bangkok unless you've been for a ride on the Skytrain. Opened in 1999 in a desperate bid to ease Bangkok's insane traffic and pollution, the Skytrain covers most of downtown and is especially convenient for visiting the Siam Square area.

The Skytrain takes you over Bangkok's rooftops and is a clean, fast and efficient way of getting around the city.

And of course, you can't mention transport in Bangkok without a nod to the infamous tuk-tuks, smelly three-wheeled contraptions which you'll either love or hate.

Definitely haggle over the cost of any journey - naive tourists often pay three or four times what a Thai would pay - and be careful you don't end up on a trawl of shops and other establishments that pay your driver a commission.

Taxis are a better bet if you want to brave the Bangkok traffic. All taxis are metered - just make sure your driver switches it on at the start of your journey.

Many of the must see attractions in Bangkok are on Rattanakosin Island and to get there hop aboard the Chao Phraya River Express.

Here you'll find the Grand Palace, the former residence of the King Of Thailand, but only small parts are open to the public. And close by is Wat Pho, one of the many temples in the area and home to the truly awesome reclining Buddha statue. Wat Arun, The Temple of Dawn, is another must addition to any culture vulture itinerary.

Shopaholics will love Bangkok, especially the Sukhumvit district. It has shopping malls to rival anything in the USA, including the absolutely huge Siam Paragon (also home to Asia's largest aquarium, Siam Ocean World) and the almost as big Central World Plaza. Designer label freaks should head for Gaysorn Plaza.

The Skytrain or the Metro will take you to the huge 20,000 stall Chatuchak Weekend Market in the north of Bangkok. There's also the cooler Patpong Night Market in the Silonm district which is a mecca for tourists. Bargain hard!

Best time to visit Bangkok? It's cooler and drier between November and February and May, June and September tend to be less busy than the peak tourist months of August and December. Avoid April if you can when the heat and humidity are at their worst.