The temple roofs glitter amid the grime. The flower garlands cloak urban ills with the scent of jasmine. But the tuk tuks no longer hurtle quite as scarily, the skies are less sooty, and all those dark alleys Bangkok leads you down seem better lit. In its own fitful fashion, the Thai capital is becoming a world city — tamer, wiser and with an emerging  [ Read More ]

  The klong (canals) were once Bangkok’s claim to fame. These days, it’s best to avoid most of these sewer-like legacies of the city’s wealth of water. Instead, the best place to experience real canal country is in Amphawa, a district in Samut Songkhram province, just over an hour’s drive from Bangkok. Its market, part grounded and part floating, is the one most Thais prefer to navigate toward; it properly  [ Read More ]

ArrivingThe expressway to town from Suvarnabhumi Airport is virtually the only route immune to major delays, and the 40-minute trip will take just 15 minutes when the Airport Rail Link opens (projected for later in 2010), leading to an in-town terminal. Unfortunately, the starkly modern airport retains some of the worst features of old Don Muang: interminable trips from the gate, confusing baggage claims and a cramped arrival area where  [ Read More ]

  The grand old Oriental (Bangkok’s citizens have no use for the Mandarin chain’s prefix) suffers by way of comparison — to itself. Past attention to every guest’s personal detail has strayed a bit, and the lobby entry is starting to look like a U.S. embassy from the 1950s. The rooms, while bright and thoughtfully appointed (Bose stereos, teak and silk furnishings), are boxy; the restaurants (Thai, French, casual) could  [ Read More ]