Bangkok

The Thai people will tell you that there is so much more to see and do in Bangkok than just what you see in the brochure.

Whether its a holiday, on business, or for a short break Bangkok is increasing in popularity amongst us Brits - and rightly so!

Thats why its important to get your travel plans sorted out properly, and in our opinion, flight, holiday and hotel specialists Opodo offer the best service online - but you can find that out for yourself here...

Virtually all cities and provinces are easily reachable by bus from Bangkok. For destinations in the southwest and the west, buses leave from the Southern Bus Terminal, west of the city. For destinations in the southeast, such as Pattaya and Ko Samet, buses leave from the Eastern Bus Terminal, at Ekkamai, the third-eastern-most stop on the Skytrain. And for all destinations north and northeast, the Northern Bus Terminal at Mo Chit, which is reachable by both Skytrain and Metro, is the place to start.

An elaborate network of canals (khlong) gave the city the nickname "Venice of the East", at a time when all transportation was done by boat. Today almost all are filled in and converted into traffic-filled streets. However, many do still exist, with people living along them, and markets being conducted there as well.

Bangkok is the economic center of Thailand. The Chao Phraya River allows Bangkok to function as a port. The Stock Exchange of Thailand is located in Bangkok. Tourism is a major source of revenue.

The sale of illegally copied copyright material (mostly software and DVD movies) is widespread in Bangkok. One of the most popular locations in Bangkok for purchasing pirated software is Pantip Plaza.

Due to heavy, long term pressure from groups such as the BSA and the Recording Industry of America Association, which threatened difficulties for trade agreements for Thailand, the Thai government has now started to crack down heavily on the unauthorised copying by its citizens including the introduction of "one of the most aggressive legislative schemes for the protection of intellectual property rights in any developing nation.

Bangkok is the capital and largest city of Thailand. The city is located on the east bank of the Chao Phraya River, near the Gulf of Thailand. Bangkok is one of the fastest-growing, most economically dynamic and socially progressive cities in South-East Asia. Local people like to think that it is emerging as a regional centre to rival Singapore and Hong Kong, but it suffers from major infrastructure and social problems as a result of its rapid growth. It is also one of the world's most popular tourist destinations.

Bangkok began as a small trading center and port community, called Bang Makok ("place of olive plums"), serving Ayutthaya, which was the capital of Siam until it fell to Burma in 1767. A capital was established at Thonburi (now part of Bangkok) on the west side of the river, before in 1782 King Rama I built a palace on the east bank and made Bangkok his capital, renaming it Krung Thep, meaning "city of angels". The village of Bangkok ceased to exist, but its name continues to be used by foreigners.

Although many attempts have been made at cracking down on illegal copying by raiding Pantip and other venues over the years, these have been ineffective and illegal copying of copyrighted material is still a booming business. The BSA, an American software copying prevention group believes that it could extract 80 million USD from Thailand if all of illegally copied software there was stopped

Once the new airport is completed, all international traffic is expected to go there and Don Muang will become domestic only. There is also a train station at Don Muang for destinations to the north and northeast.

Traffic jam on Ploenchit Road with Skytrain aboveAir pollution is a major problem in Bangkok, blamed on the city's massive traffic jams. The recent construction of elevated second-level expressways has eased the problem a little.

The Gulf of Thailand is a gulf located in the South China Sea (Pacific Ocean), surrounded by the countries Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. The north tip of the Gulf is the Bight of Bangkok at the mouth of the Chao Phraya River, near Bangkok.

In 1999 an elevated two-line 'Skytrain' (officially called BTS) metro system was opened. The first line of the underground Bangkok Metro opened to the public in July 2004. The remains of a failed elevated railroad project (the Hopewell project) can still be seen all the way from the main railroad station out towards the Don Muang airport - due to the Asian financial crisis the construction was halted and the concrete pillars were left unused.

In July 2004, a new MRT subway system was launched connecting the northern train station of Bang Sue to the Hua Lamphong railway station near the city center, while going through the eastern part of the city. It connects to the BTS system at BTS Stations Mo Chit, Asok, and Sala Daeng.

The urban sprawl of Greater Metropolitan Bangkok extends beyond the borders of Bangkok province, spilling into the neighbouring provinces of Nonthaburi, Samut Prakan and Pathum Thani. The province as it is today was created in 1972 when the previous Bangkok province - changwat Phra Nakhon - merged with Thonburi province

Bangkok International Airport, commonly called "Don Muang", the busiest in South-East Asia, is located north of the city, now already enclosed by urban areas. Construction for the new Suvarnabhumi Airport (pronounce Suwannaphum), in the Bang Phli district of Samut Prakan Province to the south-east of the city started in 2002, it is scheduled to be opened in early 2006.

Bangkok Shopping and Bangkok online resources.