In this page let us briefly look at some of the facts about Bangkok in a nutshell and why lots of expatriates and tourists have made Bangkok as their preferred and chosen destination may it be for holidaying, site seeing, rejuvenation, retreat, career building, business meeting, shopping, dining, partying, film shooting, investment, logistics, trading and retirement.
Bangkok – derived from “Bang Makok”, meaning “Village of Wild Olive Plums, was founded by King Rama I, is also known as “Krung Thep” or “Krung Thep Mahanakhon” in local Thai Language meaning “City of Angels”. The Thai Name has its origins from Sanskrit Language.
Popularly known as – Golden Land of Smiles.
International Airport – “Suvarnabhumi” meaning Golden Land which is today the aviation and air transport hub of South East Asia.
Local Thais – Extremely warm, friendly, welcoming, fun-loving and generous.
Holding World Records for the following –
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Chatuchak Weekend Market which attracts more than 200,000 visitors every weekend for shopping at more than 15,000 stalls set amidst 15 hectares of passage ways. It is regarded as the World’s Biggest Market for shopping.
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Siam Niramit Arts and Cultural Show which has 150 performers with as many as 500 costumes performing live on a spectacular, sparkling, stimulating and gigantic stage.
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Royal Dragon Restaurant which can accommodate 5,000 customers in an area of 16,000 sq. metres. It was regarded as the World’s Largest Restaurant until recently 6,014 seater Damascus Gate restaurant in Syria took the accolade.
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Suvarnabhumi Airport which used to enjoy the status as the Largest Passenger Terminal in the world measuring a record 563,000 sq. metres until recently this status was taken over by Beijing Capital International Airport Terminal measuring a mind blowing 986,000 sq. metres. Suvarnabhumi Airport has the World’s Tallest Control Tower measuring 132 metres high, took 45 years to build and has the world’s largest runway.
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Temple Intharawihan which houses a the World’s Tallest 32 metre Standing Buddha Statue which is decorated in glass mosaics, is made from 24 carat pure gold and took over 60 years to complete.
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Vimanmek Mansion which is the Largest Golden Teak building in the world, was built by King Rama V and is today serving as a museum for Tourists.
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Samutprakarn Crocodile Farm which is the Largest Crocodile Farm in the World and has over 60,000 crocodiles of 28 different species.
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Vivaldi Italian Restaurant which served the Most Expensive Valentine’s cocktail priced at a breathtaking 540,000 Thai Baht (approx. US$ 15,000).
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Log Cabin which is the Largest Log Construction ever built in the world and which today houses four gigantic restaurants and a pub in one building.
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Golfing where South African golfer Heinrich Du Preez completed the most number of rounds in 24 hours at Bangkok Golf Club.
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Mini Cooper Phenomenon where 444 Mini Cooper’s created a bigger than life display spelling “Long Live the King” in tribute to His Majesty the King’s 80th Anniversary.
Is Proud to be –
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Rated and Voted as the Best City (2008) in an online poll conducted by Travel + Leisure magazine (owned by American Express Publishing Corporation) winning over previous year’s winners Florence in Italy and Bali in Indonesia.
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Rated and Voted as the Best Business City (2008) by leading US based travel magazine called Global Worlds Traveler which conducted a poll on its business and executive readers which proves Bangkok is a favorite destination amongst the elite Business Class and Entrepreneurs category.
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Rated and Voted as the Best Leisure Destination (2008) in the Asia-Pacific in the Business Traveler Asia-Pacific Awards.
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Having the Best Airport Hotel (2008) in the Asia-Pacific by the name of Novatel Suvarnabhumi Airport.
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Having the Best Service Residence (2008) in the Asia-Pacific by the name of Ascott Sathorn Bangkok.
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Having two of the Top Five Largest Shopping Malls in the World by the names of Central World (Ranked#3) and Seacon Square (Ranked#4). These two malls are just in the league behind China’s Golden Resource Mall in Beijing and South China Mall in Dongguan. Central World covers 5.8 million sq. feet while Seacon Square covers 5.5 million sq. feet in gross leasable area. Central World has 300 stores while Seacon Square has 400 stores.
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Having the 5th Tallest Hotel Tower in the World by the name of Baiyoke Tower II which is ranked after Rose Tower (Ranked#1, 333m, Dubai), Ryugyong Hotel (Ranked#2, 330m, Pyongyang), Burj Al Arab (Ranked#3, 312m, Dubai) and Jumeirah Emirates Tower (Ranked#4, 309m, Dubai). It is 304 metres tall, has 89 storeys, has area inside the building equivalent to 30 football fields, has 1740 window panes and has 2060 steps from the bottom to the top.
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Having the largest world class aquarium in South East Asia by the name of Siam Ocean World which has an area of 10,000 sq. metres, showcases more than 30,000 marine animals and has as many as 400 aquatic species. These include Penguins, Seals, Blue Ringed Octopus, Stingrays, Grey Nursing Sharks, Sea Dragons and Giant Spider Crabs.
Besides the above subtle facts which has positioned Bangkok as Thailand’s primary, biggest and preferred gateway to Tourism, there are also some other salient points about Bangkok which are worth mentioning over here and cannot be ignored. Besides the two largest shopping malls mentioned above there are some more in the league behind which offer distinctive variety and shopping options for the cosmopolitan and smart shopaholic tourists and travelers that visit Bangkok from all around the globe.
There are malls such as Siam Paragon Shopping Center (offering more than 250 internationally and locally renowned brands and all kinds of other luxurious goods), MBK Shopping Center (which has more than 2,000 shops offering all kinds of medium priced goods including mobile phones, clothing, fashion accessories, hand bags, leather products and electronics), Emporium (which is a shopper’s paradise in the midst of sparkling and bustling Sukhumvit area where you will get all kinds of world class brand names and hot designer wear clothing items), Siam Center Bangkok (which is one of the oldest shopping malls of Bangkok), Amarin Plaza Bangkok (which offers a wide variety of shopping options for the affluent touring, local and business community), Gaysorn Plaza (where you can get the most high class and high end luxury goods and designer labels) and Esplanade (which houses one of the most modern auditoriums in the city and has a lot of lifestyle stores as well as health related outlets). Some of the world class brand labels for clothing include Alain Delon, Arrow, Burberry, Cerruti, Chanel, Christian Dior, Christian Lacroix, Diesel, DKNY, Dolce & Gabbana, Elle, Emporio Armani, ESpirit, Gianni Versace, Giorgio Armani, Givenchy, Gucci, Guess, Guy Laroche, Hazard, Jockey, John Langford, Lacoste, Lee, Levis, Long Horn, Louis Vuitton, Manlio, Marks & Spencer, Moschino, Mulberry, Nautica, Van Heusen, Wrangler and Zara. These are not all. The list is very extensive and will not end over here.
For those of you who have a passion for collecting exclusive and luxurious masterpiece watches, Bangkok will not disappoint you. Here you will find some of the world class branded watch labels such as Audemars Piguet, Baume & Mercier, Cartier, Chopard, Concord, Girard-Perregaux, Jaeger-LeCoutre, Omega, Patek Philippe, Rolex, Hamilton and Vacheron Constantin. Once again this list is also just never going to end over here. You can grab some of these brands at the Cortina Watch Espace (located in the Shopping Belt of Erawan Bangkok Hotel) which is Thailand’s largest and most luxurious watch Boutique available today.
Bangkok also offers a pleasant outdoor shopping experience in the chill of the night at Suan Lum Night Bazaar which showcases a lot of handicraft items, trendy home items, classic souvenirs and gift items as well as has some very exclusively designed Thai, Japanese, Indian, German, Italian and Mexican restaurants which offer a wide variety and assortment of delicious food and drink items. Also for the adventurous night party birds who would like to dance, drink and have some pure fun Bangkok offers Patpong Walking Street where one can find a lot of hop-n-drink bars as well as inexpensive shopping items. But is worthy to mention over here that Patpong might not suit the taste of the business class elite group of birds who would like to hop around at more classic and sophisticated bars. In this category Bangkok offers Sukhumvit Soi 33 once again a street which offers a lot of classic hop in bars for the elite business class community.
For the traveling tourists who want to have a little adventure touring the city by train, Bangkok offers two very fast and convenient modes of Public Transport Systems. They are the SkyTrain System called “BTS” and the Underground Train System called the “MRT”. These transport systems offer a peace of mind to the fast moving traveler who does not want to waste his precious time getting stuck in one of Bangkok’s busiest area called “Sukhumvit”. Considering that “Sukhumvit” area is very busy, moving by either BTS or MRT would be the best choice for the smart traveler to avoid long traffic jams. Traffic conditions around the commercial areas of Bangkok especially Sukhumvit, Silom, Sathorn and Suriwong are very unpredictable and can become chaotic at times.
For those food savvy travelers Bangkok can become your most exciting and memorable Culinary Destinations in the world. Bangkok offers a wide variety of Culinary Expeditions as well as Cuisines from around the world which include European, French, Mediterranean, Greek, Italian, Mexican, Japanese, Vietnamese, Inter Continental, German, Spanish, Chinese, Lebanese, Swiss, Brazilian, Korean, Indian and Thai. Bangkok is indeed a food lover’s paradise. Bangkok offers an immense variety of both non-vegetarian and vegetarian food.
When it comes to World Class Hotel Groups having presence in Bangkok, some of the very well known and reputed chain of world class hotels are having a very strong foothold and presence in Bangkok. They include Hilton, JW Marriott, Hyatt, Shangri-La, Sheraton, Intercontinental, Novotel, Accor, Best Western, Starwood and Carlson Hotels Worldwide. These are just few of the world class hotel groups having strong foothold and presence in Bangkok.
For those of you who are looking for relaxation, rejuvenation, regeneration and some pampering Bangkok offers a wide variety of Massage and Spa options to choose from. Bangkok can offer you a perfect way to recreate a balance between mind, body and soul that is often lost in our daily hectic and stressful routine of life. It is honestly a perfect destination in the world to Unwind, Shape Up and Discover a renewed sense of Well-Being. Over here you can choose between Traditional Thai Massage, Oil Massage, Ayurvedic Massage, Foot Reflexology, Tourmaline Sauna, Anti-Oxidant Body Polishes, Facial Treatments, Body Scrub Treatments, Milk Bath Treatments, Hydro Massage Baths, Seaweed & Tonic Wraps, Herbal Massage, Classic Beauty Therapies, Warm Oil Head Massage, Four Hand Massage and Spa & Jacuzzi Treatments. You will indeed have a vigorous but invigorating experience when you will choose any of the treatments and therapies mentioned above while you are in Bangkok. Please do not forget to try out some of the therapies and massages at Health Land which is a renowned health clinic having certified masseurs and masseuses.
Also Bangkok also has one of the fastest evolving and growing Real Estate markets in the world. Due to its unique combination of ancient and modern worlds, Bangkok attracts a lot of tourists and investors each year from around the globe. Bangkok offers tremendous growth potential and opportunities to investors who are looking for good returns may it be for short term or for long term. The primary reason for Investment in Property market in Bangkok by lot of investors is due to the very fact that properties in Bangkok are reasonably priced, offer good rental potential and unlike many western countries around the globe do not have any inheritance or gift taxes. Furthermore the Capital Gains Tax is charged as Income Tax at the Standard Rates. Also the yield from the Rental Property is tagged and maintained around the 8% mark in Bangkok. Foreigners can own freehold condominium in Bangkok if the purchase is made in Cash and if the Building does not exceed 49% of the foreign ownership ratio. Our advice to you is that please do not have two minds about investment in Bangkok. Start your investment in Bangkok today to reap the benefits.
Also due to its international reputation today, Bangkok is attracting a lot of Bollywood and Hollywood film makers and fraternity. Today Bangkok is not only a favorite city for film making and shooting but also is a favorite destination for organizing a lot of glamour events. Last year Bangkok hosted a mega awards event for International Indian Film Academy Awards (IIFA Awards). IIFA promotes Indian Cinema globally and is spearheaded by Wizcraft International Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. Also recently a lot of Hollywood movies have been shot in Bangkok. Few of the reasons why Bollywood and Hollywood film making fraternity are lured towards filming in Bangkok are highly skilled technical crews, renowned craftsmanship, co-ordination services, professional event management, great production service companies, quality of sound & other technical effects, easy availability of equipments at affordable pricing and tax incentives & rebates offered by the Thailand Government. Bangkok also successfully hosted the Miss Universe pageant in the year 2005. Besides these Bangkok also hosts the Bangkok International Film Festival every year (since the year 2003), which is sponsored by the Tourism Authority of Thailand in a joint venture with the Federation of National Film Associations of Thailand (FNFAT), for promoting Thai Movies on international platforms as well as increasing tourism in Thailand.
Here is the list of some of the Emergency or HOTLINE Numbers in Bangkok for your immediate reference and assistance:
For Contacting Suvarnabhumi International Airport
Call Center & Help Desk: +(66) 2-132-1888
Flights Information: +(66) 2-132-0000
Information Counter (Departure): +(66) 2-132-9324 till 27
Information Counter (Arrival): +(66) 2-132-9328 till 29
For LOST Credit Card
Visa: +(66) 2-273-7448
Mastercard: +(66) 2-299-1990
AMEX: +(66) 2-273-0022
Diners: +(66) 2-238-3660
For Medical Emergency Assistance
Medical Emergency: 1554
Ambulance Service Centre: 1691
Ambulance: 1669
For Telephone Directory Assistance
Telephone Directory Assistance: 1133
For Taxi Services
Siam Taxi: 1661, 1681
Bangkok Taxi: +(66) 2-880-0888
Ruammitr Taxi: +(66) 2-585-4372
For Complaints or Notifications
Police: 191
Crime: 195
Fire: 199
Tourist Police: 1155
Missing Person Bureau: +(66) 2-282-1815
Tourism Authority of Thailand: 1672
For Road and Transport Services
Highway Police Service: 1193
Eastern Bus Terminal: +(66) 2-391-8097
Northeastern Bus Terminal: +(66) 2-936-2852 till 66, 2-936-0657
Northern Bus Terminal: +(66) 2-936-2841 till 48
Southern Bus Terminal: +(66) 2-435-1199 till 200
For Hospitalization
Bangkok International Hospital: +(66) 2-310-3000
Emergency: +(66) 2-310-3456
Bumrungrad International Hospital: +(66) 2-667-1000
Emergency: +(66) 2- 667-2999
Saint Louis Hospital: +(66) 2-675-5000
Emergency: +(66) 2-675-5234
Samitivej Hospital: +(66) 2-711-8000
Emergency: +(66) 2-712-7007
BNH Hospital: +(66) 2-686-2700
Emergency: +(66) 2-632-1000
From the Information Desk of
bangkokexpatriates.com Team
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