Travelersx2 saw things this way:
Overall
4
The palace and temples are worth enduring the heat, humidity and traffic., May 14, 2013
Reviewer: Travelersx2
Pros: The Royal Palace and its amazing architecture; river and canal cruise
Cons: Air quality, humidity, heat, traffic
Our guide, Tee, said Bangkok has about 6 million legal, permanent residents, but is actually home to about 16 million people, including temporary residents, students and others without official status. He said many new high-rise buildings are sprouting with condominiums to house those millions even though most Thais would prefer to live in a house with a garden. With the price of real estate so high they must live far out in the suburbs to afford a house. Sounds a bit like home in the U.S. Bangkok is indeed a huge, sprawling, traffic-choked city, but you know youre in a foreign country by the language, the faces, the architectureespecially the older buildings, the ratio of two- and three-wheeled vehicles to cars. And with a temperature topping out at 104 Fahrenheit and humidity near 90% you know youre in the tropics. Our shore excursion required enduring this heat and humiditymost of us on the tour were scrambling for shade and perspiring profusely before the day was done. We also had to maneuver through jostling swarms of like-minded tourists, but there was a pay-off. We visited the must-sees of the city: Temple of the Golden Buddha, The Grand Palace with its Temple of the Emerald Buddha, a river and canal tour, and a jewelry market. At least while we were on the water we werent being swarmed and we got a bit of relief with a breeze. It wasnt, perhaps the most comfortable tour, yet its what you get in Bangkok in April. Our guide and driver were very good, and the sights unequivocally worth enduring the discomfort.
sfvoyage saw things this way:
Overall
4
Dynamic city with lots to offer, September 14, 2010
Reviewer: sfvoyage
Pros: Thai food, architecture, shopping
Cons: Traffic jams, uneven pavements
Bangkok has a lot of interesting tourist sites: Reclining Buddha, Royal Palace, Jim Thompson House, many temples, big and small, etc. River cruise is interesting. Good half-day excursion is to Ayutthaya, the ancient summer palace that is reachable by boat or car. Save time for shopping, eating, and the good and cheap massages. The most upscale and biggest malls are Siam Paragon (in the basement is a wonderful aquarium) and Central World. The outdoor weekend market, Chatuchak, is interesting but overwhelming. An indoor (& air-conditioned) alternative is the MBK mall in center of town. Use the Skytrain and underground to get around as much as possible, to avoid the notorious and often unpredictable Bangkok traffic.
