Many people seek cheap tickets to Bangkok. After all, the destination is a very important travel hub in Asia. With growing number of flights to Bangkok, it has become simpler to find affordable connections to the city. Here are some tips on Bangkok.
Date : Friday, December 03, 2010
The ‘City of Angels’ is an apt epithet, which people use to describe Bangkok. Almost all the ingredients of a popular holiday spot are to be found here like electrifyingly alive nightlife, cuisines to die for, tremendous shopping, and a world of sightseeing attractions. Visiting the destination is also pretty light on the pocket. No wonder, every year thousands of people take cheap holidays to Bangkok. Here is some travel information on the destination.
Flights Tips
Anyone planning Bangkok travel needs to know that quite a few choices are available for direct flights to the destination. For instance, Eva Airways, Thai Airways, and Qantas Airways offer direct London to Bangkok flights.
Most international flights to Thailand land in Bangkok and if someone plans further travel into Thailand, it makes perfect sense to disembark at Bangkok, explore this vibrant city and hop on to a cheap domestic airline.
The growing popularity of Bangkok has prompted more and more airlines to serve the destination. One has better chances of netting cheap tickets to Bangkok by using the Internet whereby tickets can be booked through the website of a reliable travel agent or directly with the airline.
Amongst different Bangkok flights from London, Thai Airways can prove to be a good option as the airline is the national carrier of Thailand and operates out of Bangkok.
Buying a package deal, which includes cost of accommodation as well as flight tickets works out to be pretty cheap.
General Tips
It is illegal to take more than 200 cigarettes per head into Bangkok or any other Thai destination.
One may be denied entry if the passport has less than 6 months’ validity. For more information on entry requirements travellers must check with FCO website.
Drug laws are also very stringent and range from long jail sentences to the death penalty.
Making some derogatory comment about the royal family can lead to prison sentence running into years.
When to Visit
November to mid-February is the best time to visit Bangkok. This time of the year is known as the cool dry season. The notorious humidity is at its lowest and normally temperatures don’t fall lower than mid twenties or go beyond mid thirties degrees Celsius. Visitors, who are primarily interested in spending cheap holidays in Bangkok, should visit during the low season of May to August. However, this is the time when violent downpours turn many areas into veritable swimming pools and the humidity also makes it uncomfortable.
Although, rain is an issue during the monsoon season, quite often there are dry spells and lucky visitors make the most of these times. Those who don’t mind big crowds should visit Bangkok during festivals. A few of these are the Lunar New Year from January to February, the Kite Flying Festival of March, Thai New Year during April, and the Golden Mount Festival of November or December.
Attractions
Bangkok has lots of attractions and quite a few of these are clustered together on the island of Rattanakosin. Here are just a handful some of the most popular crowd pullers in Bangkok.
Wat Pho Temple
This is supposed to be the largest and oldest temple in Bangkok. Tourists and locals alike flock to pay homage to the enormous gold plated statue of the reclining Buddha here.
Wat Arun
Amongst the numerous other famous temples in Bangkok, the Wat Arun or the ‘Temple of Dawn’ is yet another immensely popular temple. Located on the banks of the Chao Phraya River, the temple was the erstwhile resting place of the ‘Emerald Buddha’. When the sun rays hit the intricate colourful tiles of the temple, it makes for a dazzling effect.
Royal Grand Palace
This historic walled complex is packed with majestic structures. Perhaps, the biggest attraction here is the Wat Phra Khaeo temple, Thailand’s holiest temple. The world famous Emerald Buddha statue adorns this temple.
Vimanmek Palace
The Vimanmek Palace is the world’s largest building to have been built with golden teak. Verdant manicured gardens and some 31 exhibition rooms are all part and parcel of this magnificent palace.
Getting Around
There are numerous ways of travelling in Bangkok. Bus service is a cheap way of getting around the city but it may prove uncomfortable for some. Those who value comfort more than money can flag down any of the countless metered taxis plying on the streets of Bangkok. Similarly, there is also no dearth of round the clock phone a cab services. However, these are costlier than the metered taxis. Adventurous visitors can hire motorcycle taxis. Although, these have negotiable fares, people usually advise against these, because motorcycle taxis are low on the safety count. Skytrain, Metro, the Airport Rail Link, and boat service are further modes of travel. Finally, no discussion on Bangkok’s local transport can be completed without a mention of tuk-tuks. The experience of riding one of these weird looking three-wheeled contraptions makes for a unique memory.