Just about any visitor to Southeast Asia has to pass through Bangkok. Some people loathe it; others swear it is one of the most fascinating, wonderful and exciting places on earth.

Truthfully, Bangkok can be anything a visitor wants it to be; a picturesque Asian postcard crammed with beautiful palaces, and pagodas; a haven with some of the world's finest hotels; a place to let loose and enjoy the most renowned nightlife in the Orient; a chance to savor one of the world's unique cuisines; one of Southeast Asia's best shopping destinations.

And wherever you go in Bangkok, you'll be struck by the friendly, easy way of Thais. Life is sanuk, their word for fun. And with an insider’s view of this fascinating city, you will find it sanuk, too!

Although Thai history reaches back to the Bronze Age, Bangkok is a relatively young city, founded in 1782. It has one-tenth of the country's population, about six million people, half under the age of thirty. The city is embraced by the Chao Phraya River of Kings, a glorious working waterway filled with sampans, rice barges, and boats of every imaginable description.

Buddhist temples (wats), high-rise office buildings, luxury hotels, and shopping malls dominate a kaleidoscopic Bangkok skyline blend of old and new. But get beneath the thin veneer of Western influence, and you'll discover Thais have not lost traditional values. Witness ubiquitous street food vendors, monks on early morning begging rounds, and women stringing jasmine blossoms near shrines, and you'll agree ancient culture has been reserved. READ MORE