A travel guide

A travel guide

Read a travel guide about Bangkok to practise and improve your reading skills.

Do the preparation task first. Then read the text and do the exercises.

Preparation

Reading text

Whether you're travelling to the islands or the mountains of Thailand, you're likely to spend at least one night in its capital city on the way. Bangkok might be noisy and polluted but it's also an exciting city with plenty of things to see and do. Why not make it a longer stay?

Where to stay

The Khao San Road was a famous traveller spot even before Leonardo di Caprio's character in the film The Beach stayed there. But it's noisy, not very pretty and not very Thai. For something more authentic, Phra Kanong offers an alternative place to stay, with its fantastic street markets where everyday Bangkok people eat, work and live. It's not as convenient for the main tourist sites, but it has a Skytrain station so you can be at the Grand Palace in 20 minutes.

How to get around

Bangkok's traffic can be a nightmare. Sure, you can easily take a taxi – if you want to spend hours stuck in traffic jams – but there are two much better ways to get around the city. To explore the temples and historical sites, catch an express boat river taxi or a longtail boat along the Chao Phraya river and the canals. For the modern part of the city, the Skytrain is a fast, cheap way to travel from the river to the shopping malls and nightlife of Sukhumvit, and the famous Chatuchak street market.

Where to eat

The simple answer is: everywhere! Thai street food is among the best in the world, and for around $5 you can eat a filling and delicious meal. Some food stands have little plastic seats where you can sit and eat and they cook the same dish over and over, like fried chicken on rice or Pad Thai noodles. Head for Chinatown – Yaowarat Street – and choose whatever looks most interesting from the many excellent Chinese and Thai restaurants and food stands.  

What to do

After you've seen the main sites like the Giant Buddha at the temple of Wat Pho and the spectacular Grand Palace, and shopped at Chatuchak market, check out the snake farm and watch the live snake show. You can even touch a snake yourself if you want to!

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Average: 4.1 (195 votes)

Submitted by Nanami on Mon, 08/06/2020 - 09:45

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I haven't been interested in Thailand until now, but this time I found out about tourism there and I really would like to visit Bangkok. Because we can go shopping and eat local foods cheaply. The great thing is they are very low costs but we can get good products and delicious foods. The place I want to visit is a huge shopping mall popular with young people. I've seen a TV program about sightseeing in Bangkok. The color of Thai miscellaneous goods were very flashy and it had a charm that Japanese things don't have, so I want to buy colorful bags or clothes. Thailand is close to Japan, so I'd like to travel once.

Submitted by Osuke on Wed, 03/06/2020 - 09:42

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Yes. I would like to visit Bangkok. I've never been there, so I want to go there and see the night view. And Bangkok is attractive because it is close to Japan and I can go at a cheap price. Then there is another reason why I want to go. The reason is that I want to eat Thai food. I really like shrimp, so I want to eat Tom Yum Kung! I also want to visit some tourist spot in Bangkok. For example, swimming in the sea called Pattaya, shopping at a big shopping mall, or riding elephant at Ayutthaya ruins. I really want to go and try various things.

Submitted by Arezoo on Wed, 03/06/2020 - 01:53

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I am sure I would like to visit Bangkok again. That was quit interesting for me to visit temples and getting familiar with their culture also there was opportunity to enjoy street seafood. Besides I should confess that I got impressed by unique market which is called flow market. You can find a range of goods there from handicraft to tropical fruit. It is an asset for me to visit such a diverse place again.

Submitted by Stela Stoycheva on Mon, 01/06/2020 - 13:37

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Yes, I would like go there...When I saw picture it`s looking really different from European countries, different culture, food. If I have money I will visit that place :)

Submitted by Y on Mon, 01/06/2020 - 10:36

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Yes, I would like to visit Bangkok. I like seeing a lot of sightseeing spots, because I can feel the energy and escape from reality. I think that Bangkok has a lot of colorful buildings and very nice view at night. If I visit Bangkok, I want to go shopping and try to many food. Especially, I want to go to ICONSIAM. There is very big shopping mall. I like shopping and clothes, so I want to go there to buy clothes or accessories. In addition, I want to eat Tom yam kung. I have ever eaten it in Japan. But I want to eat real Tom yam kung!!! So, I have a lot of things to go to Bangkok. I hope I can go there someday.

Submitted by yusuke on Mon, 01/06/2020 - 08:09

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Of course, I do. Because there are a lot of temples and delicious Thai food. They really attract me. I want to study their culture. I think I will not feel enough about one day trip. If I plan to go, it will be a week or so. My goal in the trip is to make friends and keep in touch even I back to Japan.

Submitted by Ayaka on Mon, 01/06/2020 - 07:56

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I have never been to any other countries but I really want to go to many countries.This is because I can touch other cultures. Also, it let me think differently. So, I read this article and want to visit Thailand one day. Speaking of Thailand, an image full of colorful things. If I can go there I would like to enjoy the scenery, eat tropical fruits, have a Thai massage, interact with animals that we can't interact with in Japan and have a relaxing time there.It seems that I can have various experiences like these, It will be a good time for my growth.

Submitted by Wakana M on Mon, 01/06/2020 - 03:56

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Yes. I’ve never been to Bangkok, so I would like to go there once. I would like to visit to many countries, and I think it would be good way to know other country’s culture and lifestyle. In addition, I often hear that there are beautiful sites, and we can interact with animals such as tigers or elephants. I want to see sites and interact with them. However, I have a reason what I don’t want to visit there. my sister has been there once, she said “I couldn’t eat Thai food, because they were all too spicy.” I thought I couldn’t eat either. Because I don’t like spicy foods. But I also think that it’s important to challenge anything. So, I would like to go there.

Submitted by senes19 on Sun, 31/05/2020 - 12:48

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I didn't. But I would like to travel to Bangkok. I have never heart anything about city. However, I have never met before any person who has lived in there, I want to see and explore to this city. Differences is attractive for me.

Submitted by Mirna Crisostomo on Wed, 27/05/2020 - 18:40

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Yes, I would like it. It`s always good to know other cultures and Bangkok is interesting!!