The very epitome of the modern, steamy Asian metropolis, Bangkok (560 sq km, population six million plus) has a wealth of attractions if you can tolerate the traffic, noise, heat (in the hot season), floods (in the rainy season) and polluted air. The city is incredibly urbanized, but beneath its modern veneer lies an unmistakable khwaam pen thai ('Thai-ness'). To say that Bangkok is not Thailand is tantamount to saying that New York is not the USA or Paris is not France.

The capital of Thailand was established at Bangkok in 1782 by the first king of the Chakri dynasty, Rama I. The name Bangkok comes from Bang Makok, meaning 'Place of Olive Plums', and refers to the original site, which is only a very small part of what is today called Bangkok by foreigners. The official Thai name is quite a tongue twister:

Krungthep mahanakhon amon ratanakosin mahintara ayuthaya mahadilok popnopparat ratchathani burirom udomratchaniwet ma-hasathan amonpiman avatansathit sakkathattiya witsanukamprasit

Roughly translated the name means 'Great City of Angels, Repository of Divine Gems, Great Land Unconquerable, Grand and Prominent Realm, Royal and Delightful Capital City Full of Nine Noble Gems, Highest Royal Dwelling and Grand Palace, Divine Shelter and Living Place of Reincarnated Spirits'. Fortunately this is shortened to Krung Thep (City of Angels) in everyday usage.

Bangkok caters to diverse interests: There are museums, temples and other historic sites for those interested in traditional Thai culture; an endless variety of good restaurants, clubs, international cultural and social events; movies in several languages; discos, heavy-metal pubs, folk cafes; and even modern-art galleries for those people seeking contemporary Krung Thep. As William Warren, the dean of expat authors in Thailand, has said, 'The gift Bangkok offers me is the assurance I will never be bored'.

Wat Phra Kaew & Grand Palace
Also called the Temple of the Emerald Buddha (official name is Wat Phra Si Ratana Satsadaram), this wát adjoins the Grand Palace on common ground that was consecrated in 1782, the first year of Bangkok rule. The 945,000-sq-metre grounds encompass more than 100 buildings that represent 200 years of royal history and architectural experimentation. Most of the architecture, royal or sacred, can be classified Ratanakosin or old Bangkok style, with lots of minor variation.

The wát structures are extremely colorful, comprising gleaming, gilded chedi (stupas), polished orange and green roof tiles, mosaic-encrusted pillars and rich marble pediments. Extensive murals depicting scenes from the Ramakian (the Thai version of the Indian epic Ramayana) line the inside walls of the compound. Originally painted during Rama I's reign (1782-1809), the murals have undergone several restorations, including a major one finished in time for the 1982 Bangkok/Chakri dynasty bicentennial. The murals illustrate the epic in its entirety, beginning at the north gate and moving clockwise around the compound.

Except for an anteroom here and there, the Grand Palace (Phra Borom Maha-ratchawang) is today used by the king for only certain ceremonial occasions such as Coronation Day (his current residence is Chitlada Palace in the northern part of the city), and is closed to the public. The exteriors of the four buildings are worth a swift perusal for their royal bombast.

The so-called Emerald Buddha, or Phra Kaew Morakot, is not emerald but probably made of jasper quartz or perhaps nephrite jade. It stands 60cm to 75cm high, depending on how it is measured. It's not known for certain where the image originated or who sculpted it, but it first appeared on record in 15th-century Chiang Rai. It is said to have been placed in Chiang Rai's own Wat Phra Kaew (literally Temple of the Jewel Image), covered with plaster and gold leaf. The image supposedly lost its plaster covering in a fall. It next appeared in Lampang where it enjoyed a 32-year stay (again at a Wat Phra Kaew) until it was brought to Wat Chedi Luang in Chiang Mai.

In the mid-16th century Laotian invaders took the image from Chiang Mai to Luang Prabang in Laos. Later it was moved to Wiang Chan (Vientiane). When Thailand's King Taksin waged war against Laos 200 years later, the image was taken back to the Thai capital of Thonburi by General Chakri, who later succeeded Taksin as Rama I, the founder of the Chakri dynasty.

Rama I had the Emerald Buddha moved to the new Thai capital in Bangkok and had two royal robes made for it, one to be worn in the hot season and one for the rainy season. Rama III added another to the wardrobe, to be worn in the cool season. The three robes are still solemnly changed at the beginning of each season by the king himself. The huge hot (central sanctuary) at Wat Phra Kaew in which it is displayed was built expressly for the purpose of housing the diminutive image.

Wat Pho
A long list of superlatives for this one: the oldest and largest wàt in Bangkok, it features the largest reclining Buddha and the largest collection of Buddha images in Thailand, and was the earliest centre for public education. As a temple site Wat Pho (Wat Phra Chetuphon) dates back to the 16th century, but its current history really begins in 1781 with the complete rebuilding of the original monastery.

The narrow Thanon Chetuphon divides the grounds in two, with each section surrounded by huge whitewashed walls. The most interesting part is the northern compound, which includes a very large bòt enclosed by a gallery of Buddha images and four wίhăan, four large chedis commemorating the first three Chakri kings (Rama III has two chedis), 91 smaller chedis, an old Tripitaka (Buddhist scriptures) library, a sermon hall, a large wίhăan that houses the reclining Buddha and a school building for classes in Abhidhamma (Buddhist philosophy), plus several less important structures.

Wat Pho is the national headquarters for the teaching and preservation of traditional Thai medicine, including Thai massage. A massage school convenes in the afternoons at the eastern end of the compound.

The tremendous reclining Buddha, 46m long and 15m high, illustrates the passing of the Buddha into final nirvana (i.e., the Buddha's passing away). The figure is modeled; out of plaster around a brick core and finished in gold leaf. Mother-of-pearl inlay ornaments the eyes and feet, the feet displaying 108 different auspicious láksànà (characteristics of a Buddha). The images on display in the four wίhăan surrounding the main hot are interesting. Particularly beautiful are the Phra Chinnarat and Phra Chinnachai Buddhas, in the west and south chapels, both from Sukhothai. The galleries extending between the four chapels feature no less than 394 gilded Buddha images. Rama I's remains are interred in the base of the presiding Buddha image in the bòt.

The temple rubbings for sale at Wat Pho and elsewhere in Thailand come from the 152 Ramakian reliefs, carved in marble and obtained from the ruins of Ayuthaya, which line the base of the large bòt. The rubbings are no longer taken directly from the panels but are rubbed from cement casts of the panels made years ago.

Wat Arun
The striking Temple of Dawn, named after the Indian god of dawn, Aruna, appears in all the tourist brochures and is located on the Thonburi side of the Mae Nam Chao Phraya. The present wát was built on the site of 17th-century Wat Jaeng, which served as the palace and royal temple of King Taksin when Thonburi was the Thai capital; hence, it was the last home of the Emerald Buddha before Rama I brought it across the river to Wat Phra Kaew.

The 82m prang (Khmer-style tower) was constructed during the first half of the 19th century by Rama II and Rama III. The unique design elongates the typical Khmer prang into a distinctly Thai shape. Its brick core has a plaster covering embedded with a mosaic of broken, multihued Chinese porcelain, a common temple ornamentation in the early Ratanakosin period when Chinese ships calling at Bangkok used tonnes of old porcelain as ballast. Steep stairs reach a lookout point about halfway up the prang from where there are fine views of Thonburi and the river. During certain festivals, hundreds of lights illuminate the outline of the prang at night.

Also worth a look is the interior of the bòt. The main Buddha image is said to have been designed by Rama II himself. The murals date to the reign of Rama V; particularly impressive is one that depicts Prince Siddhartha encountering examples of birth, old age, sickness and death outside his palace walls, an experience that led him to abandon the worldly life. The ashes of Rama II are interred in the base of the bòt's presiding Buddha image.

National Museum
The museum buildings were built in 1782 as the palace of Rama I's viceroy, Prince Wang Na. Rama V turned it into a museum in 1884.

On Thanon Na Phra That, the western side of Sanam Luang, the National Museum is the largest museum in South-East Asia and an excellent place to learn about Thai art. All periods and styles are represented from Dvaravati to Ratanakosin, and English-language literature is available. Room 23 contains a well-maintained collection of traditional musical instruments from Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Indonesia. Other permanent exhibits include ceramics, clothing and textiles, woodcarving, royal regalia and weaponry.

In addition to the exhibition halls, there is the restored Buddhaisawan (Phutthaisawan) Chapel. Inside the chapel (built in 1795) are some well-preserved original murals and one of the country's most revered Buddha images, Phra Phut Sihing. Legend says the image came from Sri Lanka, but art historians attribute it to 13th-century Sukhothai.

Royal Barges National Museum
The royal barges are long, fantastically ornamented boats used in ceremonial processions on the river. The largest is 50m long and requires a rowing crew of 50 men, plus seven umbrella bearers, two helmsmen and two navigators, as well as a flagman, rhythm-keeper and chanter.

The barges are kept in sheds on the Thonburi side of the river. The sheds are next to Khlong Bangkok Noi, near Saphan Phra Pin Klao (Phra Pin Klao Bridge). Suphanna-hong, the king's personal barge, is the most important of the boats. Made from a single piece of timber, it's the largest dugout in the world. The name means 'Golden Swan', and a huge swan head has been carved into the bow of the barge. Lesser barges feature bows carved into other Hindu-Buddhist mythological shapes such as the naga (mythical sea serpent) and the garuda (Vishnu's bird mount).

One of the best times to see the fleet in action on the river is during the royal kàthĭn ceremony at the end of phansăa (the Buddhist Rains Retreat, ending with an October or November full moon) when new robes are offered to the monastic contingent.

Damnoen Saduak Floating Market
Among the most heavily published photo images of Thailand are those that depict wooden canoes laden with multicolored fruits and vegetables, paddled by Thai women wearing indigo-hued clothes and wide -brimmed straw hats. Such floating markets (tàlàat náam) do exist in various locations throughout the huge canal system that surrounds Bangkok - but if you don't know where to go you may end up at a very unauthentic tourist-show scene.

The lively floating markets on Khlong Damnoen Saduak in Ratchaburi Province, 104km south-west of Bangkok, between Nakhon Fathom and Samut Songkhram, have become well known over the last few years.

Talat Ton Khem is the main, 100-year-old market on Khlong Damnoen Saduak, while Talat Hia Kui, just south on the parallel Khlong Hia Kui, gets the most tourists - one area in fact has been set aside especially for tourists, with a large open shop with souvenirs for bus tours as well as souvenir-laden boats. There is a third, less crowded market on a smaller canal, a bit south of Damnoen Saduak, called Talat Khun Phitak.

Ayuthaya Historical Park
A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Ayuthaya's historic temples are scattered throughout this once magnificent city, Thailand's former capital, and along the encircling rivers. Several of the more central ruins - Wat Phra Si Sanphet, Wat Mongkhon Bophit, Wat Na Phra Meru, Wat Thammikarat, Wat Ratburana and Wat Phra Mahathat - can easily be visited on foot, although you would be wise to avoid the hottest part of the day.

Wat Phra Si Sanphet - This was the largest temple in Ayuthaya in its time, and it was used as the royal temple/palace for several Ayuthaya kings. Built in the 14th century, the compound once contained a 16m-high standing Buddha covered with 250kg of gold, which was melted down by the Burmese conquerors. It is mainly known for the line of three large chedi (stupas) erected in the quintessential Ayuthaya style, which has come to be identified with Thai art more than any other single style.

Wat Mongkhon Bophit - This monastery, near Wat Phra Si Sanphet, contains one of Thailand's largest Buddha images, a 15th-century bronze casting. The present wíhăan (Buddhist image sanctuary) was built in 1956.

Wat Phra Mahathat - This wát, on the corner of Thanon Chee Kun and Thanon Naresuan (Chao Phrom), dates back to the 14th century and was built during the reign of King Ramesuan. Despite extensive damage - not much was left standing after the Burmese hordes had finished - the prang (Khmer-style tower) is still impressive.

Wat Phanan Choeng - South-east of town on Mae Nam Chao Phraya, this wát was built before Ayuthaya became a Siamese capital. It's not known who built the temple, but it appears to have been constructed in the early 14th century so it's possibly Khmer. The main wíhăan contains a highly revered 19m-high sitting Buddha image from which the wát derives its name

Wat Na Phra Meru - Across from the old royal palace grounds is a bridge that can be crossed to arrive at Wat Phra Meru. This temple is notable because it escaped destruction from the Burmese in 1767, though it has required restoration over the years. The main bòt (central sanctuary) was built in 1546 and features fortress-like walls and pillars. During the Burmese invasion, Myanmar's Chao Along Phaya chose this site from which to fire a cannon at the palace; the cannon exploded and the king was fatally injured, thus ending the sacking of Ayuthaya.

The bòt interior contains an impressive carved wooden ceiling and a splendid Ayuthaya-era, crowned sitting Buddha, 6m high. Inside a smaller wíhăan behind the bòt is a green-stone Buddha from Sri Lanka in a European pose (sitting in a chair). It is said to be 1300 years old. The walls of the wíhăan show traces of 18th- or 19th-century murals.

Wat Yai Chai Mongkhon - Located south-east of the town, it's a quiet, old place that was once a famous meditation wát built in 1357 by King U Thong. The compound contains a very large chedi from which the wát takes its popular name (yai means 'big'), and a large reclining Buddha.

While the above mentioned attractions are the 'must see' of major highlights in Bangkok, there are still many places that a traveller could possibly visit with sufficient time at hand. These attractions include Wat Mahathat, Lak Messang, Wat Benchambophit, Wat Saket, Vimanmek Teak Mansion, Abhisek Dusit Theme Hall and Jim Thompson's House.

Others less inclined towards art and history, may choose to visit Bangkok's Chinatown or Phahurat, Bangkok's 'Little India'. Travellers especially with children also have the option of visiting recreational parks such as the Queen Saovabha Snake Farm, Sampran Elephant Ground, Safari World or the Dusit Zoo.