{"id":5436,"date":"2024-12-24T04:13:40","date_gmt":"2024-12-24T04:13:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.zoa.com\/2024\/?p=5436"},"modified":"2024-12-24T04:51:03","modified_gmt":"2024-12-24T04:51:03","slug":"thailand","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.zoa.com\/2024\/travel\/thailand\/","title":{"rendered":"Thailand"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Seven weeks ago, after touring the dusty canyons of Yemen, I joined Stella in Rwanda and we flew to Bangkok. What a contrast of cultures and environments!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On arrival in Thailand, we were granted 60-day tourist visas. (Stella’s e-visa had been pre-arranged.) Although we hadn’t planned to stay in Thailand for two months, we’ve been delighted by Bangkok and its environs, so we haven’t left yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We settled into a comfortable AirBnB<\/a> in the center of of Bangkok, a 5-minute walk from Sukhumvit Boulevard. Except for two 5-day excursions, we’ve spent most of our time in Bangkok. See the map below. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Bangkok is a mega-city, with a population over 17 million. Did you know that Bangkok is the world’s most touristed city<\/a>? More international travelers visit Bangkok than Istanbul, London or Hong Kong. Since my first visit here in 1981, I’ve spent 21 months in Thailand, mostly in the north. This has been my first chance to spend more than a week in this amazing city. Here’s the view from top of the Empire Building.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Without leaving Bangkok, we’ve found dozens of cultural sites to visit, fabulous temples to see, and fun things to do. Here’s a sample below. Click on any picture to expand it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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One of the first things to sort out in any city is how to get around. Bangkok’s traffic congestion is daunting, so forget taxis. Get a BTS card<\/a> and take off on the Sky Train … and BTS isn’t the only fun way to tour Bangkok. Here’s a short video of all the ways we’ve been traveling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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