Bangkok Tour 2: Bangkok Essential Temples and The Shopping Malls

In 1782 King Rama the first established Bangkok as the capital of Siam with the vision of making the city as glorious as Ayutthaya had ever been. You can see clear evidence of this when you visit the old Bangkok (called Rattanakosin island, as it’s surrounded by river and canals). The Grand Palace was erected and its temple Wat Phra Kaew was richly elaborated that it had become the symbol of Bangkok for centuries to come. Many other Royal temples and palaces were found by the subsequent kings and they were almost all very elaborate, beautiful, and one of their kinds.

Wat Phra Kaew is arguably the most important landmark of Bangkok. It is visually stunning and conceptually mystifying, and is revered as the most sacred Buddhist temple (wat) in Thailand and thus all the buildings in there are richly elaborated. Commissioned by King Rama I as the royal temple, you will see the glisters of gold almost everywhere. All the buildings spare nothing on elaboration according to Buddhist and Hindu heritages which are the prevailing religious beliefs in Thailand. The main building houses the Emerald Buddha which is the sacred statue of the Buddha believed to be the protector of Thailand. Around the ground you will see many mystic creatures there including Giants, Garudas, Sihamoni angels, and Kinnara. One of the surprised displays is the model of Angkor Wat. All the shires and walls have deeper stories and it will help to have tour guide.

Wat Pho is a royal temple richly decorated with eastern sculptures and architecture. The temple is classed as the highest grade of the Royal temples in Thailand. King Rama I first rebuilt the temple complex on an earlier temple site, and became his main temple where some of his ashes are enshrined. It was later expanded and extensively renovated by Rama III. The temple complex houses the highly revered 46m long Reclining Buddha, which is 15 m high and 43 m long with his right arm supporting the head. This giant reclining Buddha is a surreal sight and you wouldn’t believe it is housed inconspicuously in the center of busy city like Bangkok. The surrounding area is also beautiful with gardens, sculptures, pagodas – all conveying very interesting mystical stories.

For best experience, please choose the maximum of 2 malls from the list to visit. You can visit other malls not in the list too if they’re in the central Bangkok area.

After the morning of rich history in the old Bangkok, make your way to the downtown of the present days Bangkok. Ratchaprasong, Pratunam, and Sukhumvit areas are at the heart of the modern days Bangkok and have a vital role in the country economy and tourism. There are many state of the art shopping malls in Bangkok appealing to all sorts of budget. So if you’re having a shopping crave you’re in the right city.

MBK Hall: Great for electronics, camera, mobile phone, clothes at low – mid-range price. This is eight floors of packed 2,000 shops selling everything from clothing, fashion accessories, handbags, leather products and luggage to furniture, mobile phones, electric appliances, cameras, stationery and DVDs. It’s not up-market or stylish but offers a mind-boggling range of goods spread over 89,000 square metres at generally bargain price.

Siam Paragon: Best for high-end brand name shopping. Siam Paragon is one of the biggest high end shopping centre in Asia, housing a wide range of specialty stores and restaurants as well as a multiplex movie theatres (consisted of 15 large size theaters with one of them having the biggest screen and seating capacity in Asia). It is also the home of SEA LIFE Bangkok Ocean World which is the largest aquarium in South East Asia and has all sorts of beautiful sea lives on display. The food court is also very impressive with large selection of delicious Thai and international food.

Central World: Best for high-end brand name items and many restaurants. It is the sixth largest shopping complex in the world, a 550,000 square metres of shopping mall and 1,024,000 square metres of complex. So many nice and casual shops for clothes, cosmetics, and shoes. Most shops are up-market and trendy. Many restaurants in here as well with many price points especially on the 6th and 7th floor (some may be not as expensive as you may think). The place is perfect for stress free shopping including a multitude of restaurants in a modern and clean surrounding.

Platinum Fashion Mall: Best for cloth items at generally low price. It’s pretty much all about fashion cloths, accessories, souvenirs, shoes, both at retail and wholesale prices. The sheer variety of fashion cloths you find in here and the generally reasonable price tag makes it a can’t-miss destination for cloth shoppers. It’s everyone’s place to shop around. The food court is buzzing with many local food offered at low price.