Orientation Bangkok
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Bangkok can be a tricky place to get your bearings as its huge and ridiculously congested, with largely featureless modern buildings and no obvious centre. The boldest line on the map is the Chao Phraya River, which divides the city into Bangkok proper on the east bang, and Thonburi, part of Greater Bangkok, on the west.
The historical core of Bangkok proper, site of the original royal palace, is Ratanakosin, which nestles into a bend in the river. Three concentric canals radiate eastwards around Ratanakosin: the southern part of the area between the canals is the old-style trading enclave of Chinatown and Indian Pahurat, linked to the old palace by Thanon Charoen Krung (aka New Road); the northern part is characterized by old temples and the Democracy Monument, west of which is the backpackers’ ghetto of Banglamphu. Beyond the canals to the north, Dusit is the city of many government buildings and the nineteenth-century Vimanmek Palace, and is linked to Ratanakosin by the three stately avenues, Thanon Rajdamnoen Nok, Thanon Rajdamnoen Klang and Thanon Rajdamnoen Nai.
“New” Bangkok begins to the east of the canals and beyond the main rail line and Hualamphong Station, and stretches as far as the eye can see to the east and north. The main business district and most of the embassies are south of Thanon Rama IV, with the port of Khlong Toey at the southern edge. The diverse area north of Thanon Rama IV includes the sprawling campus of Chulalangkorn University, huge shopping centres around Siam Square and a variety of other business. A couple of blocks northeast of Siam Square stand the tallest building in Bangkok, the 84 storied Baiyoke II Tower, whose golden spire makes a good point of reference. To the east lies the swish residential quarter off Thanon Sukhumvit.
