GEOGRAPHY
Located in the centre of the county, quite close to the Gulf of Thailand, the greater Bangkok Metropolis (including the former capital of Thonburi on the other side of the Chao Phraya River ) covers and area of 1,600 square kilometers.
The city is situated right in the middle of the rice bowl of Asia, also known as Chao Phraya River Delta.
CLIMATE AND SEASONS
If you like it hot, Bangkok is the place for you.
Average temperatures rarely dip below 25 degrees Celsius during the city' three seasons. Between November and February the weather is warm and dry with temperatures from 19 to 33 degrees Celsius; March-May is hot with temperatures rising to as high as 42 degrees, and from June to October (rainy season) it is warm and sometimes wet, but never cold. Even the rain is warm!
December is the peak tourist month but if you want to avoid the crowds and enjoy off season hotel rates, come during the summertime. The summer monsoon season may carry some heavy rains but these quite often occur during late evening and overnight and are unlikely to spoil your enjoyment. However, take note that August and September are recommended to take the weather into account when planning a trip to Bangkok.
POPULATION
Bangkok's resident population is said to total some eight million people, representing approximately thirteen percents of Thailand's total population.
Most residents are ethnic Thais with around twenty-five percent of the city's inhabitants being Chinese or of Chinese descent. Chinese influence is strong, particularly in the largest group is of Indian descent, whose heritage can be traced to northern India. The city is also home to illegal immigrants from Burma, Cambodia, Nepal, Bangladesh and Pakistan.
RELIGION
Buddhism is the prevailing religion in Thailand and around 95% of the population are Buddhists. Muslims constitute around four percent of the population and live mostly in the southern provinces bordering Malaysia. There are also small Hindu and Christian communities.
Since Buddha statues and images represent the Buddha, visitors are asked to behave respectfully to all statues and images so as not to cause offence to local people. It is illegal to take any Buddhist statues out of Thailand without the express permission of the Fine Arts Department.
MONEY
The Thai currency is made up of baht and satangs. Commonly used coins are 25-satang, 50-satang, 1 baht, 5 baht and 10 baht denominations. There are different sizes of 1 and 5 baht coins in circulation so be careful when you count your money. Banknotes, which are printed in both Thai and Western numerals, increase in size according to value and are in different colours: 20 baht green; 50 baht blue; 100 baht red; 500 baht purple and 1,000 baht grey/beige. It is difficult to change large notes in some market areas, so remember to ask for some small notes when changing money.
Banks are open from 9:30 hours to 15:30 hours during weekdays. In Bangkok, you will find many of the banks have foreign exchange services open until late in the evening every day, particularly in popular tourists spots.
Travellers' cheques give the highest rate of exchange. The American dollars is the most widely-accepted foreign currency, but most other major foreign currencies can be exchanged at banks. Payments by credit cards are becoming increasingly common at most major tourist spots and in most hotels and good class restaurants.
TOURIST INFORMATION
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) sponsors a number of useful publications about Bangkok and the rest of Thailand including its own Holiday Time in Thailand. Tourist publications about the country provide useful information about things to see and do along with a useful calendar of festivals and events taking place in Bangkok and throughout the country.
GETTING AROUND
Getting around in Bangkok can prove perplexing for newly-arrived visitors, but once you become acquainted with the bus system, you can go to just about any place in the city. If you have appointments to keep, allow extra time to cope with the traffic congestion, which occurs during peak hours in several parts of town.
Visitors are recommended to try the Chao Phraya Express Boat System and, if you take to the roads, you will find the metered taxis quite reasonably price. The Open-Air Motor- Tricycles (called Tuk-Tuk or Samlor) are good for short distances if you want to avoid being exposed to automobile exhaust fumes.
LANGUAGE
The Thai language is tonal with each syllable having five different tones (high, rising, falling, middle and low). The meanings relate to the level of the tones used. Verbs have no tenses and most words are monosyllabic. There are also a number of regional dialects which can be confusing even to the locals.
Although English is not generally spoken, many Thai students understand and speak English to a certain degree and they could prove helpful during your stay in Bangkok.
Some visitors find Thai language one of the world's most difficult to learn but, with a little practice, most visitors can pick up a few useful words or phrases. Please see Appendix USEFUL THAI WORDS AND PHRASES.
