Central Region
Bangkok
Bangkok can certainly be described as hectic, frenzy and somewhat over full. Bangkok is split
into different sections by the Chao Phraya River. Home to over 9.3 million of Thailand’s’ population the city is a thriving commercial and historic centre offering the tourist limitless choices for entertainment and recreation.
Bangkok is covered by a good number of waterways which carry passengers and products on numerous boats that navigate the waters in and around Bangkok. The Bangkok streets on the other hand are filled with continuous traffic jams. The floating markets are internationally famous and a must for any visitor and is certainly well worth some time to explore.
Bangkok has a city-wide sky train system which transports commuters and tourists above the city. The sky train system has been a great improvement to the traffic nightmare that Bangkok had and it gives visitors a tranquil and well-organised way to observe the hectic life of those on the ground below.
Although Bangkok is overcrowded and somewhat polluted, Bangkok is without a doubt one of the continent’s most lively cities. Bangkok is also one of the Globes largest cities on earth.
Tourists visiting Bangkok will discover along the river the Grand Palace which is also known as the Wat Phra Kaeo. The world famous palace temple in Bangkok is host the world renowned Emerald Buddha which is made entirely from transparent green jade.
Bangkok has around 35 major Temples spread through the city. The largest Temple in Bangkok is the Temple of the Reclining Buddha. This world famous Thai temple houses a remarkable figure of the holy being.
In between the skyscrapers and sophisticated shopping centres there's still the remarkable Wat Phra Kaew and the Grand Palace, the Temple of the Dawn and many more. Traditions live on too: don't be surprised, for example, to find a large dedicated spirit house built for good luck alongside almost every major building, or to see files of Buddhist monks making their early morning alms round.
Amidst all of this is what many find one of Asia's most interesting and exciting cities, but it does have it's fair share of problems also - not least of which is the heat. Due to it's location in the tropics, Bangkok's average day time temperature is rarely much below 30 degrees centigrade at any time of year and the night time temperature is not much cooler. The maximum temperature can occasionally top 40 degrees during the hot season in April / May, when it is, not surprisingly, the low season for tourism. Despite the temperature, it is not all that sunny in Bangkok and most days are grey and overcast - meaning many visitors are surprised when they first walk outside Bangkok airport and discover that what appeared to be a cold, cloudy day is actually uncomfortably hot.
The heat, combined with the humidity and pollution, makes walking a sizeable distance in Bangkok almost impossible, and breaking into a sweat after only a couple of hundred meters almost inevitable. The Thai people themselves will rarely walk any significant distance and there's a very large number of cars, buses, taxis and tuk-tuks to help them get about.
Sadly, these combine to make the traffic jams and pollution that Bangkok is justifiably world famous for. The seemingly permanent rot dtit (traffic jam) is a fact of life in Bangkok, and makes simple journeys that should take 20 minutes end up over an hour, even out of rush hour. The relatively small number of roads, the annual floods in September and October, and the hundreds of new cars flooding on to the roads every day don't help matters much either. However, Bangkok's impressive skytrain and new subway facilities combined now cover much of areas of the city a visitor is likely to go to and provide a convenient way to bypass them.
Kanchanaburi
The city of Kanchanaburi is located at the point where two tributaries, the Kwai Noi and Kwai Yai meet and form the Maenam This is the location for the Bridge on the river Kwai which was immortalised in the 1957 film of the same name. The film told the story of the railway of death in the Second World War as 80,000 Asian labourers and 13,000 allied troops were forced by the Japanese army to build the line under terrible conditions. The town features war cemeteries to commemorate those that died in the building of the railway.
Kanchanaburi, which has mostly mountainous terrain, covers an area of approximately 19,473 square kilometres and is the third largest province in Thailand after Chiang Mai and Nakhon Ratchasima. Situated approximately 129 kilometres west of Bangkok, Kanchanaburi shares a border with Myanmar to the west, Tak and Uthai Thani Provinces to the north, Suphan Buri and Nakhon Pathom Provinces to the east, and Ratchaburi Province to the south.
In north and west Kanchanaburi, the terrain is comprised mainly of mountains and high plains, with the Thanon Thongchai Range acting as a natural border between Thailand and Myanmar. The range is the source of Kanchanaburi's two most important rivers Maenam Kwai Noi and Maenam Kwai Yai, which form the famous Maenam Mae Klong. As a result, several of Thailand's largest Namtok (waterfalls) and most extensive wildlife sanctuaries are found in this area.
The magnificent landscape and charming beauty of Kanchanaburi have resulted in major tourist attractions including several well-known waterfalls, caves which were once inhabited by Neolithic man, pristine national parks, tranquil rivers, virgin forests, and reservoir. Together, they offer an intriguing experience for first-time or repeat visitors. Whether its fishing, rafting, canoeing, mountain biking, bird-watching, star-gazing, golfing, elephant and jungle trekking, or even living in bamboo rafts, Kanchanaburi takes pride in offering them all.
In economic terms, Kanchanaburi has been doing well on a national scale, with over 10 per cent growth annually. Important industries include sugar, agricultural products and jewellery. Tourism is also a main source of income for the locals as the provinces high tourism potential has made Kanchanaburi number one among the west provinces in having the highest number of visitors each year.
Residents of Kanchanaburi are engaged in agricultural activities. Most of the locals are of Thai ancestry with notable Mon and Karen minorities. Rural dwellers enjoy living simply and respecting nature. Moreover folk music and dances dating back at least 500 years are still performed today.
Getting to Kanchanaburi is very easy and from Bangkok takes three hours by train or bus and two hours by car.
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