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Walking Tour

Old Bangkok

START THA CHANG

FINISH AMOROSA

DISTANCE ABOUT 6KM

DURATION FOUR TO SIX

HOURS

The bulk of Bangkok’s ‘must-see’ des-

tinations are found in the former royal

district, Ko Ratanakosin, and Banglamphu,

so this walking tour links the two, spanning

major and minor attractions. It’s best to start

early to beat the heat and get in before the

hordes have descended. Remember to dress

modestly (long pants and skirts, shirts with

sleeves and closed-toed shoes) in order to

gain entry to the temples. Also ignore any

strangers who approach you off ering advice

on sightseeing or shopping.

Start at 1 Tha Chang and follow Th Na

Phra Lan east with a quick diversion to

2 Silpakorn University, Thailand’s premier

fi ne-arts university. Originally founded as the

School of Fine Arts by Italian artist Corrado

Feroci, the university campus includes part of

an old palace built for Rama I. If you haven’t

already been, continue east to the main gate

into 3 Wat Phra Kaew & Grand Palace,

two of Bangkok’s most famous attractions.

Double back to Th Maha Rat and proceed

north, through a gauntlet of herbal apoth-

ecaries and pavement amulet sellers. Imme-

diately after passing the cat-laden newsstand

(you’ll know it when you smell it), turn left

into 4 Trok Tha Wang, a narrow alleyway

holding a seemingly hidden classic Bangkok

neighbourhood. Returning to Th Maha Rat,

continue moving north. On your right is

5 Wat Mahathat one of Thailand’s most

respected Buddhist universities.

Across the street, turn left into crowded

Trok Mahathat to discover the cramped

6 amulet market. Follow the alley all the

way towards the river to appreciate how ex-

tensive the amulet trade is.

As you continue north alongside the river,

amulets soon turn to food vendors. The

emergence of white-and-black uniforms is a

clue that you are approaching

7 Thammasat University, known for its

law and political-science departments. The

campus was also the site of the bloody Oc-

tober 1976 prodemocracy demonstrations,

when Thai students were killed or wounded

by the military.