Bangkok, Most popular tourist destination in the world 2013

Bangkok is now the most visited city in the world!

Bangkok has beaten London to the number one spot as 2013's most popular tourist destination with 15.98 million visitor projected to descend in Thailand's capital city this year, according to the new Global Destination Cities Index released by MasterCard.

                                                                                   Grand Palace,Bangkok

Based on data MasterCard collected from governments, central banks, related public agencies and airlines so far this year, the projection for the entire year says Bangkok is surpassing London, the previous holder of the top place, by a very narrow margin. The report marked the first time any Asian city has been projected to be the top-ranked tourist destination. London came in second, with 15.96 million visitors expected in 2013, and Paris, third, with 13.92 million visitors. MasterCard looked at 132 cities.

Other Asian cities that made it to the Top 20 Global Destination Cities in 2013 include, Singapore at number four; with 11.75 million visitors, Kuala Lumpur at number eight; with 9.2 million visitors, Hong Kong at number nine; with 8.72 million visitors, Seoul at number 11; with 8.19 million visitors, Shanghai at number 14; with 6.5 million visitors, Tokyo at number 16; with 5.8 million visitors, and Taipei; with 5.19 million visitors. 

MasterCard Worldwide’s global economic adviser Yuwa Hedrick-Wong cited overall value for money spent for why Bangkok is attractive. That is true for Thailand overall as well.

Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) adviser Suwanchai Ritthirak cited official data in saying that each foreign visitor spends an average of 9.6 days and 4,100 baht (about US$141.50) in the country.  Therefore, to boost Bangkok’s ranking, more needs to be done to increase either or both factor.

Index Ranking by Number of International Visitors (in millions):

1. Bangkok 15.98
2. London 15.96
3. Paris 13.92
4. Singapore 11.75
5. New York 11.52
6. Istanbul 10.37
7. Dubai 9.89
8. Kuala Lumpur 9.20
9. Hong Kong 8.72
10. Barcelona 8.41
11. Seoul 8.19
12. Milan 6.83
13. Rome 6.71
14. Shanghai 6.50
15. Amsterdam 6.35
16. Tokyo 5.80
17. Vienna 5.37
18. Taipei 5.19
19. Riyadh 5.05
20. Los Angeles 4.84 

Central

Bangkok "Krung Thep" The kingdom's capital city as know as "The city of angels"

Bangkok - Krung Thep Maha Nakhon is the capital of Thailand and, with a population of over eleven million inhabitants, by far its largest city. Its high-rise buildings, heavy traffic congestion, intense heat and naughty nightlife may not immediately give you the best impression, but don't let that mislead you. It is one of Asia's most cosmopolitan cities with magnificent temples and palaces, authentic canals, busy markets and a vibrant nightlife that has something for everyone.

For years, it was only a small trading post at the banks of the Chao Phraya River, until King Rama I, the first monarch of the present Chakri dynasty, turned it into the capital of Siam after the burning of Ayutthaya by Burmese invaders but they did not take over Ayutthaya. Since then, Bangkok has turned into a national treasure house and functions as Thailand's spiritual, cultural, political, commercial, educational and diplomatic centre.

                                                                         Bangkok, Thailand

There is a variety of Bangkok sightseeing and attraction contains of the exotic temples, {Temple Tour (Tour Wat)} which underscore Thailand's strong Buddhist history temple, modern shopping malls and tourist treasure.

The main areas for getting around once you're in;

Siam Square The area around Siam Square, including Ratchaprasong and Phloen Chit Road, is Bangkok's modern commercial core, full of glitzy malls and hotels. The Skytrain intersection at Siam Square is the closest thing Bangkok has to a centre.

Sukhunvit The long Sukhumvit Road is an exclusive district popular in Bangkok among expatriates and upper class locals. It is filled with quality hotels, restaurants and nightclubs. Part of its nightlife represents Bangkok's naughty image, particularly Soi Cowboy and Nana Entertainment Plaza.

Silom The area around Silom Road and Sathorn Road is Thailand's sober financial centre by day, but Bangkok's primary party district by night when quarters like the infamous Patpong come alive.

Rattanakosin Between the river and downtown lies the densely packed "Old Bangkok", home to Bangkok's best-known sights, such as the Grand Palace and Wat Pho.

Khao Sarn Road On the northern part of Rattanakosin, Bangkok's backpacker mecca, Khao San Road and the surrounding district of Banglamphu have everything a budget traveller could possibly be looking for.

Yaowarat and Phahurat Along Yaowarat Road you will find Bangkok's Chinatown, while Phahurat Road is the home of the city's sizable Indian community. This multi-cultural district is filled with temples, shrines, seafood restaurants and street markets. 

Pratunam is a large garment market with hundreds of fashion stores selling both retail and wholesale. It also includes Baiyoke Tower II and Victory Monument.

Ratchadapisek Since the completion of the metro line, Ratchadaphisek Road has developed into an entertainment mecca for the locals. The sois of "Ratchada" are popular clubbing spots, as is Royal City Avenue (RCA).

Phahonyouthin The area around Phahonyothin Road and Viphavadi Rangsit Road is a large suburb in northern Bangkok. In weekends, it is the best place to go hunting for bargains. The Chatuchak Weekend Market has more than 8,000 stalls selling anything and everything under the sun.

                                          Time Square, Bangkok, Thailand

The HISTORY of Bangkok

"Bangkok" originally was a small village on the west bank of the Chao Phraya River. After the fall of Ayutthaya in the late 18th century, King Taksin the Great turned that village into Siam's new capital and renamed it Thonburi. In 1782, King Rama I moved the capital to the eastern bank of the river at Rattanakosin; originally the site of a Chinese community, who were moved outside of the new city walls to Yaowarat. King Rama I named the city Krung Thep, as it is now known to Thais and which in English is translates as the "City of Angels".

The full name "Krung thep mahanakhon amorn ratanakosin mahintharayutthaya mahadilok popnoparat ratchathani burirom udomratchanivetmahasathan amornpiman avatarnsathit sakkathattiyavisnukarmprasit" (กรุงเทพมหานคร อมรรัตนโกสินทร์ มหินทรายุธยามหาดิลกภพ นพรัตน์ราชธานี บุรีรมย์อุดมราชนิเวศน์มหาสถาน อมรพิมานอวตารสถิต สักกะทัตติยะวิษณุกรรมประสิทธิ์) is listed as the world's longest location name by the Guinness Book of Records; an English rendering goes like this: "The city of angels, the great city, the residence of the Emerald Buddha, the impregnable city of Ayutthaya of God Indra, the grand capital of the world endowed with nine precious gems, the happy city, abounding in an enormous Royal Palace that resembles the heavenly abode where reigns the reincarnated god, a city given by Indra and built by Vishnukarn". The original village of Bangkok has long since ceased to exist, but foreigners never caught on to the change.

Life was taking place on the water; ordinary people lived on bamboo-rafts along the river, while floating vendors roamed the water to sell fruit and vegetables. The only stone structures built on land were temples and palaces. In the 19th-century, Western powers incorporated much of Southeast Asia into their colonial empires. King Rama IV and V felt that the only way to keep Siam independent was to modernise the country along European lines. Traditional canals were filled up and turned into roads. King Rama V moved the residence of the King to Dusit and laid out that district's grand boulevards along European lines.

Bangkok really started to develop after World War II. The economic centre shifted from the orderly planned city of Rattanakosin in an eastward direction, leaving Bangkok without an obvious centre. Bangkok established itself as the driving power behind Thailand's new role as a newly industrializing country from the 1980s onwards. Rapid economic growth has attracted migration from the countryside, with millions of Thais moving here from Isaan to make a living. This rapid expansion turned Bangkok into one of the most cosmopolitan and happening cities in Asia; but also ensured numerous problems. A wide gap has emerged between those who profit from economic activity, and those who came to the city from the countryside in search of work. Bangkok's seemingly never-ending traffic jams continue as the new Skytrain and metro systems are too expensive for the working class. Getting a break from the fumes in a park would seem to be a good idea, if it wasn't that Bangkok having the lowest amount of green space among all capitals in the world.

Get In

• By Plane 

Bangkok is served by two airports: Suvarnabhumi Airport and Don Muang Airport . Suvarnabhumi Airport is used by all airlines in Thailand except for Nok Air, Orient Thai and Air Asia, which use the old Don Muang Airport. Both these airports are about 30 km (19 mi) from the city centre, so be prepared for a long ride to get into the city. Also allow at least three hours to connect between them, as they are far away from each other and there is heavy congestion on the roads.

• By Bus

When buying tickets for buses out of Bangkok, it's best to skip travel agents and their private buses, and get the tickets for public buses directly at Bangkok's three public bus terminals. These buses are cheaper, safer, faster, more comfortable and won't scam you onto a clapped-out minibus halfway along the way or to a bedbug-infested hotel at the end. Each of these long haul bus terminals serve a different direction. 

The largest, busiest, and most modern terminal is the Northern Bus Terminal, also known as Mo Chit. The upper floor serves the Isaan region in the northeast of Thailand; the ground floor serves Northern Thailand, and shares some destinations with Ekkamai (including Pattaya, Rayong, Chanthaburi and Trat). The bus terminal is a fair hike from BTS station Mo Chit or MRT station Chatuchak Park. Motorbike taxis do the trip for a fixed 50 baht fare, while tuk-tuks charge whatever they feel like. If you have a considerable amount of luggage, the easiest, if not necessarily fastest, option is to take a taxi directly to or from the bus terminal. Buying tickets here is reasonably easy; find a window with your destination written on it (in friendly Roman letters), pay the fare in big numbers on the same window, and you'll get a ticket on the next available departure. 

The Eastern Bus Terminal, also known as Ekkamai, is a relatively compact terminal right next to Ekkamai BTS station in Sukhumvit. Ekkamai serves destinations in Eastern Thailand, including Pattaya, Rayong, Ban Phe (for Ko Samet), Chanthaburi and Trat. If you're heading for Ko Chang, there is a specifically designated stop for it between Chanthaburi and Trat. You can also get a bus to the Cambodian border crossing at Poipet, look for the bus to Aranyaprathet and tell them you are going to Poipet when you buy the ticket.

Then there's the Southern Bus Terminal, that serves all destinations west and south of Bangkok from its somewhat inconvenient location at Phutthamonthon Sai 1 Road in northern Thonburi. Long-distance buses leave from here to destinations throughout Western Thailand (including Nakhon Pathom and Kanchanaburi) and Southern Thailand (including Krabi, Phuket, Surat Thani, Ko Samui, Ko Pha Ngan, Hat Yai, and many others). The new terminal is a fairly pleasant airport-like structure with air-conditioning, electronic departure monitors (in English), a few bank offices, and a KFC. 

• By Mini-Bus (Van)

For travelling to Bangkok suburbs or locations within 200 km of the city, the fastest and often the cheapest way is to use public minibus (minivan) services. They are running from parking lots situated besides the Victory Monument square (facing the monument itself are the city bus stops, behind it there is a small market, and behind the market you will find many white-coloured minibuses just parking at the roadside and waiting for passengers). They depart when full, usually each 15-30 minutes. Fare is usually similar to long-distance buses with the same destination (if there are any). Other way, it could be estimated as 1 baht/km. Some useful destinations: Ayutthaya (around 100 baht), Lopburi, Nava Nakorn (50 baht, for Don Mueang airport or to get out along highway 1 for hitching to the north/northeast), Minburi (around 30 baht, for Siam Park), Suvarnabhumi airport (40 baht), Pattaya (130 baht), Rayong, Ban Phe (for Ko Samet), Chanthaburi, Kanchanaburi, Phraram 2 (to the highway, for hitching to the southern Thailand), Samut Songkhram, Samut Sakhon, Phetchaburi, Hua Hin, Amphawa (this route passes "railway market" in Maenam). Destinations are written in the front and side of minibuses in Thai, so you should ask drivers or ticket sellers about your destination. Minivans are usually the fastest way of transportation from the center, because they take elevated expressways right from Victory Monument, thus avoiding traffic jams. Another advantage is that they start from the center of Bangkok and usually arrive at the center of the destination, sometimes normal long distance buses would stop further away from the center. 

• By Train

The State Railway of Thailand, Tel: +66 2 222-0175, serves Bangkok with railway lines from all four directions of Thailand. Hualamphong Train Station is the most important station, located close to Yaowarat and served by its own MRT station. It is a big and surprisingly convenient station built during the reign of King Rama VI. It was spared from bombing in World War II at the request of the Thai resistance movement.

Tickets for trains leaving the same or the next day can be bought on the counters under the big screens. The Advance Booking Office is located to the right of the platforms as you walk towards them and is quite well-organised. You can select your seat/berth from a plan of the train, and payments by credit card are accepted. You may be able to book an e-ticket; however, the price is the same.

• By Car

Getting into Bangkok by car is not a good idea, as you can easily waste half a day waiting in traffic just to get to the other side of the city. Three major highways lead to Bangkok from all directions of Thailand. The best way to get to Bangkok from Northern Thailand is driving on Phahonyothin Road (Route 1), which comes from Mae Sai near the Myanmarese border. Sukhumvit Road (Route 3) comes from cities in Eastern Thailand, such as Trat, Pattaya and Chonburi. Phetkasem Road (Route 4) must be one of the longest roads in the world, as it comes all the way from the Malaysian border serving Southern Thailand.

To ease congestion on these highways, a new system of motorways has emerged which will be extended in the future. The New Bangkok-Chonburi Motorway (Motorway 7) is covering the trip from Chonburi and Pattaya. Then there's the Kanchanaphisek National Highway (Motorway 9 or "Outer Ring Road") which makes a giant loop around Bangkok serving most satellite towns around it, such as Nonthaburi and Samut Prakan.