This is the Banglamphu chapter from Lonely Planet’s Bangkok guidebook.

Antique shophouses, classic restaurants, ancient temples: Banglamphu is old Bangkok en-capsulated in one leafy, breezy district. Come evening, young locals flood the area in search of a cheap meal and a cold Chang, giving the area an entirely different vibe.

• explore Bangkok’s most famous street, Th Khao San, a unique cultural melting pot with something for everyone
• maps
• take in the panoramic views of old Bangkok from Golden Mount
• transport
• taste classic Bangkok-style nosh at Krua Apsorn and other similarly classic restaurants
• restaurants & bars

Coverage includes: Neighbourhood Top Five, Local Life, Getting There & Away, Sights, Eating, Drinking & Nightlife, Entertainment, Shopping.

This is the Chinatown chapter from Lonely Planet’s Bangkok guidebook.

Chinatown embodies everything that’s hectic, noisy and polluted about Bangkok, but that’s what makes it such a fascinating area to explore. Hit the area’s big sights – Wat Traimit (Golden Buddha) and the street markets – but be sure to do some map-free wandering as well.

• dine alfresco at Nay Hong and the dozens of other decades-old street-food stalls that de-fine this neighbourhood
• maps
• feast your eyes on 5.5 tonnes of solid gold Buddha at Wat Traimit, one of the country’s grandest and most famous temples
• transport
• watch chaos and commerce battle it out in Chinatown’s frenetic, photogenic fresh-food market, Talat Mai
• restaurants & bars

Coverage includes: Neighbourhood Top Five, Local Life, Getting There & Away, Sights, Eating, Drinking & Entertainment.

This is the Excursions from Bangkok chapter from Lonely Planet’s Bangkok guidebook.

Want to escape the city? This chapter includes the very best excursions from Bangkok, each offering unique insights into Thailand. Must-sees include the sprawling temples of Ayuthaya and the powerful monuments of Kanchanaburi.

• immerse yourself in ancient history at Ayuthaya, a Unesco World Heritage site and major pilgrimage site
• maps
• dig your toes into the squeaky sand beaches of Ko Samet, only a few hours from Bang-kok
• transport
• explore Amphawa’s canal-side setting and ancient wooden houses
• restaurants & bars

Coverage includes: Ayuthaya Historical Park, Ko Samet, Amphawa, Phetchaburi, Kanchanaburi, Khao Yai.

This is the Northern Bangkok chapter from Lonely Planet’s Bangkok guide-book.

There are several reasons to visit Northern Bangkok, but most people come for the markets: the northern suburbs are home to some of the city’s best. Chatuchak Weekend Market draws tens of thousands of shoppers and is a hectic but must-do Bangkok experience.

• get lost in the one of the world’s largest markets, Chatuchak Weekend Market – a must-do Bangkok experience
• maps
• follow Bangkok’s hipsters to eccentric, art-themed Chang Chui
• transport
• ditch the smog and traffic of the big city and head to the rural-feeling island of Ko Kret in Mae Nam Chao Phraya
• restaurants & bars

Coverage includes: Neighbourhood Top Five, Local Life, Getting There & Away, Sights, Eating, Drinking & Nightlife, Entertainment, Shopping.

This is the Ko Ratanakosin & Thonburi chapter from Lonely Planet’s Bangkok guidebook.

The artificial island of Ko Ratanakosin boasts incredible remnants of the city’s history, in-cluding Wat Phra Kaew and the Grand Palace, and Wat Pho. Across the river, neighbouring Thonburi has less to offer in terms of sights, but is great to explore.

• try to stop your jaw from dropping to the floor upon encountering Wat Pho’s enormous Re-clining Buddha for the first time
• maps
• get up close and personal with iconic riverside Wat Arun
• transport
• bask in the glow of the Emerald Buddha at Wat Phra Kaew, Thailand’s most sacred tem-ple
• restaurants & bars

Coverage includes: Neighbourhood Top Five, Local Life, Getting There & Away, Sights, Eating, Drinking & Nightlife, Entertainment.

This chapter contains the Welcome to Bangkok, Bangkok’s Top 10, What’s New, Need to Know, First Time Bangkok, Top Itineraries, If You Like..., Month by Month, With Kids, Eating, Drinking & Nightlife, Entertainment, Shopping, Sports & Activities, and LGBT Bang-kok chapters from Lonely Planet’s Bangkok guidebook.

Your journey to Bangkok starts here. You’ll find the tools to plan your adventure: where to go and when, how much to budget, plus in-depth info on the city’s food and entertainment scenes.

• tailor-made itineraries, arranged by region, themes and events
• list of highlights and best experiences
• an insider’s guide to shopping up a storm
• user-friendly country overview ensures you won’t miss a thing

Coverage includes: Welcome to Bangkok, Bangkok’s Top 10, What’s New, Need to Know, First Time Bangkok, Top Itineraries, If You Like Urban Exploration, Eating Like a Local, Hipster Haunts, Architecture, Boats, Free Stuff, Temples, Museums, Month by Month, With Kids, Eating, Drinking & Nightlife, Entertainment, Shopping, Sports & Activities, and LGBT Bangkok.

This is the Sukhumvit chapter from Lonely Planet’s Bangkok guidebook.

Th Sukhumvit is generally more about eating and drinking than about sightseeing. Jump on the BTS (Skytrain) and discover the street’s various vibes, from the street markets and touts of Lower Sukhumvit to the well-concealed compounds of the wealthy near BTS Phrom Phong.

• sip a classic cocktail and check out the art exhibition at what we reckon is Bangkok’s best bar, WTF
• maps
• recover from all that sightseeing at Health Land, or one of Th Sukhumvit’s other numerous and excellent-value spas and massage parlours
• transport
• sample from Th Sukhumvit’s generous and delicious buffet of international restaurants, such as Jidori Cuisine Ken
• restaurants & bars

Coverage includes: Neighbourhood Top Five, Local Life, Getting There & Away, Sights, Eating, Drinking & Nightlife, Entertainment, Shopping.

This chapter contains the Bangkok Today, History, People & Culture, Food & Drink, The Sex Industry in Thailand, Transport, Directory A–Z, and Language chapters from Lonely Planet’s Bangkok guidebook.

All the info you need on everything from history, politics and religion to flights, public transport, climate, money, the internet... you name it. Get tips for women travellers, gay and les-bian travellers, travellers with disabilities, and travellers with kids. And get the most out of your conversations with a handy language guide and glossary.

• a rundown on temple structure, architecture and interior decoration
• info on Bangkok’s cuisine staples and specialities
• insight into the city’s tumultuous history
• coverage of the country’s vast and illegal sex industry

Coverage includes: Bangkok Today, History, People & Culture, Food & Drink, The Sex Industry in Thailand, Transport, Directory A–Z, and Language.

This is the Siam Square, Pratunam, Phloen Chit & Ratchathewi chapter from Lonely Planet’s Bangkok guidebook.

Siam Sq, Pratunam and Phloen Chit combine to form the de facto geographical and commer-cial centre of modern Bangkok. Huge malls, towering hotels and open-air shopping centres dominate the area – if you’re serious about shopping, you’ve come to the right place.

• visit Jim Thompson House, the teak mansion that put Thai style on the map before its ex-spy owner disappeared off that map
• maps
• shop at Mbk Center and the other mega-malls, department stores and shops that practically engulf Siam Sq
• transport
• explore the pencil-thin lanes of the canal-side Muslim village of Baan Khrua, where Jim Thompson first encountered Thai silk
• restaurants & bars

Coverage includes: Neighbourhood Top Five, Local Life, Getting There & Away, Sights, Eating, Drinking & Nightlife, Entertainment, Shopping.

This is the Riverside, Silom & Lumphini chapter from Lonely Planet’s Bangkok guidebook.

Th Silom is Bangkok’s de facto financial district, while adjacent Th Sathon is home to many of the city’s embassies. Incongruously, lower Th Silom functions as Bangkok’s gaybourhood. The Riverside area is significantly less flashy, and is great for an aimless wander among old build-ings.

• indulge in a meal at Nahm, possibly the best Thai restaurant in the city and – if you believe the critics – one of the best restaurants in the world
• maps
• soak up the views at Moon Bar and the area’s other tower-top bars
• transport
• relax Bangkok-style among the exercisers and exercise-observers in Lumphini Park, the ‘lungs of the city’
• restaurants & bars

Coverage includes: Neighbourhood Top Five, Local Life, Getting There & Away, Sights, Eating, Drinking & Nightlife, Entertainment, Shopping.

This is the Thewet & Dusit chapter from Lonely Planet’s Bangkok guidebook.

Thewet has the hectic, buzzy feel often associated with Bangkok: relentless traffic, throngs of civil servants and school kids, and a soggy market. Dusit, on the other hand, is possibly Bang-kok’s most orderly district, home to tree-lined avenues and regal monuments.

• witness Victorian sense and Thai sensibilities merge in the fairy-tale-like former royal en-clave of Dusit Palace Park
• maps
• cheer on Thai boxing – the sport that makes Steven Seagal look as soft as a pillow – at the county’s most venerable and prestigious venue, Rajadamnern Stadium
• transport
• enjoy tasty, breezy, open-air dining at the area’s riverside restaurants such as Khinlom Chom Sa-Phan
• restaurants & bars

Coverage includes: Neighbourhood Top Five, Local Life, Getting There & Away, Sights, Eating, Drinking & Nightlife, Entertainment.