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The Land and Its People
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Leisure in the City
The stress of city life makes
leisure activities vital, and weekends
find the people of Bangkok dedicated
to having a good time. Sometimes there
are temple fairs featuring food and
traditional forms of entertainment like
the ever-popular folk opera (likay).
Sporting events draw large crowds,
whether they are of purely local interest
or involve foreign football teams,
boxers, or gymnasts. Several museums,
a planetarium, a zoo, art galleries, and a
cultural centre can be visited for instruction
as well as relaxation. There are dozens
of modern, air-conditioned cinemas
throughout Bangkok, most of them
showing Thai and Western movies. The
most popular local productions are
melodramas with equal measures of
comedy, romance, and epic adventure.
Lumpini Park, in the heart of Bangkok
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Several large amusement parks
are located on the city's outskirts, with
carousels, Ferris wheels, roller coasters,
shooting galleries, and ice cream
stalls to keep young visitors cheerfully
occupied for hours. Lumpini Park, in the
heart of Bangkok, is crowded on
weekends with football and strollers,
as well as joggers and others in search
of physical fitness. Chatuchak Park is
the site of the famous Weekend Market
featuring several acres of stalls selling
a remarkable assortment of goods:
household pets, every conceivable kind
of fresh fruit, vegetables, and spices,
Buddha amulets, handicrafts, ornamental plants, secondhand books and
records, and probably, if one is persistent, the proverbial kitchen sink,
Rama IX Park, presented to the city on the
occasion of His Majesty King Bhumibol
Aduiyadej's 60th birthday is another
popular place to escape the city's clamour;
it also features a pavilion with displays
of the King's life and interests.
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Bangkok boasts some of the most varied nightlife in Asia.
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Bangkok boasts some of the most
varied nightlife in Asia. Visiting ballet,
operatic, and folk dance troupes from
Europe, the U.S., and various Asian
countries frequently appear, and film
festivals are held by foreign cultural
organizations like the Alliance
Francaise, the Goethe Insdiuie, and the
British Council. Patrons of nightclubs
and supperclubs, many of them in the
city's leading hotels, are entertained by
international as well as local performers.
Discotheques with the latest gadgetry
flash and throb to the beat of music
played at top volume, while numerous
dubs specialize in jazz or folk music.
The beat of music played at top volume, while numerous
dubs specialize in jazz or folk music
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Bangkok's cosmopolitan flavour is
particularly evident in die vast variety of
foods offered by its countless restaurants.
Diners in the city have a choice of
French, Italian, Scandinavian, German,
Japanese, Middle Eastern, Swiss,
English. Mexican, Korean, Indian,
Vietnamese, Burmese, and American
fast-food outlets, as well of course as
superb Chinese and Thai cuisine.
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Bangkok abounds in markets, shops, and department stores
selling every possible kind of merchandise.
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Although Bangkok abounds in
markets, shops, and department stores
selling every possible kind of merchandise.
those who prefer to spend the day at
home in the city's residential lanes
can buy what they need from itinerant
vendors who bring necessities right
to the doorstep, selling charcoal (for cooking), fruil, ice cream, noodle dishes.
grilled chicken, handmade brooms, pots
and pans, and countless other items.
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Thai cuisine
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