The contrasts of Bangkok inspired you enough to give the city a number 42 placing.
Wow - this city is hot hot hot, in more ways than one. According to the World Met Office, Bangkok is the world’s hottest city, and with a population of over six million, this is Thailand’s biggest and busiest city.
Bangkok is a city of contrast. Modern office blocks are interspersed with traditional Buddhist wats or temples, and it is not uncommon to see an orange-robed, bare-footed monk walking amongst tourists and commuters.
A compulsory stop off for many travellers, it is to many one of the best place to shop, that is, if you have a taste for all sort of kitsch collectibles and fake designer goods. However, Bangkok is also renowned for its impressive historical and spiritual buildings.
There are 400 wats or temples in Bangkok including the lavish 18th century Grand Palace, an important shrine for Buddhists worldwide.
The Palace is set in a glittering walled complex occupying an area of about a square mile, that contains over 100 buildings representing more than 200 years of royal history.
Although the complex houses Wat Phra Kaeo, the holiest of all Thai temples, where the sacred Emerald Buddha rests, the centrepiece and largest of the palace buildings is the Chakri Throne Hall, also known as the Grand Palace Hall. Now the Grand Palace is used by the King only for certain ceremonial occasions such as coronation day.
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