Back to the Future: Thailand’s Former Capital Regains Its Glory as a UNESCO Site
Wat Ratchaburana

Back to the Future: Thailand’s Former Capital Regains Its Glory as a UNESCO Site

Here at World Capital Confidential, I don’t discriminate against any capital cities. They may be great or small; sweltering on the equator or nestled in the frigid arctic; on the tourist trail or far from the beaten path. Even former capitals are given honorary status: once a capital,…

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A Trip to MOCA and the Weekend Market in Chatuchak
“Two Dimensional Village” by Somphong Adulyasaraphan

A Trip to MOCA and the Weekend Market in Chatuchak

A trip to Chatuchak, a district in northern Bangkok, will allow you to visit two of my favorite attractions in the whole capital: the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) and the Chatuchak Weekend Market. You can easily spend a full day at these two locations, but make sure…

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From (The Temple of) Dawn to Dusk: Getting Around Bangkok Made Easy
Wat Arun at Night

From (The Temple of) Dawn to Dusk: Getting Around Bangkok Made Easy

  How to Get Around Bangkok Bangkok’s enormous size is matched by an equally long list of ways to get around the city. Of course, you could take the easy way out and download Grab (the Southeast Asian version of Uber) and use it exclusively to traverse the…

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Band of Outsiders: Immigrants & Artists Spice Up Bangkok
The neon glow of the Sri Maha Mariamman Temple in Silom

Band of Outsiders: Immigrants & Artists Spice Up Bangkok

Non-Buddhist Bangkok Compared to New York, one of the most diverse cities in the United States, and the place I happen to call home, Thailand is a fairly homogenous nation. 92% of the population is ethnically Thai and the vast majority identify as Buddhist; the northern regions are…

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Exploring the Old and New in Banglamphu
Climbing the Golden Mount at Wat Saket

Exploring the Old and New in Banglamphu

Banglamphu After the royal island of Ratanakosin, which we explored in the previous post, Banglamphu (Old Bangkok) is the next most-visited neighborhood in the capital. Communities built their homes on this formerly marshy tract of land hundreds of years before Bangkok was declared Thailand’s new capital in 1782.…

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Ratanakosin: Bangkok 101 at The Grand Palace, Wat Pho & National Museum
One of the Yaksha, or Demon Guardians, who protect the Emerald Buddha

Ratanakosin: Bangkok 101 at The Grand Palace, Wat Pho & National Museum

Bangkok is a thrilling destination and often acts as a visitor’s gateway to the region. The city is jam-packed with things to see, street food to eat and people to meet. The biggest complaint you hear about Bangkok is that its sheer size and hectic pace can overwhelm…

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Southeast Asia Primer: Urban Travel on the Banana Pancake Trail
The Banana Pancake Trail

Southeast Asia Primer: Urban Travel on the Banana Pancake Trail

Every time I venture into a new region of the world, my stomach starts doing somersaults and my nerves threaten to get the better of me as I board the plane for destinations unfamiliar. The first time is always the hardest, whether it be to Eastern Europe, The…

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