One Night in Bangkok is a 1984 song from musical Chess, by Tim Rice, Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus. Murray Head sings the rap verses and so he gets the credit as the singer. Within the song the chorus sings about the positives of Bangkok, whereas Head’s lyrics ridicule the city, describing those positives as less interesting than a game of chess. This led Thailand’s Mass Communications Organisation to issue a ban on the song in 1985, saying its lyrics “cause misunderstanding about Thai society and show disrespect towards Buddhism”.
You cannot spend a night or a day in Bangkok without a visit to Wat Pho. It is one of Bangkok’s oldest temples. The temple complex known as the Wat Pho complex consists of two walled compounds. The larger northern walled compound, is open to visitors and houses the largest collection of Buddha images in Thailand, and very famously the 46m long reclining Buddha. The southern compound, contains the living quarters for Buddist monks and a school.
Next on your list and be prepared to set aside a good few hours for this one, is a visit to the Grand Palace. The palace at one time was the king’s home (1782 -1925) as well as the place where the government of Thailand carried out their work. The Great Palace is not a single building but a collection of buildings divided up into four main courts: the Outer Court, the Middle Court, the Inner Court and the Temple of the Emerald Buddha. Some buildings are open to the general public, whilst others are still used by various government departments.
For contrast take yourself shopping. At one end of the scale head for Chatuchak Market which is open on Saturdays and Sundays. With over 8000 stalls and at local prices you are bound to find a bargain or two here. At the other end of the scale head for Siam Paragon. You will only find 250 shops here, but they are high end brands and even include car manufacturers including Bentley, BMW and Porsche. You will also find South East Asia’s biggest aquarium and numerous food outlets.
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