Bangkok

Bangkok is organised by water and rail. The Chao Phraya River and its canals define the old city, where the palace and the great temples stand; the Skytrain and metro define the modern one, a vertical district of malls, offices and hotels several kilometres east. Most visits move between the two, and the way you travel between them changes the experience entirely.

It is a hot, loud, fast city that is also unusually easy for visitors: signage is bilingual, transport is cheap and frequent, and food is available at every hour on almost every street.

Bangkok concentrates Thai royal and religious architecture, one of the world's great street-food cultures, and a modern Asian megacity into a single trip, at a cost that stays reasonable at almost every level.

It is also the natural hub for the region: the point from which the islands, the north and the neighbouring countries are all a short flight or an overnight train away.

• The Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaeo. The ceremonial heart of the country and the Emerald Buddha. Strict dress code, shoulders and knees covered for everyone, and best done at opening before the heat and the tour groups.
• Wat Pho. The reclining Buddha, a large complex of stupas, and the school of traditional Thai massage attached to it. Immediately south of the palace, so pair them.
• Wat Arun at the end of the day. The porcelain-encrusted prang across the river; the cross-river ferry takes minutes and costs very little.
• A river and canal trip. The public express boats are the cheap version; a longtail into the Thonburi canals shows a stilt-house city that predates the roads.
• Chatuchak Weekend Market. Thousands of stalls, weekends only, best early before the heat builds under the roofs.
• Eat in Chinatown after dark. Yaowarat Road becomes a street-food corridor in the evening and is the single best eating in the city.
• Jim Thompson House. Traditional teak houses assembled into one compound, with the story of the American who revived the Thai silk trade and then vanished.

November to February is the cool, dry season and the clear best time: still hot by most standards, but manageable all day. It is also the busiest and priciest period.

March to May is the hot season, and April is the hottest month of the year; it is also when Songkran, the Thai new year water festival, takes over the streets in mid-April. June to October is the rainy season: showers are usually heavy and short rather than all-day, prices drop, and the city is greener and less crowded. Some street flooding after a heavy downpour is normal and clears quickly.

Riverside (Bang Rak, Charoenkrung) is the most atmospheric base: boat access to the old city, sunset views, and hotels from budget to grand.

Sukhumvit is the modern city: Skytrain on the doorstep, the widest hotel and restaurant choice, and easy metro links. Silom and Sathorn are the business district, well connected and quieter at weekends.

Rattanakosin (the old city) puts you within walking distance of the temples, with few trains and more guesthouses than hotels. Khao San Road is the backpacker street; the surrounding lanes are calmer than its reputation.

Ari is a residential neighbourhood on the Skytrain with good local food and almost no tourists.

Rattanakosin: the royal island: Grand Palace, Wat Pho, the National Museum, low-rise and walkable.

Yaowarat (Chinatown): gold shops and dried goods by day, one of Asia's great street-food streets by night.

Banglamphu and Khao San: guesthouses, bars and travel agents, next to the old city.

Silom and Sathorn: business towers, Lumphini Park, and the night markets and bars of Patpong.

Sukhumvit: a long avenue of malls, restaurants and hotels, with quieter residential sois branching off it.

Thonburi: across the river, canal neighbourhoods and Wat Arun, much less developed.

Ari and Phaya Thai: cafés, local restaurants and residential streets on the Skytrain.

The BTS Skytrain and the MRT metro are air-conditioned, cheap and the fastest way across the modern city. Neither reaches the Grand Palace area directly, which is why the river matters: the Chao Phraya express boats connect the Skytrain at Saphan Taksin to the old-city piers for very little money.

Taxis are metered and inexpensive. Insist on the meter rather than agreeing a fixed price. Ride-hailing apps work well and remove the negotiation entirely. Motorbike taxis, identifiable by numbered vests at the mouth of most side streets, are the local solution for the last kilometre and for heavy traffic.

Tuk-tuks are an experience rather than transport, and are priced accordingly: agree the fare before getting in, and be sceptical of any driver who offers a cheap tour that includes a stop at a gem or tailor shop.

Both airports are linked to the city by rail: Suvarnabhumi by the Airport Rail Link, Don Mueang by commuter train and buses.

Street food is not a novelty here; it is how a large part of the city eats every day. Look for stalls that do one dish, have a queue, and turn over quickly. Noodle soups, grilled pork with sticky rice, som tam, and curry over rice from a tray shop are the everyday staples.

Markets and food courts in malls are an easy, air-conditioned middle path with the same food at slightly higher prices. Chinatown at night and the alleys off Sukhumvit are the two most rewarding areas to eat with no plan at all.

Practical notes: chilli levels are genuinely high and you can ask for less; tap water is not drunk, but bottled water and commercially produced ice are standard and used everywhere; tipping is not expected, though rounding up is normal.

Ayutthaya: the ruined former capital, a UNESCO World Heritage site of brick temples and Buddha heads in tree roots. Roughly an hour and a half north by train, and the most worthwhile trip from the city.

Amphawa or Damnoen Saduak floating markets: Amphawa is the weekend evening market used by Thais; Damnoen Saduak is the photogenic and much more touristed one.

The Maeklong railway market, where stalls fold away as the train passes through, usually combined with a floating market.

Kanchanaburi: the River Kwai bridge, the war cemeteries and the Death Railway; a long day or, better, an overnight.

Ko Kret: a car-free island in the river north of the city, known for pottery and Mon cooking.

Bangkok is one of the better-value major cities in the world. Transport, street food and everyday goods are inexpensive, and good mid-range hotels cost a fraction of what the same standard costs in Europe or North America.

The costs that add up are the ones aimed at visitors: the Grand Palace's admission is the highest of the temples, rooftop bars charge international prices, and tuk-tuks and unmetered taxis can cost several times a metered fare. Staying on the Skytrain or metro, eating where the queues are, and using the express boats keeps a day here very cheap.

Dress code is enforced at temples. Shoulders and knees covered, shoes off inside. Cover-ups are sometimes available at the entrance, but arriving dressed correctly saves a queue.

Ignore anyone who tells you a temple is closed today. It is a long-running approach that ends with a tuk-tuk tour and a shop. The major sites keep published hours.

Show respect toward images of the king and the royal family. Thai law on this subject is strict and applies to visitors.

Insist on the taxi meter, or use an app.

Plan around the heat. Temples and markets in the morning, something air-conditioned in the early afternoon, the river and street food in the evening.

Carry small notes. Street vendors and motorbike taxis rarely have change for large ones.