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An itinerary powered by the Thai lucky number, gao, which also means 'step forward'.
I've been to the City of Angels several times, and I've discovered that even more important than "what to do" is the question of what not to do when time is short. This is my pick of the most interesting things that Bangkok has to offer. It is easy to suggest ninety things to do in this fabulous city of great food, great shopping and great artistry, but because nine is the Thai lucky number, having the same meaning as 'step forward', we'll stick with the single digit number, gao in Thai!
Siam Niramit
Travelling with children? Look no further than this one-of-a-kind place, a cross between a faux village and a show, with dinner thrown in. I visited it with a bunch of adults, but the complex swarmed with families out with young children. It's an evening place: the show starts at 6.30 p.m. and the complex itself opens at 5.30 p.m. I found the village fascinating: houses from every region of Thailand have been painstakingly brought to the site and reassembled. Most, if not all, are made of wood and each has a craftsperson weaving or doing basketry. They are all dressed in traditional costume. I don't plan on visiting the remote areas of Thailand any time soon, so checking out the Siam Niramit village was as good as going around the country. However, the main attraction is the show. With a cast of 150 dancers, performers and musicians, it is a spectacular extravaganza and beats Bollywood hollow. The show is about the history and culture of Thailand, and lasts about an hour. The weak link in it is the dinner (it costs extra). I found the buffet, which includes western, Indian and Thai, nowhere in the same league as the rest of the package.
Cooking school
Exactly why Bangkok bristles with cooking schools I wouldn't know. And whether they are all as much fun as the one I went to, is another moot point. But with a 300-year-old private home that you reach by motorboat, and a kitchen garden bursting at the seams with herbs and spices, as well as a rooster and a hen as mascots, how...