Bangkok Tour – Travel Guide

A guide book or travel guide is "a book of information about a place, designed for the use of visitors or tourists". There are many guide books on Bangkok; ranging from Lonely Planet, National Geographic Traveler to the less unknown DK Eyewitness Travel.  And many more Chinese publications that provides the latest establishment of Bangkok entertainment hot spots.



And you can also access the travel information through Internet. However, it is quite impossible to find online the tourist maps that offer a comprehensive walking route free of charge.

Nancy Chandler's Map of Bangkok, first published in 1974 may be the most popular Bangkok travel guide that provides detailed maps that inspired the tourist get off the beaten paths.  I did use the map to explore the Sampeng Lanes and various markets  in China Town during my tour to Bangkok in the earlier days. 


However, my personal favorite guide book is “A Walking Tour Bangkok” by Bryne Bracken.  
For sure this is not a popular travel guide and it is not available in most of the book store since the guide does not provide information on Bangkok entertainment hot spots.  Instead, this is a book for tourists who like to discover the Bangkok cultural and architectural  diversity. 

Many who visited Bangkok may not be aware of the diversity of architecture during the tour. By going through the walking route recommended by Dr Bracken, you can discover Bangkok like you have never seen it before. Following are the list for walk routes and I am sure such  routes which even a frequent traveller to Bangkok may not even consider before :

1) A walk from the national stadium to Baiyoke Tower II
2) A walk from Khlong San Sap to Lumphini park
3) A walk from Sukhothai hotel to Silom Village
4) A walk from Bangrak market ( next to Shangri La hotel ) to Khlong Padund Krung Kasem
5) A walk from Hua Lamphong Railway to Pak Khong market ( Flower market )
6) A walk from Wat Pho to Khlong Lord
7) A walk from Giant Swing to Phra Athit road
8) A walk from Wat Indrawihan to Wat Benjamabophit

Well, I had covered all these routes over my past trips to Bangkok; and it always took me 4 to 5x time more to explore the area than the guide’s indicated approximate walking time. The extra time was spent by taking a break to immerse into the local communities or admiring the architectural and neighborhood beauty.







And I hope to cover in my blog on other walking routes that are off the beaten tourist paths , which  I had made in Bangkok over the last ten years.