1 Club Med Resorts BANGKOK - Thailand Phuket 4 – Thailand 16

2 BANGKOK - Thailand Time difference : +6h in winter, +5h in summer Public transport: widespread service (bus, subway, taxi, tuk tuk, etc.) Currency: €1 = 39.8 bahts Language: Thai Climate: tropical humid - May-October: rainy season - November-April: drier weather – the best time to visit Local cuisine specialties: spicy cuisine – many soups, meat dishes, salads, e.g. Tom Yam, a hot lemongrass shrimp soup; Kaeng Kia, spicy chicken and coconut milk curry. Bangkok by night © MasterLu - Fotolia.com 17

3 Highlights: - Lion dance festival : a few days after the Chinese New Year, in Chinatown. A very colourful event combining several shows, parades, etc. - Kite festival (March) : sports and kite flying competitions in Sanam Luang park. - Songkran (12-15 April) : Thai Buddhist New Year. Buddha's statues are bathed and the authorities respectfully sprinkled, and then everyone has fun splashing water on each other. - Loy Krathong (November) : an evening during which the Thai people gather around lakes, rivers and canals to pay respects to the goddess of water by releasing on the water little rafts decorated with flowers and candles. - The King's birthday (5 December) : fireworks, music festivals and cultural events to honour the King. BANGKOK - Thailand Songkran © duron12345 - Fotolia.com 18

4 Visit the Grand Palace and Wat Phra Keo, Thailand's most extraordinary temple renowned for its emerald Buddha. Also discover Wat Pho temple and its majestic reclining Buddha. Next take a long tail boat ride along the famous klongs or canals to view the capital from a different perspective. The next day, you could visit the Damnoen Saduak floating market. At Nakhon Pathom, you'll be blown away by the Phra Pathom Chedi, Thailand's tallest stupa. Standing over 120 m high, this is the country's most sacred and revered Buddhist monument. Hotel locations Highlights BANGKOK - Thailand Hilton Millenium Hotel 5* Khlong San district Shangri-La Hotel 5* Thung Mana Mek district Novotel Siam Square Hotel 4* Siam Square district 19

5 West side: Grand Palace and Wat Phra Keo : located on the river, the palace is surrounded by white crenellated walls. It is made up of several buildings of very different architectural styles and the home of several wonders of Thai art such as the mother-of-pearl royal throne, or the emerald Buddha installed at Wat Phra Keo. Wat Pho and reclining Buddha : the most ancient temple in the Kingdom. It houses the reclining Buddha, a 46-m long statue made of plaster and covered in gold-leaf. National Museum : it has one of the richest collections of Thai sculptures and objets d'art in South-East Asia. Amulet market : dozens of small boutiques offering a multitude of amulets and statuettes. Pak Klong market : the capital's biggest market, where you can find a wide-range choice of the country's goods and flowers. Boat ride on the klongs : to discover another aspect of Bangkok and take a peek at local life, far from the skyscrapers and the traffic. Among the hundreds of wooden houses on stilts on the water lie flowered gardens and modest temples. Chinatown (or Sampeng) : the most arresting thing about this district is its atmosphere. It is crammed with shops and stalls, with a multitude of goldsmiths and jewellers alternating with apothecaries selling traditional Chinese medicine. It is also the home of the famous "Thieves' market", formerly a trading ground for stolen goods. BANGKOK - Thailand What to see and do in each area 20

6 Cochin BANGKOK - Thailand Reclining Buddha (Wat Pho temple ) © ko.yo - Fotolia.com Wat Phra Keo © PeJo - Fotolia.com Klongs and stilt houses © jean-françois leiva - Fotolia.com What to see and do in each area 21

7 Centre: The Jim Thompson House : six teak houses in the purest Thai style, elegantly set in a verdant garden bordered by one of the city's last remaining klongs. A legendary character, Jim Thompson was a former CIA agent who settled in Thailand after the Second World War and became famous for rebuilding the Thai silk industry. Siam Square : a shopping and entertainment area combining ultramodern shopping centres, tiny alleys, market stalls and cheap restaurants that is the meeting place for Thailand's young crowd. BANGKOK - Thailand Siam Square shopping centre © pedro - Fotolia.com What to see and do in each area 22

8 Location: on the Phraya river Size: 800 rooms Hotel features: tennis courts, sauna, gym, spa & wellness centre, outdoor swimming pool Available room categories: Deluxe room Deluxe River View room Shangri-La Hotel 5* - Bangkok This majestic hotel on the Phraya river is the perfect place for a memorable holiday. After a day spent touring this vibrant city, you'll appreciate spending some time in the gym, the beautiful outdoor swimming pool and the tennis courts. In the evening, you can enjoy specialties from around the world in one of the hotel restaurants. BANGKOK - Thailand http: //www.shangri-la.com/bangkok/shangrila/ Deluxe River View 23

9 Shangri-La Hotel 5* - Bangkok BANGKOK - Thailand 24

10 Location: on the Phraya river, in the Klengsan district. Size: 550 rooms Hotel features: swimming pool, gym, sauna, jacuzzi. Available room categories: King Hilton Deluxe room King Deluxe Plus room Millennium Hilton Hotel 5* - Bangkok The infinity pool offers a fabulous view of Bangkok. The hotel has a gym, an infinity swimming pool and 7 bars and restaurants. A free river boat service provides easy access to the skytrain station and River City shopping centre. BANGKOK - Thailand http: //www1.hilton.com/fr/hi/hotel/BKKHITW-Millennium-Hilton-Bangkok-hotel/index.do King Hilton Deluxe room 25

11 Millennium Hilton Hotel 5* - Bangkok BANGKOK - Thailand 26

12 Location: in the heart of downtown Bangkok Size: 430 rooms Hotel features: swimming pool, gym, sauna, massage Available room categories: Superior room Superior Corner room Novotel Siam Square Hotel 4* - Bangkok This hotel in downtown Bangkok is just a step away from the skytrain and the big shopping malls. After a day spent discovering the city you can relax by the swimming pool. You can also make use of the gym, sauna or massage service. Later, you can enjoy the pleasures of one of the hotel's 3 delectable restaurants. BANGKOK - Thailand Hotel Novotel Bangkok On Siam Square: trip, travel or holiday in BANGKOK Superior room 27

13 BANGKOK - Thailand Novotel Siam Square Hotel 4* - Bangkok 28