Bangkok/Thonburi Travel Guide
From Wikitravel
Thonburi (ธนบุรี) is the west bank of the Chao Phraya river in Bangkok, Thailand.
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Understand
Thonburi was briefly the capital of Siam after the sack of Ayutthaya in 1767. However, King Rama the first established his new capital Krung Thep (the Thai name for Bangkok) on the east side of the river in 1782., Thonburi remained a separate town before being incorporated into the Bangkok metropolitan area in 1972
Get in
By metro
An extension of the Skytrain across to Thonburi is half-complete, but caught in political squabbles and unlikely to open before December 2006 at the earliest. It is now scheduled to open Dec 2007.
By train
There are two train stations in Thonburi, both comparatively quiet.
- Thonburi Train Station, formerly known as Bangkok Noi, is the terminus for twice-daily trains to Kanchanaburi. Just to keep things confusing, the previous Thonburi Station right next to the river (accessible by River Express) is now mothballed, but it's only 800 meters away from the new Thonburi, on the east side of Th Arun Amarin.
- Wong Wien Yai station serves only the rustic Mahachai/Maeklong commuter line [1], an experience for railfans but of little interest to most visitors.
By ferry
The Chao Phraya River Express stops at a few points on the Thonburi side, notably at Wat Arun and near the old Thonburi railway station.
By bus
The Southern Bus Terminal (sathanii sai tai mai) is on Boromratchchonnani Rd in northern Thonburi. Long-distance buses leave from here to destinations throughout western Thailand (including Nakhon Pathom and Kanchanaburi) and southern Thailand (including Krabi, Phuket, Surat Thani, Hat Yai, and many others). Easily the grungiest and most overcrowded of Bangkok's Big 3 bus terminals, first-class tickets are sold in the circular building in the center of the maelstrom, while buses depart from the piers next to it. If you want air-con or clean toilets, head to the KFC just left (north) of the terminal entrance.
Getting to the terminal is a bit of headache, as public transport is limited and the surrounding streets tend to be jammed. The easiest option is to take a taxi, but bus 503 from BTS Victory Monument also terminates at the terminal.
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WARNING: Overnight tourist buses to southern destinations have a very bad reputation for theft. If using such a service (usually booked via a Khao San Road agency; carries no Thai passengers, only foreigners; does not depart from the Southern Bus Terminal) be sure to guard your belongings, do not leave valuables in your backpack if you stow it below, and do not accept food or drinks from strangers. The good news is that these problems can easily be avoided by simply using a normal government licenced public bus service, exactly as many thousands of Thai people do every day. For southern destinations, tickets are sold at the Southern Bus Terminal, which is also where the bus will depart from. |
See
Thonburi's top sight is the Temple of Dawn (Wat Arun), usually visited by a short ferry hop from the Rattanakosin side and hence covered in the Rattanakosin article.
- Songkran Niyomsane Forensic Medicine Museum, Siriraj Hospital, Adulayadejvikrom Building 2nd Floor (a short walk from Chao Phraya pier N10 Tha Wang Lang). Offers a creepy collection of medical oddities similar to the Mütter Museum in Philadelphia, USA.
Do
Buy
Eat
Drink
Sleep
Contact
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