By Kevin Poling, Director of Travel of Satori World Medical

Satori World Medical offers many choices in destinations to receive medical care. Whether you are traveling internationally for a shoulder or knee replacement or even a cosmetic procedure, such as a facelift, you and your companion can take some extra time on your trip to enjoy the amenities of your hotel and experience the rich cultural areas in which our International Centers of Excellence are located.

The second of the destination cities of the Satori Global Network™ I am highlighting is Bangkok, the capitol and largest city of Thailand.

Your ‘to do list’ while in Bangkok:

• Visit some of Bangkok’s many temples, palaces, and mansions
• Experience the Bangkok Waterways
• Visit Bangkok’s prominent museums and monuments
• Browse the art gelleries – Bangkok has some of the most striking art galleries in the world!

Transportation

Most of Bangkok’s downtown area can be quickly navigated via the Bangkok Skytrain. There are two main lines which cover a large metropolitan area and are relatively cheap when you buy multiple ride passes – if you are planning on doing a lot of exploring. Bangkok also has an MRT train system which provides close access to chinatown and a lot of popular tourist destinations.

If you are looking to travel via the waterways, there are many aquatic busses and river taxis running throughout the canals and Chao Phraya River. Canal boats are quick and cheap, and avoid the large amounts of traffic throughout Bangkok. Most routes throughout the canals include English signage, so you can be sure you are getting off and on at the right stop.

There are also plenty of taxis, tuk-tuks, and mortocycle taxis. Tuk-tuks are small three wheeled contraptions that can be a lot of fun, but also be a bit uncomfortable. Motorcycle taxis are extremely fast, dangerous, and should probably be avoided, especially on a medical stay!

Tours

Bangkok offers a variety of tours, including river tours, Thai temple and palace tours, and dinner cruise tours. Start off with a city and temple tour covering the very ornate and breathtaking Wat Arun, Wat Pho and Wat Benjabophit temples, and concluding at the infamous Grand Palace. If you feel like being outdoors, spend the morning exploring temple ruins and spend your afternoon aboard a luxury cruiser on a day trip to Ayutthaya. Bangkok offers a number of learning experiences which do not require as much walking and exploring such as the Bai Pai Cooking School. Teach yourself (and your companion) how to make your favorite Thai dishes at home!

Shopping

Bangkok is home to all types of shopping malls and street markets. One of the best parts about shopping in Bangkok is that prices are a lot cheaper than we are used to in the United States. Clothing, electronics, and medicine can all be bargained down to a fraction of the cost of what one would pay in the US. A great place to go shopping is Sukhumvit, which is a main road lined with a lot of boutiques and shopping plazas.

Culture

If you are near the Grand Palace, you will surely want to visit the Bangkok National Museum. This museum holds a wealth of Thai history, art, and artifacts – the largest in the country. To experience some more recent Thai history, check out the Royal Thai Air Museum. This museum displays some of the most rare antique military aircraft, as well as modern jets and royal helicopters. There are also many houses throughout Bangkok that are open to the public, such as the Kamthieng House or M.R. Kukrit’s home, that can offer a first hand insight to the culture of Thailand.

Dining

You guessed it – the best Thai food can be found in Bangkok! There are also a variety of restaurants featuring world-class international cuisine. There are many places where tourists can find top quality meals, at relatively cheap cost when compared to the rest of the world. Some even more exotic tastes can be found throughout Bangkok, such as deep fried insects! One can easily find some scorpions, grasshoppers, or other varieties that are said to be quite tasty with a bit of soy sauce. It all depends on what you are willing to explore!

View more of Satori World Medical’s popular destinations

References
[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bangkok
[2] http://www.bangkok.com/