Things to see in Bangkok

Occupying a 20-hectare (50-acre) site next to the Grand Palace, Wat Pho is Bangkok’s oldest temple, dating back to 1688 and the reign of King Petraja of Ayutthaya. Note the dress code: no shorts and shoulders should be covered.

Wat Po features one of Thailand's most spectacular sights, the 46m-long (150ft) and 15m-high (72ft) Reclining Buddha. Gold-plated and inlaid with mother-of-pearl on the soles of the feet, the statue serves to illustrate the passing of Buddha into Nirvana, the state of absolute blessedness.

Visitors can wander amongst the peaceful rock gardens, chapels, cloisters and stupas. The temple is also renowned for its teaching of herbal medicine and visitors can book traditional massages at its Thai Traditional Medical School.

One of the region’s largest and most comprehensive museums, Bangkok’s National Museum houses a vast collection of artefacts from the Neolithic period, royal funeral chariots and the Phra Sihing Buddha in the ornate Buddhaisawan chapel - Thailand’s second holiest image after the Grand Palace’s Emerald Buddha.

Work began on the museum building in 1782, so its traditional Thai design is fascinating in its own right. Due to its size, one visit isn’t always enough and if time is short, don’t miss Tamnak Daeng, a lovely teak pavilion housing personal royal belongings. Free guided tours in English are led by volunteers at 0930 on Wednesdays and Thursdays and are highly recommended.

This is the former residence of Jim Thompson, an American who lived in Bangkok after WWII until his mysterious disappearance in Malaysia in 1967. A businessman, traveller and art collector, he completely revived the Thai silk-weaving industry and his traditional Thai-style house, which is over 200 years old, is now a museum showcasing his collection of Asian artefacts, textiles and Thai paintings.

The house is a complex of six traditional Thai teak structures and can only be visited on a guided tour. There is also a shop and the Jim Thompson Art Centre, which sits above the house, is a gallery space for temporary exhibitions.

This 200-year-old, Lanna-style teak house was built on the Ping River in 1848 and transported south from Chiang Mai to be reconstructed in Bangkok. Once owned by a countryside family, it has now been set up as an ethnological museum by the Siam Society. Showing the simplicity of rural life in northern Thailand during the last century, it contains a collection of traditional implements such as fish traps used by farmers and rice field fishermen.

Other features include a short film on Lanna Thai village life, courtship and spirit music on the veranda, and a short film showing a northern grandmother preparing a traditional dish in the kitchen.

There's not much green space in Bangkok but Lumphini Park (also called Suan Lun) offers welcome relief from the hustle and bustle of the city. Once the private land of King Rama VI, this became Thailand’s first public park when he donated it to the city. It was re-landscaped to host Thailand’s first Expo in 1920s, which failed to happen as the king passed away. The park later opened for public use in 1952.

During the cooler months from December to February, the Bangkok Symphony Orchestra host a series of free concerts in the park on Sundays featuring guest singers. Other activities include boating on the lake, al fresco t’ai chi and jogging.