Lonely Planet Six Degrees: Bangkok

An Asian supercapital, a labyrinth and a traffic jam all rolled into one—Bangkok is a mash of the contemporary and the traditional, the sacred and the profane. Traveller Toby Amies goes bushwhacking in the ultimate man-made jungle. He meets: Nym – a fellow photographer who bears the scars of a day at the world’s weirdest tattoo festival and discovers something unheard of in the klongs of the Chao Praya River Pariyakorn – a Thai boxing promoter who unleashes her best female fighters on Toby and teaches him how to chill out with a good .45. Jumbo – a Buddhist bon viveur who shows Toby just what can happen when you combine a rocket scientist and a tuk-tuk. Marko – an emergency paramedic who takes Toby bodysnatching on the mean streets of Bangkok and places him at the mercy of man-eaters in a temple with a twist. MANIT – an artist who points the figure at rampant consumerism armed with nothing more than a shopping trolley and a loud suit. Andrew H – a lifestyle magazine editor and roving gourmet who takes Toby hunting and gathering Bangkok-style.