Bangkok

Bangkok, Krung Thep to its people, is Thailand's capital and largest city, spread across the delta of the Chao Phraya River and home to more than 9 million people. King Rama I made it the capital in 1782, on Rattanakosin Island, and its many canals earned it the 19th-century name 'Venice of the East'.

At the heart of the old city stand the Grand Palace and the Temple of the Emerald Buddha; directly south is Wat Pho with its Reclining Buddha, and across the river Wat Arun's spires rise above the water. They are best reached by private boat in the early morning, before the crowds and the heat.

Modern Bangkok is a city of shopping and hospitality: Siam Paragon on Rama I Road, ICONSIAM on the river's west bank, and hotels that look over the water or the skyline. In the evening both banks light up, and you can dine aboard a certified halal cruise.

Allow at least three nights, divided between the old city and the shops, with a day in Ayutthaya if time allows. A riverside hotel keeps you close to the temples and the boats; Sukhumvit keeps you close to the shops and the Skytrain.