travelling to Bangkok

The Grand Palace (Thai: พระบรมมหาราชวัง, RTGS: Phra Borom Maha Ratcha Wang) is a complex of buildings at the heart of Bangkok, Thailand. The palace has been the official residence of the Kings of Siam (and later Thailand) since 1782. The king, his court and his royal government were based on the grounds of the palace until 1925. King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX), resided at the Chitralada Royal Villa and his successor King Vajiralongkorn (Rama X) at the Amphorn Sathan Residential Hall, both in the Dusit Palace, but the Grand Palace is still used for official events. Several royal ceremonies and state functions are held within the walls of the palace every year. The palace is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Thailand. Construction of the palace began on 6 May 1782, at the order of King Phutthayotfa Chulalok (Rama I), the founder of the Chakri Dynasty, when he moved the capital city from Thonburi to Bangkok. Throughout successive reigns, many new buildings and structures were added, especially during the reign of King Chulalongkorn (Rama V). By 1925, the king, the Royal Family and the government were no longer permanently settled at the palace, and had moved to other residences. After the abolition of absolute monarchy in 1932, all government agencies completely moved out of the palace. In shape, the palace complex is roughly rectangular and has a combined area of 218,400 square metres (2,351,000 sq ft), surrounded by four walls. It is situated on the banks of the Chao Phraya River at the heart of the Rattanakosin Island, today in the Phra Nakhon District. The Grand Palace is bordered by Sanam Luang and Na Phra Lan Road to the north, Maharaj Road to the west, Sanam Chai Road to the east and Thai Wang Road to the south. Rather than being a single structure, the Grand Palace is made up of numerous buildings, halls, pavilions set around open lawns, gardens and courtyards. Its asymmetry and eclectic styles are due to its organic development, with additions and rebuilding being made by successive reigning kings over 200 years of history. It is divided into several quarters: the Temple of the Emerald Buddha; the Outer Court, with many public buildings; the Middle Court, including the Phra Maha Monthien Buildings, the Phra Maha Prasat Buildings and the Chakri Maha Prasat Buildings; the Inner Court and the Siwalai Gardens quarter. The Grand Palace is currently partially open to the public as a museum, but it remains a working palace, with several royal offices still situated inside.

Samut Prakan province, (Thai: จังหวัดสมุทรปราการ, pronounced [sāmùt prāːkāːn] ) Samut Prakan, or Samutprakan is one of the central provinces (changwat) of Thailand, established by the Act Establishing Changwat Samut Prakan, Changwat Nonthaburi, Changwat Samut Sakhon, and Changwat Nakhon Nayok, Buddhist Era 2489 (1946), which came into force 9 May 1946.It is a part of the Bangkok Metropolitan Region. Neighbouring provinces are Bangkok, to the north and west, and Chachoengsao to the east. Samut Prakan was previously once home to a Dutch trading post who referred to the area as New Amsterdam. Suvarnabhumi Airport is in Bang Phli district of Samut Prakan province as well as the districts of Bang Kapi, Lat Krabang, and Prawet in neighbouring Bangkok city.

Bang Pu (Thai: บางปู, pronounced [bāːŋ pūː]), also known as Bang Pu Recreation Center (สถานตากอากาศบางปู) is a seaside resort on the Bay of Bangkok (upper Gulf of Thailand) belonging to Mueang Samut Prakan District, Samut Prakan Province, central Thailand. Bang Pu, literally 'place of crabs', was established in accordance with the ideas of Field Marshal Plaek Pibulsongkram while serving as Prime Minister in 1937 to be a place of recreation for people in that era. It occupies an area of 369 rai (about 252 acres). At present, it has been maintained by the Quartermaster Department Royal Thai Army. It gained great popularity among people especially young people in the 1950s–1960s, as it is the closest seaside to Bangkok. It is mentioned in the dialogue of the 1997 film Dang Bireley's and Young Gangsters as a place where Dang's girlfriend wants to go on a trip.A Bang Pu landmark is Saphan Suk Ta (สะพานสุขตา), a pier extending into the sea. At its end is a restaurant called Sala Sukjai (ศาลาสุขใจ) where dances are held every Saturday evening.Bang Pu provides habitat for large flocks of migratory seagulls that migrate from Siberia annually in the early winter (around beginning of November).

The Ancient City (French: La Cité antique), published in 1864, is the most famous book of the French historian Numa Denis Fustel de Coulanges (1830–1889). Taking inspiration from René Descartes, and based on texts of ancient historians and poets, the author investigates the origins of the most archaic institutions of Greek and Roman society. In the preface of the book, he warns of the error that lies in examining the habits of ancient people with reference to those of today, when it is necessary to avoid our biases and study ancient peoples in the light of the facts. Fustel de Coulanges sees religion and cult as the foundation of the institutions of the Greeks and Romans. Each family had their belief, their gods, and their worship. The rules of gender and family hierarchy, ownership, inheritance, etc., were governed by that cult. Over time, need has led men to regularize and make more consistent their relations with one another, and the rules that govern the family were transferred to increasingly larger units, arriving eventually at the city. Therefore, the origin of the city is also religious, as is witnessed by the practice of lustration, a periodic purification ceremony in connection with the census of all citizens, and by the public banquets in honor of local gods. The laws originally encoded the privileges of the aristocracy, causing great discomfort to the plebs and a social revolution in which the common well-being of society became the new basis of religion. The city thus came into being for some time, until its extinction with the arrival of Christianity.

Sukhothai Historical Park (Thai: อุทยานประวัติศาสตร์สุโขทัย (Pronunciation)) covers the ruins of Sukhothai, literally 'dawn of happiness', capital of the Sukhothai Kingdom in the 13th and 14th centuries, in north central Thailand. It is near the city of Sukhothai, capital of Sukhothai Province. The city's walls form a rectangle about 2 km (1.2 mi) east-west by 1.6 km (0.99 mi) north-south. There are 193 ruins on 70 km2 (27 sq mi) of land. There is a gate in the centre of each wall. Inside are the remains of the royal palace and twenty-six temples, the largest being Wat Mahathat. The park is maintained by the Fine Arts Department of Thailand with help from UNESCO, which has declared it a World Heritage Site. Each year, the park welcomes thousands of visitors.

Lat Krabang (Thai: ลาดกระบัง, pronounced [lâːt krā.bāŋ]) is one of the eastern districts of Bangkok.

Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA NA-YAH, locally NA-ee-YAH; Tagalog pronunciation: [ˈnɐʔija]; Filipino: Paliparang Pandaigdig ng Ninoy Aquino; IATA: MNL, ICAO: RPLL), originally known as Manila International Airport (MIA), is the main international airport serving the Manila metropolitan area in the Philippines. Located between the cities of Pasay and Parañaque, about 7 kilometers (4.3 mi) south of Manila proper and southwest of Makati, it is the main gateway for travelers to the Philippines and serves as a hub for AirSWIFT, Cebgo, Cebu Pacific, PAL Express, and Philippine Airlines. It is also the main operating base for Philippines AirAsia. It was named after former Philippine Senator Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino Jr., who was assassinated at the airport on August 21, 1983. NAIA is managed by the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA), an agency of the Department of Transportation (DOTr).NAIA and Clark International Airport both serve the metropolitan area, where it sited in the Clark Freeport Zone, Pampanga. Clark caters mainly to low-cost carriers because its landing fees are lower when former president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo called for Clark to replace NAIA as the primary airport of the Philippines eventually. Two airports are under construction: New Manila International Airport is located in Bulacan, while Sangley Point Airport, is located on reclaimed land in Cavite City to reduce congestion at the airport. The airport is operating beyond its designed capacity of 35 million passengers, clogging air traffic and delaying flights. It has been named as one of the worst airports in the world and in the Asia-Pacific. Plans for the airport's privatization, aimed at improving its facilities, is now underway.