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The capital of Thailand is often the starting point for travel to Thailand, unless you are overlanding up from Singapore and Malaysia.

The overall picture is not solely flesh, the girls for sale are mainly concentrated around a few side streets, but the traffic is everywhere: Busses; cars; taxis; tuk-tuks; the sound of blaring horns; whining motorcycles that never stop for pedestrians; and the policemen trying to make their whistles heard above the noise.

Tranquillity can only be found at some of the wats, or temple-monasteries, but walking around them, and in some cases up them, is hard work. Plastic bags filled with crushed ice and soft drinks are sold everywhere; to refresh all and sundry, suffering from the tropical humidity.

There are more than 400 Buddhist temples and monasteries, wats, in the capital city, with Wat Arun, or Temple of Dawn, one of the most well known.

The central prang rises 104 metres above the temple compound, in the typical style of Ayuthaya, and is best seen from the opposite side of the Chao Phraya River.

At the floating market, it is interesting to see the old ladies still trading produce from long wooden boats, but the tourists themselves can become the spectacle.

An attractive girl paddles up to a tourist barge with an armful of straw-hats, a kaleidoscopic clash of colourful flower garlands, and a saleable smile.

These normally sane people pay extortionate prices to be herded around the waterways. They wear straw-hats on their heads, flower garlands around their necks, photographic hardware on their shoulders, and suck fresh coconut milk through straws. They are content, they are a part of the floating market.

At night, Bangkok turns fake: t-shirts and watches are for sale on the pavements:

"All good quality, All good price!" Of course.

The embroidered Ralph Lauren's are harder to emulate, and some of the copies look more like a tennis player on a shire horse. Sow on labels are easier. A group of Polish speculators need an extra taxi to take their shopping to the airport. A Benetton shop in Warsaw's main street, now sells the United Colours in Polish Zloty, but the high price of the genuine article (almost a month's wages for some) gives the importer of a cheaper copy a ready market.

Then there are the girls; smiling at the male as though he is the only one.

And what a sight some of these couples make, strolling around together the next day. He is big, beer-bellied; his pink skin covered in coloured ink, and he sports a beard -- as if to hide his face. She is made up to look western, smiling, willing, and comes up to his gut, if she wears high heels.

Most people then head up to the hills of the north, or the beaches of Phuket and Koh Samui island to the south; ideally you would want to do both.

For those on limited time, Pattaya Beach is closer to the capital, but it's getting to be like one giant brothel -- you can get all that in Bangkok too; around Patpong.

If you get the chance, you should see a performance of colourful Thai court dance, brought to Thailand by the Thai armies which sacked Angkor in 1431.

Also take the train north of Bangkok to Ayuthaya: The ancient capital of Thailand. Some people are disappointed by the ruins, but let your imagination wander and you shouldn't be.

Thai Travel Tips:

Bangkok Palace -- Copyright, Travel Notes.

Do not wear shorts around The Grand Palace or in religious shrines, and women definitely shouldn't parade themselves in a bikini top. If you do arrive in shorts, you can hire long trousers.

Shoes have to be removed when entering the chapel where the principal Buddha statue is located.

Outdoor footwear is also removed when entering Thai homes, and you should avoid pointing your feet at people when sitting on the floor; it is considered rude.

If a Buddhist priest is to receive anything from a woman, it is first passed to a man, and then to the priest.

When greeting Thais it is customary to press the palms together in a wai, or prayer-like gesture.

Never touch a Thai on the head, this is considered the highest point of the body in a very literal sense.

Don't let the down side of Bangkok put you off, it is the gateway to Thailand for many, and there's plenty of culture and friendly people to make your memories a treasure.