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It’s no secret that, despite recent political disorder, Bangkok has emerged as the unofficial capital of Southeast Asia. Everyone from Swedish aid workers to Vietnamese I.T. specialists prefers to live there and commute around the region to less dynamic cities.

We are now proud to announce the winners of the 1st Bangkok River street photography competition. At the end of last year, Bangkok River held its very first street photography competition.

The Bangkok River, respectfully known by locals as the Chao Phraya (“Grand Duke”), has been Thailand’s main artery to the world for centuries. The east and west banks of the river were where the earliest communities settled and welcomed international immigrants with open arms.

Captain John Bush existed, and by contemporary accounts he was just as his name suggests. Anna Leonowens, of Anna and the King of Siam fame, first met him when he sailed out to meet her incoming ship on the night of 15th March 1862.

My first pleasant surprise of the weekend was the fact that the drive across the bridge from my Sathorn office to the hotel was just 15 minutes. Despite its proximity, crossing the river offers a distinct change of…

The plan was to settle in at the Peninsula grab a bite and head up to the Jam Factory to find out what it was all about. But we got waylaid by our rather fancy corner room with 180 degree views, a magnificent bowl of fruit that only Bangkok can do, and my favourite box to stick your shoes in for shine over night.

To truly accomplish a sense of ‘away’ while I’m within city limits, it’s essential to find a lush riverside resort. The Anantara Riverside is one such property, its gardens offering up a perfectly manicured slice of the tropics. The city slicker within also knows the service will be faultless.

Having checked-in at the Chatrium Hotel, we take a swim at the property’s open-air pool overlooking the Chao Phraya River before heading up to Silver Waves on the 36th floor to scoff dim sum and charge our batteries for the long day ahead.

Staying at the Ramada Plaza Menam Riverside Hotel gives us a chance to enjoy the breathtaking view of Bangkok’s numerous skyscrapers to our right and industrial scenery on our left. Saturday begins with a good breakfast spread offered at the Executive Lounge on the Ramada’s 15th floor. After filling our tummies we head to the hotel’s pier to catch a shuttle boat.

After checking in at the Shangri-La Hotel, which is a convenient 5-minute walk from Saphan Taksin station on the river’s edge, I started my weekend by heading out for a walk around the historic Bang Rak neighborhood on Charoen Krung Road. A hotel staff member told me that this stretch of road is one of the oldest paved during Rama IV’s reign and runs parallel to the river. It is tinged with history.