Why go
No city gives you more luxury for the money. Several of the world's best hotels sit along the Chao Phraya river, and the service in them is as good as it gets anywhere.
Then there is the city itself. The Grand Palace, the reclining Buddha at Wat Pho and the spires of Wat Arun are all close together on the old stretch of the river, and the eating runs from street stalls in Chinatown to restaurants with Michelin stars.
When to go
November to February is the cool, dry season and the most comfortable time to be here. It is also the busiest and the most expensive. March to May is very hot, and the Thai New Year water festival, Songkran, takes over the city in mid-April.
The rains run from about May to October and are heaviest in September and October. Showers are fierce but usually short, the hotels are at their quietest, and rates can be half the winter price.
Where to base yourself
For a first visit we would stay on the river. It is the most beautiful part of the city, the grand hotels are here, and the temples and Chinatown are a boat ride away. The old Charoen Krung quarter behind the riverside hotels is full of galleries and good small restaurants.
If shopping, nightlife and restaurants matter more than the view, stay in the centre around Lumphini Park, Ploenchit or Sukhumvit, where the Skytrain is on the doorstep.
What we would build into your trip
An early morning at the Grand Palace and Wat Pho with a private guide, before the heat and the crowds. A long-tail boat through the canals of Thonburi, an evening eating your way along Yaowarat Road in Chinatown, and a visit to the Jim Thompson House.
With an extra day, a driver to the ruined temples of the old capital at Ayutthaya, about 85 kilometres north and an hour and a half to two hours each way. A Thai cooking class and a proper spa afternoon are worth the time too.
Good to know
The temples and the Grand Palace have a dress code: shoulders and knees covered, for men and women. Traffic is slow at almost any hour, so use the river boats and the Skytrain where you can, and leave plenty of time for the airport.
The smarter hotel restaurants and bars expect long trousers and closed shoes in the evening. Pack light clothes, and something warmer for the air conditioning.