Bangkok was founded in 1782 by King Rama I, the first monarch of the present Chakri dynasty.  It is now the country's spiritual, cultural, diplomatic, commercial and educational hub.  It covers an area of more than 1,500 square kilometres, and home to approximately ten million people or more than 10% of the country's population.

Over the last few decades, Thailand's capital city, Bangkok, has changed into a modern, exciting and sophisticated city.  It offers to visitors not only the cosmopolitan amenities they would expect from other big cities, but also a unique treasure trove of cultural attractions.  Thailand, in the heart of Southeast Asia, was never colonised and thus kept its unique culture and heritage intact. Bangkok offers visitors the opportunity to experience fascinating glimpse of Thailand's gentle culture amidst the bustle of a great and dynamic metropolis.  This great city has had astounding success in combining the ancient and modern world.
For tourists, Bangkok has a feast of attractions to offer.  The city is dotted with 400 glittering Buddhist temples of great beauty and fascination, magnificent palaces, classical dance extravaganzas, numerous shopping centres and traditional ways of life, especially along the "Venice of the East" timeless canals and the Chao Phraya River of the "River of Kings" winding through the city.  It is worth taking a trip along its waters before exploring further into different canals to take a glimpse of old Bangkok.

Conference Venue
 
The conference will take place at the Twin Towers Hotel.  The address is:

88 Rong Muang, Rama 6 Road,
Patumwan, Bangkok 10330 Thailand

Tel: +662 216 9555  Fax:  +662 216 9544
Email : catering@thetwintowershotel.com

The Twin Towers Hotel Bangkok is an International 4-star hotel in Bangkok located in the center of Bangkok where most shopping centers are situated. The Twin Towers Hotel’s location provides an easy access to business areas, sight seeing places, Mah Boon Krong Shopping Center, Siam Paragon, Siam Center, Siam Discovery and Central World Plaza.
The Twin Towers Hotel Bangkok has 660 spacious guestrooms and suites that have been attractively decorated and designed to provide maximum comfort and convenience. All accommodations are well equipped with modern facilities i.e. wi-fi internet in every guest room.

Walking Distance Area

Transportation from Hotel to

Location Map of the Twin Towers Hotel
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How to Travel from the Airport to the Twin Towers Hotel

Exchanging currency:  First, before going outside to get a taxi to the hotel, make sure that you have some Thai currency with you. Taxi drivers will not accept currency from other countries.   The exchange rates at the airport are probably as good as anywhere in town so it would probably be good to get at least 1000 baht there.  The current rate is about 30-32 Thai baht = US$1 but you can check for yourself at http://www.xe.com/ucc/ .  Make sure to ask for 100 baht and 20 baht notes (for the taxi, toll ways, etc.) when you make the exchange.
You will see Currency Exchange desks in the Arrival Hall, when you exit immigration and customs.

Getting a SIM Card for Thailand:  You may need to get a new SIM card in order to be able to use your mobile phone in Thailand.  There are several places in the Arrival Hall where you can do this.  Check with the information desk.

Getting to the taxis:  The simplest way to travel from the Suvarnabhumi International Airport to the Twin Towers Hotel and other choices of accommodation is by taxi.

There are two kinds of taxi: the more expensive “limousine” taxi and the public, meter Taxi (“taxi mee-ter” in Thai).

As you exit immigration, you will be approached by numerous people encouraging you to use their taxi service.  There have been reports of illegal taxi operators so we encourage you to use either the public meter taxi or airport limousine.  (For your information, the limousine service costs about three times more than the metered / public taxis. Those of us who live in Bangkok always use the public taxis.)

To use the public meter taxi, look for the sign “Public Taxi” with arrow pointing outside the Terminal building. Exit from the arrival hall, through the revolving doors. There will be a line of metered taxis on the road just outside the building. Look for a table with attendants.  Go to this table to make arrangements for your taxi. Do not try to flag down a taxi on your own.   

Show the attendants at the taxi desk the directions (in Thai) below or tell them your alternative destination. They will issue you a paper ticket with two parts. The smaller part goes to the taxi driver. You keep the larger part in case of any problems with the taxi service.  

IMPORTANT:  Keep the cell phone numbers of the Conference Coordinators.  If the taxi driver has trouble finding your hotel, use your (or the driver’s) cell phone to call them for help.

When you reach your hotel, you must pay the taxi driver an airport surcharge of 50 Baht, in addition to the fare on the meter.  If you forget, the taxi driver will remind you.  He is not trying to cheat you. This is a legitimate charge that the passenger is required to pay.  (If your meter reads 280 then you will need to add 50 to that and pay 330 Baht.)
     
The fare to the Twin Towers Hotel from the airport should be around Baht 300-400, plus airport surcharge and tollway costs, and will take approximately 30-45 minutes depending on the time of the day.
Note:  Taxi drivers in Bangkok do not give receipts.  If you need a receipt, you will have to write the charges on the taxi ticket given to you at the taxi desk.

Directions to Twin Towers Hotel in Thai:  Below are the directions to the Twin Towers hotel in Thai.  You can show this to the people at the taxi desk and keep it to show to the taxi driver, if necessary.

Catering services and dining

Lunch and morning and afternoon coffee/tea and snacks will be provided throughout the three days of the Conference.  Free drinking water is also provided during the Conference, and bottles of drinking water are also available in each meeting room.

A reception dinner will be provided only on 1 July for all participants.
 
On 2 and 3 July, you have to find a place to have your evening meal. This will not be difficult, however, as the Twin Towers hotel is in a popular tourist area of Bangkok, within a short walking distance to hundreds of restaurants in all price categories.

More dining options can be found at the nearby malls and shopping centers. Closest to the Twin Towers Hotel are the Tesco Lotus Supercenter and Mah Boon Khrong Shopping Center, which are large and fancy malls with some excellent dining and shopping.  An inexpensive food court can be easily found in every shopping center around the hotel.   

The cheapest meals can be found at little coffee shops or noodle shops open to the street, or street side stalls for less than the equivalent of USD 1.  Food hygiene is generally quite good in Bangkok, but use common sense when dining at the streetside stalls.

Convenience stores, such as Family Mart and 7-11, can be found at almost every street corner, and they sell snacks and drinks at much cheaper prices than at the hotel or in your room’s mini-bar. There are several Starbucks and other coffee shops and cafes in the vicinity for those not happy with the Thai instant coffee provided at the hotel. 

Bangkok Climate:
The weather in early July should be quite warm, with temperature averaging 30 degrees. Generally, it should be sunny, but there is a slight chance of showers, so bringing a small umbrella may be a good idea.

Despite the warm temperatures outside, please note that the conference room where the meeting is held is air-conditioned and the temperature is maintained in the range of 20-25 degrees Celsius. This may feel quite cold to some, so a jacket, shawl or something similar may be useful to keep you warm during the sessions.

Foreign Exchange:
Participants may bring unrestricted sums of foreign currency in the form of travelers’ checks, drafts, letter of credit or other banking instruments into Thailand which may be exchanged for Thai currency. The April 2008 exchange rate was around Thai Baht 32 to 1 US dollar, and 48 to 1 Euro.

Participants may be required to declare the amount of travelers’ checks or currency in their possession on arrival at Bangkok International Airport.

Exchange facilities are available at the airport, hotels, banks, and currency exchange kiosks located near the hotel. The currency rates are more or less the same at currency exchange kiosks and banks, but lower value at hotels.

Credit Card & ATM:
You can use your credit card to withdraw money from local ATMs that offer this service. Credit Cards can also be used to pay for some restaurants and shops. MasterCard, Visa and American Express Credit Cards are widely accepted in Thailand.

Electricity:
The standard voltage in Thailand is 220 Volts at 50Hz.  Plugs are Type A (flat blade attachment plug) and Type C (round pin attachment plug).

Health:
All major cities and towns are malaria-free, but if you plan to travel to rural areas, it may be advisable to seek advice from your doctor regarding prevention of malaria. Mosquito repellents are available locally.

It is not advisable to drink tap water anywhere in Thailand. Most hotels and restaurants provide bottled water. It is generally safe to take ice in established hotels, but we suggest you avoid ice in drinks in small restaurants and from roadside vendors.
If you wish to consult a doctor during your stay in Bangkok the usual way is to visit a hospital or clinic. Most major hospitals and clinics usually have doctors who speak English. There are three private hospitals near the Hotel. Detailed information can be obtained from the hotel. 

Getting Around Bangkok:
The main options for visitors are hotel limousine, taxi, BTS skytrain and subway. It is advisable that you should have a business card of the hotel in your pocket when you go out. (Please ask the card from the check-in counter of the hotel).

Traffic is very heavy in Bangkok, especially during peak hours in the mornings and early evenings; ask for advice as to how long it will take to get somewhere.

1. Taxis
   Metered taxis are generally available and all have the sign “taxi-meter” on the roof. It is advisable to ask the hotel staff to write down the destination in Thai as not all drivers understand English.

Exercise caution when getting a taxi. It is usually best to hail a moving taxi, which will have a red light at the windscreen if it is available for hire. Stationary taxis may expect you to bargain for a price, rather than use the meter.

Please ensure that the taxi meter is switched on, showing a red display of the number ‘35’ (which is the minimum fare charge) at the bottom of the dashboard, before you start your journey. 

VAT Refund for Tourists:
All tourists from overseas are eligible to apply the “VAT refunds” as follows:

Tourist Information and Assistance:

Before leaving your country for Thailand, you can obtain useful information and plan your itinerary by visiting your nearest travel agent for assistance. The Thai government has numerous embassies and consulates around the world and most have a tourism department which can provide you with basic information and travel advice for different regions of the country.

For information on foreign consulates in Thailand you can visit the Thai foreign ministry website at: http://www.mfa.go.th/. This official site provides contact information and addresses for foreign missions in the Country which may come in handy in case of emergencies including the loss of your passport.

The useful websites for the information on Thailand are:

Easy Thai Language:

Basic Greeting and Phases

            “Kha” is for female 
            “Krub” is for male

Download PDF format : Travelling to Bangkok.pdf