It’s inexpensive.  A mouth-watering food-cart breakfast costs 80 US cents; a savory lunch or dinner might be $1.10 on the street (or four times that in an air-conditioned restaurant).  A half-hour cab  ride will run about $4.  Buses cost a quarter, commuter boats on the river or the main canal charge fifty cents, sky trains or subways will set you back about a buck or two.  Clean guest houses run $15-25 a night, one-star hotels charge $60-80, and breath-taking Airbnb view flats with swimming pools and gyms go for $75-90 a night.  Bangkok may be the best city on earth to stretch your travel budget.

It’s exotic.  Hundreds of exquisite temples line the city’s myriad canals, cheek by jowl with high rises on one side and ancient teak shanties on the other, with a half dozen 24/7 night spots in walking distance.  A city of opposites: reverence, glamor, grit and fun.

It’s safe.  If you are polite and respectful, you can walk or take a bus anywhere 24/7. Even alone.  Mind you, if you’re someone with a rowdy disposition and limited cultural awareness, there’s a chance you could get in trouble.  Thais are delightfully friendly, but Thais can and will take exception to disrespect.  And in the event of a dispute, it would be a mistake to assume that Thai law enforcement officials might give more credence to a foreigner’s version of events than a local’s.   The best advice is to do what Thai’s do – avoid conflict, smile, bow, step aside for strangers – and the city will be your oyster.

It’s warm.  Highs about 90 and lows about 80, ten months out of the year.  Like it hotter?  Come in April or May.  Don’t mind 85 degree rain?  July and August will suit you just fine.

Its food is delicious.  Savor authentic Thai cooking?  Thousands of street stalls offer gourmet delights (and for pennies on the dollar compared to their closest imitators in the West).   Are you a gastronomic base-sticker?  There’s a euro/american restaurant every other block. Want world class cuisine?  Check out the reviews in Condé Nast or any other respected travel guide – Bangkok’s upscale eateries hold their own with Paris, Hong Kong or New York.  Expect value for your money if fine dining is your thing.  But don’t expect any bargains.

Haven’t booked your trip yet?  What are you waiting for?