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Culture

Bangkok has many traditional dance and theatre groups, which perform around the city, although nowadays they are more popular with tourists than locals who have embraced Western imports. The city does have its own orchestra, the Bangkok Symphony Orchestra, which performs regularly. Western plays, with famous names from Britain and America, are often put on for short seasons at some of the international hotels.

Both Thai and International cultural performances, including classical music, dance, ballet and pop concerts, are frequently held in the Thailand Cultural Centre on Ratchadaphisek Road (tel: (02) 247 0028), the National Theatre and Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre on New Ratchadaphisek Road (tel: (02) 299 3000). Tickets can be obtained in advance from the venues.

Music and dance:
Sala Rim Nam is owned by the Oriental Hotel and is located on the opposite bank of the Chao Phraya River, next to the Peninsula Hotel. The nightly traditional music and dance show starts at 2030 preceeded by dinner at 1900. Although there are numerous traditional shows daily throughout the city, this one - reputed to be the best in Thailand and beautifully located in a traditional teak pavilion-style restaurant - is unmissable. Baan Thai, on Sukhumvit Soi 32, has a similar nightly music and dance show set in an old Thai house. Other venues are the Maneeya Lotus Room on Ploenchit Road and Sawasdee on Soi Phiphat, Sathorn Road.

Theatre:
Classical dramas are very colourful and expressive and these are held on the last Friday and Saturday of each month at the National Theatre, Na Phra That Road (tel: (02) 224 1342). Many of the international hotels have small theatres and put on plays bringing in famous names to perform from the UK and USA. The Bangkok Playhouse, on Phetchaburi Road (tel: (02) 319 7641), puts on modern plays each week on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights. The Chalerm Krung Royal Theatre, on New Road (tel: (02) 222 0434), has regular performances of plays and musical dance dramas.

Film:
Bangkok has a large number of cinemas but not all show English-language films. Some show movies with English soundtracks but many will have been dubbed into Thai. Cinemas that show films in English or with English subtitles include EGV Multiplexes (various venues throughout the city), Lido Multiplex on Rama I Road and United Artists on Sukhumvit Soi 24.

Cultural events:
The birthdays of the King and Queen of Thailand are widely celebrated throughout Bangkok and preceding the King's birthday in December is the annual Trooping of the Colour ceremony. The Royal Guards renew their allegiance to the monarch in a colourful ceremony at the Royal Plaza. The Royal Barge Procession takes place only occasionally now because of the age of the barges. The last one was in November 1999 to mark the 72nd birthday of the King and prior to that it was in 1996 to celebrate the King's 50th year on the throne. The processions are incredibly spectacular and the 1999 outing saw 52 of the elegantly carved barges rowed by thousands of costumed oarsmen.

Literary Notes

Very few novels have been written focusing on Bangkok, although the city would make an excellent backdrop for any storyline. A new novel by Jake Needham, The Big Mango, was published during 1999 and depicts the story of an ex-GI returning to Bangkok in search of money stolen from a Vietnamese bank. Perhaps the most famous film about Bangkok and the royal court in particular is The King and I (date). This is based on the book, The English Governess at the Siamese Court (date) by Anna Leonowens and recounts her period as a governess in the court of King Mongkut. A more historically accurate account of the time can be found in The Kingdom and the People of Siam (date) by Sir John Bowring who was responsible for negotiating the treaty with King Mongkut. One of the best-known residents of Bangkok was Jim Thompson, who was responsible for building a major industry, silk, and whose home is a Bangkok landmark. He mysteriously disappeared in Malaysia in 1967 and William Warren wrote a book about his life and disappearance called Jim Thompson: The Legendary American of Thailand (date).



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