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        <title>Been there | Tips</title>
        
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            Welcome to Been there. Your tips on the places you know - that you love,
            live in or have just visited - are what make this guide.
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                <title>The Saen Saeb Canal</title>
                
                <link>http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/12870</link>
                
                <description><![CDATA[If you've stayed around Khao San Road you'll know what a nightmare it is getting across town during the day. However if you're heading in the direction of Pantip or Sukhumvit there's the river taxi.<br><br>The river taxi starts from Fort Mahanak - that's the white fort near the democracy memorial - this marks the eastern edge of Rattankosin Island. It stops at Hua Chang, which is good for MBK Department Store and Siam Square; Pratunam which is near Pantip Plaza and Central World; and Nana and Asok - before terminating near Bang Kapi. See Wikipedia link below for a list of stops.<br><br>Short journeys cost 10 baht. Important things to remember if it's your first time:<br><br>1) The interchange is at Pratunam - all passengers must change here.<br>2) Try to sit in the middle so it's easier to see the sign denoting which stop you're at. They're very small!<br>3) Try to sit near the side - less spray there.<br>4) Note that they often miss stops - for example they often go straight from Pratunam to Nana - don't rely on counting the stops!<br>5) You must get your orientation right - there's only one landing at each stop serving both directions of traffic.<br><br>The history of the Saen Saeb Canal (Khlong Saen Saeb) is interesting. It actually goes out all the way to Chachoengsao near Chonburi and was built to transport soldiers and supplies to help the war effort with Cambodia. Construction started in 1837 and took three years.]]></description>
                
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                <title>Ayutthaya</title>
                
                <link>http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/3731</link>
                
                <description><![CDATA[The ancient capital of Siam, it's the same distance north of the airport as Bangkok is south.It is everthing Bangkok is not - rural, relaxing, peaceful, hassle-free and the only choice if you have small kids. You can even breath the air.<br><br>Once there, choose from a range of lovely, cheap family run guesthouses within walking distance of the crumbling golden wats, some over 1000 years old, that dot the canal girt plain.  Built by the Khmers and destroyed by the Burmese only a couple of centuries ago, they make an ethereal sight as the dawn lights the mist through the banyans.]]></description>
                
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                <title>Royal palace and Wat Phra Kaew</title>
                
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                <description><![CDATA[Set aside plenty of time to visit the Royal palace and Wat Phra Kaew, it’s not just that this is one of the city's major tourist attractions and therefore full of visitors, but that there is just so much detail to take in.Your senses will be crowded with the vivid flood of colour from the fantastically decorated buildings and statues, the sound of bells along the rooflines and the smell of incense.The Emerald Buddha  - a figure of great reverence in Thailand – dressed in one of his gold costumes (they are changed dependent on the season) is housed in a wonderfully decorated royal chapel.The palace, by contrast to the classical Thai architecture of Wat Phra Kaew, is almost a Western looking pavilion (it was designed by a British architect) topped with Thai spires.  It is currently being renovated so any photo opportunities are rather scuppered by scaffolding.There is a very strict dress code for the Wat and palace complex. You should wear long trousers or skirts that are below the knee and shirts with sleeves (a shawl/wrap over a sleeveless top will not do). If you don’t adhere to the dress code you can borrow suitable wear from an office near the entrance.]]></description>
                
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