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Grand Palace, Bangkok

This is a tale of two cities. It was the best of climes, it was the worst of climes. One is old, and one is new. One is intimate, the other is sprawling. Bangkok and Chiang Mai are the two largest, and most visited cities in Thailand.

Chiang Mai in northern Thailand is cooler than the steamy capital. Most of her treasures, located in the Old City, are reached by foot. Wats date back to the late 13^th Century. Chiang Mai was capital of the Lanna Kingdom, and was influenced by Burma. It did not formally become part of Thailand until 1939.

Bangkok was part of the Ayutthaya Kingdom, with a heavy Khmer influence. Bangkok is the original capital of modern Thailand. Other than the Grand Place and parts of Chinatown, which date back to the late 18^th Century, the city hums with modernity. The city is traversed with rapid transit, slow moving taxis and river ferries.

What they have in common is sights, sounds, tastes, and yes, shopping, that will delight a traveler on a rope.

A traveler on a shoestring tightly holds Lonely Planet, while scrolling through backpacker social media. A traveler toting, or having another tote, Hermes luggage, has ample resources, including a trip planner.

A traveler on a rope is neither unwashed (great or otherwise) nor anointed. Cost is an object, but so is comfort. She recognizes the danger of a luxury cocoon as well as the tedium of a shared bathroom. With this guide you will stretch your dollar without wrenching your back. Your wallet will be barely scathed as you tantalize your taste buds and fill your belly.

This guidebook is more concise than my prior books in the series: Southeast Asia on a Rope: Thailand and Laos and, Southeast Asia on a Rope: Cambodia and Myanmar. Gone are the Planning, Itinerary and Vacation Photography sections. With this ebook, you can be a modern Paladin, “Have tablet will travel.”

Prices quoted in this book are generally good as of November 2014. Hotel prices are based on winter rates from Agoda.com. Agoda.com has competitive prices on the broadest listing of hotels in the region.

This book has over one hundred pictures. Is a picture worth a thousand words? I have seen horrible pictures. Some that may be worth only a few expletives. But I'm advising you where to eat, sleep and what to see. Seeing is believing, even if you have no reason to trust the words of some retired attorney you have never met.

To fully enjoy this book, please read it with a computer, tablet, or color e-reader. Otherwise, the pictures will be in fifty shades of grey.