Bangkok, Thailand
From its glistening temples to its glimmering cityscape, Bangkok is as multidimensional as its world-famous cuisine.
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Thailand's capital city truly offers a feast for all five senses.
It is said that all Thai cuisine seeks to find balance between four key flavors: salty, sweet, sour, and spicy. Like its cuisine, Bangkok itself embodies a balance between seemingly contradictory elements, urbanism and traditional values. For example, while the city has a thriving LGBTQ community, attitudes about attire are more conservative compared to those in the West.
While living and interning in Bangkok, you'll have ample opportunity for exploring. Feel the hot, humid air. Taste unapologetically bold flavors. Listen to the hustle and bustle of a city that never sleeps. Smell the open-air fruit stands and see dazzling edifices with deep religious and cultural significance. During your time in Thailand, take advantage of the city's thriving international business scene, as Bangkok is the undisputed center of commerce and technology for all of Southeast Asia; this vibrant city is also home to an up-and-coming start-up scene and creative community.
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Explore the night markets. Bangkok has dozens of night markets selling anything you could imagine: antiques, art, fashion food–you name it, they have it! Bring your best haggling skills and an open mind.
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Visit the Grand Palace. Since 1782, this palace complex has housed the Thai King, Royal court, and the administrative seat of government. Today, it's an important spiritual symbol of the Thai Kingdom.
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Feast in the streets. Bangkok is world-renowned for its street food, attracting foodies from every continent. Eating street food is the perfect way to get out of your comfort zone! You'll find everything from meat and fishball skewers to curries and stir-fries.
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Bustling open-air restaurants can be found everywhere in Bangkok.
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Expand your palate. Think beyond pad thai and try Thai classics such as tom yum soup (a hot and sour soup with shrimp), pad gra prow (stir-fried beef with basil), and curries of various colors. You'll find depth-giving flavors such as coconut, lime, and chili pepper featuring heavily in Thai cuisine.
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Host a tropical party in your mouth. Be sure to try mango sticky rice, a classic Thai dessert; juicy mango slices serve as a tangy complement to coconut-flavored glutinous rice. Our mouths are watering!
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Tour the temples. There are about a thousand temples in Bangkok, but few are as resplendent as Wat Pho: Temple of the Reclining Buddha. True to its name, inside its ornate walls, you'll find a gigantic reclining Buddha that is 15 meters tall, 46 meters wide, and covered in gold.