[Indian instruments play in bright rhythm] ♪ ♪ (Rudy Maxa) I'm headed into the heart of one of Asia's most dynamic and diverse cities, the center of commerce and power for an ancient kingdom... ♪ ♪ a place where modernity and tradition meet, here, in the city of smiles--Bangkok.

(woman) "Rudy Maxa's World," proudly sponsored by The Leading Hotels of the World.

Quests for travel begin at LHW.com, where you'll discover a collection of nearly 450 unique hotels worldwide... including the distinctive family of Taj hotels, resorts, and palaces.

♪ ♪ Every quest has a beginning-- online at LHW.com.

Additional funding for "Rudy Maxa's World" provided by: Medjet.com, medical evacuation membership protection for travelers.

Take trips, not chances.

And by... Yokoso!

Or "Welcome to Japan."

And by Delta--serving hundreds of destinations worldwide.

Information to plan your next trip available at delta.com.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ (Rudy) On the surface, it seems like an endless snarl of traffic jams, crowded, claustrophobic sidewalks, and glitzy, flashing avarice.

♪ ♪ But beneath Bangkok's frenzied pace is a city of the senses, an exotic mix of incense and spices, of holy shrines and gilded temples, of rich tradition and sensual pleasures.

♪ ♪ Bangkok sits 14° north of the equator on the Gulf of Thailand.

♪ ♪ Bangkok became the Kingdom's new capital in 1782 after the fall of the ancient capital of Ayutthaya.

It was given a lengthy official title shortened by Thais to Krung Thep, meaning "City of Angels."

In the last 60 years, Bangkok's transformed itself from a place of wooden houses, canals, and rice fields into one of the most modern industrialized cities in Asia.

Today, Thailand's capital is a bustling metropolis of more than 10 million people; a high energy city of gleaming high-rise buildings, mega shopping malls, trendy nightclubs, and hip Internet cafes.

♪ ♪ Bangkok has its origins on the banks of the Chao Phraya River, a pulsing artery pumping life into the city.

A short journey upriver offers a glimpse into Bangkok's past and its future.

Life unfolds along the Chao Phraya River; skyscrapers shoot up next to old wooden homes, walks and shrines rub shoulders with busy markets, and all manner of boats ply this water.

Many of Bangkok's most popular sites are within reach of the Chao Phraya.

The Pat Klong Talat Flower Market with its dazzling mix of colors and heady fragrances is busy day and night shipping flowers around the world.

Floating markets are tucked away along narrow klongs, where women sell food and goods from their boats.

Wat Arun, the Temple of the Dawn, hugs the river's edge, and Wat Pho with its numerous spires and massive reclining Buddha is just a short walk from the pier.

Sawat-dee.

Could I try driving?

Oh-oh, this is scary.

Ah!

I love mornings on the Chao Phraya River!

In the early part of the 20th century, canals crisscrossed the city.

Over time many have been filled, but the Chao Phraya remains a crucial waterway to this day.

It's a very busy river.

I think I better give the controls back to the captain.

[Rudy speaks Thai] ♪ ♪ [motor races] Bangkok's grown so fast, the traffic chokes this city.

Today, the fastest way to get around and by far the most thrilling way is by motorcycle taxi.

Keep your arms and bags close to your body, and take a deep breath.

The motorcycle rides through rush-hour traffic may have you mentally reviewing your traveler's insurance policy.

Hundreds of new cars hit the streets every day.

In recent years, traffic was so bad that an estimated 300 babies were born in traffic each year.

To deal with this growing problem, a special unit of the Bangkok Police Department was established.

I had a chance to speak with photojournalist Jonathan Taylor about this special unit.

[with British accent] There's a special police unit; they're trained as midwives.

I was lucky 'cause I was asked to photograph this.

I thought, I'm gonna be there a week, I'm not gonna get it.

I was with this unit 2 hours, and there was a call coming through.

We rush off on the bikes, and the lady gives birth in the back of the taxi, and I got the photograph.

One of my favorite photographs is of this lady giving birth in the back of a taxi.

(Rudy) Jonathan's photographs have graced the cover of "Time" magazine and numerous international publications.

You've lived here for 15 years.

What is compelling about Bangkok to you?

There's such a diverse culture here, and there's also photographs everywhere.

On every street corner there's a photograph so to some extent, it's a very open society, so the access I'm allowed here is beyond what I'd get in the UK.

(Rudy) Today Jonathan is giving me photo tips as we explore some of his favorite Bangkok markets.

When you get your framing right, you've got the vast expanse of the roofs that are leading off with people streaming past you.

I'd come even lower than that.

But someone is always laying on the floor, unfortunately.

What I like about this market, it's just so long.

You start at one end and you sort of walk for about an hour, and you still haven't hit the other end.

We can walk for an hour?

An hour under this covered market, yeah.

It looks like we're in the bolts of fabric department here.

But could you pick a fabric here and go to the sewing machine part and have something made?

That's exactly what people do.

I always sort of like looking for nooks and crannies and unusual places.

(Rudy) I'd say this is a nook and a cranny.

(Jonathan) That's the thing with Thailand; no matter where you are, there's always something interesting happening.

We're in China Town now, and what I like about this place, that it hasn't changed.

It hasn't really modernized.

There's still the vibrancy of the place that's always been there.

The traditional way of life is still here.

A shallow depth of field is also good.

(Rudy) More than 10% of Thailand's population is ethnic Chinese.

Some of Bangkok's earliest businesses started here in the late 1700s when Chinese merchants moved to the newly founded capital.

We're now approaching one of my favorite places to be, photographically.

You can just sort of place yourself in the corner here, and come down low, and then frame the shot, then you just wait for life to happen inside the frame.

You got about everything-- terrific color.

[shutter click] (Rudy) Like all truly exquisite foods, the secret behind Thai cooking starts here with locally grown fresh produce.

Fruit and vegetable markets are found all over Bangkok, and every food vendor and restaurant gets their ingredients fresh from the market each day.

Sometimes so fresh, it jumps right off the plate.

Two little details about the dancing lady salad; number one, you gotta put it in your mouth fast because sometimes it'll jump right off your spoon.

The other is that as I hold the bag in my hand, they're inside this bag twitching around, and I can feel it in my left hand.

[laughs] Cheers!

Bangkok residents think nothing of crossing town to try a new dish or enjoy a perennial favorite, and in this city, street food has been raised to a fine art.

There's no better place to try it than right here on Yaowarat Road in China Town.

♪ ♪ The most exciting places to eat in Bangkok are out on the street.

Food vendors are cooking up scrumptious dishes everywhere.

When it comes to food, Bangkok is the city that never sleeps.

Day or night, all over town, food is being prepared.

How do you know it's good?

Simple-- if you see a place packed full of locals, you know you're in the right spot.

♪ ♪ The monarchy in Thailand dates back more than 700 years.

Today, the King has little direct power under the Constitution, but he remains a symbol of national identity and unity for the Thai people.

Portraits of the royal family adorn almost every department store, restaurant, and office.

The monarchy, and especially the King, is revered by the Thai people with an enthusiasm usually reserved for rock stars.

I'm here for the King's 80th birthday.

It seems as if the entire country has come to celebrate.

A sea of yellow fills the city.

In Thailand, different colors represent different days of the week.

Yellow is the color for Monday, and it was on this day his Majesty was born.

Yellow has since become the royal color of the King.

The crowd goes wild as the King's cavalcade passes.

The 3 colors of the Thai flag, red, white, and blue, stand for nation, religion, and monarchy; 3 concepts that are said to unite the Thai people.

The celebrations last for a week, culminating in a candlelight vigil.

[people sing in Thai] Thailand is the only country in Southeast Asia never to be colonized.

The name Thailand literally means "land of the free."

An overzealous firework display has the crowd running for cover before the night is over, but the enthusiasm for the King cannot be contained.

The celebrations continue long into the night.

[man sings in Thai accompanied by an orchestra] ♪ ♪ Bangkok can be overwhelming, and it's sometimes difficult to get your bearings.

I find an aerial view always helps.

Whoa!

Incredible!

Now that's what I call a "view."

♪ ♪ There's no better view of Bangkok than from the Lebua at State Tower.

Sirocco's Sky Bar is a great place to start an evening out.

But this is only the beginning.

♪ ♪ Next stop; Bed Supperclub.

The design is ultra-hip meets spaceship.

Guests recline on a long white bed of/and fluffy pillows.

The feel is futuristic and out of this world, yet cozy and intimate.

The staff dresses up like Jane Fonda in "Barbarella" and serves scrumptious appetizers.

But the night is not over yet.

This is Bangkok, after all.

And what could be more funky than a Thai reggae band?

[singing in Thai] ♪ The Kai-Jo Brothers are a 10-piece reggae band with a sense of humor.

Their song "Tuk-tuk Breakdown" is the story of a foreigner who tries to give directions to a tuk-tuk driver.

♪ ♪ Unable to understand each other, the two nearly come to blows, when suddenly, a band starts playing and they dance to the same beat.

♪ ♪ It's the story of how music transcends cultures and brings people together.

♪ ♪ It reminds me just how open and accepting Thais are of other cultures.

♪ ♪ Never have I been to such a large city and yet felt so at home.

♪ ♪ Women constitute close to 1/2 of the city's workforce, and they hold the majority of professional positions in the fields of education and health services.

Bangkokians are embracing the new with a passion.

Thailand's robust economy over the last 2 decades has created a burgeoning middle class hungry for consumer goods.

Megamalls have sprung up all over Bangkok, but in typical Thai fashion, they're a mix of tradition and Western glitz.

♪ ♪ In the center of Bangkok's shopping district is the Siam Paragon, one of the largest and most luxurious shopping malls in Southeast Asia.

♪ ♪ The Paragon takes the shopping experience one step further with Southeast Asia's largest indoor aquarium, where you can literally swim with sharks... if you're man enough!

How many people have been eaten by the sharks?

The shark does not eat the people.

No people have been eaten here?

No.

Even big guys like me?

Big juicy guys?

No.

I hope these sharks are really well fed.

I hope these sharks aren't the least bit hungry.

I hope these sharks aren't bored or aren't looking for excitement.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Really now, I can't remember the last time I bought a dive watch and got to use it all in the same day.

This is truly a unique experience, walking the ocean floor in a shopping mall in the heart of Bangkok.

♪ ♪ Thank you very, very much.

I'm not, as they say, "out of the water yet."

There's still sharks down there.

I'm 4 more steps... ah!

Four more steps and I'm not "Rudy Sushi" anymore.

[laughs] ♪ ♪ Beneath Bangkok's veneer of modernity lies a deeply spiritual, magical world.

While 90% of Thais are Buddhists, most also believe in the spirit world, a realm of ghosts and demons.

Thais believe there are auspicious dates and times for every significant event.

Spirits influence the future, grant wishes, and keep people healthy.

All over Bangkok, people are wearing or selling amulets, small medallions with images of Buddha, famous shrines, or holy months.

Amulets can ward off evil, bring good fortune, or keep one safe.

They can help you find love, pass your school exams, or keep your mother-in-law out of your house.

People can't own an amulet; they only borrow them.

The protection or good fortune passes on to the next person.

The older the amulet, the more powerful it is.

Spirits can inhabit trees, buildings, or areas of land.

A tree wrapped in fabric indicates a spirit living within.

Nearly every house or building has its own spirit house, a kind of shrine.

Small offerings of food and drink are made daily to appease the spirits.

Travel 45 minutes outside of Bangkok in just about any direction and you'll encounter vibrant communities with bustling markets.

I'm on my way to the Tarad Rom Hoop Market, but can't resist stopping along the way.

Could I have two please?

Ah, thank you.

So inside this nicely folded banana leaf are 4 little coconut treats.

Sort of puree of coconut, a little rice, except... it's like a rice pastry.

Mmm.

For about 10 cents, you get 4 of these delicious little desserts.

You get to keep the banana leaf!

The Tarad Rom Hoop Market has been here for years.

Then one day, the train decided to come to town, and no one wanted to move.

[speaking Thai] ♪ ♪ 10 Baht, 10 Baht.

Take it home.

It's green.

It's green.

10 Baht.

Take it home.

10 Baht.

10 Baht.

Take it home.

It's green.

It's fresh.

5 for her.

25 for you.

Oh fabulous!

Whoa, 100 Baht!

You want everything?

Okay.

Okay.

[speaks Thai] Step right up here.

[Rudy laughs] [loud horn blasts] It's time for the train?

Whoa.

Hello!

You're not gonna believe this.

Watch.

[loud horn] Seven days a week; 8 times a day.

And just as if nothing has happened, the market goes back to its normal busy pace.

Recent years have seen an expansion of first-class hotels and other tourism infrastructure.

Bangkok is superb at service and it's no exception here at the Sukhothai Hotel.

Here colonnades, reflection pools, and open-air arcades combined with the best natural materials-- bronze, teakwood, and marble.

This architecture was typical of the palaces of Sukhothai and it's recreated here in all its splendor.

Flowers are an intrinsic part of Thai life.

They're both decorative and symbolic.

Orchids, which embody refinement and beauty, are the national flowers of Thailand.

The lotus, or white lily, is the traditional flower of Buddhism and symbolizes purity and majesty.

It's used for blessings, and is given to monks collecting alms.

Garlands of all kinds are found throughout Bangkok.

They hang from the rearview mirrors of taxis and tuk-tuks, they adorn shrines and spirit houses, and all over the city people string together thousands upon thousands of garlands.

Orange is the official color of Hinduism and Buddhism, and garlands of orange marigolds are given as offerings at shrines.

Erawan Shrine glitters in the heart of Bangkok's business district.

The shrine was built after a series of accidents halted the construction of the nearby Erawan Hotel.

After the shrine was built, reports of such incidents stopped, and the shrine's now famous for bringing good luck.

Every day, thousands of devotees come to the shrine to pray and to seek blessings and success in their personal lives and careers.

People often pay traditional Thai dancers to perform as an offering of thanks for recent good fortune.

As the dancers perform, the people pray.

♪ ♪ Bangkok is Thailand's political and spiritual center, and at its heart is Wat Phra Kaew.

Wat Phra Kaew was built as the new house for the Emerald Buddha when it was moved to Bangkok in 1782.

Entering the temple complex is like stepping into a world of fantasy with domes shooting toward the sky, fluted roofs, and gilded mythological beasts.

♪ ♪ Buddhism in Thailand is a mix of Buddhism and Hinduism, which can be seen in the colorful monsters that guard the temple's inner sanctum.

The Emerald Buddha, which is actually jade, is Thailand's most important Buddha statue.

No one knows where it was made, but it was found hidden in a temple in Chiang Rai in the 15th century.

♪ ♪ [brass bells ring] There's a growing movement to preserve traditional Thai culture.

At the Joe Louis Theater, the ancient art of Thai puppetry is brought to life.

It takes 3 people to operate a puppet.

Can you show me what each one does?

So you are controlling the head and this arm?

And the left hand.

And you are controlling the feet?

And this gentleman is doing the right hand.

I see.

Oh my goodness.

And they have to work in unison, obviously.

All at once.

[puppeteers speak Thai] (Rudy) Instead of remaining behind the scenes during the performance, the puppeteers are an integral part of the show.

Each puppet is controlled by 3 puppeteers in an elegantly choreographed dance.

Traditional Thai dance is at the foundation of the puppeteers movements.

The end result is incredibly lifelike.

The show is based on an epic Indian tale full of plots and subplots.

So visually mesmerizing is the performance that even when I lost the story thread, I couldn't take my eyes off the stage.

♪ ♪ If Bangkok is a tangle of new and old, of tradition and glaring, blaring modernity, it is at heart serene and elegant.

Open, accepting, warm, and accommodating, the people of this city always make visitors feel at home.

No matter how chaotic, Bangkok always pauses for a smile.

I'm going to borrow an amulet of my own for good luck.

My hope?

That I return to this city many, many times.

After all, there are more than 50,000 restaurants in Bangkok, and I've got another 49,000 to go!

Reporting from Bangkok, I'm Rudy Maxa.

la-gon.

(woman) For information on the places featured in "Rudy Maxa's World," along with other savvy traveling tips, visit... To order DVDs of "Rudy Maxa's World" or the CD of world music from the series, call or visit... ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Cc--Armour Captioning & Twin Cities Public Television ♪ ♪ "Rudy Maxa's World," proudly sponsored by The Leading Hotels of the World.

Quests for travel begin at LHW.com, where you'll discover a collection of nearly 450 unique hotels worldwide, Including the distinctive family of Taj hotels, resorts, and palaces.

Every quest has a beginning, online at LHW.com.

Additional funding for Rudy Maxa's World provided by Medjet.com, medical evacuation membership protection for travelers.

Take trips, not chances.

And by... Yokoso!

Or "Welcome to Japan."

And by Delta--serving hundreds of destinations worldwide.

Information to plan your next trip available at delta.com.

[orchestral fanfare] ♪ ♪