In this vibrant cultural history, Maryvelma O'Neil takes us on an engaging tour of Bangkok, revealing the rich ancient heritage of this fascinating city. The capital of the Kingdom of Thailand, Bangkok stands out as a place of extraordinary allure. Beginning as a floating city in a lushtropical setting, known to foreigners as the "Venice of the East," its majestic Grand Palace and glittering Buddhist temples today compete with chimneystacks and a jungle of skyscrapers. O'Neil illuminates a city rich in art, history, royal ceremony, and tradition and she uncovers fascinatingpockets of traditional indigenous life and places of intense beauty hidden in Bangkok's labyrinthine lanes and alleys.