Word: phraya
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...prefer an older description: "the Venice of the East." Most early Bangkok residents moved by boat between floating houses; it was not until 1863 that the city's first paved road was built. Today, despite flood-control measures that include a 48-mile (77 km) levee along the Chao Phraya river, Bangkok feels like it's returning to its watery origins. (See pictures of a dam breaks in Jakarta...
...grimy and the trackside views uninspiring. Yet Ayutthaya provides an eye-cleansing surplus of green after days in Bangkok's concrete maze (at admission prices that, while annoyingly higher for foreigners, are still minimal by world standards). Its sculptures and chedi ooze grandeur, not rot. And the Chao Sam Phraya leads the most impressive array of museums found in the country - worth much more than a day. Get a crack at meditation upon the ages: Ayutthaya is a mini-Angkor with one-tenth the crowds...
...what one is used to in the West. In the U.S. and Europe, we have prettified our rivers, turning city waterfronts into places where genteel folk ride their bikes or snack in the open air. But in Asia - not just in Shanghai, but along the Chao Phraya in Bangkok, or in Hong Kong's harbor - waterways are not pretty at all. They are busy places of work and commerce, the arteries of trade, that age-old process of exchange that, more than anything else, has lifted millions of Asians out of poverty in two generations. (See pictures of China...
...already passé. ARUN RESIDENCE: Housed in a beautifully restored 80-year-old building, this riverfront property, www.arunresidence.com, has just five rooms because co-owner Piyanuj Ruckpanich wants every window to open to a view of the famed Wat Arun, or Temple of Dawn. The noise from the Chao Phraya might frustrate light sleepers, but the views of this watery thoroughfare - especially from the patio of the Arun Suite - are too enjoyable to pass up. So is a dinnertime reservation at the Deck, the hotel's Thai and Western restaurant. Peruse the menu of chef Thanunya Kaikaew...
...Located on the banks of the Chao Phraya river, smack in the heart of old Bangkok, the complex consists of three villas?the Riverside Villa, the Thai House and the Garden Suite?constructed in an architecturally sympathetic style around the original residence. The villas offer exquisite views of the Temple of Dawn and are serviced by 12 staff. Guests are ferried around Bangkok by the villas' own longboat, river launch or tuk tuk. Breakfast is enjoyed on private terraces, while lunch or dinner can be taken on a riverside veranda. And the best part? This discreet luxury comes...