Both the Thai capital and the island city-state encapsulate Asian urban ambition, providing bucket-list worthy experiences for travellers
Two Asian megacities dazzle for attention. Both capitals are viscerally experiential visions of the 21st century. Both host Unesco-listed culture, and an electrifying street life that makes every interaction a story to share back home. So far, so good. The only conundrum is – which city to choose?
Bangkok and Singapore boast futuristic transportation systems. Bangkok’s SkyTrain is an elevated railroad where air-conditioned cars zip past skyscrapers like a scene from Blade Runner. Singapore’s MRT (Mass Rapid Transit) system mixes underground and elevated sections. It is fully automated, and mostly driverless, as carriages speed around six lines to every major attraction.
But for everyday journeys, each city is diametrically different. Bangkok is roughly twice the size of Singapore, with twice the population and twice the number of visitors – and with a wildly varied transport network to match. Longtail speedboats thrash through traditional canals, known as khlongs. One khlong near Millennium Hilton Bangkok hosts Baan Silapin, an artist’s home with an acerbic puppet theatre (where superb grilled satays are served up too). Madcap commuter vehicles include technicolor tuk-tuks and pillion passenger scooter hires.
