Bangkok for The Thrill Seekers: a Friday-to-Monday weekend

The rooftop at 314 metres with a glass floor tray that juts out over the city; go for sunset and walk out onto the glass, if you dare.

A pavement curry shop in Chinatown that has served for decades: choose three scoops of a rich pork curry, a green curry and a stir-fry over rice; it is cheap and fast.

The oldest ring in Thailand, since 1945, with live orchestra and ten bouts a night; choose a second-class seat, check the card, and watch the footwork.

Take the ferry from Khlong Toei across the river to Bangkok's jungle peninsula; rent a bicycle and ride the raised concrete paths through mangroves and orchards.

A canal commuter boat that hurtles between stops with passengers hauling up the awnings; hold the rope and keep your elbows in. Fares are paid to the conductor.

Pad thai wrapped in a thin egg omelette, the dish the shop has made on this corner for decades, with fresh orange juice; the queue moves faster than it looks.

The third-class train to the old capital takes about an hour and a half and costs a few baht; sit by an open window and expect rolled-up newspaper breakfast sellers.

Rent a bike near the station and ride between the ruined prangs of Wat Mahathat, Wat Phra Si Sanphet and Wat Chaiwatthanaram; the Buddha head in the tree roots is at the first.

Tiny bowls of dark, spiced pork-blood noodle soup, ordered by the handful from stalls on stilts; eat ten and then count the bowls.

Run the 2.5 km perimeter with the city's early joggers, tai chi crowds and monitor lizards in the water; it is a beautiful circuit at dawn.

Three hundred and forty-four steps spiralling up a brick-and-stucco hill to a golden chedi with views of the old city; go before ten, before the heat.

Rolled rice noodles in a light pork broth with a crisp pork-lard topping; a good cheap lunch in Chinatown before the airport.