Yes, it is a specific area.
Thonburi is the West side of the river, and it is the "wrong" side of the river.
"Wrong" as in wrong side of the tracks.
There is nothing over there, except a few hotels.
Your hotel is a very fine hotel, just in a not so fine area.

There is absolutely nothing on the Thonburi side to do or see.
You'll need to take a ferry boat across the river for anything outside of your hotel.
The ferry leaves from directly in front of the hotel and is quick and free.
Nothing wrong with that, but just be prepared:
You won't be able to walk out the front door and go for a pleasant evening stroll.
Well, you will be able to, but I'll bet you won't want to.

Avoid tuk-tuks at all costs.
Tuk-tuks look like golf-carts, with a single seat for the driver in front, and a wider seat for passengers behind.
They are unsafe, wide open to rain, tire spray from passing cars and trucks, and all the filth and pollution of really dirty streets in Bangkok.
If that's not enough, Tuk-Tuk drivers are mainly scammers and touts for commission shops.
I've lived in Bangkok for over two years, and I've NEVER taken a Tuk-Tuk here.

For a personal driver, your hotel will have a transportation desk with cars, vans, and drivers available.
The prices at the hotel transportation desk will be very high, but the quality of the cars and drivers will be excellent.
And the service will be convenient -- right at your front door.

If you want to save money, find a travel agency very close to your hotel and ask them to arrange a car and driver for you.
The rates from a local travel agency will probably be half of what the hotel will charge.
The quality of car and driver will be unsure.

Yes, but for most visitors, there's no need.
Your hotel will have a tour desk with a big selection of tours: from the Royal Palace and the famous Buddhist temples to romantic dinner cruises on the river and out-of-town trips to visit ruins of the ancient capital.
I've found the hotel tour desks consistently offer quality tours at reasonable prices.

If do you want a personal guide, ask at your hotel tour desk (NOT the transportation desk), or find a travel agency very close to your hotel and ask them to arrange a private tour guide for you.

If you have specific questions you are welcome to send me email or a private message.

-- Peter

I would amend this to saying, "Avoid tuk-tuks in Bangkok." In Bangkok most tuk-tuks are overpriced tourist scams. In Chiang Mai, however, tuk-tuks are simply one method of transportation, usually reasonably priced, and a convenient way of traveling shorter distances. (The deisel fumes make longer trips rather unpleasant.) Right after the SkyTrain and subway, metered taxis are my preferred method for traveling within Bangkok.

...Rampo's comments trump my previous post on this thread.
I wish to second his comments above.
Good advice.

-- Peter

Thanks for the updates Peter! I'll definitely be sending some ???'s your way!

Too bad the immediate area around the hotel "sucks", but I am sure we'll enjoy all the other areas on the other side of the river and come back to the hotel at the end of each evening.

How late do the river boat taxis run? Is it a 24 hour service?

And of course, if there is anything you feel we MUST see while in Bangkok, please pass it along.

Thanks again!

- Marc

I'm sorry, but this is just not true. For one thing, Wat Arun, the stunning iconic temple which appears on Thai coins and many of the country's symbols, is on the Thonburi side. For another, that's the side of the river where Supatra River House is located, one of the great places to eat high end Thai food and see real dance performances.

Also, if someone is the least bit adventurous, it's very rewarding to charter a longtail to take you on the khlongs (canals) of Thonburi for a few hours. It's an ancient part of Bangkok where the traditional life on and beside the water is still very much in evidence. Much more interesting than the tourist-trap floating market at Damnoen Saduak that everybody is dying to see.

Thonburi is also where Wang Wian Yai Station is located where you can catch the little train to Mahachai, one of my favourite excursions. It's also the location of the Southern Bus Terminal as well as Thonburi station where you get the train to Kanchanaburi.

I've been to wonderful temple fairs (ngan wat) in Thonburi which are far more exotic than the fairs in central Bangkok, but with first class musical entertainment. The Shed of the Royal Barges is in Thonburi, the Museum of Forensic Medicine, Patravadi Theatre (one of Thailand's most important venues for performing arts)... I could go on. Yes, it's not Bangkok's top tourist attraction area, but to say that it's totally devoid of interest is simply incorrect.

As mentioned credibly elsewhere in this forum, the tours are inexpensive because the guides are paid only from the commissions they receive from bringing you to the jewelry factory or the "government store" (there IS no "government store"). Bangkok is easy to get around. There are huge numbers of cheap air conditioned taxis everywhere (just get them to use their metres and don't accept any flat rates). There's the Skytrain (BTS) and subway (MRT). There's a great river boat and canal boat system you only need a half decent map to access. If you get stuck up a back soi (alleyway) there are even ubiquitous motorcycle taxis which cost pennies to get you from point A to point B where you can get a real taxi to take you to all the other points. You really don't need a car and driver. The only thing you might need a guide for is an intelligent explanation of the historical temples and palaces. But a good guide book will fill the same function and won't try to drag you to a tailor shop.

The cross-river ferries finish about sunset; the Chao Phraya Express service up and down the river stops a bit later. Your hotel's boat service may even run a bit later than that. But you can always grab a taxi which will take you back to your hotel via one of the bridges. The cost from just about anywhere in Central Bangkok is around 100 Baht (about $2.50).

Your hotel is located right next to a major bridge, the Krung Thep Bridge. So transportation is not a problem.

A bit of good counsel...
 

though it may sound more like "cold water." I almost think should do a private post to the OP, but:
DO NOT, as in NEVER, EVER, accept guidance from a passerby who spots you as a tourist with a map. IF you do, you may end up being told the Wat (or whatever you're thinking of visiting) is closed today, but there is another nearby, and, oh, there's a jewelry sale on ending today, I can get you there and you can shop with a discount. etc. etc.
Knowing that some of the finest gemstones in the world will be available--and Thai gold jewelry is legendary--you might be tempted, especially on your honeymoon. But leave jewelry recommendations to your hotel concierge.
If you doubt any of this, please do a google search using the terms "Bangkok jewelry scam." 'nuf said, escept to add, congratulations and very best wishes. ^

Ms. ClipperJCM and I just got back from a few days in Thailand... spent three nights at the Marriott and the balance in Chiang Mai and Pattaya. With regard to transportation, I'll echo the comment about taxis that others have said here: we used them regularly, and rarely (if ever) paid more than US$2.00 on any single ride. Always demand that the driver use the meter -- and if he doesn't, simply insist on a price that you consider fair and put that much in his hand as you walk out the door.

We used tuk-tuks fairly regularly in Chiang Mai, which is both smaller and less congested than Bangkok. Did so once in Bangkok, and found the ride to/from the Marriott was far too long for comfort.

As far as tourist attractions: I think the tour books generally do a good job outlining the standard assembly of temples and cultural sites you'll want to hit. As others have said, Bangkok really is a busy, congested city. Seven days there may not strike you as particularly restful... unless you spend two or three of them camped out at the Marriott's pool (which some people clearly do).

Good luck and have a great trip.

Great stuff everyone, thanks!

We have no problem seeing as much as possible in the first 7 days. We would love to ride the elephants, see the temples, eat awesome food! Yup, we want to see the floating market as well. We're also going to be seeking some romantic areas to see!

We'd like to get some suits, dresses, clothing, whatever (she's a shopper and I'll tag along just to get some custom shirts and suits).

We've got plenty of time to relax during our second week in Koh Samui.

Hey, I'm sure that whatever it is that Thailand and Bangkok has to offer us will be amazing and a trip of a lifetime.

We DEFINITELY appreciate all of the "heads up" we're getting from everyone. You'll absolutely be reading a trip report from this two week trip (I know, you'll have to wait until June).

In the meantime, please keep it coming.

Dcutcher is right on target.
Thank you for posting this.
It can not be repeated too often.

In Thai culture, it is simply NOT polite to approach strangers in public and start a conversation, without a legitimate reason.

If any Thai in Bangkok approaches you in a public place, speaking English, nicely dressed, probably in white shirt and tie, and asking innocuous questions like, "Where are you going?", "Where are you from?", "What have you seen in Thailand?", "Do you want a taxi?", they are working a scam to separate you from you money, by any means possible, fair or foul.

Your best action?
Simply ignore them as if they don't exist.
Look beyond them, not at them.
Don't answer questions or say anything at all.
Simply walk away.
If they follow you, walk into the nearest up-scale hotel, or nice shop, or get into a taxi that is passing by.
Whatever you do, do NOT get into their car, or a taxi/tuk-tuk they select.
Don't let them follow you into a restaurant or offer you any food or drink.
That is how they try to construct a chain of obligation and lure you into their scam.

This approach is very common in Bangkok.

-- Peter
.

Good warning from Billp for all travellers to Bangkok.
Especially for those staying at hotels on the river, and who will use the public river ferries for transportation.

It has happened to me, and I've seen others stranded, too:
We took a river boat to some location, had dinner, and then walked back to the dock expecting to return by ferry.
But the boats had all stopped for the night.

However, while waiting at the dock -- as yet unaware that the ferry service had finished for the day -- a "pirate boat" pulled up and asked several people standing there where we wanted to go.
I didn't like the looks of the boat, the boat driver, or his crew.
He said, "Private Taxi Boat", but "pirate boat" is my term, because once you boarded that boat, the fare might be adjusted upward in mid-stream. :(

I did not chance that, but walked back out to the street where ordinary taxis were waiting.
Taxi drivers know when the river boats stop running, and several were waiting just outside the landing.
With good luck, I got a taxi driver who put the meter on without any fuss.

Now, I'll remember: public river ferries stop running when the sun goes down.

-- Peter
.

I would amend that to say, simply, always demand that the driver use the metre. If he doesn't just get out and find another taxi. It's rare that you have any trouble finding a cab in Bangkok at any hour of the day or night. (Except at a major BTS terminus during a rainstorm. :( )

Better yet, get out and hail the next cab, they're rarely at a premium.

Once of the first questions the scam touts like to ask you is "how long have you been in Thailand?" Answering "three years" usually shuts 'em up pretty quickly. (Especially if you do it in Thai, but that's a little more demanding.)

One more thing: the water taxi guys like to tell tourists that the Chao Phraya Express has stopped running/is not running on that day, all with an eye to getting you on their own boat. If the sun is up, they're feeding you a line, so just look where the locals line up (the pier will have signage in English too) and follow them. Don't get discouraged if you see an express boat barrel past -- the ones with flags are commuter express services and don't stop at the touristy piers near the temples.

If you want the touts to leave you alone, just say "Mai ao khrap" (Or "Mai ao ka" if you're a woman). Pronounced Mye (rhymes with "rye") ow (rhymes with "wow") c'ap (like "cup"). The "ka" in the female version is a falling tone like "kaaa." Leave off the khrap/ka to show displeasure. "Mai ao!" This is the most important phrase you could learn in Thai. It's polite but definite. Get your desk clerk to teach you to pronounce it.

Taxi's
 

There are two taxi's that I prefer when in Bangkok. #1 is the Blue/Red colored ones, the other the Green/Yellow. Even though their vehicles are sometimes not sparkling new, they won't try the ripoffs (well, not as often as the others). This last trip, I got one of the purplish metallic ones, that each time would ask where you were going. I was always going just a few kilometers, and refused to take me. I think they were just looking for long trips. So they're on the no fly list for me. :)