You’ve spent a grueling 24 hours traveling, and you’re finally about to arrive in Bangkok, thoroughly exhausted. It’s about midnight local time, and as the plane flies low over Suvarnabhumi Airport, you can just make out the lettering on the side of the main building. The strange patterns of the Thai alphabet tell you that you’re not in Kansas anymore, and for the duration of your trip, you will be surrounded by the unfamiliar. The language, the buildings, the culture and religion, and even the bathrooms are strange to you, and it will feel as though you are in a different world. But that’s the point of the whole trip—coming to Thailand is to get away from everything you know and experience something entirely new.

Thailand is a kingdom of contrasts, and Bangkok in particular will be a place of never-ending questions for you. It is a massive city of nearly ten million people. It is always crowded and busy, but unlike any other major metropolitan area in the world, you will find the laid-back attitude of a small town. Road rage? Doesn’t exist. Bangkok’s streets are a permanent traffic jam of confusion, and it takes forever to get across town. Your taxi will get stuck in the middle of the intersection, and you’ll notice your driver slowly edging into the traffic flow as cars, motorcycles, tuk-tuks, and even the occasional elephant attempts to cut in front. But it’s all taken in stride. And when traffic grinds to a halt, instead of blowing his horn, your driver will just sit back and relax, attempt to speak English with you, and roll down his window to call over a street vendor to bring food. This is how your adventure begins.

It is a culture of gentle, soft-spoken people, but make no mistake, whatever you’re looking for in Bangkok, you’ll find. Bangkok’s notorious red-light district is constantly full of Western tourists, but don’t believe the hype—this is just a very small part of Bangkok, and you will find most people there still adhere to old-fashioned ways and a spiritual path that you seldom see in the West. You’ll see more Buddhist monks here than anywhere else in the world, strolling down the street in their brightly colored saffron robes. Most young men become monks for at least a period of three months when they reach adulthood to bring honor to their families. Buddhist temples are everywhere, and visitors are always welcome to come in and have a look around.

If you think you can spend a week in Bangkok and see everything that needs to be seen, you’re wrong. You can live here for a year, go out every day, and still be surprised. The first things you’ll want to see are the Grand Palace, Jim Thompson’s House, Floating Market, Chatujak Market, and maybe a performance of the Ramakien, but after you’ve gone through the guidebook, take time to explore beyond the canon of tourist sites and you’ll be delighted at every turn.