Sometimes beauty can come from the most unlikely of places and we have to look no further than Picasso, The Elephant man and most of The Rolling Stones to see that sometimes, even the ugliest things on the outside can have a special place in our hearts.

Bangkok is a perfect example of a city which I know I should hate, especially as a lover of mountains and fresh air, but somehow, after getting over the warts on the surface, the soul of the City of Angels has won me over and there’s nowhere I’d rather be.

Here are four things about Bangkok which you should hate, but you just can’t help loving:

1. The Pavements (sidewalks)
   
   

   One of Bangkok's street elephants outside a restaurant. (Photo by Szymon Kochanski)

   Definitely not suitable for wheelchairs, Bangkok’s pavements are full of obstacles. Nowhere in the world will you have to watch out for massive holes deep enough to swallow a man, motorbikes taking a shortcut, whole families of stray dogs and fully grown elephants! Such obstacles should be frustrating, but in reality they are exciting and make you feel alive. Just watch where you step if you’re walking behind one of the 500 or so urban elephants! The pavements are also home to some of the best food in the world from street vendors and makeshift restaurants with plastic stools. In the evenings whole streets are turned into dense markets packed with people buying and selling all kinds of goods imaginable. If you’re trying to get somewhere it’s a nightmare, but if you’ve got time to take it all in, a simple walk down the street can be a truly unforgettable experience.

2. The Roads
   
   

   Bangkok Roads - Fast and Crazy but with Smiles all round!

   Driving in Bangkok is a test of brinkmanship. If you’re used to the polite, Western style of driving you might be better off closing your eyes when navigating the jammed streets of central Bangkok. The main style of driving here is ‘every car, motorcycle, bus and 22 wheeled truck  for itself.’  Buses never stop and instead just slow down, sometimes 3 or 4 lanes away from the pavement,  to let passengers on or off. Crossing the roads in Bangkok requires a special skill which those who remember the old computer game ‘Frogger’ will have mastered – wait for the gaps in the traffic to line themselves up, time it right then close your eyes and run! This may sound like a nightmare of stress and danger, but look closely and through the madness, the soul of Bangkok starts to make itself seen. Despite such conditions, road-rage is non-existent; the faces of the drivers are pictures of calm. Laughter and smiles are plentiful as crowds of people sprint across the road, narrowly escaping being injured by the 3 lanes of traffic.

3. Thai Time-keeping
   
   

   One of the few public clocks in Bangkok (Photo by Travelinman43 - Flickr)

   One thing you may notice as you walk around the metropolis of Bangkok, is an absence of clocks. In Western cities you only need to turn your head and you can see the time being proudly displayed. The main reason for this lack of time is that time is simply not that important here. It is quite common for Thai friends to be 2 or 3 hours late when meeting each other in shopping malls and Thai people rarely book more than a day or two in advance for anything. If you are taking part in any day organised by Thais don’t even bother asking for a schedule, and if you are lucky enough to get one don’t expect it to be any kind of indication of how the day will turn out. This is undoubtedly infuriating for time-obsessed Englishmen like myself, but after being broken down by many years of poor time-keeping, part of this approach to punctuality (though still not all) begins to make sense. By living your life less governed by time, there is a lot less to worry about and get stressed about. Getting stuck in a traffic jam isn’t such a problem. You don’t need to miss lunch if you’ve got somewhere to be, and if your 2 or 3 hours late for a party it’s no problem – you’ll still be there before most people!

4. Tuk-Tuks
   
   

   An Iconic Thai Tuk Tuk (Photo by Nokan)

   These three-wheeled, motorised chariots are an icon of Thailand, and a favourite of tourists. Their gurgling, 2-stroke engines give them their name and their drivers are almost always charming, charismatic chaps who claim that they are faster and cheaper than their four-wheeled, air conditioned counterparts. In reality, their lack of a meter and the fast-talking, ever-so-friendly man at the controls means they are always more expensive, and their insistence on taking you to everywhere in Bangkok except where you want to go means they take much longer. As frustrating an experience as it can be, however, I challenge anyone not to be grinning like a mischievous schoolboy as you race the wrong way down one-way streets towards yet another tailors or gem shop. Get in one knowing you’ll be taken in the wrong direction and charmed into buying an overpriced suit and you’ll have a great time!