Bangkok is a city you meet with all your senses at once: the smell of charcoal grills and jasmine garlands, the sound of tuk-tuks and boat engines on the river, the heat that reaches you before you step out of the hotel lobby. About five million people live in the city proper and many more in the sprawl around it, and the Chao Phraya river is the thread that still holds the old centre together. The Grand Palace, Wat Pho with its huge reclining Buddha, and the temples of the old quarter sit along its eastern bank, and ferries cross the water for a few baht.
For a rider, Bangkok is the thing to leave early. Traffic is dense, the expressways have tolls, and the junctions are a thicket of motorbikes, so you will want to start at dawn, when the streets are quiet and the air is cooler. Follow the signs for Highway 1 north, or take the expressway and then peel off toward the old capital of Ayutthaya, about eighty kilometres away. Lane discipline is looser than in Europe, and overtaking happens on both sides, but traffic moves in a kind of rhythm you can learn to read.
Weather has a strong hand. The hot season peaks in April and May, with temperatures near forty, and the rains from June to October can drop a month's worth of water in an afternoon. November to February is cooler and drier and by far the best time to ride, though air pollution can be bad in the cool season. Always carry a rain jacket and drink plenty of water.
Bangkok has everything a motorcyclist might need: fuel on every major road, bike shops, 24-hour convenience stores and food at every hour. Start with breakfast at a street stall, perhaps a bowl of rice porridge with pork and a fried egg, and coffee with condensed milk. If you plan to ride a Thai-registered bike, keep your licence, passport copy and helmet with you, as police checks are common. Return in the evening and the river looks different, with the temples lit up and ferries gliding past.