Bangkok Seashell Museum

The Assumption Cathedral is the main Roman Catholic church of Bangkok. The original building at this place was the brainchild of French missionary Father Pascal in 1809, and completed in 1821. Throughout the second part of the 19th century, the area surrounding the church played an important role for French Christian missionaries arriving in Bangkok. It is near the Oriental Hotel and the French Embassy in an area that still captures somewhat of its French history. The current church dates from the 1910s, when the building was completely reconstructed in a Romanesque style. It was heavily damaged by bombing in World War II, but was restored after extensive repairs. Its rectangular structure and red brick exterior makes it stand out from the dull white surroundings. Its interior is spacious with a high ornate ceiling. Pope John Paul II visited the church in 1984, showing the prominence of the church in the Roman Catholic community of Thailand. The only religious service in English is held Sundays at 10:00.

Right at the banks of the Chao Phraya River is this classical Venetian-style building from the Danish East Asiatic Company. It was built in 1901. A large share of foreign trade that came from the warehouses had to go through this building before heading for Europe. No public entry allowed.

This is where the 19th-century port of Bangkok used to be. Now it is a crumbling building that needs a lot of renovation to get back into a useful state, but its obvious that this grand colonial-style home was once the pride of the area. It was built in the 1880s and used to levy taxes on traders that moved in and out of Siam. It's not open to the public, but you can walk around and try to grasp the atmosphere of Bangkok in earlier times. It was used in Wong Kar-wai's In the Mood for Love, a great film worth the watch.

One of only two Hindu temples in Bangkok, the Sri Mariamman Temple is actually a great experience. It was created in the 1860s by Tamil immigrants, and as with any temple found in India, it is unique, very colourful and ornately detailed. It generally is a busy temple with a constant stream of worshipers lighting incense sticks and plenty of ceremonies going on. Besides Indians, there are also Thai visitors as Buddha images stand side by side Hindu deities inside the temple. As it is the most sacred place for the Indian community in Bangkok, taking pictures inside the temple compound is not allowed.

Housed in an old (but beautifully restored) Portuguese shophouse, this is probably the only gallery in Bangkok totally devoted to the art of photography. Its owner, photographer Manit Sriwanichpoom, tried to resemble the photographers' shops of old, where visitors walked in and carefully chose one of the prints on sale. The gallery on the ground floor is all about the work of the owner, while the (tiny) upper floor has changing exhibitions. There's also a book corner for those more interested in photography.

This typical wooden Thai-style family house was built in 1937 and originally was the home of the Suravadee family. It was converted into a museum that gives an insight into the lifestyles of middle-class Bangkokians during World War II and the 1950s. On display are antiques, household items, a kitchen, sanitation and toilet facilities used during the war. Part of museum is devoted to maintaining the history of Bang Rak and Silom, showing the farms, canals and windmills that used to be characteristic for this area.