Nicha

The Science Gallery is always a draw as well and Nicha can't resist climbing into a giant womb simulating the sounds of the mother's heartbeat before birth.

48 Hours: On the Town With Kids 2009

From there, we get on a water taxi for a five-minute ride down the river, giving my 8-year-old daughter, Nicha, a dramatic study in contrasts on the way: glittering skyscrapers and a hulking row of ships on one side, gap-toothed houses on rickety stilts and fishermen casting their nets into the water on the other.

48 Hours: On the Town With Kids 2009

The hotel's Riverside Terrace restaurant offers alfresco dining riverside, with an international and Thai barbecue buffet, a plus for picky eaters like Nicha.

Bangkok: 48 Hours With Kids Chawadee Nualkhair 2009

From there, we get on a water taxi for a five-minute ride down the river, giving my 8-year-old daughter, Nicha, a dramatic study in contrasts on the way: glittering skyscrapers and a hulking row of ships on one side, gap-toothed houses on rickety stilts and fishermen casting their nets into the water on the other.

Bangkok: 48 Hours With Kids Chawadee Nualkhair 2009

Armed with bottles of water (bring your own hat, sunscreen and insect repellent), we head out on an easy morning ride that covers 10 kilometers, and Nicha and I hardly noticed.

Bangkok: 48 Hours With Kids Chawadee Nualkhair 2009

The Science Gallery is always a draw as well and Nicha can't resist climbing into a giant womb simulating the sounds of the mother's heartbeat before birth.

Bangkok: 48 Hours With Kids Chawadee Nualkhair 2009

Nicha loves the Nocturnal Animals Exhibit, and goes crazy taking pictures at the Children's Zoo, but our favorite feature is the lake, where paddle boats (called "boat bicycles") can be rented for 60 baht ($1.70) and a 40 baht ($1.15) deposit.

Bangkok: 48 Hours With Kids Chawadee Nualkhair 2009

Although I am tempted to swing by a few of the stalls, I know Nicha is tired, and we head home.

Bangkok: 48 Hours With Kids Chawadee Nualkhair 2009

Nicha loves the "live" show, in which performers bring puppets to life with music to tell a story -- typically a scene from the Hindu epic, the Ramayana.

Bangkok: 48 Hours With Kids Chawadee Nualkhair 2009

We walk to the sixth floor of the nearby CentralWorld (a mammoth mall accessible via a "skywalk" from Siam Paragon), where Nicha is swayed by the cheese-a-rama that is the cheese fondue at Fondooz.

Bangkok: 48 Hours With Kids Chawadee Nualkhair 2009