India, Nov. 10 -- Weekend trips from Bangkok are a ritual for city dwellers, looking to trade traffic fumes for sea breeze or mountain air. The best part? You don't need a boarding pass. The capital is a fantastic springboard for quick escapes - whether that's a quiet stretch of sand in Hua Hin, floating markets and hot springs of Ratchaburi, or a misty morning hike in Khao Yai.

Just a few hours by car, minivan, or train can take you from the city's high-energy vortex to dramatic coastal cliffs, ancient ruins, and wildlife-rich national parks. It's this easy-breezy convenience that makes weekend getaways practically a Bangkok sport: just enough of a change of scenery to feel worldly, yet close enough to be back in time to complain about ...