When wandering around the Dusit Palace grounds, you'd almost forget you're still in a Southeast-Asian city. The Renaissance-style buildings and leafy gardens wouldn't be out of place in an European capital, and the serenity here is in stark contrast with the chaotic city life outside of its complex walls. Dusit is one of Bangkok's oldest districts, and while the rest of Bangkok is modernising at a rapid pace, Dusit seems to have stood the test of time. Come here to find family businesses in traditional shophouses, small-scale local markets and streets unfazed by modern city life.