Parks and the outdoors in Bangkok

83 parks, gardens, beaches and walks in and around Bangkok.

Ranked with the travel guide's picks and well-known places first. Showing the top 40 of 83.

BuyRattanakosin
Amulet Market at Wat Mahathat
ตลาดเช่าพระ วัดมหาธาตุ
Right beside the Chao Phraya River is the amulet market, an indoor warren of alleys with dozens of vendors selling amulets, charms, talismans and other religious objects. They come in all shapes and sizes, and represent various Hindu or Buddhist deities. The amulets ward off evil spirits or bring good luck and fortune. Each amulet gives a specific kind of luck, so inquire with the vendor. You can get one for as cheap as 5 baht. Better looking ones cost around 20-100 baht, or as much as you want to spend on it. More amulets can be bought at the street market at Maha Rat Road, where many sellers line up along the pavement. There are also many traditional medicine shops along this road.
09:00-17:00 daily
DoThonburi
Anantara Cruises
Chao Phraya River cruise. They offer Private/shared cruises, two staterooms with private en-suite bathrooms. Departs on Mondays and Thursdays.
Starting from 32,000 baht
EatKhao San Road
Aquatini Bar & Restaurant
ร้านอาหาร อควาตินี่ บาร์
Part of the Navalai River Resort, this luxury restaurant with Thai and Western dishes has river views over the Chao Phraya River. The interior of the indoor bar has random postmodern touches. It's best to stick to outdoors though, as the deck gives the best views. The breeze, trees and light music make the ambience chilled out. Mostly foreigners visit this place, and the staff make it feel a bit like being inside a resort (well, which you are). The kitchen sure knows how to keep their dishes true to the Thai tongue, though. Try the tom kha kai — it's whiter than white.
06:30-01:00 daily300-400 baht
EatSilom
Baan Khanitha
The entrance lined with thousands of fairy lights sets a nice atmosphere for what is inside. There is an excellent menu of traditional Thai food that is either served inside or out in a small garden courtyard. They also have an excellent wine cellar.
Daily 11:00-23:001,000-1,500 baht
SeeSukhumvit
Benjakiti Park
When the Thailand Tobacco Monopoly moved all its factory operations to Chiang Rai in 2008, the lake and some adjoining land that were part of its compound, previously enjoying semi-wild vegetation, were turned into a public park. Many splendid old rain trees were cut down in order to landscape the park, in which young trees were planted instead. Adjoining the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre, it is a neat park with dedicated cycling and walking paths, fixed exercise equipment and several monuments.
05:00-20:00 dailyFree
DrinkPratunam
Co-Co Walk
โค-โค วอล์ค
This is basically an outdoor covered compound with a dozen bars, pubs and live music performances. Some of the better bars include Sawaree Terrace, Co-Co Beach, 69, The Tube and Chilling House Cafe. It is mostly popular among Thai university students. In the middle of it all is a large Korean-style BBQ that offers "all-you-can-eat" for 99 baht.
Daily 18:00-01:00
SeeRattanakosin
Corrections Museum
พิพิธภัณฑ์ราชทัณฑ์
This used to be the location of the Bangkok Remand Prison, an old and overcrowded prison. Most of it has been torn down and turned into a public park, but three blocks, a cellblock, a side of the prison wall and two watchtowers were preserved and turned into a museum. This museum displays some of the most sadistic punishments imaginable, and these were actually carried out to offenders not that long ago. The museum can only be visited after making an appointment, but some punishment instruments can be seen from the public park outside, so you don't necessarily need to enter the museum.
Mon-Fri 08:30-16:30, Sat Sun hols closed, only on appointmentFree
SeeDusit
Dusit Palace
พระราชวังดุสิต
PERMANENTLY CLOSED! Sometimes called New Royal City, Dusit Park, Dusit Garden, or simply Dusit, is a complex of palaces and royal residences in the south of the Dusit district. The palace was established by King Rama V, the first Thai monarch to visit Europe. He was impressed by the royal parks and residences he had seen there, which were leafy, relaxed, spacious and cool, as opposed to the Grand Palace, which was cramped with buildings for his numerous wives, children, and servants. These buildings blocked air flow inside the Grand Palace, which heated it up considerably. As a replacement, King Rama V started building the Dusit Palace.
Closed · opens 9:30 am
SeeSilom
East Asiatic Company Building
อาคาร บริษัท อีสท์ เอเชียติก เก่า
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.
BuySukhumvit
EmQuartier
After opening in 2015 EmQuartier remains the newest upmarket mall in Bangkok after the plans for EmSphere have been shelved. The mall uses unusual architectural features to differentiate itself: there is a 40 m waterfall, an indoor tropical garden, the SkyCliff view point on the 45th floor, and a hanging garden enclosed in a spiral walkway that connects 9 floors of restaurants topped with a Japanese one with a rooftop terrace. Otherwise the mall has the usual stuff: restaurants, shops with hundreds of foreign and Thai brands and an IMAX cinema.
10:00-22:00 daily
BuySukhumvit
Emporium
This upmarket mall, with selections of everything in design, including watches, cosmetics and clothes, is the top competitor to Ratchaprasong's Gaysorn Plaza. The lower floors are dedicated to brands like Louis Vuitton and Rolex, but (unlike Gaysorn) it has more affordably priced goods on the upper levels. Kinokunyia book store has a large selection of English language books, including travel-related ones. The top floor is home to one of the nicest cinemas in the city after Siam Paragon (and somewhat less pricey than that one) and the Thailand Creative and Design Center. Emporium also has a popular food court and a good selection of restaurants on the fifth floor. A very upscale happening (and crowd), this place challenges the idea of food courts as being simple places to have a snack after shopping. Park Food Hall serves an extensive three-course meal with wine in a dimly-lit atmosphere. You can also go to the regular food court, which is comparatively small and hidden behind the other restaurants, but cheap and often packed. At peak hours it's difficult to get a seat if you're alone. The prices have been increasing over the past years though.
10:00-22:00 daily
DoRamkhamhaeng
Fantasia Lagoon
A water park with a large swimming pool suitable for exercise, a lazy river, and slides suitable for smaller and larger kids. Appears to be better maintained than the water park at Siam Park City which has much higher prices for foreigners. An option if your accommodation lacks a pool but you crave to swim.
Mon-Fri 10:30-22:00; Sat-Sun, hols 10:00-22:00100-120 baht
BuyRamkhamhaeng
Fashion Island
แฟชั่นไอส์แลนด์
A large shopping mall that, as the name indicates, mostly focuses on fashion stores. But it's not just clothes, shoes, and design, as there are plenty of books, gems, jewellery and furniture on sale. The usual chain restaurants, cafes and cinemas are also present, as is Robinson Department Store. There's even an amusement park with an ice skating rink and a monorail running around the mall..
Mon-Fri 11:00-21:00, Sat Sun hols 10:00-21:00
SeeRattanakosin
Front Palace
วังหน้า Wang Na
Now the central building of the National Museum, the Front Palace used to be an enormous complex stretching from the Chao Phraya River across Sanam Luang to Lot Canal. It was built in the 18th-century, along with the Grand Palace. The Front Palace housed the heir to the throne, who was appointed by the King; usually a son or brother of the reigning monarch who bare the title "Second King" or "Vice-King". The title of Second King started in the Ayutthaya Period, but gained a significant amount of power during the Rattanakosin Period when the Second King even got its own private army and navy. This large amount of power often led to conflicts between the King and the Second King. The last to bare the title of Second King was Prince Vichaichan. In 1884, he got into a power struggle with King Rama V in an event known as the Front Palace crisis. King Rama V tried to modernise Siam in a rapid pace, and conservative forces and the nobility, including Prince Vichaichan, saw their power and influence being slowly eroded. When Prince Vichaichan got a letter threatening his life, he mobilised up to 600 of his private troops around his palace. The King also mobilised his troops, but this only underlined that the Second King's guards were more numerous and better equipped. After an explosion, a mysterious fire broke out in the Grand Palace, threatening Wat Phra Kaeo, and the Second King's troops got on their way to the Grand Palace to try to extinguish it; however this was blocked by the King's Royal Guards who feared that the fire was orchestrated by the Second King to take over the country. Afterwards King Rama V criticised the Second King for not moving all his troops to the Grand Palace, as an ancient custom dictated that the Second King's troops must actively protect the King and the Grand Palace in an emergency. King Rama V ordered his troops to surround the Front Palace, and Prince Vichaichan fled to the British embassy. After mediation, the powerful Western countries sup
Wed-Sun 09:00-16:00, closed on holidays200 baht
BuySukhumvit
Gateway Ekamai
This mall is the southernmost one on Sukhumvit Rd before the border with Samut Prakan. It titles itself as a Japanese lifestyle mall and houses some peculiar businesses like a weird maid cafe with a concept imported from Japan and Snow Town theme park where you can play with snow and even get downhill skiing lessons.
10:00-22:00 daily
SeeYaowarat and Phahurat
Holy Rosary Church
วัดแม่พระลูกประคำ Wat Mae Phra Luk Prakham
Portuguese descendants of the early traders in Ayutthaya first settled at the other bank of the river in Thonburi (at the site of the Santa Cruz Church), but gradually moved to the opposite bank of the river. As the Portuguese were one of the most important trading nations in Siam, this church was built with a land grant from King Rama I in 1786, about four years after Bangkok was established as Siam's capital. As Portugal's influence overseas diminished, the Portuguese community was dispersed and the church fell into disuse. Due to the Indochina Wars of the mid-20th century, many Catholic Vietnamese and Cambodians fled to Bangkok and adopted this church as their main house of worship. Throughout its history, it has been rebuilt twice, with the present church dating from the 1890s. The cream-coloured church has a towering spire, an interesting set of European-style stained-glass windows, as well as a statue of Christ that is carried through the streets at Easter.
Religious services Mon-Sat 06:00, Sun 06:15, 08:00, 10:00
DrinkRattanakosin
Jedi
A bright and airy cafe. Views over canal and park beyond. Small number of outdoor seats. Specialty coffee. Excellent desserts. Expensive compared to other cafes in the area.
Daily 08:30-17:30, 18:00-01:00.
SeeSilom
King Rama VI Statue
พระบรมราชานุสาวรีย์พระบาทสมเด็จพระมงกุฏเกล้าเจ้าอยู่หัว
Located in front of Lumphini Park, the statue was sculpted by Professor Corado Feroci, an Italian sculptor that in Thailand is better known as Silpa Bhirasri. He and four Thai artists gave it the final touch on 7 June 1941, so it could be revealed on 27 March 1942. It is devoted to King Vajiravudh (Rama VI), who asked the Italian government for an artist to teach and promote art in Thailand (which at that time was seen as not able to cope with European standards). King Vajiravudh is displayed as standing in his ceremonial uniform and holding a sword. It's not a coincidence that Lumphini Park is its location: King Vajiravudh donated this large plot of land to the city's citizens by turning it into a public park.
Free
EatRattanakosin
Krua Khun Kung
ครัวคุณกุ้ง
Tucked in a small alley, this restaurant is the only good restaurant close to the Grand Palace. Its odd location makes it often unnoticed by foreigner travellers, which is a shame as it has a great view over the Chao Phraya River. It's best to sit outside on the terrace, but you can also sit indoors if you want to cool down from the heat. On the menu is seafood, and some of the best the city has to offer. But beware: it's very spicy.
Mon-Fri 11:00-14:00, 16:00-22:00, Sat Sun 11:00-22:00100-150 baht
EatSukhumvit
LukKaiThong Royal Cooking @ The EmQuartier District
An upmarket restaurant that serves Thai-Chinese cuisine. Popular dishes include the river prawns, stewed pork belly and Thai tea shaved ice.
10:00-22:00 daily200-800 baht
SeeSilom
Lumphini Park
สวนลุมพินี
A rare expanse of public greenery in the heart of the city, it was once property of King Rama VI, who issued a royal command to turn the area into a public park as a gift to Bangkok's residents. The park's symbol, a statue of its creator King Rama VI, stands at the main entrance at the southwestern corner, right opposite MRT Si Lom station. The park has a lake with boats for rent and with a cycle track around it, and is popular among early-morning fitness enthusiasts, but there's little reason to wander in during the daytime heat. The Bangkok Symphony Orchestra does, however, put on occasional performances in the winter. There are rather large lizards in the park — they are well worth a look. They tend to spend most of their time in the water of the lake. Do not get too close to one, as they can bite.
Daily 05:00-19:00Free
SeeSilom
M.R. Kukrit's Heritage Home
บ้านซอยสวนพลู
M.R. Kukrit Pramoj (1911-1995) was an important writer, lecturer and statesman and served as the prime minister of Thailand. His legacy is this complex of five teak houses that used to be his home. They are an astonishing example of traditional Thai architecture, with the oldest teak home more than one hundred years old. The surrounding garden plays an important role in the design of the property, as that's the glue holding the different houses together.
Sat Sun 09:30-17:0050 baht
SeeRattanakosin
Mahakan Fort
ป้อมมหากาฬ
Mahakan Fort is one of only two remaining forts of Rattanakosin's outer city walls, the other being Phra Sumen Fort near Khao San Road. Mahakan Fort is on the banks of Rop Muang Canal, and a part of the former ring of forts that defended Rattanakosin Island from invasions from the east. It was built during the reign of King Rama I. What makes this fort unique compared to Phra Sumen Fort is that a part of the old city wall is still intact; it runs about 200 metres south along Maha Chai Road. An almost a century old community lives in shanties between the old city wall and the canal, but the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration has been trying to turn it into a public park for tourists (as was done around Phra Sumen Fort). After a 14-year legal dispute, it seems like a compromise has been reached where some houses of the old community will stay and be turned into museums.
Free
SeeRattanakosin
Museum of Siam
มิวเซียมสยาม
The renovated European-style mansion of the Ministry of Commerce of Thailand has been turned in good use. It now is the Museum of Siam, a permanent exhibition about the history of the Thai nation, its culture and its interaction with other nations and cultures. As with all the new museums in town, it's a so-called "discovery museum", in which visitors can play and interact with the objects shown. It is a lot fun, for children and adults alike, and informative at a superficial level. First you watch a subtitled short film about Thai-foreign interaction, with some Thai inside jokes about foreigners. Then you'll walk through several historically-themed rooms, starting in prehistory and ending in the modern age. Make sure your camera is charged and its memory unit empty, as there are many photo opportunities. You can sit in a tuk-tuk, prepare fake Thai food, bomb medieval armies, wear colonial-age clothing, present a news programme and sit in a 50s-style diner.
Tue-Sun 10:00-18:00300 baht for foreigners, free entry 16:00-18:00
SeeRattanakosin
Nagaraphirom Park
สวนนาคราภิรมย์
This park opened in December 2010 beside Tha Tien Pier and the Chao Phraya River. It is quite small, but the cool river breeze makes it a nice park for taking a well-deserved rest after strolling through Rattanakosin. There is not a lot of shade, so better avoid this park when the sun strength is at its highest. A short concrete promenade gives a stunning view of Wat Arun, which is right at the other side of the river. You can make beautiful pictures of the temple during sunrise or sunset, when it changes colours.
05:00-21:00 dailyFree
BuyYaowarat and Phahurat
Noi Market
ตลาดน้อย
This market is so off the beaten path, you may not even find your way back. Its hidden location between Soi 20 and 22 gives this market a very local atmosphere. The vendors sell fruit, vegetables, and non-food products from China. Observing daily life here is more interesting than the actual products sold. You might walk through a living room and see more of the peoples' lives at home. Nearby is the Sieng Kong Zone, which can easily be visited from here.
SeeSilom
Old Customs House
ศุลกสถาน
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.
BuyYaowarat and Phahurat
Phahurat Market
ตลาดพาหุรัด
The first task is to actually find it. It is carefully hidden and you need to walk through a couple of other stores to get into it. Once you're there, you'll definitely know though, as it is a fabrics market on steroids. Thousands of retailers of Indian descent sell fabrics in so many colours, shapes and patterns. Some shops specialise in custom-made wedding gifts, dresses, and souvenirs. This old market is a labyrinth of narrow lanes, barely wide enough for two people to pass each other. It is the most typical market the Indian neighbourhood has to offer and has managed to keep its unique character.
09:00-18:00 daily
BuyRattanakosin
Phra Chan Market
แผงลอย ท่าพระจันทร์
There is a small clothing market. Most t-shirts have a kind of postmodern pop-art style print on them, which are popular with the local art students. There is also women clothing, sneakers, accessories available and many other products. For food, there are simple lunch restaurants inside the pier building, where you can sit right beside the Chao Phraya River. A simple meal and water will cost you only 50 baht. These eateries are mostly used by locals, so bring a phrasebook. A small indoor shopping area can be reached from Maha Rat Road, where you can have American fried rice or get some iced chocolate.
08:00-18:00 daily
SeeKhao San Road
Phra Sumen Fort
ป้อมพระสุเมรุ
Best viewed from Santichaiprakan Park, Phra Sumen Fort is one of two remaining towers of the historic city wall that once surrounded Rattanakosin Island completely (the other being Mahakan Fort). The historic city wall that followed the Chao Phraya River and Khlong Rop Krung used to have fourteen of these watchtowers, but twelve of them have not endured the test of time. Phra Sumen Fort was constructed in 1783 during the reign of King Rama I to protect the city from potential foreign naval invasions. The fort has an observation tower and two levels of battlements with its original canons still in place.
Free
SeeThonburi
Princess Mother Memorial Park
อุทยานเฉลิมพระเกียรติสมเด็จพระศรีนครินทราบรมราชชนนี
This beautiful park is built near the Wat Anongkharam community where Somdej Phra Srinagarindra Boromarajajonani, HRH the Princess Mother (the mother of King Rama IX) had resided during her childhood. The park comprises a full scale model of the Princess Mother's house. The old buildings were renovated as exhibition halls, displaying the life story of HRH the Princess Mother and the history of the Wat Anongkharam community that lives here.
garden 06:00-18:00 daily, museum 08:30-16:30 daily, hols closed
SeeRamkhamhaeng
Rama IX Royal Park
สวนหลวง ร. 9
Built in 1987 to celebrate the 60th birthday of the former king, HM Bhumibol Adulyadej, this is the largest public park of Bangkok. It consists of six zones: the homage to His Majesty, the botanical garden, the Trapangkaew Reservoir, the Rommaniya Garden, the Sanam Rasdara and the Water Garden. It is very deep down the sois of Sukhumvit, so it is best to take a taxi to find it.
05:00-18:00 daily10 baht
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River City
ศูนย์การค้าริเวอร์ซิตี้
River City has Bangkok's best collection of antiques, arts, crafts, pottery, ornaments, sculptures, and wood carvings. These are the real thing and priced to match. Real antiques and religious images will require export licences, though the shops can arrange them for you (for a fee). Every first Saturday of the month, a monthly auction of crafts is held at the River City auditorium. One of its interesting stores is Old Maps & Prints on the fourth floor with a fascinating collection of old maps on Thailand and Southeast Asia. Anything over a century old will cost several thousand baht.
Daily 10:00-20:00
SeeRattanakosin
Rommaninat Park
สวนรมณีนาถ
This public park is built on the old prison grounds of the Bangkok Remand Prison near Wat Suthat. Three blocks, a cellblock, a side of the prison wall and two watchtowers were preserved and turned into a museum, the Corrections Museum, which is at the southeastern corner of the park. The park features many fountains, some basketball courts, a playground and a weight lifting area.
05:00-20:00 dailyFree
SeeThonburi
Royal Barge National Museum
พิพิธภัณฑสถานแห่งชาติเรือพระราชพิธี
On the mouth of the Bangkok Noi canal, this museum displays several Royal Barges used for state ceremonies on the Chao Phraya River. The ornately carved barges take the form of famous mythical creatures from the Ramayana epic. The most impressive is the Suphannahongse (or Golden Swan), which was built in 1911 during the reign of King Rama IV. This 46-metre craft was carved from a single piece of teakwood. The bow resembles a mythical swan and is adorned with gold lacquer and glass jewels. Most visit this museum as part of a canal tour, but it can also be visited on foot.
09:00-17:00 daily
DoRamkhamhaeng
Safari World
ซาฟารีเวิลด์
Safari World is Bangkok's greatest open zoo and leisure park. The 300-acre complex comprises a safari park that is populated by African and Asian mammals, a marine park with amusing performances of well-trained dolphins and seals, a bird park, and a games corner. There are separate tickets for Safari Park and Marine Park.
09:00-17:00 dailyCombined ticket price: adults 900 baht, children 550 baht
SeeThonburi
Santa Cruz Church
วัดซางตาครู้ส
The Santa Cruz Church is an interesting Catholic church right at the banks of the Chao Phraya River. After the fall of Ayutthaya by a Burmese invasion, King Taksin commanded that the peoples who escaped had to settle down in Thonburi, the new capital of Siam. The King dictated that the Chinese group had to settle down around the area of Wat Kalayanamit, while the Portuguese people would have their houses built along the bank of the Chao Phraya River. The Portuguese had given military support to King Taksin to help him drive out the Burmese from Siam. In recognition of their support, King Taksin granted the Portuguese a plot of land for the building of a church. The first Santa Cruz Church was a wooden church built in 1770. When that church got into a state of decay, a new Chinese-style church was built here, as it was nearby the Chinese community that stayed at Wat Kalayanamit. That church was called "Kudichin church" (Chinese church), and the Portuguese who settled here were called "Farang Kudichin", which means "Westerners at the Chinese shrine". In 1916, the third and current Santa Cruz Church was built during the reign of King Rama IV. The church has a magnificent Italian-style architecture. The community around it still feels authentic, and is the birthplace of a famous kind of cupcake, the "Khanom Farang Kudichin".
SeeKhao San Road
Santichaiprakan Park
พระที่นั่งและสวนสาธารณะสันติชัยปราการ
This small, green park has a great view of the Chao Phraya River and the modern Rama VIII suspension bridge that crosses it. There's an open-air pavilion, the Phra Sumen Fort and (supposedly) the last two lamphu trees of the area (these trees used to be all over Banglamphu, as that's where the district got its name from). Activities held in the park include Thai classical music, juggling and (at 18:00) aerobic exercises. The park has also become a gathering place for breakdancers to exchange their techniques.
05:00-22:00 dailyFree
BuyYaowarat and Phahurat
Saphan Phut Night Market
สะพานพุทธ
A visit to Pak Khlong Talat can easily be combined with the night market at the Memorial Bridge. This cramped night bazaar is a fun walk through the dark as plenty of colourful lights bright up the place. Expect nothing spectacular though, most of the products for sale are clothing, shoes and accessories, mostly for teenagers, as well as second-hand items.
Tue-Sun 20:00-00:00
SeeRattanakosin
Saranrom Park
สวนสราญรมย์
This park was created as a royal garden in the Saranrom Palace, built in 1866 by King Rama IV. He wanted to use it after he stepped down as a monarch, but died before it was completed. When King Rama V took over, he gave the palace to his younger brothers, and turned the park into a zoo. When he built the Dusit Palace in the early 20th century, he moved all the animals to the Dusit Zoo. The park then became a property of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, before being turned into a public park in 1960. The basic layout still resembles its design by King Rama IV. It is a lush garden created around a lake, home to glasshouses, ancient trees and wooden pagodas. A great place to relax and escape the heat. After work, many locals run around the paths for exercise or do aerobics on (very) loud music. There's also a table tennis table and always someone who wants to play. At the south end of the park is a marble monument dedicated to HM Queen Sunantha Kumareerat and HRH Prince Kannaporn Phetcharat, who died in a boating accident during the reign of King Rama V.
05:00-20:00 dailyFree

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Listings from the Wikivoyage guide to Bangkok (CC BY-SA 4.0).