Below is a short guide to sights to visit in and around Bangkok City Centre. All are City Breaks that feels personal and authentic to Thai culture, and from personal experience bring some very fond memories, especially the first one, where I spent many a weekend with my two young sons.
Rama IX Park
Rama IX Park is the largest green space in Bangkok, with a beautiful botanical garden, a large lake and gardens inspired by countries around the world. Established in 1987 to celebrate King Bhumibol’s 60th Birthday, a visit to this large park on the outskirts of Bangkok is a great break from the city. Despite all the interesting things to see here, the park often remains surprisingly free of tourists and offers a genuine experience of how locals spend their afternoons off.
Getting to Rama IX Park
Rama IX Park is around 15 km from the city centre. The easiest way to get here is by taxi, either directly from the town, or if the traffic is bad, by taking the BTS Skytrain to Udom Suk and hailing one from there. It costs around 150 baht and takes around 30 minutes in a cab from central Bangkok – there shouldn’t be a problem catching one back into town, either.
Admission costs around 10 baht. Most people are here in the early mornings to exercise. In the afternoons, families and young couples come to laze around on hired mats. The best time to visit Rama IX Park is in December when the park hosts a lavish annual flower festival.
Rama IX Park highlights
The park is set out over a land size equal to 80 football fields and it takes a couple of hours to wander around and explore. It’s split into different sections with the centrepiece of the park sitting on the edge of the lake.
Inside Rama IX Park, you can see a dated building with a golden spire. It serves as a gallery in celebration of the life of the King and includes photos, paintings and information about the royal projects. There isn’t much in English, but the display is fascinating nonetheless, and 30 minutes of wandering around give you an air-conditioned rest from the sunshine.
Different countries represented at Rama IX Park
Several countries, including England and Japan, are represented in the Rama IX Park’s gardens. The wooden pavilion that forms part of the Chinese Garden is hidden in a walled garden, with a lily pond and miniature bridges behind it. The American Garden is housed in a huge futuristic dome and is reminiscent of the Nevada desert, sandy with plenty of cacti.
The Italian Garden is represented by ornate fountains and perfectly manicured hedges, while the French Garden is home to an impressive colonnade and a statue reminiscent of Rodin’s great works. If you want to learn more about Thai plants, the large botanic garden has a large variety of beautiful flowers and trees, with orchids and indoor plants found in colonial-inspired greenhouses. Be sure to check out Thakon Phrakia Pavillion in the middle of a lotus pond. It’s a picture-perfect representation of classic Thai design.
Recreation at Rama IX Park
Apart from exploring the gardens, there’s also the chance of getting out on the lake on the reliable but slightly worn duck and swan pedalos that line the jetty. Those who arrive early in the morning can join the public tai chi or aerobics class. There is also an outdoor gym with fun exercise equipment suitable for adults and children.
If you’re looking for a more laid-back approach to discovering the park, jump on the small train that shuttles visitors from the gates to popular sites and picnic spots. There are plenty of small stalls selling ice cream and drinks around the park but if you’re looking for something more substantial, get here before lunch when stallholders can be found at the entrances to the park, selling barbecued chicken, noodles and fruit.
Rama IX Park
Location: Suan Luang Rama 9, Sukhumvit 103 Road, Prawet, Bangkok 10250, Thailand
Open: Daily from 5am to 7pm
The Rose Garden
The Rose Garden at Suan Sampran is part of a large cultural centre in Nakhon Pathom, about 38 km west of downtown Bangkok. It takes around 1 hour to get there, depending on traffic. One of the most popular things to do at The Rose Garden is enjoying traditional performances such as Thai folk dancing, boxing, and even sword fighting.
Highlights of The Rose Garden at Suan Sampran
Suan Sampran covers more than 140,000 square metres, housing Thai-style teak houses and an 18-hole golf course, as well as the Patom Organic Farm and Village. Check out the onsite handicraft market and outdoor food court to enjoy authentic local specialities. There’s also a mini floating market under the shade of grand old trees – it’s a great photo opportunity if you can’t make it to the Damnoen Saduak or Amphawa floating markets.
The Rose Garden at Suan Sampran regularly hosts traditional Thai weddings. The park also has a 160-room riverside hotel, several restaurants and banquet rooms overlooking a river. You can combine a visit to Suan Sampran with the famous Damnoen Saduak Floating Market, which is less than 60 km away.
The Rose Garden at Suan Sampran
Location: Km 32 Pet Kasem Road, Sampran, Nakhon Pathom, 73110 Thailand
Open: Daily from 8am to 6pm
Phone: +66 (0)3 432 2588
Amazon BKK Fishing Park
Amazon BKK Fishing Park is where visitors with no experience could catch themselves a 150 kg, 2-metre-long river monster near Bangkok. The centrepiece of the ‘park’ is actually a lake in Nakhon Pathom Province. While it’s certainly not the only fishing spot in or around Bangkok, the Amazon BKK artificial lake is teeming with the largest and strangest fish from Asia and the Amazon, such as red-tailed catfish, alligator gar and arapaima.
Home to over 400 creatures, the artificial fishing lake is purpose-built at around 200 metres long and fills 1.28 hectares of land. Amazon BKK is around an hour and 30 minutes’ drive from Bangkok city centre but feels a world away, with birdsong and palm trees replacing bright lights and roadworks.
Fishing (and posing) at Amazon BKK
Besides the experience of reeling in one of these enormous fish, you can also get a couple of photos with your catch to impress everyone back home. Even so, note that there’s a policy here to return the fish to the water as soon as possible.
Once the fish is scooped out of the water, staff get to work on removing the hook and settling the fish on a stretcher, so it can be returned to the water after the proud angler takes a couple of pictures with their catch.
Every fish is examined and if one is deemed weak or in poor condition, it’s transferred to a holding lake so it can regain its strength. Only non-barbed, artificial lures are allowed at BKK Amazon and feeding time varies so fish are accustomed to biting throughout the day.
Escaping Bangkok to Amazon BKK
Rates for a full day of fishing include a simple lunch. There’s an additional cost for renting equipment (left- and right-handed rods with spinning reels and bait-casting reels are available). Transport can be provided but also comes at an additional cost.
The lake is open from 6am so to really get the most from your day it’s advised to get a pick-up from central Bangkok at around 4am. If that seems a bit too extreme for you, don’t worry – pick-ups can be arranged for any time. Driving here using GPS is highly advised.
Fun day out fishing
A day out at Amazon BKK fishing lake is the perfect escape from the congestion of the city and makes a great day trip for families with children, too. Children are welcome to fish at the lake, although it’s preferable if they have some fishing experience.
An English-speaking fishing guide is not usually present at the lake, meaning it might not be suitable for absolute beginners. But for anyone with the basics of how to cast and reel in, it’s certainly a great place to fish.
Arapaimas are fish originally from the Amazon River in Brazil but are now popular with fishermen for whom size matters. Ranging from 30 kg to 150 kg and over 2.5 metres long, they’re one of the star attractions that make Amazon BKK such a sought-after fishing spot.
Other fish of note include tiger fish, pacu, and black sheatfish. Redtail catfish and Asian redtail catfish, distinctive due to a streak of electric red or orange on the tip of the tail, are also considered a trophy catch here and are known for their boisterous temper. They usually take 30 or more minutes to reel in.
Complementing facilities at Amazon BKK
Other facilities include 13 shaded cabanas along one side of the lake, one walled cabin next to the central house and a kitchen onsite can cook simple Thai dishes like fried rice or fried pork and basil on rice, but don’t expect a full menu. If you do require something in particular, as always in Thailand, it can be arranged. Even so, this is really a place for keen fishermen who are here for what’s in the lake and are unconcerned about additional amenities.
Other unique elements about Amazon BKK include a family of white buffalo lazing about and a deer that seems to love being the centre of attention and will happily pose for photos.
If you’re interested in a day out fishing, be aware that the owner of the lake speaks little English, so you should ask a receptionist at your hotel to call and make arrangements on your behalf. When you’re pulling a 50 kg Arapaima out of the lake, you’ll be glad you made the effort. It’s more difficult than it looks on TV, but it’s also far more exhilarating.
Location: 73/1 Thung Khwang, Kamphaeng Saen, Nakhon Pathom 73140, Thailand
Open: Daily from 8am to 5pm
Butterfly Garden (Chatuchak)
For Bangkok Butterfly Garden & Insectarium in Chatuchak, don’t imagine beautiful frozen sets of wings under display cases with Latin names pinned underneath. Rather, you enter the huge and lofty enclosure of the conservatory with rockeries, shady ferns, wildflowers and a cooling waterfall – all the elements that make up the insects’ natural habitat.
Unfortunately, only a few species of beautiful winged creatures hide within the dome. So, if you’re quiet and still, you may be able to lure one out of hiding and take a beautiful and memorable photograph.
Finding peace and tranquility at Bangkok Butterfly Garden
Good news for those who grow weary of the slow-moving crowds and rambunctious goings-on of the nearby Chatuchak Weekend Market… Just round the corner from the market, no less than 3 parks can be found.
Upon entering Chatuchak Park subway station, cross Chatuchak Park and turn right, pass the front of the market and turn left at Kampaengphet IV Road. In between Queen Sirikit Gardens and Rotfai Gardens lies the quiet enclosed sanctuary of the Bangkok Butterfly Garden and Insectarium.
Queen Sirikit Gardens, which lies between here and the Children’s Discovery Museum, is a magnificent botanical garden with brightly coloured flower beds and old shady trees, all labelled in English, Thai and Latin. Meadows of wildflowers and immaculately landscaped gardens with canopied benches, ponds and mazes all lend it a feeling of Alice in Wonderland. This can be an enchanting day of butterfly spotting, picnicking or bicycling through the expansive and picturesque gardens. Old fashioned bicycles are available for rent. You could get lost in here, so be sure to bring a bottle of drinking water and a hat.
It’s across these lands one must traverse to reach the realm of butterflies. Some of the prettiest include the Golden Birdwing, Siam Tree Nymph and the Giant Silkworm Butterfly. An informative indoor display follows the fascinating lifecycles of these colourful insects.
Bangkok Butterfly Garden & Insectarium
Location: Kamphaengpet 3 Road, Lad Yao, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand
Open: Tuesday–Sunday from 8.30am to 4.30pm (closed on Mondays)
Phone: +66 (0)2 272 4359
Price: Free!
Lumpini Park
Lumpini Park is a large green space in central Bangkok, appealing to those who want to take a break from the city. You’ll see plenty of people enjoying light workouts, aerobics, and leisure activities throughout the day. There are plenty of sheltered niches where you could read, meditate or have a picnic. During the cool season (November to March), the park hosts free classical and jazz concerts by the Bangkok Symphony Orchestra on Sundays.
Location: Rama IV Rd, Lumphini, Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
Open: Daily from 4.30 am to 9 pm
Wat Suthat Thepwararam in Bangkok
Wat Suthat Thepwararam is one of the oldest and most impressive Buddhist temples in Bangkok. It has an elegant prayer hall with sweeping roofs, magnificent murals, and exquisite hand-carved teakwood door panels. It’s widely known for the towering red Giant Swing standing at its entrance. Located in Bangkok’s Old Town, you can easily combine a visit to Wat Suthat Thepwararam with Temple of the Emerald Buddha, The Grand Palace, and Wat Pho.
Highlights of Wat Suthat Thepwararam
Wat Suthat Thepwararam was commissioned by King Rama I (1782-1809) to shelter a 13th-century bronze Buddha sculpture from Sukhotai. The temple was completed during King Rama III’s reign (1824-1851). The wall frescoes inside the main prayer hall detail the previous 24 incarnations of Buddha. Chinese stone sculptures and 8-tier hexagonal pagodas line the outer walls of the temple. They were believed to have been shipped as ballast with Chinese trade junks.
The famous Giant Swing at Wat Suthat is a must-see, especially after you’ve explored the Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew. The cloistered courtyard surrounding the main prayer hall has around 156 Buddha images, while the outer walls and 4 entry gates are individually hand-carved with intricate details.
About Wat Suthat Thepwararam
Standing at 21.15 metres, the Giant Swing stands between Wat Suthat and Bangkok City Hall. Its 2 towering red pillars and elaborately carved crossbar can be from afar. In the past, during the Brahmin thanksgiving ceremony (mid-December), young men would ride the swing high in the air, suspended 24 metres from the ground when in full swing. They would try to grab a bag of silver coins with their teeth.
This rather risky practice was discontinued in 1932, so this massive swing now serves as nice photo ops for Wat Suthat Thepwararam’s visitors.
Location: 146 Bamrung Mueang Rd, Wat Ratchabophit, Bangkok 10200, Thailand
Open: Daily from 8.30am to 9pm