City Guide: Top 5 public parks to visit in Bangkok 2022
Bangkok isn’t just about its nightlife and night markets, hotels and shopping malls, busy roads and the never ending cityscape that overflows into surrounding provinces. When caught up in the fray of urban life, it can be hard to slow down, making it easy to overlook the city’s most precious gems — its many public parks. They’re great places to engage in your favourite form of outdoor recreation, from a daily jog to a picnic on the lawn, offering the elusive “fresh air” you know your lungs need. If you haven’t visited a park in a while, you might be surprised how refreshing it can be. Here you can sit back and relax on park benches or simply lay out on green grass and watch the passersby. So without further ado, here’s our list of Top 5 public parks to visit here in Bangkok in 2022.
Lumphini Park
London has Hyde Park, New York has Central Park and Bangkok has Lumphink Park. It’s the second largest park in the Big Mango with 142 acres of space. Popular among locals and tourists alike, it comes to life at dusk when people get off work. You’ll find a flock of people jogging and running around the 2 and a half kilometre pavement that surrounds the giant pond. If you hear loud music coming from the park, it’s highly likely that it’s an outdoor aerobic session. Not into that? You can cruise around on the maze-like walkways. There are paddle boats available for rent, as well as a basketball court, if you want to do engage is something a little more entertaining. With its large open lawn, it’s a perfect park for a picnic or reading a book on the grass. On weekends, you will find a lot of families with children enjoying themselves on the green lawn. And don’t forget about the infamous monitor lizards that roam the park. This is your chance if you haven’t seen one. But don’t worry, they’re shy of humans, mostly. The view from inside the park is unforgettable. Being in such a large park surrounded with a city view is something special to behold. Here’s a helpful tip: Find the walkway that attaches Lumphini Park with it’s neighbour, Benjakitti Park. Lumphini Park is open from 5am to 9pm seven days a week. You can get there by MRT Lumphini station.
Chatuchak Park
Chatuchak Park is another well known park in Bangkok that has all the standard offerings. From strolling and running along the path surrounded by hundreds of trees, to simply taking a seat and relaxing to admire the surrounding nature, you’re sure to enjoy the vibe of this park. Similar to Lumphini Park, it gets busy in the late afternoons/early evenings with the after-work exercise crowd on weekdays, and is a recreation hotspot on weekends. Like any decent Thai park, there are paddle boats for rent. And does the park’s name ring a bell? That’s because it’s located right beside the famous Chatuchak Market, the biggest market in the country, with countless vendors and shops divided into many sections for clothing, plants, pets, furniture, food and drinks, and many more. Exhausted from shopping? The park is the perfect place to sit back and relax after an extended market excursion. You can get to Chatuchak Park by BTS Mo Chit station or MRT Chatuchak station. It’s open daily from 5am to 9pm.
Banjakitti Park
Banjakitti Park was created in honour of Queen Sirikit’s 72nd birthday. The park is located in one of the busiest neighborhoods in Bangkok. Like most parks, it’s ideal for runners, but this one stands out with its 2 different tracks: one for cyclists and the other for runners/walkers. The walking path surrounds the park’s large pond; it’s also a good place to take photos for the ‘gram. Skyscrapers may be seen from all sides. You can walk over a bridge connecting Benjakitti Park to the neighboring Lumphini Park. Recently, the park has expanded to include a roughly 2-kilometre-long skywalk that crisscrosses beautiful wetlands. This new skywalk is a unique experience compared to the standard offerings of other public parks. The skywalk also includes a secondary walking track, and the trails on both the top and bottom levels will inspire you to continue wandering and exploring. Since being acquired from its previous owners, Thailand’s Tobacco Authority, it’s safe to say the area has been completely transformed into a nature oasis. The park is open daily from 5am to 9pm. We recommend getting off at MRT Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre station. But if you’re on Sukhumvit, then Asoke MRT station is also nearby.
Benjasiri Park
Benjasiri Park is on the smaller side and is located right by Emporium and EmQuartier. Pread across of 11.6 acres of what would otherwise be prime real estate, it’s popular among most expats. There are a few outdoor facilities within the park, including a skateboard park, basketball courts, a swimming pool and a tennis court, which are a surrounded by a running/walking track. There is even a weight lifting area. It all comes together to create a wonderful recreational experience. During weekends, you will find lots of parents with their children on the playground and joggers on the track. It’s a lively park to visit in the city centre any day of the week. The park is open daily from 5am to 9pm and is located beside Phrom Phong BTS station.
Suan Luang Rama IX (Rama IX Park)
Last but certainly not least is Rama IX Park. It’s located on the southern outskirts of Bangkok, and if you really want to have a local experience, this is a must visit. It’s the largest park in the city with an area of 200 acres. The park was founded back in 1987 in honor of King Bhumibol’s 60th birthday. A historical building with a golden dome is featured within Rama IX Park. It is a museum honouring the King’s life, with paintings, images and documentation about royal works. There isn’t much in English, but the exhibition is interesting anyway. Different areas of the park take inspiration from countries around the world, with an International Garden, a Chinese Garden and a Rommani Garden. There’s also Fern and Orchard Houses, the Garden of Medicinal Plants and a Rock Garden. For children, there are several playground areas, as well as a “waterpark,” where you can rent a small rowboat or paddleboat to take out onto the lake. Throughout the park, there are several kiosks selling snacks and food for visitors, as well as a lakeside cafe where you can have lunch. The park is open daily from 5am to 7pm and costs just 10 baht to enter. Cars can park inside for 50 baht. Currently, the closest BTS station is Udom Suk, followed by a 6.5 kilometre car ride, but this is set to change soon, as a new BTS station is being finished on Srinagarindra Road that’s just 1.2 kilometres away from the park’s western entrance. Finally, for all you water sports lovers out here, Rama IX Park is located beside (or below) Nong Bon Water Sports Center. But it’s is only accessible from the eastern side of Rama IX Park via Chaloem Phrakiat Ratchakan Thi 9 road.
What’s your take?
So there you have it, our list of Top 5 public parks in Bangkok in 2022. The heat is constant, but it’s hard to refuse a little refreshing recreation at one of these urban oases. So what’s your take? Did your favourite park make the list? Let us know which park you prefer and why in the ThaigerTalk comments section below!
