Things to do in Bangkok
Cruise the Chao Phraya River and stop off in Rattanakosin to marvel at the Grand Palace and Wat Pho temple's huge reclining Buddha. Away from the riverside, Asian interior design was born in Pathumwan at Jim Thompson's House. Get up early to watch crowds perform morning T'ai Chi in Lumpini Park, and cross the river to Bang Kra Jao to bicycle through Bangkok's wilderness.
Siriraj Medical Museum
Blood-curdling exhibits
The Siriraj Medical Museum in Siriraj Hospital at Bangkok Noi is not for the
faint-hearted. The gruesome collection contains the embalmed bodies of
murder, suicide and accident victims, and even the remains of Thailand's
first serial killer.
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Cost
THB40
Opening Hours
Mon-Sat 9am-4pm
Address
2, Prannok Road, Bangkok Noi, Bangkok 10700
Telephone
+66 (0) 2 419 7000
Transport
Cross-river ferry from Prachan or Tha Chang Piers to Wang Lang Pier
Website
National Museum
National collection of treasures
The rooms of the National Museum in Rattanakosin hold a vast collection of
Thai artefacts, including royal regalia and exquisite mother-of-pearl inlay
work. Buildings devoted to royal cremation are also open. Multilingual
guided tours run on Wednesday and Thursday mornings.
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Cost
THB50
Opening Hours
Wed-Sun 9am-4pm
Address
Na Phrathat Road, Phra Nakhon, Bangkok 10200
Telephone
+66 (0) 2 224 1333
National Museum of Royal Barges
Ceremonial royal boats
The National Museum of Royal Barges in Bangkok Noi houses eight magnificently
decorated boats, each requiring 50 rowers. Well over 100 years old, the
barges are rarely used. When there is a river procession, it is a
spectacular sight.
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Cost
THB30
Opening Hours
Daily 9am-5pm
Address
Klong Bangkok Noi, Bangkok 10700
Telephone
+66 (0) 24 24 0004
Transport
Chao Phraya Express boat to Phra Pin Klao Bridge Pier
Website
Suan Pakkad Palace Museum
Royal collection of houses
Once a royal residence, the Suan Pakkad Palace Museum in Ratchathewi is a
collection of eight delightful traditional wooden Thai houses set in lush
tropical gardens. Antiquities belonging to Prince and Princess Chumbhot of
Nagara Svarga are also on display.
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Cost
THB100
Opening Hours
Daily 9am-4pm
Address
352-354, Sri Ayutthaya Road, Rajathevi, Bangkok 10400
Telephone
+66 (0) 2 245 4934
Jim Thompson's House
Stylish home turned museum
Jim Thompson's House, in Pathumwan, is typical Thai architecture, created
from six traditional teak houses and packed full of Asian artefacts. It was
the stylish home of Bangkok's silk guru and larger-than-life US expat Jim
Thompson.
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Cost
THB100; students THB50
Opening Hours
Daily 9am-5pm; last guided tour at 5pm
Address
6, Soi Kasemsan 2, Rama 1 Rd, Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330
Telephone
+66 (0) 2216 7368
Wat Arun
Imposing Temple of Dawn
Wat Arun's spectacular 76-metre high tower, decorated with colourful ceramic
tiles, rises up dramatically from its location on the Chao Phraya River in
Bangkok Yai. Climb the tower for delightful views across the river to the
Royal Grand Palace.
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Cost
THB20
Opening Hours
Daily 7.30am-5.30pm
Address
34, Arun-Amarin Rd, Kwang Wat Arun, Bangkok 10600
Telephone
+66 (0) 2 465 5640
Kamthieng House
Thailand's rural past
Located in the Siam Society garden, Kamthieng House is a 160-year-old teak
stilt house brought from northern Thailand. Its reconstruction as a museum
illustrates how rural workers and fishermen lived and the tools they used,
including ploughs and rice-harvesting devices.
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Cost
THB100
Opening Hours
Tue-Sat 9am-5pm
Address
131, Asoke Montri Road, Sukhumvit 21, Bangkok 10110
Telephone
+66 (0) 2661 6470
Grand Palace
The Thais' spiritual home
Bangkok's must-see attraction is the Grand Palace in Rattanakosin. A dazzling
display of intricate carving and colour, the palace contains the Wat Phra
Kaew temple. Here, Thailand's sacred Emerald Buddha is housed. Visitors must
adhere to a strict dress code.
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Cost
THB350 (also includes ticket to Vimanmek Palace, valid 7 days)
Opening Hours
Daily 8.30am-4.30pm; last ticket sold 3.30pm
Address
Na Phra Lan Rd, Phra Nakhon, Bangkok
Telephone
+66 (0) 2623 5500
Wat Pho
Golden reclining Buddha
Founded in the 17th century, Wat Pho in Rattanakosin is Bangkok's oldest and
largest temple. It houses the impressive Reclining Buddha, which is 46
metres long and 15 metres high. The temple is also renowned for its teaching
of traditional herbal medicine and massage.
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Cost
THB50
Opening Hours
Daily 8am-5pm
Address
2, Sanamchai Rd, Phra Nakhon, Bangkok
Telephone
+66 (0) 2225 9595
Vimanmek Palace
Teak palace of treasures
Built using golden teak in 1900, the Vimanmek Palace in Dusit is known as the
Cloud Mansion. It can only be visited on a guided tour and there is a strict
dress code. Its 81 rooms house silver and ivory treasures, and royal
coaches.
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Cost
THB100; students THB20; included in Grand Palace ticket (valid for 7 days)
Opening Hours
Daily 9.30am-3.15pm
Address
Ratchawithi Road, Dusit, Bangkok 10300
Telephone
+66 (0) 2 280 5928
Bicycle Tours
Exploring Bangkok's wilderness
Half-day-long 25km Bicycle Tours through Bang Kra Jao start at the Face bar
on Sukhumvit Road. Bang Kra Jao is the wilderness area of Bangkok, complete
with lush jungle, villages, temples, waterways, and the Bangkok skyline as a
backdrop.
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Cost
THB1000-THB1650
Opening Hours
Daily 1pm-4.30pm
Address
38, Sukhumvit Road, Bangkok 10110
Telephone
+66 (0) 2 7136 047
Chao Phraya Express Boat Trips
Navigating Bangkok by river
Visitors get a glimpse of river life aboard one of the Chao Phraya Express
Boat Trips. They operate a service along the river from Ratburana. Stops are
located at ten piers, convenient for a trip to the Grand Palace.
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Cost
THB27
Opening Hours
Departure times vary. Please check website for details
Address
78, 24-29 Maharaj Road, Phranakorn, Bangkok 10200
Telephone
+66 (0) 2 623 6001
Lumpini Park
Mass T'ai Chi venue
Named after Buddha's birthplace, Lumpini Park is Bangkok's green lung in
Pathumwan. Mature trees, lakes, and gardens are bounded by business,
shopping and residential districts. Thousands of citizens jog, stretch and
practise T'ai Chi en masse here in the mornings.
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Cost
Free
Opening Hours
Daily 5am-8pm
Address
Thanon Rama IV, Thanon Withayu, Thanon Ratchadamri & Thanon Sarasin, Pathumwan, Bangkok 10500
Transport
Sala Daeng Skytrain station; Silom Metro station
Siam Ocean World
Diving with sharks
Visitors discover an underwater world at Siam Ocean World, in the Siam
Paragon Shopping Mall in Pathumwan. Turtles and over 3,000 species of
aquatic life swim around the glass-bottomed boat. Brave souls take the
plunge and dive with the sharks.
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Cost
THB850; children (80-120cm in height) THB650
Opening Hours
Daily 10am-8pm
Address
991, Rama I Road, Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330
Telephone
+66 (0) 2 687 2000
Lumpini Stadium
Thailand's most popular sport
Every Tuesday, Friday and Saturday at Lumpini Stadium devotees gather to
witness Thailand's most popular martial art. Traditional Thai kickboxing is
accompanied by music, ritual and frantic betting from the appreciative and
noisy audience.
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Cost
THB500-THB1500
Opening Hours
Tue & Fri fights at 6.30pm; Sat fights at 5pm & 8.30pm
Address
Rama IV Road, Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330
Telephone
+66 (0) 2 251 4303
