Bangkok Sights

  1. Abhisek Dusit Throne Hall

    This East-meets-West royal building was built by King Chulalongkorn, the first Thai monarch to visit Europe. Visions of his travels must still have been swimming in his head when he commissioned the throne hall, a stunning, intricate building which, despite its Western influences, has a distinctly Thai exterior.

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  2. Ancient Cloth Museum

    If you're interested in fashion, you should enjoy a poke around this museum, with its well- annotated collection of royal cloth and royals wearing cloth (Queen Sirikit looks a bit groovy in the old B&W photos).

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  3. Art Centre

    Shows Chula professors as well as major names in the Thai and international modern art scene; permanent exhibits include Thai art retrospectives.

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  4. Assumption Cathedral

    Marking the ascendancy of the French missionary influence in Bangkok during the reign of Rama II, this Romanesque church with its rich golden interior dates from 1910 and hosted a mass by Pope John Paul II in 1984. The schools associated with the cathedral are considered some of the best in Thailand, and you'll probably need to walk through one to reach the red-brick building.

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  5. Baan Krua

    Baan Krua (literally 'Muslim Family Village') is one of Bangkok's oldest communities. It dates to the turbulent years at the end of the 18th century, when Cham Muslims from Cambodia and Vietnam fought on the side of the new Thai king and were rewarded with this plot of land east of the new capital. The immigrants brought their silk-weaving traditions with them and the community grew with the arrival of other Muslims, and when the residents built the khlong to better connect them to the river.

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  7. Baiyoke Ii Tower

    Thailand's tallest tower, if not its most architecturally attractive, the Baiyoke II tower soars to 88 storeys, the upper of which are often clad with some truly huge advertising. The main, and indeed the only, attraction here is the 77th floor observation deck. The views are as impressive as you'd expect (unless its too smoggy) but only just compensate for the tacky décor and uninspiring restaurant. If you have a choice, the rooftop bars are better.

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  8. Baiyoke Sky Tower

    It's a bird; it's a crane; no, it's the Baiyoke Sky Hotel, the nation's tallest scraper, measuring a gangly 88 storeys (309m tall). On the 84th floor is a revolving observation deck, something akin to a geriatric carnival ride. This is the only sky-high perch in Bangkok geared towards families.

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  9. Bang Kwang Prison

    Thailand's permissive reputation is juxtaposed by strict antidrug laws that often land foreign nationals in a prison system with feudal conditions. A sobering and charitable expedition is to visit an inmate, bringing them news of the outside, basic supplies and reading materials. The regulations for visits are quite involved and require research. You must dress respectfully, bring your passport for registration purposes and have the name and building number of the inmate you plan to visit.

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  10. Bangkok Doll Factory & Museum

    New and antique dolls dressed in national costumes are displayed for appreciation, while the gift shop sells onsite factory-made dolls, a unique industry that helped preserve Thai traditional costumes in miniature. The museum is difficult to find; the best approach is from Th Sri Ayuthaya heading east.

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  11. Bangkok University Art Gallery (Bug)

    This spacious new compound is located at what is currently the country's most cutting-edge art school. Recent exhibitions have encompassed a variety of media by some of the country's top names, as well as the work of internationally recognised artists.

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  13. Bangkokian Museum

    This collection of three wooden houses illustrates an often-overlooked period of Bangkok's history, the 1950s and '60s. The main building was built in 1937 as a home for the Surawadee family. This building and the large wooden one to the right, which was added as a boarding house to help cover costs, are filled with the detritus of family life and offer a fascinating window into the period. The third building, was built in 1929 as a surgery for a British doctor.

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  14. Bank Of Asia

    During the crazy 1980s, when no building project was too outlandish or expensive, architect Sumet Jumsai created his now-famous 'Robot Building' for the Bank of Asia. Few were keen on it at the time, but now it seems quaint and retro. The building is not open to the public; its whimsical façade is best viewed on the Skytrain between Surasak and Chong Nonsi stations.

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  15. Benjakiti Park

    The latest addition to Bangkok's emaciated green scene, this 130-rai (20.8-hectare) park encircles a large lake on the former grounds of the Tobacco Monopoly, just behind the Queen Sirikit Convention Centre, and marks the queen's sixth cycle (72nd birthday). Another 300 rai (48 hectares) of former factory buildings is earmarked for transformation into a manmade rainforest, though it's yet to open. The park makes a pleasant walk between the Sukhumvit strip and the Lumphini area.

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  16. Benjasiri Park

    In summer, this park, built to honour Queen Sirikit's 60th birthday, hosts many open-air events. It's built around an ornamental lake, with most of the surrounding lawn space taken by canoodling couples and teenage mating rituals-in-progress. If you're lucky you might spy a game of tàkrâw (a Thai foot game played with a rattan ball.

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  17. Children's Discovery Museum

    Through hands-on activities, learning is well disguised as fun at this museum opposite Chatuchak Weekend Market. Kids can stand inside a bubble, see how an engine works, or role-play as a firefighter. Most activities are geared to primary-school-aged children. There is also a toddlers' playground at the back of the main building.

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  19. Chitlada Palace

    The current royal family's residence, Chitlada Palace is also a royally funded agriculture centre demonstrating the reigning king's commitment to the progress of the country's major industry. The palace is not open to the public and it's pretty difficult to see from the outside, but you can spot rice paddies and animal pastures - smack in the middle of Bangkok - through the perimeter fence.

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  20. Chulalongkorn University

    The centrepiece of the campus is the promenade ground on the east side of Th Phayathai where a seated statue of Rama V (King Chulalongkorn) is surrounded by purple bougainvillea and offerings of pink carnations. The showcase buildings display the architectural fusion the monarch favoured, a mix of Italian revival and Thai traditional. The campus has a parklike quality, with noble tropical trees considerately labelled for plant geeks.

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  21. Church Of Santa Cruz

    Centuries before Sukhumvit became the international district, the Portuguese claimed faràng (Western) supremacy and built the Church of Santa Cruz in the 1700s. The land was a gift from King Taksin in appreciation for the loyalty the Portuguese community had displayed after the fall of Ayuthaya. The surviving church dates to 1913. Very little activity occurs on the grounds itself, but small village streets break off from the main courtyard into the area known as Kuti Jiin.

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  22. Chuvit Garden

    The story behind this park is shadier than the plantings. Khun Chuvit, the benefactor of the park, was Bangkok's biggest massage parlour owner. He was arrested in 2003 for illegally bulldozing, rather than legally evicting, tenants off the land where the park now stands (between Soi 8 and 10).

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  23. Democracy Monument

    Four-pronged Democracy Monument holds a key place in Bangkok's political history. Built to commemorate the nation's transition from absolute monarchy to constitutional monarchy in 1932, the monument is the natural home of pro-democracy rallies, including the tragic demonstrations of 1992 that turned bloody at the hands of the military.

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  25. Dusit Palace Park

    Oh-so-dainty Dusit Palace is the Thai monarchy's nod to the Victorian era. It contains Vimanmek Palace, the world's largest teak mansion, pleasant manicured grounds and the Ancient Cloth Museum and Royal Thai Elephant Museum.

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  26. Dusit Park

    Please note: because this is royal property, visitors should wear long pants (no capri pants) or long skirts and shirts with sleeves.

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  27. Dusit Zoo

    It would be easy to spend a day here. The peaceful grounds of this zoo, which once hosted the royal botanical garden, have a plethora of eateries as well as a playground and a big lake for paddle-boating. The animal-housing areas are not the most modern or inviting.

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  28. Erawan Shrine

    In Bangkok commerce and religion are not mutually exclusive. This Brahman shrine was built after several accidents delayed construction of the first Erawan Hotel. News of the shrine's protective powers soon spread and local merit-makers now stream into the courtyard with their own petitions.

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  29. Forensic Medicine Museum

    Pickled body parts, ingenious murder weapons and other crime-scene evidence are on display at this medical museum, intended to educate rather than nauseate. Among the grisly displays is the preserved cadaver of Si Ouey, one of Thailand's most prolific and notorious serial killers who murdered - then ate - more than 30 children in the 1950s. Despite being well and truly dead (he was executed), his name is still used to scare misbehaving children into submission.

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