Bangkok
Following his first European tour in 1897, Rama V (King Chulalongkorn; r 1868–1910) returned with visions of European castles and set about transforming…
Must-see attractions in Bangkok
Ko Ratanakosin & Thonburi
Much of the saga that followed Thailand’s transition from monarchy to democracy has unfolded on this quiet riverside campus. Thammasat University was…
Phra Sumen Fort & Santi Chai Prakan Park
Banglamphu
Formerly the site of a sugar factory, Santi Chai Prakan Park is now a tiny patch of greenery with a great river view and lots of evening action, including…
Banglamphu
Dating back to the late 18th century, whitewashed Mahakan Fort is one of two surviving citadels that defended the old walled city. The octagonal fort is a…
Ko Ratanakosin & Thonburi
On a hot day, Sanam Luang (Royal Field) is far from charming: a shadeless expanse of dying grass and concrete pavement ringed by flocks of pigeons and…
Banglamphu
This spindly red arch – a symbol of Bangkok – formerly hosted a Brahmin festival in honour of Shiva, in which participants would swing in ever higher arcs…
Banglamphu
The residents of Ban Baat inhabit the only remaining village of three established in Bangkok by Rama I (King Phraphutthayotfa Chulalok; r 1782–1809) to…
Ko Ratanakosin & Thonburi
Thailand’s universities aren’t usually repositories for interesting architecture, but Silpakorn (pronounced sĭn lá þà gorn), the country’s premier art…
Bangkok
Arrestingly flamboyant, this Hindu temple is a wild collision of colours, shapes and deities. It was built in the 1860s by Tamil immigrants and features a…
Chinatown
Many South Asian traders set up shop in Bangkok's small but bustling Little India, where everything from Bollywood movies to bindis is sold by…
Bangkok
Construction on Sathorn Unique – known colloquially as the Ghost Tower because locals believe the plot of land it occupies to be a former cemetery – began…
Bangkok
The domed neoclassical building behind the Rama V Memorial was originally built as a royal reception hall during the reign of Rama V, but wasn't completed…
Banglamphu
A peaceful amphitheatre commemorates the civilian demonstrators who were killed by the military during a pro-democracy rally on 14 October 1973. Over 200…
Bangkok
Located just outside of Bangkok on the access road to Khlong Bangkok Noi, Taling Chan looks like any other fresh food market busy with produce vendors…
Ko Ratanakosin & Thonburi
Serving as the spiritual keystone of Bangkok, Lak Meuang is a phallus-shaped wooden pillar erected by Rama I during the foundation of the city in 1782…
Ko Ratanakosin & Thonburi
Housed in a building that was the Royal Mint during the reign of Rama V, the National Gallery’s permanent exhibition is a rather dusty and dated affair…
Bangkok
Bangkok’s only gallery wholly dedicated to photography is housed in a charmingly restored Sino-Portuguese shophouse. The owner, photographer Manit…
Bangkok
The oldest English-language library in Thailand, Neilson Hays dates back to 1869, and today remains the city’s noblest place for a read – with the added…
Bangkok
Marking the ascendancy of the French missionary influence in Bangkok during the reign of Rama II (King Phraphutthaloetla Naphalai; r 1809–24), the current…
Bangkok
This busy wet market is a prime place to study the mind-boggling array of local culinary produce that embodies the essence and identity of Bangkok's…
Chinatown
This arch marks the so-called centre of Bangkok's Chinatown, and straddles a busy traffic crossing between Th Yaowarat and Th Charoen Krung. If you dodge…
Bangkok
Fakes are so prominent in Bangkok that there’s even a museum dedicated to them, where a mind-boggling array of counterfeit merchandise collected over the…
Gurdwara Siri Guru Singh Sabha
Chinatown
Just off Th Chakkaraphet is this gold-domed Sikh temple. Its large hall is devoted to the worship of the Guru Granth Sahib, the 17th-century Sikh holy…
Chinatown
This is one of the city’s oldest Chinese shrines, and is guarded by a playful rooftop terracotta dragon; it’s also one of the best places to come during…
Banglamphu
This royal-funded museum presents five floors of rotating exhibitions of modern and traditionally influenced art. The building is sleek and contemporary…
Chinatown
This night market has bucketloads of cheap clothes, late-night snacking and a lot of people-watching. As Chatuchak Weekend Market becomes more design…
Thailand Creative & Design Center
Bangkok
Taking up a sizeable chunk of Bangkok's art-deco main post office is this 'playground for creativity'. In practical terms, that means an art- and design…
Bangkok
This is one of Bangkok's oldest mosques, located in the quaint riverside neighbourhood of Haroon Village, a Muslim enclave full of sleeping cats, playing…
Bangkok
The country’s largest repository of books has few foreign-language resources, but its strength is in its astrological books and star charts. The…
Silpakorn University Art Centre
Ko Ratanakosin & Thonburi
This gallery – located inside Thailand’s most prestigious arts school, Silpakorn University – showcases faculty and student exhibitions. There’s also an…
Bangkok
This Buddhist temple houses an interesting Mon-style marble Buddha and a simple museum. A leaning stupa on the northern fringes of its compound wall…
Bangkok
This gallery has established itself by featuring the often attention-grabbing contemporary work of Thai artists such as Vasan Sitthiket, Sutee…
Yaowarat Chinatown Heritage Center
Chinatown
The Yaowarat Chinatown Heritage Center is a small but engaging museum with multimedia exhibits on the history of Bangkok’s Chinatown and its residents.
Bangkok
This is a tiny museum – really a small assemblage of religious paraphernalia and knick-knacks – inside Ko Kret's Wat Poramai Yikawat.
Ratchadamnoen Contemporary Art Center
Banglamphu
This three-storey structure hosts changing exhibitions mostly featuring mixed-media contemporary domestic art.
Bangkok
Siam Park City features more than 30 rides and a water park with the largest wave pool in the world.
Banglamphu
The Democracy Monument is the focal point of the grand, European-style boulevard that is Th Ratchadamnoen Klang. As the name suggests, it was erected to…
Bangkok
The bronze figure on horseback is Rama V (King Chulalongkorn; r 1868–1910), the monarch widely credited for steering the country into the modern age and…
Chinatown
A traffic roundabout with the accompanying Chinatown Arch monument that serves as a central landmark in Bangkok's Chinatown.
Bangkok
This Chinese-style clock tower located in the southeastern corner of Lumphini doubles as an interesting photographic subject amidst the park's greenery.