Must see attractions in 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…

Much of the saga that followed Thailand’s transition from monarchy to democracy has unfolded on this quiet riverside campus. Thammasat University was…

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…

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…

The Jam Factory is a creative space right on the Chao Phraya River, in a cluster of renovated warehouses transformed into high-end Thai restaurants, shops…

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…

This obelisk was built by the then military government in 1941 to commemorate a 1940 campaign against the French in Laos. Today the monument is primarily…

The eponymous benefactor of this park ran unsuccessfully for Bangkok governor in 2004, and successfully for the Thai parliament in 2005 and 2011. This…

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…

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…

Thailand’s universities aren’t usually repositories for interesting architecture, but Silpakorn (pronounced sĭn lá þà gorn), the country’s premier art…

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…

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…

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…

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…

A peaceful amphitheatre commemorates the civilian demonstrators who were killed by the military during a pro-democracy rally on 14 October 1973. Over 200…

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…

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…

This workshop was founded by Khunying Tongkorn Chandavimol in 1956 after she completed a doll-making course while living in Japan. Her dolls draw on Thai…

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…