-- Last Updated on February 13, 2023 by Jonesy

To many the word Bangkok likely conjures up images of a humid, cramped, concrete jungle that couldn’t be further away from the word ‘nature’ if it tried.

Certainly there is a large element of that in the Thai capital.

And to Bangkok residents it is blatantly obvious that much of the existing greenery of Thailand’s capital city has been rapidly diminishing for decades now. It may indeed seem sparse at a glance if you are a visitor, depending on where you find yourself in the city.

Yet the good news is there are actually a surprising number of green areas in Bangkok—you just have to find them.

Most of the natural green areas, large or small–which may have flowers and all kinds of exotic plants or some other features–are most likely these days to be part of the network of government-operated parks and gardens in the city. Once you start looking for them and begin to delve a bit deeper into the city than the surface congestion that is ever-present, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the number, the size, and the diversity of some of the best parks and gardens that Bangkok has to offer.

These areas are incredibly well-maintained, with well-watered, trimmed and pruned, tenderly-cared-for grass, flowers and other foliage. Most of these parks or gardens also have their own slightly unique angle, twist, or characteristic.

As it turns out the city administrators have been introducing green initiatives for a number of years now, with still plenty more planned future projects. This has been done primarily to combat the ever-worsening air pollution levels resulting from the ever-expanding volumes of traffic. It is also an attempt to balance the continuous onslaught of the obvious over-development that the city is seriously plagued by.

But most returning visitors to Bangkok may realise after a while that there are quite a few more established parks in the city than they may have been aware of or ever seen in tour guides, features, etc. Hopefully this is on the increase too in line with the re-development initiatives.

So what we are going to look at today is some of the best parks and gardens currently in Bangkok, including the most-established and the easiest-to-access parks.

Hopefully this might serve as a beacon and useful guide for anyone looking to grab a moment’s respite from the constant assault on the senses that Bangkok can often be.

1. Chatuchak Park

OK let’s start with the ‘Big Three’ when it comes to parks in Bangkok. That’s not actually the name of them, there just happens to be three of the best and easiest-to-access parks in the city literally right next to each other, almost as if one really huge park had been divided into three—which it kind of has.

By the way–the three parks together actually form the largest green area in the city of Bangkok. They are literally on each other’s doorsteps, yet these parks are each very distinct in their own purpose and presentation. Let’s elaborate on that, beginning with the easiest to access—Chatuchak Park.

Possibly one of the busiest parks in Bangkok, Chatuchak Park is right next to the main road with BTS and MRT stations leading up or down to it. Perhaps more prominently though, it is within very close proximity to the famous weekend market of the same name, making it a popular stop-off point for those who have already had their fair share of hustle and bustle.

It is also likely to be the first park most people encounter out of the three—the other two being to the rear and/or side of Chatuchak Park meaning you have to either go through or around it to access the other parks. As the three parks are so closely situated this is also often the first point of call for anyone intent on taking in all three and making a day of it. Having said that, it is possible to spend a whole day in any one of these parks.

Loosely based upon New York’s Central Park in terms of layout and design, Chatuchak Park is the smallest of the parks but it has a couple of lakes, some with paddle boats, and a running perimeter of approximately 4km. This makes it one of the prime locations for joggers at certain times of the day. There are no bicycles allowed in this particular park, which may account for its popularity with the joggers to some extent.

Chatuchak is equally popular for those wishing to relax from the bustle of the city, or maybe grab some air after the weekend market. This includes couples, families, picnickers, tourists and teenage lovebirds.  Its location, accessibility and neighbouring attractions easily make Chatuchak Park one of the best in Bangkok, although by no means the biggest, at around 60 acres.

2. The Train Park–Suan Rot Fai (Wachirabenchathat Park)

About two times bigger than Chatuchak at close to 150 acres is the impressively expansive and diverse Wachirabenthachat Park, which is much more well-known as the Train Park (Suan Rot Fai in Thai). This is the second—and the biggest—of the trio of 3 parks in the Chatuchak district.

This particular park gets its name from the fact that it was once owned by the Thailand State Railway. Suan Rot Fai forms the basis of many a day out for families, couples, sightseers and tourists alike, many of whom share picnics, hire bicycles (there is a fantastic children’s bicycle track that many people miss situated next to a play area—complete with road markings and traffic lights).  

One of the great things about this park is that it is ideal for both running and cycling—which did tend to cause the odd issue in the past when this occurred on the same pathways. Thankfully though a separate track for cyclists was designated fairly recently so there is no danger of runners and cyclists colliding.

There is also a butterfly garden in this park, not to mention 2 or 3 kids’ play areas, a couple of exercise sections with various equipment, a kids’ swimming pool, and a bigger, indoor pool that is near one of the entrances. On top of that, near the park’s outer perimeter close to Vibhavadi Road there are tennis, basketball, and football courts.

Suan Rot Fai is also one of the top places for a spot of birding in Bangkok, with a regular club that meets there near the entrance on Sundays hunting for any new varieties of migrating birds.

You can walk straight through to the last of the three parks from this one and you basically just have to cross the road and find one of the many entrance points to access Chatuchak Park from here. The Train Park is easy to access via both the BTS Skytrain System and the MRT Subway at the front of Chatuchak Park.

3. Queen Sirikit Park

Queen Sirikit Park is in many ways the hidden gem amongst the trio in the Chatuchak district. This may be because a lot of people tend to overlook it as it is behind, and slightly to the left of, the other two more well-known parks (if approaching from the main road where the BTS station is located).

And yet this park is almost 20 acres larger than the neighbouring Chatuchak Park, and contains some of the most colourful and exotic flowers you’ll ever see along with a botanical garden.

Sirikit Park is, however, directly opposite to a shopping attraction in the area–JJ Mall, an indoor, air-conditioned affair appreciated by those who have had enough of the bustling humidity of the weekend market. Many of these shoppers mistake the outer perimeter of the park as being that of Chatuchak Park, and so end up giving it a miss thinking they’ve already ben in.

Queen Sirikit Park is one of the most exotic in terms of the flowers and gardens on offer, with its stunning array of colourful blooms, expertly manicured hedges and surrounding lawns, trees, shrubs and bushes. It also has several lakes to relax around and is probably the quietest of the 3 parks in the area.

4. Benjakitti Wetland Park

Benjakitti Wetland Park is something of an extension to an existing Benjakitti Park. The two have in a sense become one since the wetlands section was opened rather quietly back in 2020, which means there are plenty still unaware of this fantastic green stretch in the city.

Phase two of the Benjakitti Park introduces a unique new angle by way of a naturalistic public park with a modern, yet minimalist slant. It came about when land owned by the Tobacco Authority of Thailand was bought and converted by Bangkok City Hall. The naturalistic park is just a five-minute walk from the entrance of the old phase of Benjakitti Park.

The new park in its entirety covers almost 25 acres although there still apparently remains an unfinished phase. The great thing here is you don’t hear any background traffic noise even though you are a 15-minute walk from Asok BTS station in central Sukhumvit.

The park features wetlands, a skywalk, mature rain trees, younger teak trees, and newly-planted saplings of species found in the forests with the intention of making the place even greener within a few more years. The skywalk running through the area has to be experienced if up until now the only park you have been in is Chatuchak. This is definitely a Bangkok park experience worth checking out.

The entrance is located on Ratchadaphisek Road, next to the Queen Sirikit Convention Centre. It opens from 5am to 9pm daily.

5. Lumpini Park

Lumpini Park is one of the most well-known and populated parks in what might be called the city center, or downtown area of Bangkok. Situated in the heart of the urban business district that also contains much of Bangkok’s tourist attractions in terms of nightlife and eateries, Lumpini Park is another Bangkok green area that bears more than a little resemblance to Central Park.

The park is certainly one of the busiest in the city, attracting locals and tourists alike who turn up to jog, walk, cycle, or simply get a daily dose of natural scenery and slightly improved air quality.

Lumpini is also home to a reasonably-sized population of some of the largest monitor lizards in the city’s parks (which are sometimes mistaken for crocodiles by many unwitting visitors).

At more than 140 acres in size, this Bangkok Park is actually the third-largest in the city, and has an expansive, lush, tropical range of greenery and waterscapes, offset by high-rise office buildings and condominiums.

One of the lakes has the obligatory paddle boat which is a great way to check out the monitor lizards lazing under the bridge and near the riverbanks and trying to escape the heat of the sun.

This park is also accessible directly from the MRT subway, and the BTS stop is just a few minutes from the main entrance across the busy road. If you use the subway you will exit straight in front of the park’s entrance, but if you take the BTS you’ll just have to walk to the end of the main road and cross over.

– Read More About Lumpini Park in Bangkok

6. Benjasiri Park

Benjasiri is another Bangkok ‘Park in the city’ in that it is situated in another popular city center area–in fact, it is right next to two of the city’s most-frequented ‘high-end’ shopping malls, Emporium and Emquartier. The park is actually overlooked by the Emporium Center and is conveniently just a few minutes’ walk from the BTS Skytrain station at Phrom Pong, close to the Thonglor district on the Sukhumvit Road.

Also known as ‘The Queen’s Park’ (although not to be confused with the Queen Sirikit Park at Chatuchak), Benjasiri has a huge lake in the middle with a water fountain that comes to life just as the evening starts to draw in.

This is also a place where active urbanites can drop in for a jog, roller-skate, or play tennis and basketball. Notably though, this park does have quite a bit less shade than the others mentioned so far, so it can be a bit much in the mid-afternoon sun as many a jogger with the best intentions has found out.

Still, this park often comes as a welcome respite from the other surroundings on the Sukhumvit Road which are heavy on the concrete, bars, restaurants, and shopping malls, so it is worth remembering if you are heading to that area to do a spot of mall-trawling.

7. Rama IX Park (Suan Luang Phra Ram 9)

It seems logical enough to start with the biggest park when considering Bangkok’s green areas. Rama IX is surprisingly not that well known as a Bangkok park with visitors and even some locals. This may be related in some way to the park’s location, which is more than 10km from what might be considered the city centre region.

The park, which is named after one of the country’s most famous and beloved past kings, is home to some highly picturesque garden scenery, which includes a lake and both international and botanical sections of garden spanning almost 200 acres in total. The park is particularly stunning throughout December (the time of the late king’s birthday) when it is host to the Flower Festival.

Other pursuits typical of any large park area can also be found in Rama IX, such as water sports in the form of small boat sailing and kayaking. Unlike many of the other parks in Bangkok, however, there is a small entrance fee of 10 baht to pay.

– Read More About Suan Luang Park and you can read about the Suan Luang Rama IX Park Flower Shows

8. Sanam Luang Park 

Sanam Luang is a large, open ground located in Bangkok’s historic and government district where many official gatherings and ceremonies are held. The park is close to the northern wall of the Grand Palace and the eastern wall of the former Viceroy Palace (Wang Na).

This large park at the heart of Old Bangkok has some history associated with it in that it was previously the royal crematorium ground in some areas. King Rama IV renamed the 30-acre green space Sanam Luang, meaning ‘Royal Ground’ in Thai, and tamarind trees were planted around the park’s perimeter on his request.

Various events and occasions are held within the park throughout the year—many of them featuring high-level members of the royal family. There aren’t any nearby stations for public transportation links train-wise so try a (Grab) taxi or car, or maybe try your luck on a bus if you are feeling adventurous.

9. Romaneenart Park

Romaneenart Park is located in the Old Quarter not too far from Sanam Luang, yet this is a strictly leisure park and is non-ceremonial. You can find this park close to other historic landmarks by way of the Giant Swing and Wat Suthat.

The site that the park is located on was formerly that of the old city jail and the park managed to retain one of the former walls, as well as a couple of the old guard towers. Along with that there are neo-classical buildings harking back to the times of King Rama V, and to add to the elegance and historic air of the area, fountains help to keep the park cool in the middle of the big city.

10. Bangkok’s Green Lung (Bang Kachao)

There is also a whole nother side to green-ness if you are in Bangkok and you would rather have the sense of completely escaping the thrall of urban sprawl…at least for a few hours.

Bang Kachao is a large, green expanse covering around 12,000 rai of land. It comprises farmland, forest and jungle, and a residential population. This place really does warrant the term ‘urban oasis’, and gives some insight into what other regions of what is now the capital must have been like before the ever-increasing onslaught of modern development took hold.

Bang Krachao is actually an island, but not exactly in the way of what you might consider your typical island in Thailand. This is actually a man-made island located in the Chao Phraya River, and as it turns out is not the only one.

You’ll hear this place referred to quite frequently (by those who are actually aware of it) as the Green Lung of Bangkok due to the vast expanse of trees that is comparably larger than any other ‘green’ area in the city. It is a massive green area just on the outskirts of the city that takes you out of the concrete, traffic congestion, and myriad forms of chaos. And this is why many Bangkokians in the know love to head out to the area whenever the opportunity arises.

Yes, the parks in the city are great, but this area is on a different level when it comes to natural greenery and the sense of ‘having some space’ which is largely non-existent in Bangkok. You can actually see the area from the higher floors of some buildings like hotels, office blocks and condominiums along regions of the Sukhumvit Road.

Most travellers and visitors to the city do remain blissfully unaware that this area even exists—although that is changing–plans have been in place for a while now to make it more of a tourist destination. And a worthy one it is too. Currently, Bang Kachao is a popular weekend destination for many in the city, and it offers the opportunity to get outdoors without dying from humidity, crowds, or both.

It has long been a hot spot for cycling enthusiasts who prefer not to risk their lives on the Bangkok roads, and the narrow streets in the region have cycling lanes on both sides. There are also lots of other activities to indulge in though, whether you are the active type or not.

This kind of region is also considered by many to be an immense help in battling the city’s air pollution. There are thousands of mangrove trees in and around the island’s boundary, and inside it is the closest thing you’ll get to being in the jungle without actually being in it.

– Related: Other Things To Do in Bangkok – Attractions & Things To See

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