Bangkok's best green spaces are Lumphini Park in the center, Benchakitti Forest Park next to it, the cluster of three parks around Chatuchak in the north, and Bang Krachao, a car-light bend of farmland and mangrove across the river that you reach by a short boat ride and explore by bicycle. All the city parks are free and open from early morning.
Bangkok has a reputation as a concrete city, and in the tourist districts that is fair. But the parks are real, well used and easy to reach by MRT or BTS. Go early: by 09:00 the heat builds, and the best hour in any Bangkok park is the first one after sunrise, when the city is out jogging, doing tai chi and stretching under the trees.
This page compares the main parks and explains how to get to Bang Krachao and get around it. For the wider city, start with our Bangkok city guide.
Bangkok's main green spaces at a glance
- Lumphini Park
- Central, about 360 rai (roughly 58 hectares); MRT Lumphini or Si Lom, BTS Sala Daeng
- Benchakitti Forest Park
- Wetland park on a former tobacco factory site; MRT Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre, or MRT Sukhumvit / BTS Asok
- Chatuchak cluster
- Chatuchak Park, Queen Sirikit Park and Wachirabenchathat (Rot Fai) Park; MRT Chatuchak Park or Kamphaeng Phet, BTS Mo Chit
- Bang Krachao
- Phra Pradaeng district, Samut Prakan province; boat from Wat Khlong Toei Nok pier
- Entry
- Free to all four
- Hours
- City parks open from about 04:30–05:00 until evening; exact times are posted at the gates
Lumphini Park: the classic, with monitor lizards
Lumphini is the park most visitors see first, because it sits between Silom and the embassy district on Witthayu (Wireless) Road. The Tourism Authority of Thailand dates it to the 1920s, and it is generally described as the country's first public park. It is flat and simple: a large artificial lake with pedal boats for hire, lawns, a running loop of about 2.5 kilometers and outdoor exercise stations.
The park is at its best at dawn and again around sunset. Early mornings bring hundreds of runners, groups doing tai chi and aerobics to loudspeakers, and older residents walking laps. In the middle of the day it is hot and fairly empty, apart from people sleeping in the shade.
The animals most people remember are the Asian water monitors. These large lizards, some well over a meter long, swim in the lake and lie on the banks. They are wild animals: keep your distance, do not feed them and keep small children close. Our page on Thailand's dangerous animals explains which creatures deserve real caution and which mainly look alarming.
A few house rules are worth knowing. Smoking is banned throughout the park, dogs are not allowed (guide dogs excepted), and cycling is restricted to set daytime hours shown on signs at the gates. Getting there is easy: MRT Lumphini station is at the Witthayu and Rama IV corner, while MRT Si Lom and BTS Sala Daeng are at the Silom corner.
Benchakitti Forest Park: a wetland in the business district
Benchakitti (also spelled Benjakitti) is the newer and, for many, the more interesting park. It was built on the land of the old state tobacco factory on Ratchadaphisek Road, next to the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center, and its forest-park extension opened in full in 2022.
Instead of lawns, most of it is designed as an urban wetland. TAT describes mangrove areas, boardwalks and an raised skywalk inside the park of about 1.67 kilometers, and a "sponge city" design in which the ponds and marshes soak up stormwater during the rains. The result looks more like a nature reserve than a city park, with the towers of Sukhumvit rising behind the reeds. It is a good place for birdwatching and for photography in the soft light after sunrise.
There is less shade than in Lumphini, because many of the trees are still young. Go early or late, and bring water. Nearest stations: MRT Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre for the southern side, and MRT Sukhumvit or BTS Asok for the northern side.
Walking between Lumphini and Benchakitti
The two parks are linked by an raised walkway of a little over a kilometer, so you can visit both in one morning without crossing a road. We describe that route in its own article, walking the Green Mile. The simplest plan is to start at Lumphini at dawn, cross on foot and finish at Benchakitti, then take the MRT back from Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre.
The Chatuchak cluster: three parks and a long bike loop
In the north of the city, three parks sit side by side next to Chatuchak Weekend Market. TAT treats them as one complex:
- Chatuchak Park, one of the oldest public parks in Bangkok, opened in 1975 on former railway land. It is long and narrow, with a lake, bridges and a clock tower.
- Queen Sirikit Park, a botanical garden with ponds, lotus and water lilies, opened in the 1990s.
- Wachirabenchathat Park, usually called Rot Fai Park (the Railway Park), the largest of the three. It was the railway's golf course, and today it has a looping cycling and walking track with bicycle rental near the start, a small lake and the Bangkok Butterfly Garden and Insectarium.
For visitors, Rot Fai is the most useful because you can hire a bike and ride for an hour on a car-free track. It is a good warm-up if you are not sure you want a full day on Bang Krachao. Combine it with a weekend morning at the market: our guide to Chatuchak Weekend Market covers the stations and exits, which are the same ones you use for the parks.
Bang Krachao: Bangkok's green lung
Bang Krachao (also spelled Bang Kachao) is a loop of land about 16 square kilometers in size, almost enclosed by a sweeping bend of the Chao Phraya River. It looks as if it is part of Bangkok, and the skyline is right across the water, but it is in Phra Pradaeng district of Samut Prakan province. Much of the area has been protected from development, so it remains a patchwork of orchards, canals, mangrove, temples and small villages, often called the city's "green lung".
What you do there is ride a bicycle. Narrow concrete paths and raised walkways run through the trees and over the canals, and there is very little car traffic. The main stops are:
- Sri Nakhon Khuean Khan Park and Botanical Garden, a park of about 148 rai with a lake, a bird-watching tower and a cycling track. Time Out Bangkok gives its hours as 05:00 to 19:00 daily; check at the gate.
- Bang Nam Phueng Floating Market, a small local market held at weekends, with snacks, drinks and local produce rather than souvenirs.
- Village temples and canal-side cafes scattered along the routes, good places to stop for a cold drink.
The community also offers canal trips, homestays and evening firefly tours, according to TAT. These are run by local families, so arrange them on the spot or through your accommodation.
Getting to Bang Krachao by boat and bicycle
The classic route is short but has three steps.
- Get to Khlong Toei. Take the MRT Blue Line to Khlong Toei station. The pier is not next to the station, so take a taxi, a Grab car or a motorbike taxi for the last stretch. Ask for Wat Khlong Toei Nok, the temple beside the pier.
- Cross the river. Small passenger boats shuttle across to the Bang Krachao side. The crossing takes about 5 to 15 minutes. Time Out Bangkok lists the fare as 10–20 baht each way (as read in October 2026); carry small notes and coins.
- Rent a bicycle. Bike rental stalls wait near the landing on the far side. Prices quoted by Time Out range from 30 to 80 baht for a day, and TAT has mentioned about 100 baht; check the brakes and tires before you pay, and ask for a lock.
Boats run from early morning into the evening, but we could not confirm the last crossing from an official timetable. Plan to be back at the landing well before dark, and ask the boatman what time the last boat leaves when you arrive.
Bang Krachao's raised walkways have no side rails in places. Some of the narrow raised paths through the mangrove are barely wider than a handlebar. Walk the bike over any section that makes you nervous, give way to local scooters, and avoid riding there after rain, when the concrete gets slippery.
If you would rather go by road, Bang Krachao can be reached by taxi or Grab via Phra Pradaeng. You then miss the river crossing, which is half the fun. For readers who want to cycle further, including routes inside the city and the rules of the road for bikes, our sister site has a guide to cycling in Bangkok.
Which park suits your trip
| Park | Best for | Time needed | Shade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lumphini | Morning run, people-watching, lizards | 1–2 hours | Good |
| Benchakitti | Wetland walks, birds, photography | 1–2 hours | Limited |
| Chatuchak cluster | Easy cycling, families, the butterfly garden | 2–3 hours | Good |
| Bang Krachao | A half or full day by bicycle | 4–7 hours | Good on the paths, less on open roads |
If you only have one morning, do Lumphini and Benchakitti together. If you have a free day and like cycling, Bang Krachao is the most memorable of the four. Families with young children will find the Chatuchak parks the easiest: flat, shaded and close to the MRT.
Heat, rain, mosquitoes and the alcohol rule
Bangkok parks are hot by mid-morning for most of the year. Carry water, wear a hat and read our advice on coping with heat and sun. From roughly June to October, afternoon storms are common; plan park time for the morning and keep a backup for the rest of the day, such as our list of things to do in Bangkok on a rainy day.
Mosquitoes are active in the wetter parks, especially Benchakitti and Bang Krachao, and around dawn and dusk. Use repellent; our page on dengue fever explains why it matters in Thailand.
Do not plan a picnic with beer. Since 12 May 2026, the sale and drinking of alcohol has been banned in state-run parks, as well as at piers and on scheduled passenger boats (Royal Gazette notices reported by The Nation). That covers the city parks and the Khlong Toei crossing. Our guide to alcohol sales hours has the wider rules.
Check the air before a long ride. In the dry season, roughly December to April, Bangkok's PM2.5 levels can be high. If the air quality index is poor, choose a short walk over a three-hour bike ride; our article on PM2.5 in Thailand explains how to read the readings.
Frequently asked questions
Is Lumphini Park free to enter?
Yes. Lumphini, Benchakitti and the three Chatuchak parks are all free public parks. You only pay for extras such as pedal boats on the lake in Lumphini or bicycle hire in Rot Fai Park.
Are the monitor lizards in Lumphini Park dangerous?
They usually ignore people and move away if you approach, but they are wild animals with sharp teeth and claws. Do not touch, feed or corner them, and keep children and small dogs well away from the water's edge.
How do I get to Bang Krachao from central Bangkok?
Take the MRT to Khlong Toei, then a short taxi, Grab or motorbike-taxi ride to the pier at Wat Khlong Toei Nok. A small passenger boat crosses the river in about 5 to 15 minutes, and bicycles can be rented near the landing on the other side.
Is Bang Krachao part of Bangkok?
Not officially. It sits right across the river from Khlong Toei and is often called Bangkok's green lung, but it belongs to Phra Pradaeng district in Samut Prakan province, which borders Bangkok to the south.
Which day is best for Bang Krachao?
A weekend morning, if you want to see Bang Nam Phueng Floating Market, which trades on Saturdays and Sundays. Weekdays are quieter on the paths but many of the cafes and market stalls are closed.
Sources
- Tourism Authority of Thailand – Finding Bangkok's Green Heart (checked October 2026)
- Tourism Authority of Thailand – Inner-city eco-tourism: Bang Krachao and Lat Pho Canal (checked October 2026)
- Tourism Authority of Thailand – Khung Bang Kachao, the Lung of Bangkok (checked October 2026)
- Time Out Bangkok – Bang Krachao (checked October 2026)
- The Nation – Alcohol bans at piers, parks and transport terminals (checked October 2026)