Best sunset spots in Bangkok
9 places to watch the sun drop over the Chao Phraya, the temple spires, and the skyline — from free riverside piers to $20 rooftops, with the timing details most guides skip.
Chao Phraya river at dusk with silhouetted temples
The river piers you can use for free
The Chao Phraya runs roughly north-south and sunset is west — meaning the Thonburi (west) bank looks toward the sky, and the Bangkok (east) bank looks at the silhouetted temples. Both work. The cheapest sunset in the city is on the terrace behind Tha Tien Pier next to Wat Pho — free, benches, straight-on view of Wat Arun catching the last light on its porcelain-tiled spire around 6:15 p.m. year-round. Bring a $1 iced tea from the pier stall.
Further north, the small terrace at Tha Chang Pier (in front of the Grand Palace walls) gets the same sky with fewer tourists. On the Thonburi side, the outdoor plaza in front of ICONSIAM has a wide riverside boardwalk with the whole eastern skyline lit up at dusk — free, benches, and the mall's air-con behind you for when it gets too hot. The free ICONSIAM shuttle boat runs from Sathorn Pier every 15 minutes until 11 p.m.
Wat Arun from the east bank
Wat Arun (Temple of Dawn) is the single most photogenic sunset foreground in Bangkok. To shoot it properly you need to be on the east bank, not inside it. The best free spot is the small landing at Tha Tien Pier as described above. The best paid spot is the terrace at Sala Rattanakosin hotel's rooftop bar — cocktails $12-$15, no cover if you order a drink, and the terrace is at exactly the right height (5 floors) to frame the spire against the setting sun.
Eagle Nest at Sala Arun (same hotel group, different location — this one on the west bank near the temple itself) does the mirror-image shot: skyline of the old town across the water. Same price point, arrive by 5:30 to get a rail seat. If you want a Wat Arun sunset without spending anything, the free cross-river ferry from Tha Tien back to Bangkok side runs continuously until 9 p.m. and gives you a two-minute floating view.
Rooftops timed for the drop
Sunset in Bangkok is between 6:00 and 6:45 p.m. year-round — the city is close enough to the equator that seasonal shift is only 45 minutes. Rooftop bars know this and fill up 30 minutes before. Cru Champagne Bar (55th floor of Centara Grand at CentralWorld) faces west across Lumphini Park and the drop happens directly in front of you — reserve for 5:30 p.m., cocktail $18-$22.
Vertigo at the Banyan Tree Sathorn is 61 floors up, 360-degree view, no cover if you drink — cocktails $18, dress code enforced. Sirocco at Lebua is the most famous and honestly the most disappointing per dollar — cocktails $25 and the crowd is entirely tourists getting the same photo. Better value: Zoom Sky Bar at Anantara Sathorn (40th floor) — smaller, $12 cocktails, western view over the river. Reserve any of these Thu-Sat.
Parks and open ground
Sanam Luang, the vast open field opposite the Grand Palace, gets full afternoon sun and locals fly kites here from March to May. It's a good spot to sit on the grass and watch the sky turn orange over the palace walls, though there's no proper viewpoint and no benches with a view — it's more about ambience than photography.
Benjakitti Forest Park behind the Queen Sirikit Convention Centre has a 2 km elevated walkway that faces west directly at the downtown skyline — Bangkok's cleanest sunset frame if you like glass towers rather than temples. The park is free and open until 8 p.m. Lumphini Park similarly opens until 9, and the boat lake in the middle reflects the sky between 6 and 6:30. Both are safe, well-lit, and easily reached by MRT (Queen Sirikit or Silom station respectively).
Sunset on a boat
The Chao Phraya sunset dinner cruises leave from ICONSIAM Pier, Asiatique, and River City between 5:30 and 7 p.m. — most cost $40-$70 including a buffet dinner that is not the reason to book. The reason is that you’re on the water for the entire sunset, drifting past Wat Arun, the Grand Palace, and Rama VIII Bridge as they light up. Manohra Cruises (out of Anantara Riverside) is the higher-end option at $95; Chao Phraya Princess is the mid-range at $50.
For much less money, the orange-flag Chao Phraya Express Boat from Sathorn Pier to Nonthaburi costs about $0.50 and takes 45 minutes each way — do the whole loop between 5 and 7 p.m. and you get exactly the same view for a dollar. Bring a light jacket; the wind picks up on the water. Return service stops around 7:15 p.m. so time it carefully.
Frequently asked questions
What people ask before they set off on this one.
Between 6:00 p.m. (December) and 6:50 p.m. (June). The variation across the year is small because Bangkok sits near the equator. Blue hour lasts another 20-30 minutes after that. Aim to be in position 20 minutes before sunset — the sky often peaks in colour 5-10 minutes after the sun actually drops.
Its name means Temple of Dawn, but ironically sunset is the better shoot — the porcelain spire is lit from the west and catches gold light. At sunrise the sun is behind the temple and it silhouettes, which is dramatic but harder to photograph. For sunset, be on the east bank at Tha Tien between 5:45 and 6:30 p.m.
For sunset seats on Friday and Saturday, yes — reserve 2-3 days ahead and specifically ask for a "sunset" or "rail" table. Weekday sunsets you can usually walk in if you arrive by 5:30 p.m. Cru, Vertigo, and Sirocco all take reservations online. Dress code is enforced at all three.
Yes — Tha Tien Pier for the Wat Arun view, or the ICONSIAM riverside boardwalk for the reverse. Both cost nothing. Benjakitti Forest Park's elevated walkway is the free choice if you prefer skyline over temples. All three are accessible by BTS/MRT and safe after dark.
Actually the opposite for photographers — May to October brings dramatic clouds and often a break in the rain around sunset that produces the most vivid skies of the year. The risk is that a storm blocks the view entirely. Check a radar app around 4 p.m. and be ready to move plans. November to February is more reliable but the skies are flatter.
Hotels in Bangkok
More guides to Bangkok
All guides
Itineraries · 8 min read
48 hours in Bangkok
Two days is enough to nail the temples, one great market and a proper rooftop — if you sleep in the right neighborhood. This itinerary keeps transfers under 20 minutes and dinners under $15.
Itineraries · 10 min read
One week in Bangkok
Seven days is the sweet spot: temples, two day trips, real neighborhoods, and enough downtime to eat properly. Here's how we’d split a week if we were doing it again tomorrow, hotel by hotel.
Itineraries · 8 min read
Bangkok in 3 days on a budget
Three days in Bangkok on under $60 a day is genuinely doable — hostels at $12, meals under $3, and every temple within reach on public transport. Here's the honest plan.
Real photos, real prices, and one tonne of carbon removed with every booking — at the same rate you would pay anywhere else.