Lumphini Park
Bangkok's green lung — 142 acres of lakes, monitor lizards, tai chi and lunchtime shade.
Joggers around the lake at Lumphini Park with Bangkok skyline behind
What to expect at Lumphini Park
Lumphini was Bangkok's first public park, opened by Rama VI in the 1920s on land that was then an unfashionable rice paddy. Today, that rice paddy is 142 acres of lakes, banyans, palm trees and jogging paths ringed by the towers of Silom, Sathorn and Wireless Road — the CBDs of Bangkok. It is where the city exhales. Come at dawn and you will see tai chi groups on the terraces, badminton doubles on the paths, aerobics classes to Thai pop at ear-shaking volume, and monks receiving alms. Come at dusk and joggers pack the 2.5 km outer loop.
The lake is the visual heart: rent a swan pedal boat for 40 THB an hour, or walk the shaded path around it. The park is famously home to a colony of hundreds of Asian water monitors — dinosaur-sized lizards up to 2 m long that slide out of the lake and sun themselves on the paths, entirely unconcerned by joggers. They are harmless, but do not approach or feed them. In the northwest corner, a small clock tower and a Chinese pavilion mark the spot for evening open-air concerts (usually Sundays, free).
For a visitor, Lumphini works as a cool-down between the shopping of Silom/Sathorn and dinner. Enter from the MRT Lumphini exit at the north-east corner, walk the lake, stop at the outdoor gym where old Thai men who look like they can still deadlift you swap Muay Thai tips, and exit at MRT Silom for a Skywalk to Sathorn. Nearby is the Bangkok Snake Farm (Queen Saovabha Institute) with a milking demonstration at 11:00 — combined ticket makes an easy half-day.
Questions about Lumphini Park
Free. Pedal boat rental is $1.50 per hour.
Always free — it is a public park.
One to two hours to walk the lake at an easy pace.
Open every day 4:30-21:00.
No. Just walk in.
MRT Lumphini exit 3 (north-east) or MRT Silom exit 1 (south-west), both two minutes away.
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