Unusual/odd sights/places/activities in Bangkok?

[whitek]

Can you recommend some Unusual/odd sights/places/activities in Bangkok?

For example taking a bicycle tour in Bangkok was quite fun.

 

I've been in Bangkok quite a few times but mostly been to the main things like temples, river market, MBK and so on.

What are some lesser known places/sights/activities?

 

[Nyezhov]

Temples dude, its all about the Temples.

[Airalee]

Soi 7-1

 

 

but seriously...the modern art museum is pretty cool and worth checking out.

[moontang]

Weekend horse racing is cool....beats the heck out of the zoo, crock farm, or pet a drugged tiger.....guess there is only one track left.

 

I once saw a Thai with their kid on a leash, but never seen a dog on one.  

 

I have really gotten to like the train for fairly short trips....beats the heck out of the van.  Kanchanaburi, AYUTTHAYA, HUA HIN ....the new red line will be great, but the old dinosaur is still pretty safe and on time....Korat would be about my limit....

 

The river ferry is also dirt cheap and goes to some interesting places...if you can go against traffic, it is way better.

[Thainess]

Sukhumvit Soi 4. /closed

[Katia]

Sometimes I'd just pick a BTS or MRT stop, get off, and walk around for a while to see what I could see.  I didn't end up doing enough of this, unfortunately.

[moontang]

32 minutes ago, Katia said:

Sometimes I'd just pick a BTS or MRT stop, get off, and walk around for a while to see what I could see.  I didn't end up doing enough of this, unfortunately.

Agreed, even a bus to the lesser known malls...like Happyland or Pinklao....

[NCC1701A]

Soi 33 three girl massage?

[Damrongsak]

I always liked wandering around the old Chinatown area, Yowarat/Pahurat and that neck of the woods.  I like window shopping and seeing the various specialty areas - guns, tools and machinery, antique furniture.   There is or was a large cloth market and a lot of Indian people.  I've walked down there or to Sanam Luang a time or two from the Pratunam area, maybe 12 km round trip.  Or take a bus halfway to get to the interesting parts.

 

Used to be a "hotel" down that way near some government buildings where one could get a BJ and a lay for 90 Baht, no room charge.  But the exchange rate then was only 20 Baht to the dollar.  $4.50 USD!  I never went there at night, so maybe that was the happy hour pricing. 

[NCC1701A]

3 hours ago, whitek said:

What are some lesser known places/sights/activities?

sky bar 63 stories up

food court terminal 21

get on the skytrain and ride to the end of the line

night clubs on soi 11 Sukhumvit

 

[Andyfez]

Rent a 40 Baht bicycle on Koh Kret.

Have lunch at one of the small restaurants.

The market is open only on weekends.

 

Visit Bang kachao market. The 'floating' bit doesn't really exist.

Best to get the small boat across at Khlong Toey, and rent a bicycle.

 

Stop off at Erawan Shrine (giant elephants) on the way to Pak Nam wet market. Enjoy the cheap ferry ride across the river and back.

 

Discover new Riverside restaurants up and down the river. River Tree House, and Dave's Cafe are two of my favourites, but there are so many.

[Jai Dee]

Go visit Bang Krachao... the "green lung of Bangkok".

 

 

[Skeptic7]

Lumphini Park

Thermae 

Beer Garden Soi 7

Eden Club Suk 7/1

China Town

Train to anywhere (not BTS/MRT) 

Pat Pong

Chatuchak Market & Park

Pantip Plaza

Klong boat ride to anywhere 

Longtail boat on the Chaophraya

Whale watching full day tour! 

[Jai Dee]

Have you visited Suan Luang Rama IX Park yet?

 

 

 

[AlQaholic]

Kwam-Riam floating market.

Take the BTS sky train and travel all stations, Then take the subway and do likewise.

Go to Swampy and watch tourists for a day.

Chatuchak weekend market.

Wachirabenchatat Park with Bangkok Butterfly Garden.

[Katia]

6 hours ago, Damrongsak said:

I always liked wandering around the old Chinatown area, Yowarat/Pahurat and that neck of the woods.  I like window shopping and seeing the various specialty areas - guns, tools and machinery, antique furniture.   There is or was a large cloth market and a lot of Indian people.  I've walked down there or to Sanam Luang a time or two from the Pratunam area, maybe 12 km round trip.  Or take a bus halfway to get to the interesting parts.

Yeah, Chinatown/Little India are always interesting.  I once took myself on a tour of some of the well-known old-school Chinese coffee shops (it ended up being more than one weekend because I forgot to take into account just how much super-sweet coffee and kaya toast I would-- or rather wouldn't-- want to eat in one day).  Unfortunately one of the most famous ones was closed (not sure if permanently, as the article I had read had said they should be open at the time I visited), and another was so packed that I was happy to just look at it from outside and go on to the next, but there were also the one where all of the Teochew uncles packed into the place gave weird looks to the white woman who nonchalantly walked in, the one not far away apparently owned by a family member of the owner of the first and where I read there was some rivalry (this one bigger, fewer clientele), and the one I almost didn't find, walked in, asked in Thai "you're not closed, right?" (no customers, seemed darkish, but front wall wide open), she asked in English what I wanted (I think a bit perplexed), I told her in Thai I was there for coffee and kaya toast, and then all was well (she probably didn't guess that I knew precisely what I was there for and probably figured I was a lost tourist wandering in randomly off the street!  I'm still not 100% they weren't closed and she just accommodated me anyway because why not, lol).

 

 

There are always things to find just walking (usually even if I was going somewhere specific on a weekend, I'd check out other attractions in the area and walk between them, or just walk around the area to check it out).  Once came across the Thai version of a flea market... cafes or restaurants I'd either heard of but didn't know where they were or that I'd not heard of but was glad I'd found, temples tucked into interesting places, stores to go into or look at the window displays, life and people and animals and things and situations to be seen.

[Nyezhov]

8 hours ago, Katia said:

Sometimes I'd just pick a BTS or MRT stop, get off, and walk around for a while to see what I could see.  I didn't end up doing enough of this, unfortunately.

Thats one of the coolest things to do. Like, wow, look, Im here, check this out.

 

 

[MyFriend You]

10 hours ago, moontang said:

Agreed, even a bus to the lesser known malls...like Happyland or Pinklao....

Rangsit  Future Park Mall

[melvinmelvin]

Ancient City in Samuth Prakan, very interesting museum

 

Artits's House, from eg BTS Wong Wien Yai, taxi to Charan Sanit Wong road and very end of soi 3,

cross canal via small  bridge, turn left - educational and interesting, very suitable for kids

 

Bang Sai, in Pathum north or Ayudaya south - eastern river bank, big area with many many artisan

workshops, initiated and sponsored by Queen Sirikit,

I think  initially developed for physically and mentally challenged people and former inmates.

Very nice area and very interesting most workshops you can enter and watch in detail how

the artisans work.

 

Find River City shopping centre, from there take the soi/road closest to the river, upstream,

after less than a km there is a SCB bank on your left, visit that bank office,

old fantastic building on the eastern river bank,

the bank office is a dream from old times, extremely well maintained,

don't forget to visit the toilets.

 

 

 

[melvinmelvin]

tired of sight seeing?

taxi to Rama 3 road soi 14, very end of soi

 

Restaurant Baan Klang Naam, large old Thai style wooden restaurants on stilts, eastern river bank,

of course good view

specialises in seafood, no market food, seafood delivered fresh from Bang Kon Tien / Maha Chai

every morning.

One of the very few Thai style restaurants where you can get a gin tonic or dry martini by the

glass, no need to buy bottles

 

 

[Nyezhov]

Ok. Ill Play:

 

Best Turtle Pond in Bangkok...Wat Prayunwongsawat.

Best Light show: Wat Paknam (inside the Chedi)

Walk Koh Ket during the week, 5.5km around the island, lovely walk

Khlong Lad Mayom Floating market in Thonburi. Locals.

Anything Ayyuthaya

Pier Walks: Get off at Any Pier and start walking. 

Wanglang Market

Flower Market

Nothanburi Market

Rod Fai Train Market/Seacon Square.

Run the whole Saen Saeb, there and back

Snake Farm (corny tourist attraction but very cool)

 

[whitek]

Wow, this thread is a keeper!

I've always liked Bangkok, as far as big cities goes, and now there are even more reasons!

I won't run out of things to do for a while.

 

Many thanks for all the great tips! ????

 

 

[VocalNeal]

Royal Thai Air Force Museum.

 

[Jai Dee]

22 minutes ago, whitek said:

Wow, this thread is a keeper!

I agree... there are some fantastic ideas out there... please keep them coming.

 

Topic pinned.

[orchidlady]

folding market-check out youtube

Golden Mount-especially if clear day

[manarak]

Forensics museum in Siriraj Hospital

Tub Tim phallic temple (a bit difficult to find)

Klong toei slum

Bicycle tour in Bang Krajao

 

[whitek]

C Cup Cafe is one of the most loved places in Bangkok, and of course mostly for men. Waitresses there are allowed to wear whatever they want since the cafe doesn’t have a strict dress code, so they proudly show off the correlation with the cafe’s name. The food is pretty good, too, according to the happy faces on their page.

[whitek]

Hello Kitty Spa - This literally might be the cutest spa and shop to ever exist on our planet. Hello Kitty Spa provides various services and amenities in a fantastically relaxing and child-like atmosphere. If you are interested in visiting this magical place, here is their website.

[moontang]

11 hours ago, TunnelRat69 said:

Rangsit  Future Park Mall

Could take a train from Bang Su for less than 10 THB...

[Hanuman2547]

15 hours ago, Jai Dee said:

Have you visited Suan Luang Rama IX Park yet?

 

 

 

Also include Nong Bon.  It is very close to Suan Luang Rama IX Park.  Just turn into Chalerm Prakiet Soi 43 and go to the end of the Soi and you are at the entrance to the park.  There is a 4km path around the park for people to ride bicycles or go running/walking.