Do you enjoy walking in Bangkok?

[Andy2310]

I find Bangkok an interesting city to walk around. The problem is the numerous hazards on the streets: motorbikes, sinkholes, electrical cables hanging down, some sois without sidewalks at all.

Does anyone know any enjoyable walks to take in city?

Or do you avoid walking whenever possible here?

[SoiBiker]

Yes, I do. The obstacles just add to the fun.

[stoneyboy]

No certain areas of the place smell like a refuse dump unfortunately.

Edited May 6, 2016 by stoneyboy

[lopburi3]

I hope you are using some seriously high SPF sunblock. I am paying the price for such walks 40 years ago when people only considered using such things at the beach (and often not even then). I confine my walking to to/from taxi and around village for exercise these days. Thai are right - too much sun to walk (and for them it is seldom cancer causing).

[impulse]

The only thing that really puts me off walking like I used to is the heat. Getting behind locals that walk 6 abreast at glacial speeds is a little irritating, but not a deal killer.

The indigenous obstacles mentioned in the OP just make it more interesting.

[camble]

I live in lower Sukhumvit and look forward to Mondays because that is when the sidewalks are cleaned and street vendors are prohibited and there is actually enough room to walk.

[impulse]

I live in lower Sukhumvit and look forward to Mondays because that is when the sidewalks are cleaned and street vendors are prohibited and there is actually enough room to walk.

On Mondays, I miss my omelette lady... Gotta get breakfast at Starbucks.

[laolover88]

Depends what you like. Personally I would not be dragged out of the door mostly because of the traffic, pollution and all the obstacles you mention.

However!! Deopending on where you live ...Try Chutachak Discovery Park, Benjakiti, Suan Luang Rama IX,Bang Kachao. Yaowarat is worth a wander. I think I would get on a boat either on the River or the Canal from Bangkapi and hop off when I saw something interesting!

[Familyonthemove]

I walk to work most days - Ploenchit area. Distance is too short to bother with a car or bike and by the time I've walked to the BTS I'm already at the office!

But I don't enjoy it. It's not an interesting area of Bangkok for street life and the pavements are a wobbly minefield of broken tiles, holes and those big red fire hydrants that seem to be designed to impale ankles.

But I do like walking around the areas with more street 'buzz'.

I've been here long enough to know that I need to walk slowly to avoid a wet shirt - and I also know that all the locals will slow down or stop to look at street food, even if they are not buying.

[richard_smith237]

In many places I visit I enjoy walking, but it depends primarily on the weather and safety.

In Thailand I find it too hot to walk many places, but that also depends on my destination.

i.e.

If going out to a restaurant, I'll never walk - its too hot and I don't want to arrive sweaty.

If I'm going to play football, I won't mind walking at all.

I won't walk anywhere with my Son... Its too dangerous. Firstly, where there is one, the side walk is unnavigable - power boxes, rubbish bags, phone boxes, telegraph poles, trees... and where the sidewalk does have sufficient space its take up by street vendors.... thus to get anywhere I have to end up pushing a pushchair in the road avoiding traffic and hoping it avoids me... this is mostly on the sub-Soi's.

Anywhere I could push my son in a pushchair the sidewalk is taken up with motorcycles squeezing past.

So in Answer to your question : No I don't really enjoy walking anywhere in Bangkok.

[ThaiKneeTim]

I love walking around Pratunam Market when I'm in town, there's always something interesting to see.

I know lots of people complain about the street vendors in Surkumvit around Nana BTS station, but I quite like walking through all the stalls, with a pit stop at one of the bars to rehydrate.

[Pib]

They got sidewalks in Bangkok? Wow, I thought they were long obstacle courses.

[tonray]

I like walking but it seems one can only stay on the main roads. Anytime I ever have tried to venture on the local side sois, the Thai penchant for leaving growling loose dogs about has almost got me good. Just the other day...walking down the part of Ratchadapruek road....turned onto a local soi...and whaddya know ! A growling snarling dog charges me with the owners sitting peacefully finishing their beers....I stopped, said some calm words to the dog (without making eye contact) and backed away but if I had panicked and run or reacted differently...would have been missing a chunk of flesh. One of the things I HATE about Thailand and Thais....damn irresponsible dog owners.

I have found the same problem even on the walkway on the side of the San Seab canal. everything is going smoothly until you reach a spot where snarling dogs think that walkway is part of the territory they protect. Basically this irresponsibility has made most parts of Bangkok and the rest of Thailand unwalkable. Had the same experience in Ubon and Kohn Kaen....just not worth getting ripped up. Stick to large thoroughfares where the dogs are used to everyone walking by all day or safe parks (Chatuchak, Lumpinee, etc etc)

[SoiBiker]

If you let the dogs dominate you, they will.

[thrilled]

I don't walk during the hottest months in Bangkok.The cooler months,which is few and far between in Bangkok I walk.During one

Of the so called cooler months I went to the weekend market in Bangkok.Chachauk,Mochit BTS after an hour I had to get back to the BTS to get some cool air.I believe you can get heat stroke quite easily in Bangkok

[berybert]

When I first arrived in Bangkok I used to get arsy at how slow everybody walked. I was always trying to overtake and be in a hurry.

A year later I was the one everybody else had to overtake. There was no reason to be rushing so I didn't bother anymore.

[Thainess]

This has got to be a wind-up. Bangkok is the WORST city in the world to walk around, bar none.

[god2u]

charoen krung road, chinatown in the cooler late afternoon mainly because it has stuff not found elsewhere.. good vibe. nice people

Edited May 6, 2016 by god2u

[mcfish]

This has got to be a wind-up. Bangkok is the WORST city in the world to walk around, bar none.

Disagree, its an exciting city especially at night. Lots of craziness to see

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[rocketboybkk]

Too many people, motor cy, high kerbs,

That's why I stay in the bars!!!

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[samsensam]

I hope you are using some seriously high SPF sunblock. I am paying the price for such walks 40 years ago when people only considered using such things at the beach (and often not even then). I confine my walking to to/from taxi and around village for exercise these days. Thai are right - too much sun to walk (and for them it is seldom cancer causing).

good advice. i put sun block on every time i go outside in daytime.

i love walking the streets and often take my camera along as you never know what you're going to see. enjoy taking the bus too, get to feel the rhythm of the city

[BKKdreaming]

charoen krung road, chinatown in the cooler late afternoon mainly because it has stuff not found elsewhere.. good vibe. nice people

Have to agree , lots of neat places on that side of the city and shops making stuff ,

plus enough 7-11s to cool down

[Thian]

I don't walk during the hottest months in Bangkok.The cooler months,which is few and far between in Bangkok I walk.During one

Of the so called cooler months I went to the weekend market in Bangkok.Chachauk,Mochit BTS after an hour I had to get back to the BTS to get some cool air.I believe you can get heat stroke quite easily in Bangkok

The weekend market is incredible hot and no place to sit at all. The skytrain to Mochit always brings many farangs there in the weekends.They come fresh from Norway or Germany to walk there in that heat. Strange that nobody gets a heatstroke from it because it can't be healthy to there in daytime.

I have walked a lot in BKK but have seen it all i guess. It's fun but you have to watch up/down/left right and even behind you. It would be more fun with clean sidewalks so we can see the shops instead of all the salespeople.

If we want to walk then impact muang thong is also good for a walkingday in aircon. There are many fairs and they have restaurants as well.

We also like markets but many of them in the subs are dangerous. It's such a big mess without any rules.

[berybert]

All you poor loves who live in the tropics but find it hard to walk in the heat. Maybe you would be better dancing with polar bears.

[2fishin2]

All you poor loves who live in the tropics but find it hard to walk in the heat. Maybe you would be better dancing with polar bears.

Big difference walking in the heat of a large city vs walking in an area like the beaches of Phuket.

[Thian]

All you poor loves who live in the tropics but find it hard to walk in the heat. Maybe you would be better dancing with polar bears.

Big difference walking in the heat of a large city vs walking in an area like the beaches of Phuket.

I walked many beaches of Phuket, it was nice but very hot since there was no shade. They need a nice sidewalk along the beaches totally covered by shadetree's.

[chicowoodduck]

I am usually found running from the local police....no time to enjoy the walks....?

[RBOP]

China town interesting to walk around but too hot right now.

[johnno2]

i live near rama 2 road and used google maps to design some 60 mins walking tracks down the sois. always interesting, always carry 50 baht with me "just in case", always carry a 18 inch long 3/4in poly pipe in case the street dogs get too interested in my ankles. i love it

[straylight]

Through Lumpini Park, Silom SE corner to NW Wireless Sarisan corner across the bridge all the way to Suk. Soi 10. You cross over some interesting, old type small street neighborhoods between Suan Luam and Polo Club similar to what Bkk looked like 30 yrs.ago. Also I enjoy mall waking starting at MBK out to sky walk into Thai Culture Center, often interesting exhibits, across to Discover into Siam Center and Paragon, always good eye candy here and I like the exotic cars being displayed and shown on the 3rd. fl. Central, Central World, all the way to the Emporium Complex. You walk above the street most of the way; through air conditioning for a lot of it. More colorful and interesting than in a gym on one of those treadmills, often interesting art or such being displayed. Central has had antique car shows which you wouldn't see anywhere else and when they do the motorcycle show the prettys are in fine array. I might add that Lumpini has a sports club with a very cheap membership. The pool is clean and almost empty during work day hours. the Gym is well appointed. Basket ball court, badminton etc.