Sathorn: What to see & do
Looking for some action or a little bit of kick? Lumpini Boxing Stadium hosts boxing matches on a regular basis. Close to the stadium is Bangkok's beloved Suan Lum Night Bazaar, and across the road stands the recently-opened Life Centre which features an exclusive fitness centre, dance school, health-related products and services, Boots, Starbucks, and a few restaurant chains.
Having too much free time in your hands? Take part in various courses and activities including art, languages, fashion design, and dance at the Alliance Francaise. If you want to see a different side of Bangkok, cross the Chao Praya River to the less-developed Thonburi (the old capital) where old ways of life can still be seen.
A big highlight is Lumpini Park, Bangkok's biggest park, which offers the ideal escape from the city's fast pace. Take a stroll, tango lesson or aerobics class - or find a tranquil spot to practice your meditation skills. The park is open from sunrise until dawn. What it lacks in terms of traditional sights and attractions, Sathorn certainly makes up for with great location to reach many of the city's highlights easily.
Learn more about Sathorn: Where to Stay, List of Sathorn Hotels, Shopping, Where to Eat, Nightlife, Getting Around
Learn about other City Sights: Sukhumvit, Chidlom-Ploenchit, Siam, Silom, Ratchaprasong, Khao San Road, Riverside, Old City (Rattanakosin), Chinatown, Chatuchak, Pratunam, Ratchadapisek |
If all the late-night gallivanting, sightseeing, and debauchery is catching up with you, and the relentless buzz of the city is making you slightly delirious, maybe a walk in the park will offer some perspective. Lumpini Park, Bangkok's oldest and largest park, is an inner-city haven of tranquility, fresh air and shade - offering city dwellers the perfect connection to nature. (READ MORE)
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Thailand's Prime Minister from 1974 to 1975, M.R. Kukrit Pramoj and his beautiful home on Soi Suan Phlu were often the focus of national politics during times of turbulence, with journalists flocking outside. Today, thanks to the Kukrit 80 Foundation, it's the public who now flock to see the elegant home of this intellectual leader.
More than a museum, it's a testament to his talents not only as politician, but also poet, writer and artist. Its five traditional teak houses on stilts were painstakingly assembled under his supervision, a process that took over 20 years. Each is inter-connected and crammed full of fine-art treasures, not museum pieces but the things he saved and savoured, like ceramics, precious furniture and Buddha images. There is also an interesting library, the stacks of books ranging from fiction to philosophy proof of his diverse interests, and a Thai-style pavilion used for public functions. The serene gardens are full of exotic plants, trees and flowers but most notable for their bonsai-style trees, called 'mai dat' in Thai.
Open: Saturdays, Sundays, Public Holidays 10:00 - 17:00
Location: Soi Sathorn 3 or Soi Narathiwat
Admission: 50 baht per person, 20 baht for pupils and students
Contact: +66 (0)2 286 8185
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A mixture of poshly dressed, fresh-from-the-office Thai's and expats along with fisherman pant-clad tourists, Suan Lum could best be described as the VIP outdoor market of Bangkok (where you're always welcome, of course). Covered walkways with centrally-located snack bars provide perhaps the most luxurious (outdoor) market shopping experience in the city. (READ MORE)
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After an influx of protestant missionaries in the early to mid 19th Century, King Rama IV granted land for a church to be built to serve them in Charoenkrung Road. However, it wasn't long until the English Church (as it was then known due its mainly English congregation) was overstretched. In 1904 King Rama V granted permission for a bigger and more centrally located church to be built.
The result was this lovely white Anglican Church on Convent Road, built in simple gothic-meets-colonial style. Today it serves a congregation of around 500, giving spiritual shelter from Sathorn Road's teeming traffic. The interior is painted white and contains stained glass windows, one of which depicts Christ's crucifixion. It also contains Thailand's only pipe organ. Services and sermons are given in both Thai and English.
Open: 08:30 - 16:30 (closed Saturday and Sunday)
Where: 11 Convent Road, Sathorn
Contact: +66 (0)2 234 3634
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For many months the new Q House development on the corner of Rama IV and Sathorn Roads had city dwellers wondering what's up - especially the interesting cylindrical tower wing. When Life Center, the city's and Thailand's first lifestyle (or rather 'healthstyle') mall finally opened, it fully lived up to the hype. For under its roof are housed a concoction of the best lifestyle brands dedicated entirely to fitness, health, beauty, cosmetics, healthcare and wellness. (READ MORE)
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