Sukhumvit Attractions

Ardel's Third Place Gallery

Housed inside a three-storey loft – The Third Place – Ardel’s art gallery occupies the first level floor space which is also used as a workshop area for special events. The brainchild of an art professor from Thailand’s leading art institution – Silpakorn University – Ardel promotes the works of contemporary Thai artists as well as those from across disciplines. Previous exhibits at Ardel’s Third Place include Anak Navaraj’s ‘Scratched the Surface’ photo exhibit, Nino Sarabutra’s mixed media ‘Live, Love & Let Die’ and Seiji Kunishima’s ‘Sculpture Wrapped Memory’.

Opening Hours: 10:30 – 19:00 (Tue-Sat), 10:30 – 17:30 (Sun), Closed Monday
Location: The Third Place, Thonglor Soi 10
Tel: +66 (0)2 422 2092

Benjakitti Park

Overlooking one of the most picturesque views of the downtown Bangkok skyline, Benjakitti Park covers a rectangular area of 130 rais (208,000sqms) opposite the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre. The park forms a narrow swathe of green around the expansive Lake Ratchada, with dedicated bicycle and jogging tracks encircling the whole park.

Set in the middle of the lake is the centrepiece fountain and a stage for light and sound performances during major festivals like New Year’s Eve and Loy Krathong. Apart from bicycling, the park offers paddle boats, row boats, a skateboarding ramp and fitness area where you can do various stretches on your own or join one of the aerobics sessions on a voluntary basis.

Opening Hours: 05:00 - 20:00 daily
Location: Lake Ratchada, Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre
MRT: Queen Sirikit National Convention Center
BTS: Asok
How to get there: From BTS (exit 4), walk about 5 minutes towards Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre. If you take the MRT, walk towards Asok-Montri for about 5 minutes.

Benjasiri Park

One of the most endearing features of Bangkok is the city's numerous parks where abundant greenery sprouts amongst towering sky scrapers and congested roads. Check out our Bangkok Parks and Activities page for more information on parks in the city. Built in 1992 to celebrate Queen Sirikit's 60th birthday, Benjasiri Park is often referred to as 'Queen's Park'.

This is definitely the place to be for sculpture lovers, as several of the best examples of Thai carvings are scattered around the park. Benjasiri Park is located next to the Emporium right in the middle of the busy Sukhumvit area. Head down there any time between 06:00 and 21:00 and you will be sure to find people doing yoga, Tai Chi, jogging and aerobics – each open to visitors who can either partake or enjoy from the sidelines.  

Opening Hours: 06:00-21:00
BTS: Phrom Phong
Address: Next to the Emporium Shopping Centre, Sukhumvit 23

Kamthieng House

A beautiful, stilted 19th rice farmer's teak house transplanted from the banks of Chiang Mai's Ping River to Bangkok in 1964, Kamthieng House is now the headquarters of the Siam Society - a place dedicated to preserving and promoting Thai culture and heritage.

Inside is a collection of agricultural and domestic items - woven fish baskets and terra-cotta pots among other items - which show the everyday lives of ordinary people in the past. The spirits of three ladies - previous occupants - are said to haunt the house and watch over it. The gardens, Lanna style, are landscaped like a northern Thai garden.

There's an excellent library (Siam Society members can borrow, but the general public is only allowed to browse) which includes rare books about Thai history, palm-leaf manuscripts and old maps. Popular with Bangkok's foreign intelligentsia, The Siam Society is dedicated to providing information on all aspects of Thai culture, especially the regions, arranging regular lectures and study trips to historic sites and wildlife sanctuaries.   Read More...

Opening Hours: 09:00 - 17:00 (Tuesday – Saturday)
BTS: Asoke
Address: 131 Soi Asoke, north of Sukhumvit on Soi 21

Museum of Science & Planetarium

Here youngsters can learn about science and technology, natural history, the environment and deep space in informal surroundings. The Science Museum aims to open the door on scientific experimentation and discovery with special events, lectures and discussions on science, astrology and related subjects.

The Planetarium has a giant projection of the solar system and a section on the life of stars. On top of that the Aquatic World, Nature and the Environment area, Health Science area and Children's Discovery House can all be explored.  

Opening Hours: 09:00 - 16:00 (Closed on Mondays and public holidays)
BTS: Ekkamai
Address: 928 Sukumvit Road, Next Eastern Bus Terminal (Ekkamai), near Ekkamai BTS Station on Sukhumvit Road
Tel: + 66 (2) 391 0544

Pridi Banomyong Institute

This tree-shrouded building complex dedicated to the important historical figure Pridi Banomyong is a venue for promoting Thai arts and culture. It hosts monthly art movies, stage performances by aspiring Thai artists as well as cultural seminars and workshops. If you go on a non-event day, you’ll find it quite deserted. Walk all the way to the open courtyard in the back, passing through a wooden walkway, and you will see two tiny art spaces displaying works of random artists. But unless you come with a specific purpose, e.g. watching art movies, then you might want to skip this place.

Opening Hours: 09:30 – 17:30 (Tue-Sun)
Location: Between Thonglor Soi 3 and 5
Tel: +66 (0)2 530 5198, +66 (0)2 391 3807