Mindful Travel in Thailand

Tag: recreationinbangkok

  • Why the 100th Years Old Lumpini Park in Bangkok is More Than Just a Park

    Lumpini Park is Bangkok’s first public park and one of its most important urban landmarks, but its significance goes far beyond being a green space for sports and recreation. The park has celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2025.

    Historical and cultural roots

    Founded in the early 1920s on royal land donated by King Rama VI, Lumpini was envisioned as a modern, accessible public space for citizens of all ages. Its name comes from the Buddha’s birthplace in Nepal.

    There are free morning and evening aerobic exercises at Lumpini Park near the main entrance close to the statue of King Rama VI. The morning ones are simpler, while the evening ones are more advance.
    I was told this Tai Chi group has been here for decades.

    What to do at Lumpini Park

    Surrounded by skyscrapers of Silom and Chidlom and busy Ratchadamri, Witthayu (formerly called Wireless) and Rama IV roads, the park today offers rare open greenery in one of Asia’s most densely built and populated capitals, serving as a “green lung” for residents and visitors. It has been a place for exercises (running, yoga, aerobic dance, Tai Chi), picnics, meditation, social gatherings, concerts and festivals. Some of these activities are free, some are with small fees. There are free exercise equipment, playgrounds, toilets and lockers around the park. It’s also home to hundreds of iconic water lizards, cats, and duck‑ and swan-shaped spinning boats. These boats are free of charge to use and life vests are provided.

    Visitors to Lumpini Park can use duck-shaped spinning boats free of charge. Life vests are also provided.
    Water lizards can be seen roaming around Lumpini Park during the day. This one seems to take the wrong lane …
    I was told this orange cat is one of the celebrity cats of Lumpini Park.
    An Australian-themed playground sponsored by the Australian Embassy Bangkok across the road from Lumpini Park

    How to get to Lumpini Park

    The park has some parking spaces with small parking fees, but the road traffics around the park are usually heavy, so I won’t suggest you come by car, neither taxi. Taking MRT (MRT stands for Mass Rapid Transit.) metro is the most convenient way to get here. There are two MRT stations right next to the park: Silom and Lumpini Stations. You can also take BTS (BTS stands for Bangkok Mass Transit System.) sky train and get off at Sala Daeng BTS Station.

    The park opens daily from 4.30 – 22.00.

    An elderly lady having a rest by the pond at Lumpini Park

    Useful things to know

    There’s a decent sized food hawker at the corner of Ratchadamri and Sarasin roads. I would usually go there after my morning walks and yoga classes. Fresh fruits are cheap and all the ready to eat food I’ve tried were delicious, especially the BBQ pork skewers at the far end near Sarasin Road.

    A view of Lumpini Park taken from Chulalongkorn Hospital across the road
    A morning yoga class I joined while I was in Bangkok in May 2026. You can find them next to the water lizard sculpture in the morning, 7.00-8.00am. If you would like to join them, simply ask and you can join with a small fee.

    Alcohol drinking, smoking, gambling and drone flying are not allowed inside the park.

    #lumpinipark #bangkok #bangkokparks #freethingstodoinbangkok #bangkokcats #bangkokwaterlizards

    For information about other public parks in Bangkok, read Green Escapes in the City: Exploring Bangkok’s Best Public Parks – Mindful Travel in Thailand.