Got the hotspots out of the way? Try these 5 lesser-known Bangkok attractions
Bangkok’s top tourist spots -- the Grand Palace, Wat Arun and Wat Pho, etc -- tend to dominate the guidebooks’ lists of “essential Bangkok attractions.”
And that’s as it should be. These iconic sites are well worth running the gauntlet with scam artists telling you the landmark you’re visiting is closed due to a) repairs b) a previously unheard of holiday or c) political unrest (a timely new addition to the wily tout’s repertoire).
But once you’ve checked off all of these Big Mango marvels and have taken the requisite photo of a wai-ing Ronald McDonald, what else is there left to see? Plenty. Unsung attractions dot the city, offering insights into Bangkok’s history and Thai culture without the crowds and touts… well, mostly.
Here are five lesser known Bangkok tourist attractions worth checking out:
A pavillion in the garden at Bangkok's Kukrit Pramoj House.
Kukrit Pramoj House
MR Kukrit Pramoj was a prolific author and champion of the Thai arts, founder of a newspaper and a political party, who shared the screen with Brando in the 1960s, and even squeezed in a stint as prime minister in the mid-1970s.
Kukrit spent 30 years building this compound’s five one-room antique Thai houses and collecting the wealth of Thai and Khmer art and antiquities that fill them as well as cultivating the carefully landscaped gardens. The result is a fitting legacy and a good point of introduction to one of Thailand’s most intriguing personalities.
Soi 7, Thanon Narathiwat Ratchanakharin. Tel: +66 (0)2 286 8185
A golden mural painted on a laquer wall inside Suan Pakkard.
Suan Pakkad Palace Museum
Included on our list of 5 Small but Fantastic Museums, the Suan Pakkad Palace also deserves a hat tip here as it remains largely off the tourist trail despite offering a rich taste of palace life and a collection of artifacts dating back to the Bronze Age. All this in an unlikely setting, the din of downtown Bangkok not too far behind.
The museum has eight traditional Thai houses with treasures on display ranging from pottery, weaponry and other archeological finds made in Udon Thani’s Ban Chiang district to royal family heirlooms. The serene garden adds to the oasis-like feel of the palatial digs as does the Lacquer Pavilion with its intricately crafted gold lacquered murals.
352-354 Sri Ayudhya Road. (Phaya Thai BTS). Tel. +66 (0)2 246 1775
They might be rustic, but these old toilets in the Bangkokian sure beat the squatters.
Bangkokian Museum
On a recent visit to the Bangkokian, museum founder Ajarn Waraporn Surawadee was found behind the reception desk engrossed in a game of poker on her PC. An old Chinatown tradition, she said, laughing.
Ajarn Waraporn, now in her 70s, has done much to preserve the way of life of the middle class in Bangkok during the 1940s, 50s and 60s by donating her childhood home to the city. She grew up in the first of three buildings open to the public, all of which offer a glimpse into another time with original furniture and decorations.
273 Charoen Krung Soi 43. Tel: +66 (0)2 233 7027
Koh Kret's famed pottery made an unlikely appearance on an episode of "The Amazing Race" a few years ago.
Koh Kret
Koh Kret, an island on the Chao Phraya in Nonthaburi province just outside of Bangkok's city limits, is a historically important Mon settlement dating back over 200 years and modernity hasn’t made too many trips over the river since.
Baked red clay pottery with intricate patterns is the staple here and shops abound selling it at reasonable prices. It’s a walker’s paradise, especially for Bangkokians unaccustomed to taking more than a few steps outdoors without watching for open sewers. Enjoy the temples, the beautiful Buddha Park garden in the island’s centre, and top it off with some delectable Mon treats.
Call +66 (0)2 623 6001, for information on boat trips to Koh Kret.
Bangkok's Mae Nak Shrine is a popular stop for the city's superstitious set.
The Shrine of Mae Nak at Wat Mahabut
It’s Thailand’s most resonant ghost story. Mae Nak Phra Kanong died in childbirth while her husband, Maak, was off to war. When Maak returned, Nak's presumably very life-like ghost decided not to mention this key change in her circumstances. A neighbor later told Maak, for which an angered Nak made the village pay dearly.
The shrine dedicated to Mae Nak at Wat Mahabut features a gold-leaf covered statue of Nak holding her baby atop an altar. The temple is a popular stop for those seeking help in matters of love and lottery -- a tree outside the shrine is believed to reveal lucky numbers to fortune’s favored.
Sukhumvit 77 (On Nut), Soi 7
