New green spaces to explore in Bangkok

Bangkok: a glitzy hub for shopping, dining and bar-hopping? Yes. A green metropolis with tree-lined avenues and verdant parks? Not quite. But the Thai capital is striving towards a more sustainable future by launching public parks and gardens as part of its Green Bangkok 2030 Project. Immerse yourself in nature at these three new spaces that are greening the city.?

Benjakitti Forest Park

Topping the list of new Bangkok parks is Benjakitti Forest Park in the Khlong Toei district – one of Bangkok’s top five unique districts to explore. Built on the site of a former tobacco factory, it offers a much-needed respite from the snarled-up traffic of the lower Sukhumvit area.?

Expanding upon the existing Benjakitti Park and its popular jogging and cycling tracks, the new “forest” is a surprisingly immersive nature-in-the-city experience, with meandering walkways through urban wetlands. There’s also a 1.5km skywalk where you can admire views over banyan vines, mangrove trees and other tropical evergreens, set against a backdrop of gleaming skyscrapers.

If you’re into birdwatching, keep an eye out for wetland denizens such as egrets, geese, ducks and more. You can also extend your walk across the Green Mile, a revamped green bridge that connects Benjakitti Forest Park to Lumpini Park. The elevated walkway is accessible to both pedestrians and cyclists.??

Getting there: Benjakitti Forest Park is an easy 20-minute walk from Modena by Fraser Bangkok.?This apartment hotel is a modern, sophisticated property that features soothing green features and spacious, airy rooms. Explore the best offers here.

Sansiri Backyard T77 Community

The T77 Community lifestyle hub in the On Nut area is another promise of greener things to come for Bangkok. Launched in early 2020, it became a popular venue where locals could enjoy some outdoor leisure time during the pandemic, when most of the city was under lockdown. Today, it’s a hotspot for families – especially those with fur kids, thanks to its pet-friendly policy.?

Here, you’ll find a vegetable garden, a carp pond with ducks and geese (and their fuzzy hatchlings), rice paddies, a sheep and goat house, chicken coops, a plant market and a farm-to-table restaurant. It’s a gratifyingly hands-on experience: visitors can feed the goats, pluck organic basil straight from the soil, collect their own (pre-cleaned) eggs, harvest tomatoes and melons, and more.?

With so much to see and do, it’s easy to spend an entire day at Sansiri Backyard. Alternatively, if you’re keen to explore more of the T77 Community, Habito Mall and its cafes, restaurants and playground are a five-minute walk away.?

Getting there: From Modena by Fraser Bangkok, take bus 46 to On Nut MRT station. There’s a free T77 Community shuttle bus that takes you to Habito Mall, or you can take a 15-minute walk. Alternatively, hail a taxi or rideshare from Modena by Fraser Bangkok – the journey should take around 25 minutes.??

Sindhorn Village

Carving out some garden space in the heart of the city, Sindhorn Village brings a green agenda to Bangkok’s Embassy Row. Billed as an extension of Lumpini Park, this sprawling mixed-use complex is unique in that its buildings are LEED-certified (a global standard for eco-friendly design) – a rarity in Bangkok.

Wander around its central square, a lush space dotted with Monstera plants, palms and frangipanis. There’s also a lotus pond filled with carp and gardens that light up after dark, so you can appreciate their beauty on an evening stroll. Plus, unlike Lumpini Park, Sindhorn Village is dog-friendly, so you can coo over cute pooches while soaking up the tropical vibes.?Need a pick-me-up after an afternoon under the sun? The restaurants and cafes of Velaa Mall – which include Maison Saigon and The Coffee Academics – are mere steps away.?

Getting there: Modena by Fraser Bangkok offers easy access to Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre MRT station, where you can hop on the Blue Line to Si Lom MRT station. From there, it’s around a 20-minute walk to Sindhorn Village.

Other green spaces in Bangkok

Of course, in any discussion about Bangkok’s green spaces, it would be remiss to omit the classics. Lumpini Park is a perennial favourite with locals, who enjoy walking and jogging its paths, feeding the turtles and fish, and working up a sweat at its outdoor gym.

On Sukhumvit Road, there’s the popular Benchasiri Park (above), which features playgrounds, a skating zone, a running track and grassy lawns. It is just?two BTS stops from Fraser Suites Sukhumvit, a?haven of tranquil luxury in bustling Bangkok.

Constructed to honour the 60th birthday of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit, the park is home to diverse wildlife such as turtles, birds, squirrels and monitor lizards. It’s also dotted with several statues and sculptures – including an enormous commemorative coin emblazoned with an image of the queen –?hence its nickname, “Park of Sculptures”.?

Chatuchak Park is located beside the MRT station of the same name. Head here for a break from the bustling weekend markets, or walk to nearby Suan Rot Fai (Railway Park) for cycling, a butterfly garden and expansive greenery.?

Further afield, there’s Bang Kachao, an artificial island that’s a short ferry ride from Wat Klong Toey Nok pier. Most visitors hire a bicycle and then spend the day exploring the wetlands on two wheels. You’ll find cute cafes and restaurants aplenty, plus a kids’ community farm called Get Growing, which is great for a few hours of feet-in-the-mud playtime.??