My original plan was to visit Bangkok’s Grand Palace after our half-day Damnoen Saduak Floating Market tour. Unfortunately, the Grand Palace was closed to tourists that day.

Not having anything to do, we went to Lumphini Park. It was a short train ride away from our guesthouse in the Saphan Taksin area. We also wanted to experience the night market at Silom on our way back.

Lumphini Park

Bangkok City’s rail lines have stations near Lumphini Park. Surrounded by high-rise buildings, the park’s greenery is a welcome sight.

Inside, there’s an artificial lake complete with a fountain. The area around the lake is the best place to watch for wildlife, especially for the giant monitor lizards.

For activities, there are boat rentals at the lake. Bikes are outside near the gates. There are also various manicured gardens and play areas for the kids.

There’s a gym, a swimming pool, a basketball court and other sports facilities for the more active community members.

The park is open from 4:30 in the morning until 9 in the evening.

Silom Night Market

I was looking forward to the night market at Silom. The photos I saw online looked inviting-especially the food stalls. We were hoping to have dinner there. Unfortunately, the night market was closed the day we went.

Final Thoughts

We ended up having dinner at one of the street vendors in an alleyway near our guesthouse. It was filling and cheap.

It was good that we spent the afternoon leisurely walking around Lumphini Park. We saved our energy for the whole day of walking that we will be doing in Ayutthaya the following day.