Chatuchak Park: A Nature Retreat in Bangkok

When you think about Bangkok City, what comes to mind are the temples, Thai shopping, food trip and the nerve-wracking traffic in this modern city in Southeast Asia. But despite the urban chaos, locals and foreigners get to enjoy green retreats with different Bangkok garden parks spread out. Such is the case of Chatuchak Park, a 30.4-hectare park located beside the Chatuchak Weekend Market also known as the Jatujak Market in Bangkok, Thailand.

Last February, I finally got the chance to visit the Chatuchak Park. During my previous trips to the Chatuchak Weekend Market, I already noticed the park but I never imagined how huge it was till I saw it with my own eyes.

lush greenery surrounds Chatuchak Park

After my plane landed at the Suvarnabhumi Airport, my friend Den, who agreed to adopt me every time I fly to Bangkok, asked me to meet her at the Mo Chit station. The Mo Chit Terminal station, which is beside the park, is the last terminal station of BTS.

locals and tourists prefer to relax at Chatuchak park in the afternoon

Den is into photography. She wanted to capture images of sakura trees inside the park. So before we headed to her house, we dropped by the park tagging with me my backpack. Sad to say, the sakura flowers were nowhere to be found. Instead, we found a bench and chatted nonchalantly since it has been a year since we last saw each other.

nature-lover’s paradise in Bangkok City

I also discovered that the park is home to many squirrels. I’ve never seen one before and I was delighted to see them playing among the park’s lawns. There are many birds in there too, mostly doves.

On our stroll in the park, I also witnessed how people stopped what they were doing when their national anthem was played. Den told me that locals stop whatever they do once they hear the song. Since I find all Thai songs the same, I had to ask Den how to distinguish their national anthem from the rest of the songs played in the park. She mentioned someone will blow a whistle to signal that the national anthem will be played. So when you are in Bangkok or any foreign land, it is best to respect their culture and tradition and strictly abide by their practices.

witnessing sunset in the most romantic way

The best time to visit the Chatuchak Park is in the early hours of the morning and late in the afternoon. It would be a huge mistake to visit the park at noon time when the sun’s rays are at its peak unless you want to die of heat stroke, get a tan or melt those excess fats in your body.

can you see them leaves dancing?

The Chatuchak Park is the largest park in the northern business district of the city. It was built in 1975 and is considered as one of the oldest parks in Bangkok, Thailand. A train museum is located within the park where it showcases the history of railways and automobiles in Thailand.

Things to do in Chatuchak Park

stroll, bike, jog, run – you’d ran out of ideas on these wide walkways

You can never run out of things to do in the Chatuchak Park on a perfect Bangkok weather. Aside from visiting the Train Museum, you can also walk or jog in the morning or late afternoon. There are bicycle rentals available too.

have duck boats, will paddle

An artificial lake surrounds the vast land covering the Chatuchak Park. There are also many bridges that connects both sides. For a fee, you can also do paddle boating.

Fitness outdoor equipment are scattered all over the area. For the health conscious, you can use those improvised fitness training equipment to get physically fit.

yes you can go emo in this park

For those who doesn’t want any strenuous activities, you can simply find a bench or spread a mat on their green lawns and enjoy some relaxation. You can bring in food and go on a picnic if you want. There are peddlers selling food so you will never go hungry inside the park.

birds also enjoy the solace the park brings

A visit to the Thai Literature Garden, Herb Garden and the Youth Traffic Garden is also an option for you to check out. You can also enjoy watching different fishes at the Fish Watching Bridge.

During the weekends, you should experience Thai shopping by heading straight to the famous Chatuchak Weekend Market where you can discover almost any kind of items for sale ranging from food, clothing, handicrafts and even live animals. And when you get tired from that busy market, just head straight to the park and relax those feet.

the best place to watch sunset in Bangkok

Some may find the park ordinary and boring. But beauty is relative. And as the saying goes “What is essential is invisible to the naked eye.” You just have to get to know her better to be captivated by her simplicity and  beauty just like how it did me.

How to get to Chatuchak Park?

Take bus numbers 3, 8, 26, 27, 28, 29, 34, 38, 39, 44, 59, 63, 77, 90, 96, 104, 108, 122, 136, 138, 145, 159, 177, 182, 187, 502, 503, 509, 510, 512, 513, 517, 523, 524, 529, 547.

You can also head to the BTS station and take the train all the way to the Mo Chit Terminal station or take the MRT and drop off at the Chatuchak Park Terminal station.

Chatuchak Park Hours of Operation:

The Chatuchak Park is open from 5:00 am up to 9:00 pm daily.

Since the park is so huge, I never got the chance to tour the entire place but this gives me more reason to come back 😉

You can use this Bangkok map as you travel guide in finding Chatuchak Park.