Be Like Vic: Find Peace and Adventure in Bangkok’s Parks and Recreation Areas

Yo! What’s up again? I’m back with a lil more info about a few things, which, if you enjoy green and foliage, you may find helpful. So, from my previous posts, I mentioned I am from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States—if I didn’t say it before, I’m doing it now. If anyone knows anything about Philadelphia, especially if you are from there, you would know about the vast park system dubbed Fairmount Park.

This park system is not relegated to one particular section of the city. It is peppered throughout the municipality with many parks of varying sizes. Some parks will help you forget the droning of cars and traffic, while others offer a relaxing spot to have a picnic, or provide a playground for you or your children to unleash the wild inner child. Now, I say all this to emphasize how important parks are to me, a native Philadelphian.

Coming to Bangkok, I learned the city is not as green (the color) as my hometown, but that does not mean Bangkok has nothing to offer. Since living here, I have found several places to help supply me with my regular supply of greens. For anyone coming to teach in Thailand, finding these oases of peace can be the perfect balance to the lively chaos of the city.

Queen Sirikit Park: Nature in the City

Located behind Chatuchak Park and just northeast of the Chatuchak Weekend Market, Queen Sirikit Park provides a much-needed natural respite from the heat-emanating concrete of the city. Tons of trees offer natural shade and oxygen (we need that), a variety of man-made ponds with some monitor lizards sauntering about, walking paths, and a bike path.

In this park, you will also find a small field of sunflowers that can provide an excellent background for picture taking, a birdwatching tower, and a building that serves as a butterfly house. Anytime I feel like I have spent too much time amongst the concrete and steel, I venture here. I will walk the paths or sit by one of the ponds and take in the sounds of birds and the trickling of water.

Bang Kachao Escape

My next favorite urban oasis is the island of Bang Kachao (Bangkok’s Green Lung). This little island, which is a part of Samut Prakan, can be driven to or reached by a short boat ride from Wat Khlong Toei Nok. There is a small park on the island called Sri Nakhon Khuean Khan Park and Botanical Garden. This park is full of trees, ponds, and walking and bike riding paths.

It’s a great place to relax and forget about the problems of the modern world while listening to the sounds of songbirds underneath the oxygenated canopy of trees. Besides the park, the island also hosts a weekend market, Talat Nam Phueng, where you’ll find savory and sweet dishes, drinks, clothes, and other local wares.

I am actually writing this just after a recent excursion to Bangkhajao and Talat Nam Phueng. What a great way to end the weekend and come back to teaching rowdy teenagers. For teachers in Thailand, it’s the perfect staycation spot to refresh and recharge without traveling too far.

Lumphini and Benjakitti Connection

The following two parks, Benjakitti and Lumphini, I will combine as one. There is a reason for this, as both of these parks are connected by a walking path that is about a mile or so long—or several kilometers for everyone that isn’t English or American.

Lumphini Park is right in between the Ratchadamri and Sala Daeng BTS stations. It is a large park with wide walking paths, perfect for the multitude of joggers and walkers who get their daily exercise. There are also some basketball courts and playground areas for the little ones. If you are here, be on the lookout for the massive monitor lizards that swim effortlessly in the many man-made ponds.

Lumphini does not have the same amount of tree density as either Queen Sirikit Park or Sri Nakhon Khuean Khan Park, but it is large. Let’s say you wanted a change of scenery, you could find the elevated green path over to the far side of the park and walk to Benjakitti Park. Here, you will find a manicured park surrounding a man-made lake and an area that has been fashioned to resemble the wetlands on which Bangkok was built. For those who teach English in Thailand, a walk between Lumphini and Benjakitti is a reminder that the city always has room for fresh air and reflection.

Phutthamonthon Park: A Monumental Green Space

The last park I will mention is probably the largest of all, located just outside Bangkok in Salaya, near Mahidol University. Called Phutthamonthon Park, this large park is home to a huge Buddha statue.

This park is quite vast. It is in the shape of a large square and features areas spotted with trees, recreational spaces, and an area dedicated to the massive statue of Buddha, which resembles a monumental memorial flanked by two large pools to its sides. One tip: figure out where the bathrooms are. This place is way too big to try to find bathrooms at the last minute, and there are just enough people around to make an emergency outdoor situation uncomfortable.

Since this place is near Mahidol University, outside the vast square park, there are many places to find food and snacks. Going to this park without your own car, bike, or Grab car will take a few hours, as it is only accessible by bus, not BTS. I would suggest making a day out of it. Walk around the park with some snacks, and once you are finished, go to one of the many restaurants in the area for a meal.

Green Spaces as a Teacher’s Reset

I hope this list of green places will help you find relaxation amongst the bustle and deafening sounds of the city. Go to these places often, especially when that burnout feeling starts to reveal itself. Maybe all you need is a break from the regular drudgeries of city life to feel refreshed again.

For many who come to teach in Thailand, parks offer more than fresh air—they’re a way to reflect and reset. Shared time in nature gives balance, whether it’s quiet solitude or exploring with friends. In the fast-paced rhythm of teaching in Thailand, these green escapes are reminders to slow down, breathe, and reconnect with what matters.