Bangkok, Thailand

Photo spots in Bangkok

• Wat ArunReligious sites
  Climb 8:00-18:00, but THE shot is across the river from Tha Tien rooftops at blue hour when the prangs light up.
• Grand PalaceReligious sites
  8:30-15:30, strict dress code, 500 baht - be there at open.
• Wat Pho Reclining BuddhaReligious sites
  46m gold Buddha + mother-of-pearl feet; late afternoon is quieter.
• Wat Paknam glass stupaReligious sites
  Emerald glass ceiling on the top floor + 69m Buddha; MRT Bang Phai.
• Yaowarat neon (Chinatown)Markets
  Neon signs + food chaos; shoot down the road from pedestrian overpasses at dusk.
• Mahanakhon SkyWalkViewpoints
  78F glass tray - phones banned ON the tray (shoot from the side); open to midnight.
• Wat Saket (Golden Mount)Religious sites
  344 gentle steps with prayer bells; 360 old-town view; 100 baht.
• ICONSIAM riverfrontLandmarks
  Indoor floating market + river fountain shows; prime vantage for river fireworks.
• Talat Noi street artMarkets
  Murals + rusted-car alleys between Chinese shophouses; go before the 10am heat.
• Maeklong Railway MarketMarkets
  ~1.5h out; train ~4x/day (check schedule) - vendors fold awnings in seconds.
• Damnoen Saduak Floating MarketMarkets
  Pair with Maeklong the same morning; paddle-boat rows by 8am.
• Chatuchak Weekend MarketMarkets
  Weekends only; 15,000 stalls; umbrella sea from the footbridges.
• Wat Benchamabophit (Marble Temple)Religious sites
  Carrara-marble ordination hall; sunrise reflection in the canal out front.
• Khaosan RoadMarkets
  Backpacker neon circus; handheld high-ISO chaos.
• Odeon Circle (Chinatown Gate)Markets
  Gilt Chinese arch where Yaowarat meets Charoen Krung; the old parking-garage ramp above the roundabout gives a static high angle for a blue-hour long exposure of the traffic and neon below.
• Song Wat Road shophousesMarkets
  Historic rice-trading street a block off the river, one street over from Yaowarat; layered shopfront signage catches strong late-afternoon side light and is far quieter than the main strip.
• Pak Khlong Talad flower marketMarkets
  Bangkok's flower market runs through the night but peaks before dawn; go for stacked marigolds and orchids and vendors hand-threading temple garlands under bare bulbs.
• Khlong Toei fresh marketMarkets
  Bangkok's largest wet market; arrive by 7am for raw, candid scenes in the narrow produce alleys before it gets crowded and hot - a 35-50mm lens suits the tight lanes.
• Chong Nonsi Skywalk / ITF Tower 2Viewpoints
  Free public skywalk beside Chong Nonsi BTS over the Sathorn expressway; the nearby ITF Tower 2 rooftop is reachable by public lift and gives a long-lens angle on traffic light trails through the tower cluster.
• Wat Suthat & the Giant SwingReligious sites
  150-plus gilded Buddha statues line a symmetrical cloister; shoot straight down the colonnade with a fast 50mm f/1.8 for depth, then step outside for the red Giant Swing gate.
• Wat Traimit Golden BuddhaReligious sites
  5.5-tonne solid-gold Buddha inside a marble hall in Talat Noi; the even midday light works best on the gold - go before the tour buses land for a clean frame.
• Democracy MonumentMarkets
  Central traffic circle on Ratchadamnoen Klang; set a tripod on the median island after dark and use a slow shutter to pull car headlights into light trails around the wings.
• Erawan ShrineReligious sites
  Hindu shrine wedged into the Ratchaprasong intersection outside Grand Hyatt Erawan; go early for the classical Thai dancers performing for worshippers, or after dark for the gilded statue lit against the mall towers.
• Jim Thompson HouseParks
  Teak silk-trader's house set around a canal-side garden near National Stadium BTS; the covered walkways and jungle courtyard give soft, shaded light all morning - guided entry only.
• Lumpini ParkParks
  Central lake ringed by skyscrapers; paddle boats and monitor lizards make foreground interest at dawn, with the Sathorn skyline reflected in the water before the joggers crowd in.
• Baiyoke Tower II observation deckViewpoints
  Thailand's tallest building; the top-floor deck now revolves continuously so a tripod is hard to use there - the fixed 82F indoor observatory just below gives a steadier 360 view over Ratchathewi at dusk.
• Sky Bar at lebua (State Tower)Viewpoints
  63rd-floor open-air bar overlooking the river bend; go golden into blue hour, smart-casual dress code and a drink minimum apply, the wraparound rail gives an unobstructed shot.
• Vertigo & Moon Bar, Banyan TreeViewpoints
  61st-floor open rooftop with a clean line of sight to Mahanakhon's pixelated tower to the north; book a rail-side table for sunset - no glass barrier to shoot through.
• Khlong Ong Ang canal walkLandmarks
  Restored canal-side walking street between Saphan Han and Damrong Sathit bridges; red lanterns and street-art murals reflect in the water at blue hour - check under the bridges for the best wall pieces.
• Sathorn Unique ('ghost tower')Viewpoints
  Abandoned 49-storey skyscraper off Charoen Krung; informal access has historically been via a guard tip for the open floors and a moody, unobstructed river view - access changes without notice, go with someone who has been recently.
• Elephant Building (Chang Building)Architecture
  Three linked towers built to read as an elephant's body, trunk and legs; the shape only resolves from a distance - stand across Phahonyothin Road or use a long lens to compress the three blocks together.
• Bang Krachao (Bangkok's green lung)Parks
  Cross the river by longtail from Khlong Toei then cycle the elevated boardwalks through mangrove and jungle at Sri Nakhon Khuean Khan Park - zero skyline in frame, best on a quiet weekday morning.
• Wat Ratchanatdaram (Loha Prasat)Religious sites
  The only surviving metal-spired 'castle' temple in the world - 37 black spires stacked on a pyramid; climb the internal walkways for a rooftop view across the Golden Mount and old-town rooftops.
• ASIATIQUE The RiverfrontLandmarks
  Converted East Asiatic Company river warehouses; take the free shuttle boat from Sathorn pier and shoot the lit ferris wheel reflected in the Chao Phraya from the riverside boardwalk after dark.
• Rama VIII Bridge from Santichaiprakan ParkBridges
  Asymmetric cable-stayed bridge lit up nightly; the cleanest angle is from the riverside lawn of Santichaiprakan Park near Phra Sumen Fort - wide lens, low tripod, fort wall in the foreground.
• Phra Sumen FortViewpoints
  Whitewashed octagonal 1783 fort at the edge of the Khao San riverside park; climb the park's grassy mound for a clean view of the fort walls against the river with Rama VIII Bridge behind.
• Wat Mahathat amulet marketMarkets
  Amulet stalls spill along the alleys beside the temple facing Sanam Luang; photograph vendors' loupes and trays of tiny Buddhas, busiest and best-lit mid-morning.
• Wat Prayurawongsawas (White Pagoda)Religious sites
  Thonburi-side temple just south of Memorial Bridge with a huge whitewashed chedi and a turtle-filled pond garden; the inner chedi stairs open onto a river-district rooftop view.
• Santa Cruz Church, Kudi ChinReligious sites
  Salmon-pink Portuguese Catholic church anchoring the riverside Kudi Chin community; the promenade out front catches warm side light in late afternoon - pair with a walk through the surrounding heritage lanes.
• Benjakitti Forest ParkParks
  Elevated steel boardwalks thread through wetland reeds with the Sukhumvit skyline stacked behind; the lake mirrors the towers at dawn before the wind picks up and breaks the reflection.
• Wongwian Yai / King Taksin MonumentMarkets
  Bronze equestrian statue of King Taksin at the centre of a chaotic Thonburi roundabout; the pedestrian overpass gives a wide frame of the monument ringed by traffic light trails.
• Wat KalayanamitReligious sites
  Thonburi riverbank temple housing one of Bangkok's largest seated Buddha images inside a soaring, dim hall; shoot the gilded face upward, then walk the quiet river terrace outside.
• Ratchaprasong / CentralWorld intersectionArchitecture
  Bangkok's densest shopping intersection; stand on the Chit Lom skywalk facing CentralWorld's LED facade after dark for a wall of light with BTS trains crossing the frame.
• Wat Indrawihan standing BuddhaReligious sites
  32-metre standing Buddha rising above the Banglamphu rooftops; shoot from the temple courtyard looking straight up with a wide lens, or from a few streets back to catch it over the neighbourhood.
• Wat RatchabophitReligious sites
  Circular temple mixing a classic Thai chedi with European-tiled cloisters and a startlingly Gothic-vaulted ordination hall interior; the courtyard's Bencharong tilework rewards a tight macro crop.
• Talad Rot Fai Ratchada (Train Night Market)Markets
  Neon-canopied vintage night market behind the Esplanade mall; shoot the corrugated stall roofs lit in primary colours from the upper car-park level - Thursday to Sunday evenings only.
• The Jam FactoryArchitecture
  Converted riverside warehouse complex in Khlong San with a gallery, bookshop and exposed-brick courtyard; shoot the industrial roof trusses and potted greenery in soft warehouse-window light.
• Lhong 1919Religious sites
  Restored 1850s Chinese-Portuguese trading pier on the Thonburi bank with a Mazu shrine and hand-painted murals; the river-facing colonnade and courtyard are quiet and best shot before 10am.
• Wat Yannawa (Boat Temple)Religious sites
  A chedi built in the shape of a Chinese junk to mark the end of the sailing-ship trading era; shoot from the riverside pier below to get the full 'hull' with the Chao Phraya behind it.
• Wat RatchapraditReligious sites
  Small grey-marble royal temple squeezed between the Grand Palace and Saranrom Park, rarely crowded; the interior murals depict royal ceremonies rather than the usual Buddha-life scenes.
• Siam Amazing Park (Siam Park City)Theme parks
  Combined amusement and water park in Khan Na Yao, roughly 30 km northeast, with a giant wave pool and an old-school steel coaster. Foreigner pricing is higher than the Thai rate posted at the gate; go on a weekday when the queues stay under ten minutes.
• Dream WorldTheme parks
  Family park in Pathum Thani about 42 km north, best known for Snow Town, a refrigerated indoor snow hall. Jackets are provided but your lens will fog badly going in and out, so bag it and let it equalise.
• Safari World & Marine ParkZoos & aquariums
  Drive-through safari plus a walking marine park; you can take your own car or the included coach through the animal loop. Do the safari circuit right at the 09:00 opening while the big cats are still moving and the light is low enough for the car window.
• Sea Life Bangkok Ocean WorldZoos & aquariums
  Large aquarium in the Siam Paragon basement with an acrylic tunnel under the shark tank. Book online rather than at the counter, where walk-up prices are roughly double, and keep the flash off since the glass throws it straight back.
• Ancient City (Muang Boran)Museums
  Three hundred acres in Samut Prakan laid out in the shape of Thailand, with scale reconstructions of temples and palaces from across the country. Rent a bicycle or a golf cart at the gate; on foot you will see a quarter of it before you run out of daylight.
• Erawan MuseumMuseums
  A 43 m bronze three-headed elephant you can climb inside, where a stained-glass ceiling maps the cosmos above a spiral staircase. Wear knee- and shoulder-covering clothing or you will be turned back at the upper chamber.
• Bangkok National MuseumMuseums
  Largest museum collection in Southeast Asia, housed in a former viceroy's palace beside Sanam Luang. The Buddhaisawan Chapel and its 18th-century murals are the photographic highlight; ask at the desk since it is not always open.
• Museum SiamMuseums
  Cheap, air-conditioned interactive museum on Thai identity, inside a restored neoclassical ministry building near Wat Pho. Best used as a mid-afternoon break from the Rattanakosin temple circuit; the courtyard facade is the shot.
• E-Gokart Track (Banthat Thong Road)Go-karting
  Indoor karting.
• Topkart BangkokGo-karting
  Indoor karting.
• Easykart.net Go-Karting (RCA Plaza)Go-karting
  Indoor karting - part of the Easykart.net chain.
• IMPACT Speed ParkGo-karting
  Outdoor kart circuit.
• Playerbox at Siam DiscoveryGo-karting
  Indoor karting - part of the Playerbox chain.
• Benchasiri ParkParks

Where to stay

Hotels near these spots are shown on the map as bed pins, grouped into three price bands, with a booking link for each one. Open the map and tick “Hotels” in the legend.