The top things to do in Lumpini, Bangkok start with Lumphini Park itself: walk or run the paths around the lake, rent a swan paddle boat, and watch for the park's water monitor lizards. Around it, the Lumphini subdistrict takes in the Erawan Shrine at Ratchaprasong, the Wireless Road and Langsuan hotel quarter, and some of the city's best Thai dining. The park is free and, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand, opens daily before dawn and stays open into the evening.
Lumpini (also spelled Lumphini or Lumpinee) is both the park and the surrounding subdistrict of Pathum Wan. This guide covers the park first, then the streets around it, and how to get there by BTS and MRT.
Lumphini Park: what to do inside
Lumphini Park is regarded as Bangkok's first public park. King Rama VI gave the land, then called Sala Daeng Field, in 1925, and the park takes its name from Lumbini, the Buddha's birthplace in Nepal. It covers about 57 hectares between Ratchadamri Road, Rama IV Road and Wireless Road (Witthayu), with a large artificial lake at the center.
Walk or run the lake loop
The paths around the park total roughly 2.5 km and are one of central Bangkok's most popular running routes, busiest in the early morning and after work. Mornings are also when tai chi and exercise groups use the lawns. If you want the park at its most active and the air at its coolest, go early.
Rent a paddle boat on the lake
Swan-shaped paddle boats and rowing boats can be rented on the lake, and they are the easiest way to get the classic view of the park: water in the foreground and the towers of Silom and Sathorn rising above the trees. It is an easy family activity.
Look for the monitor lizards
The park is home to a large population of Asian water monitors, estimated at around 400. They are wild animals: they bask on the banks, swim across the lake and cross the paths, and in 2016 the city relocated some of them to control their numbers. Watch them from a distance, keep children close, and do not feed them.
See the landmarks
- The King Rama VI statue at the park's main entrance, built in 1942 to commemorate the park's creation.
- The Chinese-style clock tower and pavilions in the grounds, a reminder of the park's early years.
- The Green Bridge, an elevated walking and cycling path that links Lumphini Park to Benjakitti Forest Park, so you can walk the two parks as one long green route.
A few park rules are worth knowing: the park bans smoking throughout, dogs are not allowed apart from certified guide dogs, and cycling is officially limited to the middle of the day.
Things to do around Lumpini
The Lumphini subdistrict stretches north from the park to Ploenchit and Ratchaprasong, so some of Bangkok's most visited sights and best hotels are within its boundaries.
The Erawan Shrine
At the Ratchaprasong intersection, the Erawan Shrine officially the Thao Maha Phrom Shrine, houses a gilded four-faced Brahma image made by Thailand's Fine Arts Department in 1956. Devotees leave garlands, incense and carved elephants, and traditional dancers perform for worshippers giving thanks for answered prayers. Entry is free, and the shrine is reached from BTS Chit Lom by the elevated skywalk. Visit respectfully; it is an active place of worship.
Shopping at Ratchaprasong
The intersection is surrounded by malls, including Gaysorn Village and CentralWorld, and Central Embassy sits on Wireless Road at Ploenchit. For more on the area's malls and markets, see our Bangkok shopping guide.
Where to eat and drink in Lumpini
- Paste, on the third floor of Gaysorn Centre, is a refined Thai restaurant that the current MICHELIN Guide lists among its selected Bangkok restaurants.
- Park Hyatt Bangkok in Central Embassy runs Penthouse Bar + Grill across its top floors, finishing at an open-air rooftop bar on level 36.
- The hotels along Ratchadamri Road, including Anantara Siam Bangkok, have several restaurants each and are a short walk from the park's western edge.
For more options across the city, see our Bangkok restaurants and Bangkok nightlife guides.
Staying near Lumphini Park
Several hotels sit on the park's doorstep. Sindhorn Kempinski Hotel Bangkok is part of Sindhorn Village, which runs up to the edge of the park between Soi Ton Son and Soi Langsuan, and Kimpton Maa-Lai Bangkok is on Soi Ton Son nearby. South of the park, The Sukhothai Bangkok on South Sathorn Road is near MRT Lumphini. For more choices, see our Bangkok hotel guide.
How to get to Lumphini Park
- MRT Blue Line: Si Lom station at the Sala Daeng intersection (southwest corner of the park) or Lumphini station at the Wireless Road and Rama IV intersection (southeast corner).
- BTS Silom Line: Sala Daeng station, at the same intersection as MRT Si Lom.
- BTS Sukhumvit Line: Ratchadamri and Chit Lom for the northern side of the district and the Erawan Shrine.
From Sala Daeng, the BTS continues to Chong Nonsi for the King Power Mahanakhon SkyWalk, a good way to end a day in the park with a view over the city.
Sources: Tourism Authority of Thailand, Lumpini Park, Lumphini Park (Wikipedia), BangkokVacay listings for the Erawan Shrine, Paste, Park Hyatt Bangkok, Sindhorn Kempinski, Kimpton Maa-Lai, The Sukhothai Bangkok and Benjakitti Forest Park, each verified against official sources. Checked September 26, 2026.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand lists the park as open every day from 4:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. The park office, run by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, can be reached on 02 252 7006.
Yes. The Tourism Authority of Thailand lists no admission charge. Boat rental is paid separately at the lake.
They are wild Asian water monitors, around 400 of them, and they generally keep to the lake and its banks. Keep your distance, keep children and food away from them, and never try to feed or touch one.
MRT Si Lom and BTS Sala Daeng serve the southwest corner at the Sala Daeng intersection, and MRT Lumphini serves the southeast corner at Wireless Road and Rama IV Road.
Cycling is officially allowed only from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dogs are not allowed except certified guide dogs, and smoking is banned throughout the park.
Yes. The Green Bridge, an elevated walking and cycling path of about 1.3 km, starts near the park at the Sarasin junction on Wireless Road and connects to Benjakitti Forest Park's skywalk.
The Erawan Shrine at Ratchaprasong is open until 10 p.m., the malls around Ratchaprasong stay open into the evening, and Park Hyatt Bangkok's Penthouse Bar + Grill has an open-air rooftop bar on level 36.
