40
yehey!
Discover Bangkok’s
Lumpini Park
MONITOR
LIZARDS
These water
monitors that dart
across the park’s
grassy bits can grow
up to 2m long, and
with their short,
strong legs and
bulbous heads, can
easily be mistaken
for crocodiles. Don’t
panic — these lizards
pose next to no
threat to curious
tourists, preferring
to hide in the lakes.
DANCE EXERCISE
CLASSES
Up to 100 people join
the free dance exercise
classes at different
spots around the park,
particularly on the
avenue by the library.
The best time for the
classes is in the early
mornings and evenings.
SEPAK TAKRAW
Requiring a high
degree of athleticism
and skill, this
South-East Asian
acrobatic sport is
volleyball with no
hands — check out
a game on the court
just inside Lumpini’s
main entrance on the
right side.
STREET-FOOD
CENTER
Hungry? There are no
restaurants inside the
park, but vendors are
stationed just outside
each of its entrances.
Your best bet would be
the street-food center
on its north-western
corner, where you can
order anything from
spicy noodle soups to
delicious fresh seafood.
LIBRARY
What is reportedly
Thailand’s first library was
founded more than 50
years ago, and now houses
more than 30,000 books,
videos and DVDs. It is
open 8.30am to 9pm from
Tuesday to Sunday.
THAI LANNA
PAVILION
Just inside the park’s
main entrance, this ornate
pavilion was built when
the park was opened more
than 60 years ago. With
impressively detailed eaves
and awnings, its architecture
is a re-creation of the style
favored during the period
of the Lanna Kingdom,
which was based in northern
Thailand from the 13th to
18th centuries.
KING RAMA XI
STATUE
Just outside the Silom
Road gate, in the center
of a large square, is
a towering statue of
King Rama XI, the Thai
monarch who ruled for
15 years until his death
in 1925. At its foot is a
Buddhist shrine where
locals entering the
park often stop to say
prayers.
OUTDOOR GYM
Nestled under a bank
of trees, this charmingly
ramshackle gym attracts
a quirky crowd of buff,
preening Thai men who
love to pose shirtless either
in front of the gym’s giant
mirror or while flexing for
photos with tourists.
TEXT AND PHOTOS BY RONAN O’CONNELL
parks we love
Sprawling 58 hectares across the CBD,
the Thai capital’s green lung showcases
the country’s natural splendor.
Overwhelming? Ronan O’Connell helps
us set our priorities
