Lumphini Park, Bangkok

Occupying over 500,000 square metres of the central business district, Lumphini Park is the largest and most popular park in Bangkok. 

Lumphini Park is open every day of the week from 04:30 to 21:00 and admission is free. Smoking, drinking alcohol and dogs, except guide dogs, are all banned from the park which has security guards on hand to enforce the rules and stop other forms of anti-social behaviour.

About Lumphini Park

Lumphini Park was established in 1925 on a plot of land donated by King Rama VI. In front of the main entrance to the park is a large statue of King Rama VI. This is the entrance you would use when exiting from Silom MRT station, which is the closest rapid public transport station to Lumphini Park.

Lumphini Park is named after Lumbini in Southern Nepal, which is where the Lord Buddha is believed to have been born.

As you enter into Lumphini Park from the main entrance the first thing you will see is a two lane central walkway that cuts through the centre of Lumphini Park. There are also walkways around the outside of the park.

About a quarter of Lumphini Park is taken up by 3 lakes. The largest of the three lakes is in the north west corner of Lumphini Park, which is nearly square. This largest lake has an island in the middle and paddle boats shaped like swans for hire. Boating on the lake is one of the most popular activities in Lumphini Park.

Walking and running are also popular pastimes at Lumphini Park. The running track around the outside of the park is approximately 2.5 km long, and there are toilet blocks with changing facilities in the park making life more convenient for runners using the park.

Runners and walkers, however, only make up a small proportion of the people using Lumphini Park. Various different group activities are held all day long, but particularly in the early morning and the late afternoon. People appear to simply turn up and join in activities such as Tai Chi classes and aerobics groups.

Lumphini Park has three free to use gyms. Two of the gyms feature a range of exercise machines and other fixed equipment. The best free gym, however, is the free weights gym in the south east corner of the park.

Like all good municipal parks, Lumphini Park also has children’s outdoor play equipment, like swings and slides. The children’s play areas are well used and well maintained.

Lumphini Park is also notable for having a number of other free to use and charitable services on offer. The library at Lumphini Park, for example, was the first public library in Bangkok and still operates lending books and films to local residents.

Location of Lumphini Park

• Lumphini Park is located 3.5 km by road from Bangkok Railway Station.