20 Attractions to Explore Near Victory Monument

Phayathai Palace is a marvelous early 20th century Royal Residence in the heart of Bangkok. As it stands a bit out of sight, it is not much known and seldom visited, especially by foreign tourists. Phayathai Palace, also known as Phaya Thai, Phyathai, or Phya Thai is located close to Victory Monument in downtown Bangkok. The Palace was built by King Chulalongkorn the Great (Rama V) in 1910 along the banks of Samsen canal, an area that still had a lot of farmland back then.

A museum and the former residence of a royal family, the Suan Pakkad Palace is a true gem in the midst of Bangkok. Only a handful of visitors seem to come here at a time. But those who stumble upon it will be pleasantly surprised. The hidden oasis is home to a stunning collection of Thai antiquities and artifacts.

Rising from the Pratunam area of Bangkok, Baiyoke Tower II is Thailand’s first supertall building and Bangkok’s tallest building for 19 years until the completion of MahaNakhon in 2016. It was developed through the Baiyoke Group of Hotels following upon their success with Baiyoke Tower I, located one block to the south and completed in 1987.

SEA LIFE Bangkok Ocean World is one of the largest aquariums in Southeast Asia. Located 2 storeys below Siam Paragon shopping mall, it’s an aquatic wonderland the size of 3 Olympic pools with over 30,000 marine animals from across the world. For kids, a few hours spent at SEA LIFE Bangkok Ocean World is as educational as it is exhilarating and memorable.

Jim Thompson House is the former home of the late James H.W. Thompson, an American businessman who dedicated over 30 years of his life to reviving Thai silk in the 1950s. The lovely garden-enclosed compound sits on the bank of the Saen Saeb Canal and houses 6 traditional Thai teakwood houses transported from Ayutthaya and Ban Krua Silk Village. It’s a museum and art centre showcasing Thompson’s collection of Asian antiques and Thai silk.

The Bangkok Art and Culture Centre is the hub of Bangkok’s burgeoning art scene and offers the widest range of contemporary art, design, music, theatre and film in the city. Located only a few minutes' walk from the National Stadium BTS Skytrain station, it regularly hosts changing exhibitions from both Thai and international artists.

Erawan Shrine is one of the most popular Hindu shrines in downtown Bangkok. It’s in front of Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel, at the corner of Ploenchit and Ratchadamri Road. Throughout the day, you'll often see crowds paying their respects, presenting flowers and incense sticks to a gold sculpture of the 4-faced Brahma God, Than Tao Mahaprom.

Erawan Museum in Samut Prakan near Bangkok is a striking monument, not to be confused with the famous Erawan Shrine in downtown Bangkok. This gigantic three-headed elephant built on a pedestal stands 44 metres above one side of the expressway.The Erawan Museum was designed and built in 2003 by Lek Viriyaphant, a rich businessman who also designed the famous ‘Sanctuary of Truth’.

Wat Benchamabophit Dusitvanaram, known by many as the Marble Temple because its pillars, courtyard, and lion statue guardians are all made entirely of Italian Carrara marble, is one of Bangkok’s most beautiful temples. The temple’s name means “the Monastery of the fifth King near Dusit Palace”, the fifth King being King Chulalongkorn the Great (Rama V).

Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall is the centrepiece of Ratchadamnoen Avenue, known as Bangkok's Champs Elysees. It’s an impressive 2-storey and white-marble palace that sits at the end of Dusit's Royal Plaza, a leafy ceremonial boulevard that's often the focus of regal pomp and ceremony during royal celebrations.

The Vimanmek Mansion is a former royal villa in Bangkok, Thailand. It is in the Dusit Palace complex in Dusit District. Vimanmek Palace was constructed in 1900 by having the Munthatu Rattanaroj Residence in Phra Chuthathut Palace at Ko Sichang, Chonburi, dismantled and reassembled in Dusit Garden. Nails were used in its construction. The interior decoration combines European neo-classical style with traditional Thai motifs and architecture and early-20th century modernization.

The Bangkok Snake Farm in Bangkok specialises in the cultivation of venomous snakes, extracting venom to produce antidotes for snake-bite victims in Thailand. Part of the Queen Saovabha Memorial Institute, the farm offers an informative and fascinating experience for those curious about the world of reptiles – it might even help alleviate your unjustified fear of snakes.

Wat Saket in Bangkok Old Town is an Ayutthaya-era shrine with a gleaming gold chedi in Bangkok. Also called the Golden Mount, it occupies an 80-meter-tall manmade hill that was built during the reign of King Rama III. The temple welcomes worshippers year-round, though it’s busiest during its annual temple fair in November, during Loy Krathong. The temple grounds have mature trees and typical Buddhist structures such as a main prayer hall, ordination hall and library.

Lumpini Park is one of the largest green spaces in central Bangkok. Founded in the 1920s, this inner-city park spans over 500,000 sq m and is home to various flora and fauna. Over the years, it's become a popular gathering spot for Bangkok residents, who would gather for a round of jogging, light workouts, aerobics, and leisurely activities throughout the day.

Baan Kamthieng House Museum is located just next to Asoke, one of the busiest junctions on Sukhumvit. The setting of this renovated teak house feels more like the northern Thai village where it originated rather than the middle of a concrete jungle, surrounded by towering hotels, condos and in the shadow of Terminal 21 shopping center.

Wat Hua Lamphong, popularly known as is the coffin temple , it’s an authentic Buddhist temple where various aspects of Thai cultures, traditions, and beliefs are observed regularly. Lamphong Buddhists are known to believe in Karma; hence, visitors go there to make a merit of good karma. The temple is part of the third class royal temples in Thailand, affiliated with Theravada Buddhism.

At the heart of Bangkok's Chinatown is the Chinese-Buddhist temple of Wat Mangkon Kamalawat, known in Chinese as Wat Leng Nui Yee. The temple is the center of festivities during important festivals such as Chinese new years and the vegetarian festival.

Chatuchak Weekend Market is a market in Bangkok. In the past, it was in Sanamluang. In Buddhist Era 2521, the government wanted this place to be the park for relaxing and exercising. Thailand’s government authorities train gave Pahonyothin area connected to southern Chatuchak Weekend Market to make a new market so the Sanamluang market had moved there and changed the named after the area named “Pahonyothin area market”. In Buddhist Era 2530, it had been changed the named to “Chatuchak Weekend Ma

The Democracy Monument is a public monument in the centre of Bangkok, capital of Thailand. It occupies a traffic circle on the wide east-west Ratchadamnoen Avenue, at the intersection of Dinso Road. The monument is roughly halfway between Sanam Luang, the former royal cremation ground in front of Wat Phra Kaew, and the temple of the Golden Mount.

Wat Bowonniwet, or Wat Bowon for short is a first class Royal temple in Bangkok’s Phra Nakhon district. The temple, which is also known as Wat Bovornives was built during the reign of King Nangklao (Rama III) in the first half of the 19th century, when it was called Wat Mai. Originally there were two temples separated by a canal, the Wat Rangsi Sutthawat and the Wat Mai. In 1923 the two temples were merged into the Wat Bowonniwet.