Attraction

1. The Grand Palace

Royal palace and temple complexRattanakosin

Bangkok's former royal residence, a walled complex of throne halls, courtyards and the revered Temple of the Emerald Buddha beside the Chao Phraya River.

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Attraction

2. Wat Pho (Temple of the Reclining Buddha)

Buddhist templeRattanakosin

One of Bangkok's oldest and largest temples, famous for its 46-metre gilded Reclining Buddha and as the historic home of Thai traditional massage.

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Attraction

3. Wat Arun (Temple of Dawn)

Buddhist templeThonburi

A riverside temple on the Thonburi bank, known for its towering central prang encrusted with colourful porcelain and seashell mosaics.

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Attraction

4. Jim Thompson House

Historic house museumPathum Wan

The canal-side teak home of the American silk entrepreneur Jim Thompson, now a museum of Southeast Asian art shown on guided tours.

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Attraction

5. Wat Saket (The Golden Mount)

Hilltop temple and viewpointPom Prap Sattru Phai

An old-town temple crowned by a gilded chedi on an artificial hill, reached by a spiralling stairway with sweeping views over Rattanakosin.

View details — Wat Saket (The Golden Mount)

Attraction

6. Bangkok National Museum

National history and art museumRattanakosin

Thailand's principal national museum, set in the former Front Palace near Sanam Luang, with collections spanning Thai art, archaeology and royal heritage.

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Attraction

7. Lumphini Park

Urban parkLumphini

Central Bangkok's best-loved green space, a 57-hectare park with a boating lake, jogging paths and resident monitor lizards beside the Silom business district.

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Attraction

8. Museum Siam

Discovery museumRattanakosin

An interactive discovery museum in a colonial-era building near Wat Pho, exploring what it means to be Thai through playful, hands-on exhibitions.

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Attraction

9. Bangkok Art and Culture Centre (BACC)

Contemporary art centreSiam

A free contemporary art centre opposite MBK, with a spiralling atrium, rotating exhibitions, independent shops and cafés over several floors.

View details — Bangkok Art and Culture Centre (BACC)

Attraction

10. Wat Traimit (Temple of the Golden Buddha)

Buddhist templeChinatown

A Chinatown temple housing the Golden Buddha, a solid-gold seated image weighing about five and a half tonnes, displayed in a multi-tiered marble hall.

View details — Wat Traimit (Temple of the Golden Buddha)