Discover the Hidden Gems: Offbeat Things to Do in Bangkok
While Bangkok is enthralled with world-famous temples and glitzy modern malls, a whole world of wonderful weirdness and unseen magical moments still hides behind this beguiling city awaiting intrepid explorers plunging deeper!
This ‘Offbeat things to do in Bangkok’ guide shares our favorite alternative Bangkok attractions spanning lush gardens under bridges towards abandoned ruins rarely mentioned in guidebooks. Get ready for unexpected surprises!
Find Green Serenity on Bang Krachao’s Islands
Escape Bangkok’s concrete jungle by catching a ferry across the Chao Phraya River towards the verdant Bang Krachao gardens often referred to as ‘The Green Lung of Bangkok’ thanks to quiet flat trails weaving between thriving tropical foliage perfect for cycling adventures far from exhaust fumes.
Once a rural orchard region filled with traditional plant nurseries, Bang Krachao’s fertile landscapes now nurture precious greenery protecting over 80 peaceful hectares through sustainable eco-tourism-funded initiatives meaning no noisy polluting vehicles disturb birdsong reverberations. Wander shaded pathways spying squawking parrots or stop to sniff bursts of biomass breathing freely from bamboo groves before reaching the charming Phutthasothon floating market to try juicy orchid apples and spiky snake fruit direct from friendly boat vendors. For an utterly surprising lush reprieve right in central Bangkok, immerse in wonderful off-grid Bang Krachao!
Procure Vintage Treasure Trove at Papaya Studio Warehouse
Vintage lovers rejoice in discovering Papaya Studio – Bangkok’s chaotic 3000 square meter designer warehouse chock-full of fabulous flea market finds spanning retro furniture, global antiques, and cool industrial lighting pieces to reinvent home decor dreams without blowing budgets! The friendly family-run space near Chatuchak Park started years ago selling grandmother’s salvaged cabinets and has mushroomed into this incredible retro interior heaven.
Comb ceiling-high shelves crammed with vintage camera equipment, battered modeling mannequins, and antique typewriters perfect for converting into quirky bedside lamps or coffee tables! Then riffle the wall-to-wall selection of framed pictures, posters, and LP vinyl sleeves as inspiration strikes before lugging your gritty-chic upcycled discoveries homewards proud as peacocks. For pinch-me-now interior inspiration or just quirky gift ideas, Papaya Studio always wows.
Embrace Thai Puppetry Traditions at Artist’s House Gallery
The atmospheric Artist’s House gallery near Siriphong pier contains colorful displays honoring Thailand’s mythical Himmapan creatures upstairs before visitors browse ethnic handicrafts from Muslim communities in the south downstairs but the real treasure within this renovated wooden warehouse lies behind – a small onsite theater persevering endangered centuries-old art of Thai rod puppetry and dance called Hun Krabok!
Since 1978 the performance Nang theatre space has kept ancient legends and intricate choreography alive from past generations staging enthralling shows internationally to crowds unaware of this graceful tradition’s significance, therefore making time appreciating the free afternoon performances.
Watch ornately dressed dolls dance across the stage supported by talented puppet masters using bamboo controls and strings requiring deft dexterity and artisanship rarely witnessed beyond rural village events nowadays as modernity threatens such communal heritage. But words barely capture the ethereal experience – just arrive curious at the historic Artist’s House!
Hunt Vintage Fashion After Dark at Train Night Market Ratchada
As dusk falls over Bangkok anticipation builds out east for vintage fashion hunters and quirky homewares collectors towards the ensconced Ratchada train night market near Thailand Cultural Centre station spanning twice weekly Wednesday through Sunday where creative stall rental commerce thrives energetically from 5 pm beside defunct railway tracks now relieved from extensive rail expansion.
Across smooth pedestrian lanes beckoning until midnight, over 500 approved vendors attract stylish teenagers rifling racks filled with colorful grandpa cardigans and retro Casio digital watches unlikely found in big brands stores while nearby warehouse galleries stock kitsch plastic dollhouse furniture perfect for upcycling projects or ironically cute statement pieces show-stealing any party!
Reward relentless thrifting rounds with open-air craft beer lounges offering monster munchies from catfish skewers to Korean toast pressing Instagram opportunities. For offbeat after-dark retail therapy trips meeting cool millennials without tourist premiums, the Ratchada train night market delivers big smiles.
Spot Curious Cultural Contradictions at Wat Pariwat Temple
Within Bangkok’s lesser-visited riverside temples lies the unexpected eccentric worship hall Wat Pariwat containing a delibitating four-faced Brahma God statue dating back before 1890 later joined by garlanded pictures of beloved former abbot Luang Pho Koon covered by devotees with gold leaf patches bringing luck according to local beliefs. But turn the corner inside this small open-walled prayer sanctuary across the compound and behold the strangest sight within Bangkok’s whole temple community – a grinning golden David Beckham as Buddha proudly on display wearing a Manchester United football kit kindly gifted by an ardent Thai fan!
This puzzling shrine to the English football legend and fashion celebrity sits among sincere Buddhist iconography blending superstar pop and religious ideologies like only Thailand can achieve!
While Wat Pariwat draws few tourists compared to grand riverside icons nearby, Beckham fans or spiritual culture enthusiasts find double delight in this curious offbeat gem for the keepsake photos alone. Just watch out not to step on any sacred scripture tablets while walking backward distracted by selfies!
Experience Chinese Heritage at Charming Lhong 1919
A precious window capturing Bangkok’s overlooked Sino-Portuguese heritage rests within Lhong 1919 – four converted gold-hued shophouses transformed into an atmospheric cafe-meets-museum time capsule spanning tea rooms and artifact displays referencing Chinese clan culture that greatly informed regional architecture. The relaxing central courtyard draped in crimson lanterns and trailing orchids contains precious wall panels and doors salvaged from structures demolished long ago by owners dedicated towards preservation education through regular venue tours.
But the true alluring soul of Lhong 1919 emerges wandering the oriental beauty of intricately-tiled flooring upstairs exhibiting remarkable fidelity to principles utilizing symbolic auspicious colors and repetitive patterns still seen inside swanky Shanghai hotels today!
Conclude by toasting journeys through decades gone past alongside heavenly cups of silky smooth pu’er or chrysanthemum tea thinking fondly how previous generations from around the globe collectively contributed towards modern Bangkok just outside.
Explore Quirky Chang Chui Bangkok Plane Night Market
A decommissioned Airbus A330 commercial plane never took passengers skywards again after economic woes permanently grounded her future flightpath ambitions beside Sirindhorn road, but experienced an extraordinary colorful new incarnation instead as the cultural nucleus of Chang Chui creative art village filled with independent galleries, local graffiti talent and over 50 exciting food stalls attracting carefree neighborhood evening grazing nightly! Stroll this spectacular upcycled aircraft shell fitted with vintage airplane seats besides steampunk portholes and propellor ceilings raising curiosity.
Continue onwards exploring warehouse galleries like Comics City’s floor-to-ceiling Lao manga murals or YogaBe showcasing gorgeous handcrafted yoga apparel perfect for deep breathing aerial poses across Chang Chui! When midnight munchies strike, lush gardens tempt you with fusion tacos, Italian wine, or creamy gelato not easily found elsewhere in town!
For quirky Bangkok hipster hangouts, Chang Chui’s unexpected artistry lands solidly.
Marvel Over Mythical Architecture at Erawan Museum
Ride a taxi barely half an hour outside Bangkok’s busy inner zones towards Samut Prakan province where the magical Erawan Museum emerges regally on a scenic hilltop – its huge three-headed mythical elephant statue an astonishing fifty meters long and towering fifteen floors high as the world’s largest sculpted image of multi-trunked deity Erawwan breaking world records as utterly unmissable roadside architecture!
Even more marvels await inside this unique attraction exploring the sheer extravagance of intricate religious arts referencing Hindu-Buddhist iconography spanning mosaic murals, a high-ceilinged reverent chapel, and golden replicas of important spiritual figures like Brahma and notable Naga serpents facing the skyscraper-sized exterior centerpiece!
Don’t forget to inspect the museum’s exterior base and surrounding gardens featuring stunning flowering sculptures and dancing water fountains that rightfully earned Erawan global acclaim as a visually jaw-dropping masterpiece in total harmony with nature and mythology rarely matched elsewhere on earth. Sheer fantastical wow factor!
Travel Back Through Time at Bangkokian Museum
Just across turbulent traffic from Jim Thompson’s House beside Saen Saep canal floats the beautifully tropical Bangkokian Museum, a series of four wooden stilt houses decorated to replicate middle-class family homes between 1870 to 1950 through intricately carved furnishings, checkered floors and floral porcelain ware offering charming glimpses into Siam’s development as Bangkok.
Costumed guides prove exceptionally knowledgeable about the old town while pointing out antiques like traditional hairdressing kits, broadcasting trumpets or elaborately framed Rama IV-period black and white family portraits rarely seen beyond private homes.
Don’t miss the atmospheric Reception Hall lined with fascinating images documenting early 20th-century city avenues filled with rickshaws, implied opulence of nobleman mansions across the river, or construction views of Hua Lampong Railway station expanding steadily outwards during the precious pre-war era. By extensively showcasing cultural milestones and customs from past generations through everyday memorabilia and replica architecture, this little-known nostalgic gem documents the not-yet-lost days when Thailand was still the mysterious kingdom of Siam.
Explore an Abandoned Skyscraper at Sathorn Unique Tower
Although technically off-limits due to safety issues, the hazy blue abandoned 1990s tower of Sathorn Unique stands irresistibly tall in Bangkok’s thin air over the Sathorn Road junction as an unofficial urban exploration badge-of-honor for intrepid travelers willing to carefully dodge security overnight to glimpse breathtaking city vistas otherwise unfound!
Ten years since construction stopped leaving an unfinished 49-floor skeleton behind, this iconic crumbling giant has starred in movies, luxury fashion shoots, and adventurous Instagram feeds capturing daredevils illegally scaling yellow construction girders to reach the untamed rooftop horizon revealing 180 degrees of glimmering skyscrapers framed photogenically by epic clouds sweeping dramatically around the tower’s slopes. While caution remains vital not trespassing too far inside fragile concrete floors, the gritty grandeur photographed from a distance still allows Sathorn Unique’s unusual majesty intact as Bangkok’s greatest architectural wonder the city left behind.
Hopefully, these offbeat Bangkok discoveries inspire digging deeper across sprawling neighborhoods appreciating precious heritage sites, abandoned curiosities, and natural scenery easily passed by between gilded palaces and supermalls. Just ride sky trains towards old districts forgotten by crowds yet so alive and intriguing for independent exploration.
Not sure where to start? Ask our AI guide and get personalized, up-to-date recommendations to enhance your Bangkok experience.
