Benjakitti Park - Bangkok - Song of the Koel

January 8, 2026

Benjakitti Park - Bangkok

1st Day in Bangkok

There is a balcony out there and I'm glad there is that grate over it because it's pretty high and heights now freak me out.

Benjakitti Park - Bangkok

Unbelievably nice weather arrived in Bangkok at the same time we did. Normally, no matter what time of year, Bangkok is HOT and HUMID. But for the three days we were planning on being there the forecast was for low 80's and low 40's for humidity. PERFECT! We had things we wanted to do in Bangkok and we were thrilled that we could do them in comfort. But, first, the best breakfast buffet we have ever found in Thailand was waiting for us downstairs.

You have heard us rave about this breakfast before. We stay at the Krungkasem Srikrung Hotel for two reasons: The location, right across the street, and klang, from the Hua Lamphong Train Station and second, the breakfast. The train station has been largely replaced by a big huge new station nowhere near but we still find the odd train that will bring us basically directly to this hotel. The hotel is vintage 70's. The rooms haven't changed much since then. They probably didn't have air conditioning or a little refrigerator back then but everything else is the same including a very hard bed. However, there is something going on with the hotel for it to be attracting people who certainly look rich and famous. We've seen groups of people who look like movie stars. We've seen clothing on these people and we do not fit in with them. People from all over the world come to this hotel as if it's a fancy hotel. It's either a cool throwback vintage thing to experience a basic hotel from the 70's, or, IT'S THAT BREAKFAST.

The breakfast has everything anyone would want; Thai or Western. There are little glasses of the best tasting homemade yogurt! A different curry every morning! A different Thai soup, a different jok or different second main Thai dish every day. Very rarely do we see new additions but one has shown up. It's thick slices of really good Italian bread you can toast and then spread garlic butter or whole garlic that has been marinating in olive oil for what looks like years. OMG! What a great new addition. But it's also the items that you can count on being the same as when you were there years ago like those glasses of homemade yogurt.. As we ride down the whole country we think about those things that we know will be there. As we get closer to Bangkok and the thoughts of staying in this hotel again will be reality, it's more and more enticing and our pace quickens. We start salivating on our handlebars thinking about the little cups of Thai tea custard with a layer of cream on top. Nothing like it anywhere else! They even have roselle juice! Nobody does that!

As delicious as the food is, it's also the dining area where the breakfast takes place that is simply elegant. Elegant and delicious make a good couple. The rooms to sleep in may be very basic, drab even, but the main level of the hotel was rather elegant for its time and has not changed one bit which means it's now more of a period piece. From the reception desk to the most enormous floral, teakwood carving I've ever seen outside of the Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon to all the photos of King Rama IX and the Queen when they were a young couple, it's a Bangkok classic hotel. The entire main floor just feels good. The dining area has three places to dine and each is unique. We, of course, always find a table close to the food! We want to nibble and try just about everything (many trips back and forth) so it's nice to be close. Besides, the other two areas are either down or up a few steps which would be precarious with plates of food and all that traipsing takes time away from eating!

Hua Lumphong train station just out the door of our hotel.

Our plan for the day was to figure out the subway system and take it to Bangkok's new park, Benjakitti Park. The park has been there in a much smaller form since 1992. It is named after the Queen (who died recently) and was dedicated to her on her 60th birthday in 1992, her 5th cycle (Bejakitti means 5th cycle). It was a small park next to the Thai Tobacco Monopoly which dissolved in 1992 and all their property was given to the park. Most of it was a wetland but there were a few warehouse buildings on the land too which have now been preserved and turned into pickle ball courts, racquetball courts, volleyball courts, basketball courts and you name it courts. The walls have been mostly opened up and the roofs and end walls have been refurbished.

We (Andrea) figured out how to pay for the subway. We had never used it but we were surprised at how beautiful it is. It's as modern and clean as any in the world I'm sure and it runs all over the city. And it was super cheap. It took us right to Benjakitti Park. Entrance is free. There are walking paths and biking paths. There have been mounds made in the wetlands with lots and lots of trees planted on them. There are also lots of old trees which were near the Tobacco Monopoly buildings. To make this short, it was an absolutely beautiful park - a joy that a huge city can actually make a new park. It was so nice to walk around in it and be surrounded by skyscrapers - a bit like Central Park in NYC.

There is also an elevated walkway and bikeway called the Green Mile, which is still being worked on,1.3 kilometers over to the old standard large Bangkok park, Lumphini Park. It, too, is a nice park but looked a bit wilted and overused compared to the new kid on the block nearby. But it was fun to be there too.

One of the views from the Green Mile walkway from Benjakitti Park to Lumphini Park.

The Green Mile walkway between parks. There will be lots of plantings in these vacant areas.

Construction is continuing on the Green Mile Walkway between Benjakitti Park and Lumphini Park.

There were loads of tourists there with every language in the world being spoken it seemed like. It's times like that when I feel like a real world citizen and with everyone getting along and enjoying life together it's a great feeling. Andrea and I were just sitting there enjoying that feeling when we noticed a whole bunch of people had gathered in a group and were looking at something. I said to Andrea, "OK, something is happening. We better go check it out."

What was happening was a large water monitor lizard had caught a snake and was figuring out how to swallow it whole. It was funny to see everyone crowded around intently watching what I thought was a really gross thing. Water monitor lizards freak me out as do snakes and there they both were a few feet away. Water monitor lizards mostly live in the waterways in the park but this guy was on land. Where and how he caught a snake is beyond me and I don't need to know those details. I had to choose which I should video, the people or the lizard eating his lunch. I can't believe it but I chose the lizard. He was making quick work of swallowing and I was a little late to the scene so fortunately I didn't see much of it before he swallowed several times and then ambled off into the water. He had been completely unfazed by the crowd even when they clapped when he finally got that snake down.

Subway back to our lovely hotel. It had been a full day, a very enjoyable day because we got to see two newish projects Bangkok has completed. Bangkok is on the move. Infrastructure projects everywhere. It is no surprise that Bangkok was the most visited city in the world in 2025. The government made a huge gamble taking out one of the biggest loans (in ratio to GDP) in the world just before Covid hit, all of it to improve infrastructure and show the world what they could do. Thais are on their way for sure. The gamble is paying off.

lovebruce

Our bikes always remain next to the front door unlocked and we never think about them again until we leave. The staff at Krungkasem Srikrung Hotel are awesome.

We would never ordinarily pay the most we have ever paid for a room like this if it wasn't for the location and THAT BREAKFAST! It was nearly $40 for the room with breakfast for two.

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