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Bangkok for Family and Kids – What to see and Where to stay
When you say Bangkok, most people may not associate it as a Family travel destination as it has somehow become more synonymous as a haven for backpackers and solo travelers. But the fact is that Bangkok has much to offer families looking for an exciting holiday and for some quality time together. So we decided to contribute towards exploding the myth that Bangkok may not be an ideal destination for families. Here is a quick guide to what to see and where to stay in Bangkok for family and kids.
What to See in Bangkok
Thailand has a hypnotic appeal. Thailand is a country that draws millions of tourists every year and features in the list of the top 10 most visited countries in the World. Bangkok is the capital of Thailand. Bangkok has much to offer and there is so much to see and experience in Bangkok for family and kids that there is never going to be a dull moment when in Bangkok. The attractions of Bangkok are varied and there is something for every member of the family, ranging from kids, teenagers, middle-aged and aged. Here is a list of some of the attractions we thought would specifically be of interest to families who are looking for recommendations on places to visit in Bangkok for family and kids. There are many options in terms of customized itineraries for those looking for more convenient options for exploring Bangkok.
Grand Palace
The Magnificent Grand Palace is actually a collection structure, part of which is open to the public while others house the residence and offices of the royalty and Government. This has been the official residence of the kings of Siam and later Thailand since 1782. The buildings are architecturally beautiful with elements of Thai architecture blending seamlessly with European architecture to provide stunning results. The palace precincts cover more than 218,400 square kilometers and contain offices, temples, courtyards.
Wat Arun
This is one of the landmarks of Bangkok. It is situated on the banks of the Chao Phraya river and is a temple dedicated to the radiance of the early morning sun. Wat Arun can be roughly translated into English as, “The Temple of Dawn”. One of the most striking and visible features of this 17th-century temple is its tall spires which were built in the early 19th century by King Rama-II.
Wat Phra Kaew
Also known as the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, Wat Phra Kaew is situated inside the Grand Palace premises and is supposed to be the most sacred of the Buddha temples in Thailand. The emerald statue of the Buddha is supposed to have its origins in India. It is believed that the presence of the Emerald Buddha would ensure prosperity and munificence for the country where it resided.
Wat Pho
This is a temple which is situated behind Wat Phra Kaew. The temple is famously known as the temple of the reclining Buddha. This temple was built by King Rama-I and a portion of his ashes are enshrined here. The highlight of the temple is the massive reclining statue of the Buddha. The statue is 15 meters in height and 46 meters in length.
Lumphini Park
Lumphini Park is the largest lung space in Bangkok. It covers an area of 142 acres. The park is a peaceful oasis and a place for relaxation. It also houses an artificial lake where boating can be done. It has numerous playgrounds where children can run around to their heart’s content. Ample sitting space and jogging tracks make the Lumphini Park and an ideal place to spend some soothing time amidst green environs away from the hustle and bustle of Bangkok.
Safari World
The Safari World is a complete entertainment for the family. It is an open zoo as well as a safari park. The kids are going to love the close encounters with Dolphins, giraffes and other animals. One can go on an African like Safari for about 45 minutes as well to see the wild animals close up. Feeding Giraffes is another exciting activity here. One can also go on a river cruise or watch a Cowboy stunt show that brings alive the Wild West in all its thrilling dimensions. The Marine world offers a fascinating glimpse into the underwater world and the Bird show is something which is going to delight the children. A full day of family entertainment is guaranteed at the Safari World in Bangkok.
MBK Centre
Bangkok is indeed a shoppers paradise. One can shop till they drop at the various open and night markets of the city. One also has the option at shopping at one of the innumerable shopping malls. One of the iconic shopping malls is MBK center which is one of the largest of its kind in Asia. It is 8 floors high and spans 350 meters long over a total area of 140,000 square kilometers. The mall has over 2500 shops and 150 eateries and experiences a footfall of more than a million people in a day.
Where to Stay when in Bangkok
There is no dearth of family-friendly accommodation in Bangkok. Once you decide on the budget, you can find lots of good accommodation in Bangkok for family and kids. There are hotels in Bangkok to suit all budgets. One can choose to stay in the thick of action near the markets of Pratunam in hotels like Amari Watergate Bangkok or if one prefers a centrally located place in Bangkok and is looking for a budget hotel then there is Hotel Ibis Bangkok Nana. If one prefers to wake up to views of boats bobbing in the water, one can stay at the innumerable hotels, luxury, and mid-range which dot the riverfront of Bangkok. Bangkok is a vibrant and pulsating city with a population of more than 8 million people and it ensures that it has adequate choices of accommodation for travelers of all categories.
As one can see from this list of attractions in Bangkok, it sure is a destination for the entire family to head out to and have some great fun. There is something for the entire family including kids. The family is sure to come back with excellent memories from their Bangkok trip. If you are planning for a longer stay in Thailand then you could check out 3 week Thailand itinerary.
Do you agree that Bangkok is ideal for families and kids too? Did you find this post on Bangkok for family and kids useful? Have you traveled to Bangkok with your family?
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The palace looks so opulent. A friend visited Bangkok and she couldn’t stop raving about it. The temples are amazing too.
Well, Bangkok as a family destination surely sounds good! I specially like your opening line – “most people may not associate it as a Family travel destination”.
I guess these too are the beauties of Bangkok and should not be missed.
Great tips and list of places to see. They all look lovely.
That sounds like such an amazing city to see and experience! I would love to go there someday!!
I think that it would be a wonderful place for families to go. My son hasn’t been outside of Canada and the US and if we had the money, I would really love to travel afar. Bangkok looks so beautiful. Thank you so much for sharing all those pictures and all the back story.
I’ve never thought about going to Bangkok with my kiddo. We go all over the world so I definitely want to check out what they have here. There’s a lot to do there.
Bangkok is on my bucket list of places to see! Do people speak English? That is what worries me most about foreign travel. It does look like there are a lot of great places to see and stay.
I have never been to Bangkok but it is on my travel bucket list along with much of the rest of the world. I’d love to see everything, the culture seems interesting.
The palace and temples are stunning. I still have not made it to Thailand, but Bangkok is definitely high on my list of places to see!
One day in the future I’d love to travel to Asia. The history and architecture is amazing. It’s definitely on our bucket list.
True! Thailand is almost never associated with family travel! Good that you posted this! The Grand Palace indeed looks so grand! Good that a portion of the palace is open to public! Wat Arun and Wat Pho are very much in my wishlist!
OMG! Bangkok looks amazing! I’ve not yet been to Thailand, but it’s certainly now on my bucket list. Thx for the superb post.
These images are mind blowing! I would love to visit Bangkok, there is so much to see and many places to visit. Oh, and I heard that people can go shopping all day and never get tired 🙂
I would agree that its appeal is hypnotic. The perfect word for it. It’s absolutely gorgeous and has endless things to experience!
I’m glad I read this. Kid would sure love Safari World.
Oh, man I would LOVE to go to Thailand! Taking my kids would be even better – your pictures are absolutely stunning!
Bangkok sounds really cool to visit. There are so many amazing sights to see, and it sounds like there is no shortage of places to stay.
Oh wow, Bangkok has so many gorgeous sites for travelers of all ages to enjoy. I’m not sure if I am brave enough to travel with my kids internationally yet, but I’m sure this would be an absolutely amazing trip!
Bangkok is the really beautiful destination! Those photos are really gorgeous. I’ll make sure to go there with my family soon.
Wow. I have not thought that Bangkok had so much to offer. The architecture is fantastic! Definitely a traveler’s paradise. I could take my kids with me, since they are now all grown ups. We have been thinking of doing an Asian tour, but nothing is definite yet.
I’m happy you present Bangkok as a great destination for families, too. We should ditch stereotypes and explore the world freely. That’s the point of traveling, isn’t it? 🙂
I’ve been looking at countries in Asia lately. I feel like that’s the part of the world that I would love to explore. I’ve read so much about Bangkok and I’m definitely interested in going there and exploring the place!
You’re so right, one usually doesn’t associate Bangkok with family travel, but I’ve seen so many info on kids friendly places and accommodations. If you can still get to see all the temples and landmarks, even better! 🙂 I can imagine that Safari World would be a perfect stop. 🙂
A friend of mine went for a vacation in Bangkok and she said it was gorgeous. I hop\e we can visit there one day with my family.
I am definitely trying to go to Thailand this year with friends. Maybe not Bangkok but this is still a good resource.
It’s great to know that Bangkok has so much to offer to families as well. Because when we travel there, we will definitely be with our family and kids. Places like safari world will definitely add to their excitement
One of my best friends is Thai and hearing her talk about Thailand makes me want to go there so badly! It looks absolutely gorgeous!
🙂 I think for Asians, Thailand is /can be a family destination… We probably have a wider view of Thailand as a tourism destination. It’s more known as ‘the’ backpacker party zone for westerners, really.
My grandma visited Bangkok once and it was a totally amazing trip. She kept on telling me how beautiful and fantastic the buildings and temples are. And Thai food is extra delicious too. Wish to have chance visit Bangkok as soon as possible.
I never considered Bangkok as a place to take my son. Might be because it is more often referred to as a party destination. But I m sure there are some amazing locations to explore. The oppulent temples and the zoos are definitely going to be the places I shall visit if i happen to visit Bangkok wiht family.
My entire family and I travel together over Xmas and New Year and this would be an excellent place for all of us to see and explore together.
This tips are so useful for me. I’ve planned a trip throughout Thailand, especially Bangkok, the beautiful capital. I love the Palace the most, so glamourous. I believe I would have a funny and meaningful time here. Thank you!
The grand palaces look absolutely amazing! Every time I see a photo, I’m just so wowed by the intricate details. I’m hoping in visit Thailand in January with a friend and we’re both grown adults but these are definitely very lovely suggestions still. Thanks for sharing!!
Ah this brings back so many memories of my visit to Bangkok last year! The palace is by far my favorite piece of architecture – so spectacular! Great round up.
You are right — I definitely don’t think of Bangkok as a great place for family travel. I’m going to pass this on to friends who have two youngish daughters. They’ll love this! Personally, I would go just for the architecture. The Grand Palace and Wat Arun in particular look to amazing to miss. And I’d love to try one of the hotels along the riverfront! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Really great post, it’s nice to know that families will enjoy Bangkok just as much as the backpacker who seems to have become the poster child for Bangkok tourism lately. With so many palaces and temples, and being a country which is very safe for and used to English tourism, I can definitely see how it would be a fun and educational experience for children too 🙂
Your photos of the temples are so gorgeous! I love the design of them, the detailing is so beautiful. I keep missing out on Thailand, I need to make more of an effort to get there! Thanks for some great suggestions whenever I make it there.
Your photos inside the temples are stunning. I saw a lot of these things when I was in Bangkok myself, Wat Pho was one of my favorites, and I agree that these would be great destinations to take a family to. I love sharing history and culture with children!
I can’t get over how gorgeous these photos of Bangkok are!! The Grand Palace is a place I have dreamed about visiting for quite awhile now – I just have not made it out that way yet. Did you take a lot of photos? I feel like I would take thousands lol
We need to go back to Bangkok and explore the city a bit! We only used Bangkok as a passing through point to get to other places in the country like the islands or up north. I feel like we really missed out!
What an amazing guide! I have visited Bangkok 4 times but didn’t end up seeing all of these things on this list. I really enjoyed the view of Wat Arun from across the river. There is a little temple next to Wat Arun which hardly anyone visits but was one of the most beautiful ones that I saw in Bangkok.
This was very interesting since we are planning a trip to Thailand at some point. It is good to know that a big city like that is fine with kids. Looks like there is also so much to see there! I would love to explore the city and get to know the culture even better.
Bangkok looks amazing and I’d love to go one day! #feetdotravel
Thank you for taking us on a visual trip to a place that I probably will never visit, but I have always wanted to go.
Bangkok isa great city to travel around. I bet the kids loved riding the skytrain. Did you take them on the ferry taxi boat up river. They would have loved that too.
The big Buddhas must have been interesting.
This is such an interesting read! I have a friend who wants to start traveling with her little girl and I’ll make sure to link her this article because I’m sure she’ll find it useful!
Great post and love how you catered to family and kids. So many great activities to see and hotels for every budget. Wish I had this guide for my last visit to Bangkok. I pinned this for later! Thanks for sharing 🙂 #feetdotravel
Great list of ideas! I didn’t think of Bangkok as a family destination, but you certainly make a great argument for it! So many awesome things to do with the whole family and I’m sure the kids would be amazed at some of those sights when they see it in person.
Every place you listed is on my list of must sees when I get to Bangkok eventually. The temples are so beautiful online. I can only imagine what they are like in person. I think those attractions would definitely be family friendly especially if you mix in the zoo. I wonder if the kids would like the food over there….
We’ll be in Thailand in December and I can’t wait to see the temples you mentioned here. They all look so detailed and beautiful. I hope two weeks there gives us enough time to enjoy as many possible.
I have not been to Bagkok, the hotel pool looks wonderful! I would REALLY like to see the reclining Buddha
Have been to Bangkok with my family. It is a lovely destination for a family trip. There’s a bit of something for everyone. Wat Pho is really majestic, although it does get crowded. Safari world is fun for children.
Nice suggestions with sights, activity, shopping and nice place to stay. I am sure the whole family can enjoy and there are so much more to explore in Bangkok such as night market! @ knycx.journeying
Excellent tips! I’ve been to a few to the places you highlighted and learned about some new ones as well. The Grand Palace and Wat Pho were my personal favorites. That rooftop pool looks amazing, what a perfect way to beat the heat after a long day of touring the city.
Some great tips for visiting this vibrant city! #feetdotravel
I wouldn’t think of Bangkok as a place for kids, but your post has changed my mind about that. When my girls were little, Safari World would have been #1 on their list!
I don’t have any kids, but I’ve been to Bangkok and am familiar with many of its attractions. I feel like kids might get bored if they’re taken to too many of the temples, though. That MBK mall sounds huge; I had no idea they had one so big.
Bangkok is a beautiful city to walk around for families and kids with some temples just near to each other. I think they just have to be careful especially when crossing a road. And if the family loves to shop, Bangkok is really a place for them!
We took a night tour of Bangkok by bike with a German family. They had two kids in their early teens on the tour. At first I thought, wow kids on bikes in this crazy city! As it turns out, the Grand Palace area (save Khao San road) seemed settle down at night. Our guide superbly led us through quite streets where we could see the city at night without the heat or the crowds. The kids seemed to really enjoy it too.
I didn’t realize Bangkok has so many family-oriented sights. We were hoping to go this winter, but I think it might have to wait since it would be in the ridiculously hot season. Thanks for sharing, great post!
Bangkok is a great kids’ destination. I do think it’s important to stay at a hotel with a pool for the kiddos to cool off and get some good physical energy expended at the end of the day. Love Bangkok!
Bangkok is such a beautiful city full of contradictions between the past and the present. There is so much to do for people of all ages. The activities you mentioned are indeed child-friendly, but regardless it is a city for all. Enjoyed my 2 months there and looking forward to going back soon! Great shots!
As a family traveling with kids, I love that you’ve highlighted Bangkok this way! We would love to visit Thailand, and this will be super helpful for when we do!
Loved Bangkok. We stayed at the Parawathum Princess, right near the MBK which was a terrific spot. Wat Arun was probably my fave, and we enjoyed going to a cocktail bar across the river from it (after climbing it) to get a different view of it at sunset)
Great list! I love Bangkok. I used to not be such a fan but it really grew on me. I can’t wait to go back.
You’re right, I don’t associate family travel with Bangkok, but there is a lot to do with kids. Taking a boat through the Klongs has always been my trick for entertaining the kids & it’s educational too. 😉
One of my favourite cities in the world and there is plenty to see and do with kids in tow – it helps that a lot of the temples (and the palace) are very close to each other, which minimises travel times and potential tantrums! Thanks for sharing
Bangkok is famous for shopping and street food. I never imagine it would be a good place for family travel. Thanks for your list! :))
We are always Wowed by photos of the stunning temples and that gorgeous palace. And yet…we still haven’t made it to Bangkok. Definitely need to work on that. Meanwhile, we’re pinning this post – great resource for when we do finally get there!
i love that you added a picture of every place. looks fantastic, i would definetly go to safari park!