Bangkok Smackdown: Lumphini Park vs Benjakitti Park [S8.E8]

Greg and Ed discuss the pros and cons of Lumphini and Benjakitti parks in central Bangkok, and best of all - you get to vote for your favorite by clicking here!  The boys begin almost with a disclaimer:  both parks are genuinely awesome, and there’s no way to definitely declare one park obviously superior to another.  Nevertheless, each has its strengths and weaknesses.

Lumphini is the classic ‘Central Park’ of Thailand and has had more than 100 years to mature and develop a large group of dedicated visitors.  It is landscaped and manicured in a more traditional way, and in some respects might mirror a kind of ‘international standard’ for parks.  It is excellent for walkers and joggers, but not so much for bikers who are limited by restrictive hours.  There are facilities for other types of exercise, but those facilities are probably insufficient for the massive number of the park’s visitors.

Benjakitti on the other hand is newer and larger and has much better options for a variety of sports, including pickle ball, basketball, badminton and table tennis.  It’s also much friendlier to cyclists, who have dedicated lanes through much of the park.  But Benjakitti is much less manicured throughout much of its spaces, representing the ‘forest’ (or sometimes ‘jungle’) in its name, as it’s intended to represent a genuine biological ecosystem.  Essentially, it’s less ‘tamed.’  

Both parks provide excellent opportunities for general walking and jogging and of course photography.  Both parks MUST be on the list of repeat tourists and expats. 

Vote for YOUR favorite park here!

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