Monuments and Memorials in Bangkok
Part of the Bangkok travel guide.
Bangkok's landmarks are spread along its old boulevards, riverbanks and traffic circles rather than gathered in one square. Many of them carry the hand of Corrado Feroci, an Italian sculptor who took Thai citizenship as Silpa Bhirasri, founded Silpakorn University and shaped much of the country's public art. A morning walk can take in a giant red teak frame, a hilltop with views over the old town, an early bridge across the Chao Phraya and a whole avenue of art deco buildings.
The main sites
The Giant Swing, a tall red teak frame first raised in 1784, stands in its own small square on Bamrung Muang Road and is one of the most photographed sights in the old town. A short walk east, the Golden Mount rises above the rooftops; about 300 steps wind up past bells and small waterfalls to a terrace with wide views of the city. On the river, Memorial Bridge opened in 1932 to link the old city with Thonburi. Its middle span was built to lift for ships, but it no longer opens. A bronze statue by Silpa Bhirasri sits at the Bangkok end, and the Pak Khlong Talat flower market runs right beside it. Ratchadamnoen Klang is the city's art deco avenue, lined with long 1940s blocks, cafés and wide footpaths. In Dusit, the bronze equestrian statue of King Chulalongkorn faces down the Royal Plaza towards the Italianate Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall, and across the river King Taksin rides a horse in the middle of the Wongwian Yai roundabout. For a modern contrast, the Ratchaprasong junction links its malls by elevated skywalks, and the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre nearby shows free contemporary art. Victory Monument is best known today as a transport hub, with a BTS station and busy bus stops.
Getting around them
MRT Sam Yot on the Blue Line is about a ten-minute walk from the Giant Swing, and the Golden Mount is a little further east; the Saen Saep canal boat stops at Phan Fa Leelard pier, right at its foot. For Memorial Bridge, use MRT Sanam Chai or the Chao Phraya express boat to Memorial Bridge pier. Ratchaprasong is at BTS Chit Lom, and Victory Monument sits directly under its own BTS station. Dusit and the Royal Plaza still need a taxi or a bus. Go early, because the squares and avenues have almost no shade and the light is far kinder before nine. Nang Loeng market makes a good breakfast stop on the way.