Free Things to do in Bangkok
**You can visit free places and they are all amazing. You don’t have to sacrifice fun for money.**
1. **Explore Ko Kret Island**
Ko kret is an artificial island in Chao Phraya River, just northwest of central Bangkok city. It is equipped with everything one needs to be entertained in a low budget.
You can go there any day of the week but the weekends are spectacular when many vendors sell food, local pottery, and various random things. Although you wanna keep it within a budget, it is for sure that you’ll spend more money on some mouth watering food and beautiful looking pots. You can plan to spend an entire day in there if your stay in Bangkok is long enough, but you can also get around the island within 5 to 6 hours if you want to keep it short.
If you have enough time, I recommend you to visit the other parts of the island as well. You never know what you’ll come across. It’s less visited than the main market, so it’s peaceful and a way to directly mingle with the local people and experience their day to day lives.
Only way of reaching Ko kret is through boats which you can get from Nonthaburi Pier. You pass through beautiful Wat Sanam Nuea temple to get to the Pier. Ride is almost 15 to 20 minutes and it will cost you maximum of 5 bhats, it’s incredibly cheap if you convert it to USD, like 15 cents.
**2. Get lost at the Chatuchak Weekend Market**
It is one of the largest market in Asia, the biggest in Thailand. It has more than 15000 stalls, just imagine how big it is. Either you wanna spend tons of money on shopping, or you wanna kill time but see Thai culture without spending a dime, for both things it can be your go to place.
The whole market is open from 9am to 6pm on weekends. On other days it’s partially open. You can find everything from plants, antiques, consumer electronics, cosmetics, fresh and dry food and drinks, ceramics, anything you can think about. There are wholesalers and retailers for almost every items and the best thing is, they ship directly to your address. They charge you an extra shipping fee, but you don’t have to bother carrying bags for the whole day, right?
Their street foods are fantastic. Try as many street foods as you can. they are cheap and also give the authentic local taste of Thailand.
You can get here by train, taxi, metro, Tuk tuk; it’s famous locally, it’s like an Auto, or by bus.
Some more tips while visiting the market; try to start the visit early in the morning because it’s gonna be crowded during the mid-day. Also wear comfy clothes as you have to walk through the market, probably all day. Get some cash and remember to bargain. Although the prices are already cheap, you can get them for around 70% to 80% less than the marked price. Also be safe of thieves as it is a crowded place, and keep your belongings safe.
**3. Visit the Erawan Shrine**
Erawan shrine also called ‘Thao Maha Prom Shrine’ is a statue of Phra Phrom, it’s the Thai representation of Brahma, the Hindu god of creation. It shows the relationship between Hinduism and Buddhism. Thai people regard it as their guardian spirit.
It’s located at the Grand Hayatt Erawan Hotel at Ratchaprasong intersection. It’s a busy place just next to shopping malls. The smell of the incense sticks, music, and beautiful flowers makes the place feel very serene.
You can visit it any-day from 6am to 11pm, free of cost. You can just pray on your own or hire Thai dancers to accompany your prayer for an extra cost.
Although Erawan is the most visited one, There are five other shrines in the area if you wanna visit them as well. You can tour them all in one visit.
**4. Relax in a park**
Bangkok may be a bustling metropolis, but it’s also home to some beautiful parks. There are many parks where you can wander around. Lumphini Park, Benjakitti Park, Queen Sirikit Park, King Rama IX Park, and Rommaninat Park are the most famous parks of all. They are a great place to escape the hustle and bustle of the city. It’s a popular spot for locals to relax, play sports, and enjoy the scenery. So when you get there, you can meet with the locals and enjoy with them.
You can even rent a paddle boat and take a leisurely tour of many parks’ lakes. And if you’re feeling competitive, join in on a game of takraw, it’s a traditional Thai sport similar to volleyball, with the local people. But be warned, they’re pretty good at that.
**5. Visit Bangkok Art and Culture Center**
If you need some AC during the mid day, given how hot Thailand is, it’s the perfect place to go. Also if you love some art, you can visit here. It is located only a few minutes walk from National Stadium BTS Skytrain metro Station. just get off at the station and it’s easily accessible.
It has a modern building with shops and galleries surrounding a central atrium. It looks like a shopping mall when you enter the building. On the lower floor you’ll find private galleries, boutiques and coffee shops. Upstairs you can explore exhibitions from some of Thailand’s best and brightest artists along with art by famous foreign artists.
It is open from 10am to 9pm and closed on Mondays and yes its free. It is a good location to put on your itinerary and you can plan to spend around 2 to 3 hrs in there.
