A Museum, Wat Arun View & a Park

We’re heading towards the end of our time in the centre of Bangkok, so today we feel like sampling a little bit of history and culture, and we are heading off to the Siam Museum for this.

We take the MRT to Sanam Chai, which must be the most beautiful station in all of Bangkok. I think it is so ornate and special because of its proximity to the Grand Palace and because of the historical artefacts that were found during the construction of the station and the area. It is very grand and a must-see station. This station is right beside the Siam Museum.

Siam Museum

Museum Siam is a discovery museum that is located on Sanam Chai Road in Bangkok. The museum was established in 2007 in the former building of the Ministry of Commerce. It was created to teach the national identity and history of the people of Thailand, and their relationships with neighbouring cultures.

We found this to be a lovely little museum housed in an old colonial-style building. There were various exhibits and areas to look at. I also quite liked the fact that they had lots of games that visitors can interact with. Not as much use for us as it was mostly in Thai, but it was a nice touch, and I think it would be great if you had young kids with you. We wandered around each of the areas and the little visitor shop. It was great value for 100 baht (less than £2.50 each).

After leaving the museum, we made our way towards the river to get a view of Wat Arun from the opposite side of the river.

Wat Arun is one of Bangkok's most important Buddhist temples. It is situated in Thonburi on the west bank of the Chao Phraya River. It's named after Aruna, the Hindu god of dawn. For sure, Wat Arun isn’t just another temple – it’s one of the most visually striking landmarks in Bangkok. Often nicknamed the Temple of Dawn, it stands proudly on the west bank of the Chao Phraya River, its spires glittering with colourful porcelain mosaics that reflect the sunlight at different times of day.

What makes Wat Arun especially unique is its architectural style. Unlike many of Bangkok’s temples, which feature ornate golden roofs, Wat Arun boasts Khmer-style prangs (towers) that rise high into the sky. The central spire stands at about 70 metres (230 feet) tall, flanked by four smaller ones, all intricately decorated with tiny pieces of Chinese porcelain and seashells – materials once used as ballast by trading ships. The result is a shimmering mosaic effect that’s unlike anything else in the city.

S&R had visited this temple during their time in Bangkok, and they commented on the steepness and the number of steps to climb the main prang. With this knowledge, R and I decided we’d give it a miss. It’s not that we are completely infirm or anything but the thought of climbing some steep, narrow stairs with lots of other people, in the heat and possibly not having a handrail to hold onto or relying on my old eyes coordinating the steps properly going up and down, was a risk I wasn’t particularly keen on taking. That, along with R’s fear of heights, made it an easy ‘let’s not bother doing that’ for us. Instead, we were happy to view this marvellous temple from across the river. So that is exactly what we did. As usual, we were out during the daytime, and I do believe this is a stunning temple to view in the evening, but we prefer to be out during the day and then relax indoors in the evening. There are several restaurants that are very popular along the riverside that people often book months in advance just to have a great evening view of Wat Arun.

After viewing Wat Arun from the riverside, we made our way to a little park area called Saranrom Park, which is fairly close to the Grand Palace. It is worth noting that the whole area around this location is very touristy and there are tour buses, Tuk-Tuks, taxis and other vendors selling their services and wares. The park is a little bit of respite, although having said that, it was absolutely full of large crows, and I kept thinking we were in Alfred Hitchcock’s “The Birds”! I have no idea why they were everywhere, but it was sort of weird. We didn’t stay too long in the park as the birds were so noisy, and we were just waiting to be splatted on by them…

After the park, we headed for the MRT at Sam Yot and made our way back to the apartment.

Today's Route:

Day 45: 8 January 2026

Bangkok, Thailand