LUMPHINI PARK THE CENTRAL PARK OF BANGKOK CITY

 It’s hard to imagine such a peaceful and ever so green place located in the middle of one of Asia’s largest and most busy cities, Bangkok. Right in the heart of the city in a sense brings to mind to that what Central Park in Manhattan is to the city of New York City. Tranquility and calmness is what you get when you are there, unless you happened to go there during sundown when it turns in the activity place for what seems like the whole of Bangkok’s population. Lumpihini Park is located in the center of Bangkok city on the North side Rama 4 road.

Describing Lumpihin has to be done in two parts, because it is literally like day and night. During the day it’s a peaceful park and on a sunny day you can do a plethora of activities ranging from biking, paddle boating in the swan shaped paddleboats on the large lake, have picnics on the never ending grass areas of just enjoy the view of the surrounding skyscrapers that almost seem to bend over the park. During the day time if you dare in the Bangkok’s scorthing hot sunny weather it’s the perfect get away from the noisy city even though you are still in the middle of the city. The greenery and surrounding vegetation makes you forget that, take a beloved one or a group of friends and enjoy the day out doing activities or just enjoying the warm weather over some cooled drinks and a picnic basket. However during sundown Lumpihin becomes a spectacle as people of all corners flock in to complete their daily or weekly exercise and hobbies. From the hundreds of runners running around the 2.5km run track around the park, to aerobics enthusiast you can see an assortment of what seems like hundreds of different sports and activities practiced here. What’s more impressive to me personally is that these same people who flock in around sundown (5pm-6pm)  manage to evacuate by nine o’clock as the park shuts its doors for the night all so it can re-open them again 4.30am for the early rising runners and walkers. 

The park was built back in the 1920’s by King Rama VI on what was then royal property. Originally it was a museum where many of the products and natural resources were shown however after World War 1 it was re-built as the first park in Bangkok. A statue of the king sits at the southwestern entrance. Lumbini is the birthplace of Buddha in Nepal which it was named after and now days there are numerous things in Thailand named after it such as a series of condo buildings. The park doesn’t allow smoking or dogs in to the park in hopes to keep it clean, between 10am and 3pm the 2.5km jogging track is mainly reserved for bikers and after three until closing it is reserved for joggers. Besides the daily activities for the everyday person Lumphini has numerous other attractions such as bird watching. There is more than 30 species of birds and there are courses offered on birdwatching for the interested parties. Also numerous clubs come to the park to enjoy weekly activities, such as the disabled, Bangkok Elder Citizens club, Home of hope (homeless children), BMA apprentice school, and the Buddhist Dharma activities. The park also has a library, indoor & outdoor gym, food center, basketball court and a swimming pool.

If you feel the need to exercise come and join the crowd, I personally love the sight of seeing others run around me; it gets my competitive juices flowing every time. Or if you just simply want to get away from the hustle and bustle of the Bangkok life go for a day time stroll in the park. Lumphini is also a great way to help out and take part in charity as I mentioned numerous organizations and clubs come together there weekly to part take in activities. Located closest to the MRT Lumphini station and BTS Sala Daeng Lumphini Park offers something every big city should have, enclosed greenery and an easy get away for a few hours from the cities traffics, crowds and noise.