Rattanakosin Old Town: 32 Places to Ride To

Thai exterior + interior influenced by European/Italian design, plus a large royal cemetery hidden behind it.

Photo: กสิณธร ราชโอรส / CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons (resized)

Prince Mongkut lived here as a monk for 27 years before becoming Rama IV. The temple also began as two separate monasteries divided by a canal.

Yes, it has the huge standing Buddha - but the more interesting story is that it began as Wat Rai Phrik (“Vegetable Fields Temple”), and Rama I gave the land partly to accommodate prisoners of war.

A sleepy riverside temple near Thewet that predates Bangkok as the capital. The interesting part is the surrounding old riverside community rather than monumental architecture.

Photo: กสิณธร ราชโอรส / CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons (resized)

Often overshadowed by the famous temples nearby. Originally called Wat Liap and predates Bangkok; Rama I rebuilt it in 1793. Interesting because you're looking at a piece of the city before modern Bangkok really existed.

Photo: Supanut Arunoprayote / CC BY 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons (resized)

Hidden behind Samsen Road. Originally connected to a family memorial; its present name comes from three generations of officials who restored it.

Photo: Vyacheslav Argenberg / CC BY 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons (resized)

Hidden inside the Phranakorn-Nornlen area, with a much more old-Bangkok / residential atmosphere than modern café districts.

Phra Athit Road, Chana Songkhram, Phra Nakhon side.

Photo: Paul Arps from The Netherlands / CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons (resized)

Rama VIII Park on the Thonburi side sits directly at the foot of the bridge with a dedicated viewpoint and riverside recreation area.

Photo: Plengsak / CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons (resized)

Phra Sumen Fort / Santichaiprakarn Park riverside.

River park at the Rama VIII bridge.

Wat Arun viewing point - the iconic composition.

A serious part of Bangkok's amulet-collecting culture: collectors and dealers examining tiny pieces with magnifying glasses, discussing provenance, temples, monks and authenticity.

The Lan Luang / Chakkraphatdiphong old quarter: old shopfronts, small galleries, flower sellers, traditional food and independent cafés - recently host to Bangkok Art Walk.

At 4 AM the flower market is a completely different experience: flowers arriving by truck, wholesalers moving huge quantities, workers preparing garlands as the city's restaurants begin their day.

Not in the tourist centre - in the Bang Yi Khan area, intimate and residential. The feeling of eating inside a private Bangkok house and garden rather than a conventional restaurant.

Part of Bangkok's pad thai story for decades. Go late evening and combine: Giant Swing, Wat Saket, old Bangkok streets, pad thai.

Arrive 05:00-07:00 for a completely different Bangkok: fresh produce, food vendors, monks and shopkeepers before the tourist Old Town wakes up.

Fantastic for a long evening: Tha Tien, dinner, the river, Wat Pho, night walk. Not hidden, but the combination is excellent.

Not secret, not fancy, but deeply connected to Bangkok's everyday food culture - surrounded by old Rattanakosin.

Tucked inside the tiny lanes of old Rattanakosin - the walk to get there is part of the experience. You're discovering somewhere to eat inside an old Bangkok alley.

Almost on the river, looking directly at Wat Arun - for eating while watching the temple change colour.

A direct view across the Chao Phraya toward Wat Arun, especially beautiful at sunset. Michelin recommends the terrace and the vintage Chinese-panel interior.

Tucked into the old Ban Phan Thom / Samsen area - the neighbourhood itself makes the meal interesting.

One of Bangkok's classic old breakfast places.

An old-school Bangkok breakfast diner that feels like it has been here forever. No concept, no Instagram design - just an old family place with coffee and people coming and going.

Not just a pretty green cafe: a garden, Thai food and a cooking-school environment. Combines well with Wat Sam Phraya and the little lanes around it.