Suan Rot Fai – The Old Railway Park

Deep in the heart of Bangkok’s urban jungle, you will find a surprising contrast of greenery and wildlife in Wachirabenchathat Park – more commonly called Suan Rot Fai or Railway Park. The park grounds once belonged to the State Railway of Thailand but were procured by the government as part of a project to improve the urban landscape by providing green areas for the city’s inhabitants.

The park is located just off Phahon Yothin Road, on Kampaeng Phet Road 3 and can be easily reached by taxi. A good alternative to taxi is the skytrain, which is air-conditioned, cheap and convenient to use. Get off the skytrain at Mochit and take a short walk along Phahon Yothin Road, through Chatuchak Park and onto Kampaeng Phet Road. If you want to save even more money, try riding the bus for anywhere between 7 and 20 baht.

With the park spread out over 60 hectares, the bike-rental service – provided near the north entrance gate – is a great choice for getting around. Bikes can be borrowed for as little as 20 baht and come fitted with passenger and baby seats. The 3 kilometre track is popular among joggers and walkers but is usually alive with the sounds of bicycle bells and children’s laughter.

Shade trees make the park a perfect place to relax with family and friends, and straw mats for sitting on can be borrowed at a small fee. If you want to spend more than a few hours at the park, take a picnic along with you or try the vendors stationed near the bike-rental sheds. There is a small cafe to the right of the entrance gate, where you can buy coffees and snacks.

Once you enter the park, there are three main paths which you can follow, with smaller interconnecting paths along the way. On the east side of the park you will find the boating lake, where you can borrow a paddle boat for 40 baht per hour. The central path passes through the most popular sitting area; to the right of this path you will see a miniature version of Rattanakosin Island with models of the Rama VIII Bridge, the Giant Swing and Golden Mount Temple. The west side of the park is a maze of pathways and the children’s playground is located about halfway down.

Map of Suan Rot Fai

Amidst Bangkok’s labyrinth of streets and concrete tower blocks, Suan Rot Fai offers a welcome oasis for wildlife. There are numerous species of birds including Tree Sparrows, Rock Pigeons, Black-naped Orioles and Yellow-rumped Flycatchers. A birdwatching fair is held at the park every year by the Bird Conservation Society of Thailand. The butterfly garden, in the southeast corner of the park, is home to around 20 species of butterflies including the Plain Tiger, Clipper and Orange Oak Leaf.  The butterfly park is open Tuesday to Sunday from 08:30 a.m. to 16:30 p.m., admission is free.

Suan Rot Fai is a great alternative to the hotter and noisier Chatuchak Park. If you’re looking for something a little different, this park is the antithesis of “typical Bangkok tourist.” The park is open from 05:00 a.m. to 21:00 p.m. and welcomes families, joggers, tourists or those who just want a quiet place to read a book. If you’re living or staying in Bangkok, the question you really need to be asking is: “why haven’t I been there yet?” A fascinating day out in Bangkok on a shoestring.