Riverside, Silom & Lumphini - Bangkok - page 281

Relaxing Bangkok-style among the exercisers and exercise-observers in Lumphini
Park , the 'lungs of the city'.
Confronting your fear of snakes at Queen Saovabha Memorial Institute .
Ending the day (or starting the night) with a dinner cruise on Mae Nam Chao Phraya.
Explore: Riverside, Silom & Lumphini
Th Silom, with its towering hotels and office buildings, is Bangkok's de facto financial
district, while Th Sathon is home to many of the city's embassies. Incongruously, lower
Th Silom functions as Bangkok's lush gaybourhood. There's a dearth of sights in this part
of town, so unless you're heading to Lumphini Park - at its best in the early morning -
take advantage of the street stalls and upscale restaurants and combine your visit with
lunch or dinner. The BTS stop at Sala Daeng and the MRT stop at Si Lom put you at
lower Th Silom, perfect jumping-off points for either Lumphini Park or the area's restaur-
ants and sights.
The Riverside area is significantly less flashy, and is a great area for an aimless wander
among old buildings. This stretch of Mae Nam Chao Phraya (Chao Phraya River) was
formerly Bangkok's international zone, but today boasts a particularly Chinese and
Muslim feel. Most of the sights in this area can be seen in a morning; the BTS stop at
Saphan Taksin is a good starting point.
Local Life
» Halal 'Hood The intersection of Th Silom and Th Charoen Krung is home to several
Muslim-Thai and Indian restaurants.
» Rainbow Flag Lower Th Silom, particularly the strip from Soi 2 to Soi 4, is
Bangkok's pinkest district, and is popular with both local and visiting gay men.
» Good Morning Pretend you're Thai-Chinese by getting up at 5am and taking part in
the early-morning stretching rituals at Lumphini Park. Or you can just show up at a
slightly saner hour and watch.