Top 5 Quirky Things To Do In Bangkok

Posted on April 15, 2014 by koomatzu

Bangkok offers so many quirky, creative and unique places to see. Whether it’s a slightly mental cat themed pub, a disturbing Forensic Museum of murder victims, or a cringingly inappropriate shrine of penises – Bangkok has it all!

So, yeah… Welcome to Bangkok! Here are some of my favourite finds I’ve come across while living in Bangkok, most of which are pretty off the beaten track…

Top 5 Off The Beaten Track Sights In Bangkok

1: Penis Shrine – Bangkok’s little secret

Also known as the Chao Mae Tuptim Shrine, this modest little shrine is not exactly advertised openly by the people of Bangkok. It seems to be treated more like a dirty little secret, hidden by overgrown vegetation at the back of a swanky hotel parking lot in central Bangkok. It really is small – literally the size of somebody’s back garden – however, they’ve really managed to pack a whole lot of penises into this small space!

If you are interested to check out this quirky fertility shrine, or simply take some unconventional holiday snaps, off the beaten track of Bangkok, you could easily mix it with some high street shopping in Siam centre.

2 The Artist’s House – A quirky canal-side cafe

The Artists House is a local arts studio-come-cafe, hidden down a maze of backstreets in suburban Bangkok. Finding the place is a challenge, however it seems to make a visit there all the more sweet when you finally discover this quirky, secret cafe way off the beaten track in Bangkok.

The ancient teak-wood cafe has a tranquil ambience, set right on a canal side amongst Bangkok locals going about their day-to-day business. You can take a gander around the small art studio upstairs, watch a Thai puppet performance in the showroom, buy arty souvenirs from the gift shop, or enjoy simply sitting on the peaceful canalside with a 20 baht cup of coffee.

3 Cat Cafe – Not for the cat haters

There are actually a couple of Cat Cafes scattered around Bangkok, the most popular one being located in Thonglor. Whether you just want to spend an afternoon playing with cute lil’ kitties, sniggering at crazy cat lovers or both, this place should be perfect for you! It’s worth visiting just for the sheer weirdness of the place – it’s strange rules, OTT hygiene demands and overall treatment of the cats almost as if they were hairy royalty… It’s an odd experience.

4 Siriraj Forensic Museum – The darkside of Bangkok

This one is definitely not for the squeamish: The Forensic Museum is located within hospital grounds just across the Chao Phraya River – it can be easily visited while ferry hopping along the riverside temples of Bangkok. It’s a pretty grim place though, with it’s pickled foetuses, mummified murder rapists, horrific photographs of murder victims and disturbingly detailed accounts from the tragic tsunami disaster. I’ve always thought of myself to have a pretty strong stomach when it comes to gorey sights, however I think I nearly passed out during my visit here! It’s an interesting place to visit for any medical nerds out there though…

5 Talat Rot Fai – Vintage Train Market

If you’re not a fan of shopping or markets, don’t write off the Talat Rot Fai Train Market just yet. A little more off the beaten track than the other markets of the city, this quirky Bangkok bazaar is packed with vintage sights, retro market stalls and cool Volkswagen camper van bars. You’ll find collectable toys and memorabilia from years gone past, as well as a decent selection of bars with good music. There is an interesting scattering of vintage vehicles and antiques throughout as well, just to make things a little more interesting.

Top 5: Local Thai Eats In Bangkok

Posted on February 8, 2014 by koomatzu

Are you itching to try some real Thai food in Bangkok? Screw all the fancy Thai restaurants, when you dine out off the beaten path – local style – then you can truly experience Thai food in Bangkok.

Not only do the local Thai restaurants in Bangkok serve hearty and traditional cuisine, but they ‘re also super cheap if you’re travelling on a budget. At most of the Thai restaurants popular with the locals, you can dine from just 70 baht per person… And remember that these restaurants are popular for a reason.

Thai Style Restaurants

Local restaurants in Thailand have a very different vibe to the more mainstream restaurants which are aimed at tourists, they’re worth visiting if you want to see a real part of Thai culture that you could otherwise completely miss.

A typical experience dining in a local Thai restaurant is casual, where diners share food platters in the middle of the table, are served drinks from shabby metal trolleys, drink from 5 litre beer towers and maybe even get to hear a Thai folk music performance from a local singer. A really popular feature of some local restaurants in Thailand, also seems to be the do-it-yourself barbecues, where patrons cook their own food on the table in front of them.

For the best local Thai restaurants in Bangkok, here’s my personal top 5:

1

Banrie Coffee is by far my best Thai restaurant in Bangkok. It’s open 24 hours a day, has live music, cheap beer towers, a cute beer garden, laid-back atmosphere and simple good food. Banrie Coffee is perhaps a little more sophisticated than your average local Thai restaurant, it’s more of an evening hangout for both young Thais and expats in Bangkok. But not only is it a cool hangout, but this Thai restaurant also has an extensive menu of Thai cuisine at an affordable price, complete with a fairy-lit urban garden.

2

SD Bar BQ is an all-you-can-eat buffet style restaurant in Bangkok, totally Thai style and packed full of cheerful locals. It’s not got the cheapest of prices by local standards, but for the range of dishes on offer and the unlimited food, it’s really not bad value at 129 baht per person. In fact if you’re looking for a place to sample a complete range of Thai cuisine, SD Bar BQ Buffet might be just what you’re looking for.

The layout of SD barbecue is casual and authentically Thai – tables are set out in long lines of benches with holes in the middle to barbecue your own food. Yep, this is a typical do-it-yourself barbecue-style restaurant (and it get’s pretty damn hot too) – of course there are other pre-cooked options available too if you don’t feel like cooking your own food. (Tip: another good barbecue restaurant in Bangkok worth visiting is the rooftop restaurant Bar-BQ)

3

Yong Lee is a Chinese-Thai style restaurant which has been around for almost 50 years and definitely looks it’s age. With grease splattered walls and tattered old menus, this is about as local as it gets. The restaurant itself is nothing fancy but the food is still pretty good for an off the beaten path visit.

Food at Yong Lee can be a little more adventurous, with Chinese fried bowels and beef tongue soups, however there are also a range of traditional Thai dishes too. Yong Lee is great for a casual lunch off the beaten track in Bangkok.

4

The Good View is a more extravagant restaurant compared to many other typical, local Thai restaurants in Bangkok. In fact, this is probably the most expensive restaurants out of my top 5 local Thai restaurants in Bangkok.

Located on the riverside, the restaurant has sophisticated wooden decking, a fairy-lit terrace and an indoor bar area with live music performances and a dance floor. It’s still pretty off the beaten path though, and has an extensive Thai, Western and Japanese menu with plenty of typically Thai beer tower’s available. If you’re after a special or romantic night out in Bangkok, Thai-style, then try Good View.

5

Sabai Jai Gai Yang, like Yong Lee and SD barbecue, is another humble little eatery in Bangkok. With a battered menu, plastic tablecloths and a modest karaoke-style folk stage, the restaurant maintains a casual yet lively atmosphere. It’s specialty is grilled chicken, however it has an extensive menu of Thai dishes and is great for sampling the local cuisine.

Picture by leolaksi

Papaya Vintage Shop Bangkok

Posted on December 30, 2013 by koomatzu

Home to perhaps the largest collection of bizarre vintage merchandise in Bangkok, the Papaya Vintage Shop is great for finding rare buys or merely just a curious peruse.

What’s in store at the Papaya Vintage Shop

Papaya is set in a huge warehouse down a very random and rather neglected road in Lat Phrao, a not-so-central area of Bangkok. Litter blows across the unusually wide and apocalyptic-looking road leading up to Papaya like hopeless tumbleweeds bouncing across a derelict landscape. Still, there are some interesting, colourful yet dilapidated-looking bars and body to body massage parlours to see along the way.

The entrance of Papaya is marked by a rusty old Tuk Tuk and a prominent life-sized dragon peering down from the warehouse roof. Entering the shop up the battered steps, the cluttered entrance sets the pace pretty accurately for what’s in store ahead – a chaos of seemingly infinite items from tacky junk to nostalgic treasures from throughout time.

Vintage shopping and snooping at Papaya

The gigantic warehouse of Papaya houses a plethora of vintage items from olden clocks, exotic vases, lavish china sets, musical instruments and war time trinket boxes; to bizarre paintings, antique furniture sets, 60’s pod chairs and kitschy phones from throughout the years. It also has a random scattering of shabby old mannequins, life-sized comic book heros, nostalgic childhood memorabilia, gaudy penguin bins, cabinets full of Garfield figures, and even more creepy mannequin babies.

Items at Papaya aren’t priced, so you need to find one of the workers if you’re interested in buying something there. Unfortunately, this is usually a sign that you’re probably going to need to haggle, so be prepared if bargaining isn’t your strong point. What’s more, don’t be too disappointed if the vintage item you’re itching to buy isn’t for sale; the Papaya Vintage Shop actually rents out a lot of their most prized and bizarre items to photographers to use as props.

How to get to the Papaya Vintage Shop in Bangkok

To get to Papaya Vintage Shop, the best way is to take the MRT subway to Lat Phrao station and then take a taxi from there. It’s about a mile along the road – a little too far to walk in the Bangkok heat. Ask the taxi driver to take you to Lat Prao Soi 55 (55 is pronounced ‘hah-sip-hah‘) – this will cost around 40 baht depending on traffic. Papaya Vintage is just a couple of minutes walk down the road directly on the intersection with Soi 55/2.

Khlong Lat Mayom Floating Market

Posted on December 17, 2013 by koomatzu

Khlong Lat Mayom Floating Market, also referred to as Talat Nam Khlong Lat Mayom, is a quieter, local floating market in Bangkok, on the outskirts of the city off the beaten track. The market has a pleasant and relaxed atmosphere with plenty of unique, cute indoor trinket stalls and a plethora of Thai snacks and freshly cooked dishes.

Best Floating Market In Bangkok?

Surprisingly, not much of Khlong Lat Mayom market is actually on the canal. Apparently, this is more authentic and normal of a floating market in Thailand – the majority of the shops and food stalls are undercover, on land. However, there are still a few areas of the khlong where you’ll find Bangkok locals selling produce from the back of their rowing boats.

Unlike other more renowned floating markets in Thailand, Khlong Lat Mayom attracts significantly less foreigners and doesn’t have the tourist trap atmosphere that comes with some of Bangkok’s other attractions (one floating market worth avoiding for this is Damnoen Saduak). The peaceful khlongs here don’t share the bustling vibe associated with other floating markets, but instead attract the local Bangkokians escaping the business of the city.

You can take a 30 minute paddle boat ride along the canal of Khlong Lat Mayom to the tranquil lotus pond for just 20 baht (no tourist prices here). Alternatively, you can even take a horse ride for just 80 baht from the market’s ‘Mafia Farm’.

Shopping at Khlong Lat Mayom

The indoor market area at Bangkok’s Khlong Lat Mayom is surprisingly big; It consists of a huge variety of little stalls selling handmade trinkets, crafts and carvings such as enchanting wind chimes and embroidered cushions. Many of the souvenirs and home decorations here are unique to Khlong Lat Mayom floating market and different to the standard repetitive products you might find in most Bangkok markets.

In addition to the decent selection of merchandise in the shops, many of the items at the market have price tags – quite a rarity in Bangkok. This means you’re a lot less likely to be ripped off and preyed upon – Khlong Lat Mayom just doesn’t have that kind of walking-dollar-sign atmosphere like other places. The market also sells a variety of clothing, quirky key rings and toys – great for souvenirs to take home or to decorate your apartment in Bangkok.

Thai Food At Khlong Lat Mayom

The food section at Khlong Lat Mayom is even bigger than the souvenirs section. Pretty much every kind of food in Thailand – you’ll find here. The food market is absolutely perfect for sampling all the strange Thai treats and signature dishes of Thailand.

You can try Khlong Lat Mayom’s special omelettes with minced coconut and vegetable filling, or more popular Thai nibbles such as steamed pumpkin cakes, Thai dumplings, papaya salad, summer rolls and a whole lot more. The food market also has a huge choice of fresh seafood with plenty of live crabs and giant fish on display.

Although the food section is undercover and not on the canal, there is still some available seating at the canal side – it’s just a little higher in demand.

How to get to Khlong Lat Mayom Floating Market Bangkok

Bangkok Khlong Lat Mayom Floating Market is open on the weekends from 9.30am until 4.30pm; a good time to visit is early in the morning at about 10am. One of the great things about Khlong Lat Mayom is that it’s very close to the centre of Bangkok – you don’t need to take a 2 hour bus ride to get there as with some of the more well-known markets such as Amphawa.

The best way to get there is to take the BTS to Wongwian Yai station, then flag down a taxi and ask him to take you to ‘Talat Nam Khlong Lat Mayom’. It can actually be quite tough trying to find a taxi driver who will actually recognise the name so you should be prepared to go through a few taxis.

Floating markets near Bangkok… Talat Nam Khlong Lat Mayom – the best floating market in Bangkok

Steve Cafe & Cuisine Bangkok

Posted on November 7, 2013 by koomatzu

Off the beaten track and hidden among rickety, wooden plank pathways along the Chao Phraya riverfront, Steve Cafe & cuisine is truly a unique, hidden gem amongst the hustle and bustle of Bangkok. If you’re an expat wanting to try something different in Bangkok, or simply on holiday longing for somewhere a little more adventurous and local, the laid back Steve Cafe may be just what you’re looking for.

A journey to Steve Cafe

It’s certainly not an easy feat trying to navigate one’s way to Steve Cafe. Balancing your way along the maze of thin, creaky boardwalks; squeezing through drunken, saucy gangs of fishermen getting lairy on Sangsom; and dodging old locals hauling rice sacks on their backs is a mini adventure in itself. (It’s not that bad – I just got REALLY lost. Follow my directions below to avoid the rabble of local drunks)

Navigating your way to the little riverfront restaurant is all part of the fun of visiting Steve Cafe & Cuisine in Bangkok though. The quaint, little alleyways and energetic atmosphere of these riverside stilt houses represent authentic, local Thai culture perfectly.

The fruits of a successful search

When you arrive at Steve Cafe, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the contrastingly clean and inviting-looking riverfront building tucked away at the end of a winding alley of ramshackle, wooden planks. Greeted by a welcoming sign on the teak wooden doorway, you’ll be asked to remove your shoes and stow them on the homey shoe rack next to the entrance.

The layout of Steve Cafe is authentically casual, bright and airy: simple white furniture lines the terrace along the river front, while the inside section features cozy sofas and mismatched seating. The basic setting is complimented with the odd charming, subtle decoration such as rambling roses climbing pillars, minimalist Thai temple paintings on the walls, a typical Thai spirit house embellished with offerings of flowers, and random old stuffed toys in hanging cages… wait, wtf? Creepy.

As for the view at Steve Cafe, the opposite side of the river provides a rather sparsely populated view: void of impressive Bangkok high rises or grand, Thai temples as you might get at other famous restaurants on the Chao Phraya river like Amorosa. When visiting Steve Cafe, expect a more simple, broad riverfront setting – just sit back and appreciate the rare calm of the big city.

The soft, lapping sounds of the river, along with the decent mix of popular, easy going background tunes from artist’s like Jack Johnson, give Steve Cafe a pleasantly relaxing ambience. Furthermore, despite the humble surrounding landscape, it’s still fun to watch the little boats and ferries go by, and the giant, creepy river fish thrashing around in the water while the locals feed them from the busy neighbouring dock.

The menu at Steve Cafe

The menu at Steve Cafe is thickly packed with a huge range of both traditional and modern Thai dishes. Typical meals cost between 140 baht and 200 baht for simple dishes like Pad Thai & fresh prawns or Southern style sour soup with lotus stems & tofu; or up to the 400 baht mark for more elegant dishes such as deep fried sea bass with herbs.

Food is reasonably priced considering the decent portion sizes and quality – dishes are obviously cooked with love at Steve Cafe. You’ll find pretty much any Thai dish you can think of on the menu at Steve Cafe from dry curries, soup curries and sour soups, to veggie dishes, salads and stir fries.

How to get to Steve Cafe

Steve Cafe is set in a peaceful area, hidden behind a beautiful temple and museum through the local back streets. The best way to get to Steve Cafe is by ferry. You can take the BTS to Saphan Taksin pier, then take the ferry to pier no. 15, Thewet Pier. This should cost about 15 baht depending on which boat you board.

Once at pier 15, walk straight down the road for a couple of hundred metres until you reach a small bridge on the left hand side. Cross the bridge, turn left and follow the road around the u-bend. Just ahead on your left hand side there should be a narrow alleyway – walk down and turn left at the end. This will take you a temple entrance.

Make your way behind the temple until you come to a parking lot with a museum on the right hand side. Just past the museum is a wooden walkway towards the river that leads to Steve Cafe.

Website: www.stevecafeandcuisine.com

Artist’s House Cafe & Art Gallery Bangkok

Posted on October 21, 2013 by koomatzu

The Artist’s house, known locally as Baan Silapin, is a traditional, old Thai canal house hidden amongst the outskirts of Bangkok city. The building itself proves difficult to find amongst the crammed Thai khlongs; this, combined with it’s unacknowledged status in guides and magazines, makes the artist’s house all the more a unique, unspoilt hangout to visit in Bangkok.

If you’re looking for some authentic Thai entertainment off the beaten track in Bangkok, then the Artist’s House is a must visit. Once you’ve navigated your way through the quiet local alleys along the river, you won’t be disappointed by this quirky, rustic wooden building. The Artist’s House has something for everyone: daily Thai puppet shows, an art gallery, souvenir & book shop and a beautiful canal side coffee shop.

Hanging Out At The Artist’s House

The atmosphere of the Artist’s House is perhaps it’s most striking feature. The rickety building shows a unique character and creative ambience with it’s intricate decorations of cheerful lanterns, hanging plants, overflowing bookshelves and charming works of art. With large, open patio doors overlooking the tranquil canal, visitors can sit and enjoy an iced tea while sitting at the water’s edge, feeding the fish next to the unusual statues.

Thai Puppet Shows At The Artist’s House

The building consists of a larger theatre area which leads out to an enclosed back garden, complete with it’s own 600 year old Chedi. This is where guests gather to watch traditional Thai puppet shows in the afternoons. The Artist’s House puppet shows usually start at 2pm, however they are not guaranteed to perform everyday as have been known to be booked at other venues elsewhere around Bangkok city.

Keep walking along the canal boardwalks past the theatre room, and you’ll come across the shop and cafe area of the Artist’s House. Here they have a selection of art and culture books, postcards, Thai masks, jewellery and art prints for sale – this is really useful for buying souvenirs for people back home. Prices are very reasonable and there are some very unique items for sale.

The Artist’s House Art Gallery

Head up the creaky old stairs from here, and you’ll find a photography & art gallery overlooking the canal. As well as having beautiful pieces of art to admire, it also has beautiful views over the quiet canal houses and ancient Chedi in the garden.

Once you’ve had time to explore the unique interior of the old house, you can enjoy a peaceful cup of coffee on the seating downstairs or outside on the boardwalk by the river side. The menu is rather modest in choice, however at 25 baht for a cup of coffee and with peaceful surroundings like these, who’s complaining?

How to get to the Artist’s House Bangkok

From my own experience, many taxi drivers don’t seem to know any of the nearby landmark’s and main roads nearby the Artist’s House in Bangkok. However, the best way that I have found to get there, is to take the BTS to Talat Phlu station and catch a taxi from there.

If you can’t get anyone to take you to Baan Silapin (which is quite likely, but worth a try), then ask the taxi driver to take you to ‘Jaran Sanitwong Saam’ (written: Charan Sanitwong 3) instead – they should know this road at least. It’s about a 10-15 minute walk from the bottom of this road, so it’s best to try and get him to drive you all the way to the end of Charan Sanitwong 3 road. However if not, you can catch a songtaew to the end of the road for 5 baht.

Once you’ve reached the end of the road you’ll notice what looks like a dead end and a 7/11 store on the right hand side. Keep walking past the 7/11 and you’ll notice a small path which leads to a bridge across a canal. You should be able to see a temple ahead , to the right of the bridge on the other side of the canal – this is Kuhasawan Temple. If you look to the left, you should be able to make out a little red statue up ahead – that’s the Artist’s House.

Now, cross the bridge and walk along the canal walkway to the left – the opposite direction of the temple. Keep walking all the way along, past the little shops along the wooden boardwalk until you get all the way to the end. The locals are very friendly and can point you in the right direction if you get lost.

Sabai Jai Gai Yang Local Thai Restaurant Bangkok

Posted on October 9, 2013 by koomatzu

Sabai Jai Gai Yang, also referred to as Baan Tawan Gai Yang, is an authentic, local neighbourhood restaurant to drink and dine in pure Thai style. Located in the sleek and modern district of Bangkok, Bang Na, Sabai Jai Gai Yang is a breath of fresh air where you can enjoy proper Thai food in natural Thai surroundings.

Sabai Jai Gai Yang Style

Sabai Jai Gai Yang is a casual Bangkok hangout where you can simply relax and chill out in your shorts and flip flops. The laid back, family orientated, local ambience make it a a great ‘off the beaten track’ restaurant away from the hectic tourist atmospheres or contrastingly snobbish undercurrents of other Bangkok restaurants and bars.

The Restaurant

The Bangkok restaurant has both a traditional open air section and an air conditioned indoor section. In the typical Thai restaurant style, Sabai Jai Gai Yang consists of a partially sheltered tent like surround, fold-up metal seating, plastic table covers and the standard drinks trolley at the head of the table.

Despite it’s relatively small size, there is a stage at the front where local bands play Thai tunes and pop music towards the later hours of the evening. It can get a bit loud and difficult to hear each other speak during these hours, but if you’re keen to listen to some proper Thai music in Bangkok, you’ll definitely find it here. I can’t help but feel a bit stressed out listening to the crazy overpowering beats of too much authentic Thai music myself though…

Picture by www.leolaksi.wordpress.com

Sabai Jai Gai Yang is the kind of Bangkok restaurant to let loose, nothing fancy; buy a beer tower or two with friends and share taster dishes in the middle of the table, Thai style.

Sabai Jai Gai Yang Menu

Sabai Jai Gai Yang have an extensive menu of both Isaan dishes and Thai food. The battered, plastic menus are thick with pages of dishes in both English and Thai. Although staff don’t speak much English at Sabai Jai Gai Yang, the menus are pretty clear with plenty of pictures to help you choose.

Isaan and Thai dishes at Sabai Jai Gai Yang are reasonably priced and start from around the 80 baht mark. For 80 baht, you can get their signature dish, half a mouthwatering grilled chicken (as in the name – gai yang) with spicy Thai dips. Admittedly it’s tasty, but it’s also a real ball ache to eat half a chicken with a fork and spoon!

Other typical cheaper dishes at the Bangkok restaurant include Pad Ka Praw (Basil stir fry) and Som Tam (Papaya salad) which cost around 120 baht. Bigger dishes such as whole steamed fish and seafood stir fries cost up to 400 baht per dish. Just bare in mind that this is an authentic Thai restaurant – the spicy Thai dishes at Sabai Jai Gai Yang are damn spicy.

Photo by www.eatingthaifood.com

How To Get To Sabai Jai Gai Yang

Sabai Jai Gai Yang is located on Bangkok’s Ekamai Road Soi 1. You can get to Ekamai via BTS to Ekamai station, then head up Soi 63 (Ekamai Road) and Soi 1 is on the left hand side opposite Health Land. Although it is only Soi 1, this is a surprisingly long and sweaty walk (10 – 15 minutes) so you may want to take a taxi from Ekamai BTS station.

Sabai Jai Gai Yang is right on the corner of the main road and Soi 1 – the entrance is just around the back.

Chao Mae Tuptim ‘Penis Shrine’, Bangkok

Posted on March 20, 2013 by koomatzu

Nestled away in a random and hidden spot of central Bangkok, you can find the very surreal Phallic shrine; a small site filled with numerous, large carvings and phallic statues. It is located within the grounds of the very posh, and maybe unfortunate, Swissotel Nai Lert hotel. Crossing over the small bridge leading into the typical Bangkok cityscape scene of the Swissotel grounds and it’s concrete car park, you will see a very small and overgrown-looking garden tucked away amongst some trees. If you were not actively looking for the penis shrine you may well easily miss it as it so hidden away, almost as if it has been conveniently shoved into the corner and out of people’s view.

A visit to the penis shrine in Bangkok can be a somewhat odd experience. Sometimes there may not be another visitor in sight, the only other signs of life around being a couple of stow away workers slacking off around the outskirts of the garden and a family of cats who have made their home underneath one of the many piles of phallic sculptures.

The Bangkok penis shrine is around 100 years years old and Chao Mae Tuptim is the name of the spirit or goddess believed to reside there. There seem to mixed feelings from the locals of Bangkok about the shrine, some apparently finding it to be embarrassing and perhaps vulgar (I have heard that if you mention it to a member of staff in the Swissotel, most of them will deny all knowledge of it’s existence). There are others throughout the region however, who regard the penis shrine as a place of good fortune, endowing fertility to visitors who worship Chao Mae Tuptim at the phallic shrine.

Visiting Chao Mae Tuptim

The phallic shrine is very small in size, it is literally like stepping into somebody’s back garden. It is not really something that would make a trip worthwhile on it’s own (particularly if you do not have a specific interest in phallic sculptures), but there are absolutely masses of shopping centres, malls and cafes around to explore nearby, and so the penis shrine can make an interesting stop off whilst wandering through the area of Chit Lom. Other places to visit in the area include Central Chit Lom (a department store with an impressive and high quality food court below), Central World, Amarin Plaza, Pratunam, Erawan shrine and the Baiyoke Tower. Every other person who’s been to Thailand has a picture of themselves in the Grand Palace and Wat Arun – the shrine can make for a more unconventional detour to the usual tourist sights.

And besides, who wouldn’t want a photo of themselves posing next to a giant pile of men’s oversized gooblies?

Directions to the Bangkok penis shrine

Take the BTS to Chit Lom and follow the exit signposted for Central Chit Lom. You should be walking in the direction towards Ploenchit, rather than back towards Central World. You can exit through the air conditioned Central Chit Lom and head back onto the main road with the BTS on. From here, carry on walking left along the main street until you come across a road turning left with a small canal running along the right-hand side of it.

Continue to the end of the street until you see a small bridge across the canal and a security guard booth just on the other side. Walk on through the car park and follow the road to the left. Straight ahead of you from here you will notice some trees and a small garden which is the penis shrine.