Where to ride, where to rent and a list of the top companies offering guided bike tours of Bangkok and beyond
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Hitting Bangkok's streets on a bike gives you a chance to explore new neighborhoods far more easily than you could in a taxi or on foot. |
Tell someone that you plan to ride a bicycle in Bangkok and you’ll likely get a horrified gasp and a barrage of questions about your sanity.
Although it would be a stretch to call them safe, most roads in Bangkok -- save for the major ones, of course -- are surprisingly easy to bike on.
But what most surprises people is that there are actually some great areas and fantastic paths that will let you get some exercise while you see Bangkok up close and personal.
If you have that ol’ adventurous spirit, rent a bike and head out on your own to see what you can find.
If you're not keen to just get out onto the streets and pedal, here are several areas that are safe and popular with bicyclists.
Suan Rot Fai
BTS: Chatuchak
Just five minutes' walk north of Chatuchak Market is the huge Suan Rot Fai -- Train Park -- where you can rent bicycles (most are pink) for 20-40 baht and ride to your heart’s content.
Lots of trees, grass and lakes make this a particularly relaxing place to get away for a few easy hours of pedaling.
Benjakitti Park
MRT: Asok
This isn’t the perfect place to ride a bike -- there’s only one two-kilometer oval track around a huge pond -- but it’s right in the middle of Bangkok and is really easy to get to.
Bikes cost 40 baht per hour. Lots of kids and families here, so don’t go too fast.
Phra Pradaeng
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| Not a high-rise in sight. Bangkok's Phra Pradaeng is just a quick boat ride from Klong Toey pier. |
Getting there: Access via Klong Toey pier
Most people who come to Phra Pradaeng the first time can’t believe they’re still in Bangkok.
A huge almost-island on the west side of the Chao Phraya River, it’s 90 percent mangrove swamp and veined with raised cement pathways that are perfect for riding, though can be a bit unnerving for first-timers.
Rent bikes at the pier for 40 baht and explore.
There’s a fighting fish gallery, a large park with paddle boats and a floating market that’s very busy on weekends.
11th Infantry Regiment
Getting there: Phahonyothin Road next to Bang Bua Canal
An army barracks doesn’t seem like a good place to ride your bike, but there’s a three-kilometer offroad track here that’s full of bumps, hills, trees, bridges and dirt pathways.
There is no formal bike hire operation, but there are sometimes a few spare ones sitting around. To be safe, best bring your own. The security guards will charge 30 baht to use the track.
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