Tickets
Hotels
Tours
Insurance
Trains
ThailandDescription and is it worth visiting
Phra Sumen Fort – is one of the architectural landmarks in the historic part of Bangkok on Rattanakosin Island, a defensive structure built in 1783. To be honest, there's not much to do here, and you'll spend no more than 5-10 minutes exploring it. So it's not worth going out of your way from other parts of the city. But if you happen to be in this part of town or are just walking around the Khao San Road tourist area, which is just a stone's throw away, you can check it out. Nearby is the Banglamphu History Museum, which you can visit together with the fort for just 30 baht.
History of Phra Sumen Fort
Phra Sumen Fort was built by order of King Rama I as part of a defensive complex to protect the capital from a potential Burmese attack. The location was chosen on Rattanakosin Island, where the historic district with the Royal Palace, Wat Pho (the Temple of the Reclining Buddha), and Khao San Road now stand. This is where King Rama I, the founder of the Chakri dynasty that still rules today, decided to move the capital from the other side of the Chao Phraya River from what is now the Thonburi district. A total of 14 forts were built at that time, serving as watchtowers and defensive towers within a system of a long city wall with 16 gates that surrounded the Royal Palace and the new city. Only two towers have survived to this day: Phra Sumen and Mahakan Fort, located about a kilometer and a half away. For this reason (built at the same time as part of one complex), both surviving forts look very similar.
Today, Phra Sumen is in excellent condition: it has been restored, and a beautiful park with a view of the Chao Phraya River has been laid out around it. Unfortunately, you can't climb to the very top of the tower. At least when we visited this place, access there was closed.
🕐 Opening hours
You can view it from the outside 24/7, and you can climb up to the fort and walk around the adjacent park from 8:00 AM to 9:00 PM daily.
💵 Entrance fee / ticket prices
Free.
🚶 How to get there
Phra Sumen Fort is located in the historic part of Bangkok on the Rattanakosin Peninsula (Fort on the map). Just a five-minute walk from here is Bangkok's main tourist area – Khao San Road. Getting here from other areas of Bangkok is not so easy. You'll have to take a taxi, city buses, or take a regular boat along the Chao Phraya River to Phra Arthit Pier. You can also take scheduled boats along the canals (klongs) from Pratunam and Sukhumvit areas to Panfa Leelard Pier, near which you can visit the other fort, Mahakan, and walk a kilometer and a half to Phra Sumen.
More details on transport in Bangkok and how to use it.
Friends, we'd like to remind you that exploring Bangkok's attractions is much more interesting with guided tours, so we recommend checking out options with online booking and reviews on these Russian-language tour aggregators: