Pratunam District in Bangkok

How Pratunam Is Laid Out and What's Interesting for Tourists

Pratunam is Bangkok's main shopping and popular tourist district (Pratunam on the map). You could even say this district is one big shopping area, but unlike the Siam district with its sparkling malls, Pratunam is more about street market trade, budget shopping centers, and small shops. But for cheap buys and wholesale trade, it's the markets of this district you should head to, since prices here are sometimes even lower than at the famous Chatuchak market. It's simply the perfect place to stay for your last few days before flying home, to stock up on souvenirs and Thai products. The main shopping spots here: Indra Square (mostly traders and buyers from India); Pratunam Market (a huge mixed street and covered market); the market in the Baiyoke Sky tower, Pantip Pratunam (a large electronics store). By the way, within walking distance of the district center are also the best shopping malls already in the Siam district: Central World Plaza, MBK, Gaysorn, Siam Paragon, the Big-C hypermarket.

For tourists this district is very comfortable and convenient: lots of transport, excellently developed infrastructure, budget shopping. From Suvarnabhumi Airport the ARL airport rail link leads here, the BTS skytrain line passes through here, and there's also the Pratu Nam pier for canal boats, from which two commuter boat lines start at once. At travel agencies on the street you can easily find tours around Thailand and the city, tickets for tourist buses and transfers to anywhere in the country. You can eat in one of the many street cafes, or in food courts, for example, on the third floor of the Indra Square mall.

Hotels here range across all categories, and there are plenty of them, so you can easily find something for any budget. The city's tallest hotel, the Baiyoke Sky, is right here. Most of the infrastructure (shops, travel agents, currency exchange, transport) is clustered around the Baiyoke Sky, so it's best to pick a hotel within walking distance of it. In the northern part of the district (the area above the airport rail link line on the map and near the Victory Monument circle) it's better not to stay, there's almost nothing touristy there.

You can search for and book hotels in the Pratunam area on these most popular hotel search engines worldwide:

• 🛌 Search hotels in Bangkok on Trip.com (👍 work with MIR cards)
• 🛌 Hotels in Bangkok on Yandex.travel
• 🛌 Search hotels on Ostrovok.ru

Pratunam Area Map with Attractions, Hotels, Transport

How to Get to the Pratunam Area

Public transport in the Pratunam area is very well developed. There are city and airport metro stations, canal (khlong) boat piers, and a huge number of buses. Here are the ways to get here/from here to different places in the city:

• From Suvarnabhumi Airport

  A metered taxi ride from Suvarnabhumi Airport will cost 250-400 baht (7.46 USD, see Thailand currency and exchange rate), and take 30-60 minutes. It's better to order a taxi at the counter at the exit of the terminal on the first floor (follow the Public taxi signs), or using the Grab-taxi app, Asia's Uber replacement. More about Grab in Thailand and how to use it.

  But you can get to Pratunam much faster and cheaper on the ARL airport rail link. The ride is only 26 minutes, the fare is no more than 45 baht. At the airport the ARL station is on the lowest level, signs lead there. The trains make seven stops along the way. To get to the Pratunam area, you only need two of them:

  • Ratchaprarop stop. This is practically the center of the district. Most hotels are within a stone's throw from here.
  • Phaya Thai stop. This is the final station, also in the Pratunam area. There are also many hotels within walking distance nearby, but not as many as near Ratchaprarop.

  See more in our detailed instruction how to get from Suvarnabhumi Airport to Pratunam here.

• From Don Mueang Airport

  A metered taxi ride from Don Mueang Airport will cost from 350 baht, taking 40-60 minutes. It's also better to order a car at the counter in the arrivals terminal, or via the app. Additionally you may need to pay 50 baht for the toll road.

  But there's also a more budget way – by bus. Best to take the A3 express bus. It departs right from the terminal exit every 30 minutes from 7 AM to 11 PM, costs 30 baht. It passes through the district right along the main Ratchadamri Road.

  You can also get there on regular city buses for mere pennies – from 7 baht. Bus No. 504 goes along the main Ratchadamri Road, and routes A1, A2, A4, 59, 29, 510, 187, 538 go via the circle and the Victory Monument metro station. Regular city buses (not A1-A4) depart not from the Don Mueang terminal itself, but from the bus stop on the main road. It's a couple of minutes' walk from the terminal exit to it.

  See more in our instruction how to get from Don Mueang Airport to Pratunam here.

• From Hua Lamphong railway station

  If you arrive in Bangkok by train, the easiest way is to get from Hua Lamphong station by taxi, which will cost from 150 baht. Cheaper is by metro with transfers. To do this, at the same station take the subway to Silom MRT station, transfer there to the skytrain and ride to Phaya Thai.

• From the Khao San area

  There's no metro in the Khao San area, and unfortunately we couldn't find any direct bus routes. So you need to get there either by taxi (from 200 baht), or by transport with transfers.

  But there's a budget way, though for this you'll have to walk a bit. You need to walk to Phanfa Leelard Pier, which is near the Golden Mount Temple, and take a commuter boat along the canal (khlong) to the final Pratu Nam pier, this is the Golden Mount Line boat route. See More about how to use Bangkok's canal boats here.

What to See in the Pratunam Area

There are no special attractions or tourist entertainment in the Pratunam area, except for the Baiyoke Sky tower and its observation deck. On foot you can reach several interesting places in the Siam district, while to the rest you'll have to go by transport.

Here's a list of attractions and entertainment reachable on foot from hotels in the Pratunam area, with their opening hours, admission prices and how to get there:

• Baiyoke Sky 2 Tower (Baiyoke sky)

  

  The Baiyoke Sky Tower observation deck, also known as Baiyoke II, is on the top floor of the Baiyoke Sky II hotel skyscraper. Until recently it was the tallest building in Thailand, the tallest hotel in Asia and the third tallest hotel in the world. Its height is 304 meters, 84 floors. But a few years ago it was "dethroned" in Bangkok by the King Power MahaNakhon skyscraper, which also has an observation deck. Nevertheless, Baiyoke Sky remains a very interesting and exciting place to visit, since it's very conveniently located in the heart of the city, and the cost of visiting is more than twice as low compared to the new MahaNakhon observation deck, with hardly less enjoyment. Plus, it's complemented by a nice bonus you'll get at the bar on the 83rd floor. More about the Baiyoke Sky Tower observation deck.

  🕐 Opening hours: Daily from 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM.

  💵 Entrance fee / ticket prices: 450 baht (13.44 USD), this price includes any free drink at the bar on the 83rd floor. Children under 120 centimeters – free. You can buy a ticket 60 baht cheaper and pay with a Russian card on Trip.com

  However, if you stay at this hotel for at least one night, you can go up for free. A double room costs from 2000 baht, you can book a room at the Baiyoke Sky hotel on Trip.com, payment with MIR card is possible.

  🚶 How to get there: it's in the Pratunam and Sukhumvit districts, from which you can easily walk to it (Baiyoke Sky 2 Tower on the Bangkok map). The closest to the tower is BTS Phaya Thai station (15-20 minutes walk), and in the immediate vicinity (10 minutes walk) is the airport express station Ratchaprarop. From the tourist Khao San area you can get here by city bus No. 59 (but you'll have to walk a bit), or take a canal boat from Panfa Leelard pier at the Golden Mount Temple to Pratunam Pier, and again walk a bit.

• Shrine of Penises (fertility) Chao Mae Tuptim

  

  An interesting place to visit, though it shouldn't be on the mandatory program. You can visit it if you're somewhere nearby. Its charm is that it's a very rare and unique place, and few tourists go there. The Shrine of Penises, the Shrine of the Pregnant or the Shrine of Fertility is actually not a place to admire the male reproductive organ, but a place where people come to ask for offspring and fertility, or to pay tribute to Buddha for help. And it can't really be called a temple, it's just a shrine.

  According to legend, this place appeared after a woman who couldn't get pregnant for a long time asked a small shrine for offspring several years ago. After the offspring appeared, she brought a figurine of male dignity to the shrine. Gradually the temple grounds filled with penis figurines, and now women come to it every day to get hope of having children. More about the Shrine of Penises (fertility) Chao Mae Tuptim.

  🕐 Opening hours: around the clock. In 2026 the shrine is practically abandoned. We currently don't recommend visiting.

  💵 Entrance fee / ticket prices: free.

  🚶 How to get there: the shrine is on the grounds of the Mövenpick hotel, also known as the Swiss Hotel, and was called Nai Lert Bangkok Hotel just a few years ago (see on the map, the location is accurate to the meter). The closest metro stations to this place: BTS Chit Lom and BTS Phloen Chit. From them you can get to the shrine in a 10-minute walk. More details at the link with the full description.

• Erawan Shrine

  

  This is one of the most important places of pilgrimage and worship in Bangkok, despite its unimpressive size. The shrine is a statue of the 4-faced Brahma, a Hindu deity. Every day a huge number of people come to this place, and dance shows and chanting are often held here. Tourists can freely come here, sit on the benches and observe the rituals, and if they wish, they can also light incense, make offerings of flowers, or bathe in sacred water. In short, this place is very atmospheric and interesting, and definitely worth visiting, especially if you're staying in the Pratunam or Sukhumvit district. More about the Erawan Shrine.

  🕐 Opening hours: around the clock.

  💵 Entrance fee / ticket prices: free.

  🚶 How to get there: it's next to BTS Chidlom Station, near the Grand Hyatt Erawan hotel. See the location of Erawan Shrine on the Bangkok map.

• Jim Thompson House Museum

  

  The Jim Thompson House Museum (Jim Thompson House) is one of the most famous and visited museums in Bangkok. Its theme can't be pinned down, since it mixes architecture, nature, history and culture.

  In the old house of American businessman Jim Thompson, the setting from his lifetime has been recreated, with works of art on display. A small beautiful garden is laid out around the house. After buying a ticket you'll need to wait a bit (usually no more than 20 minutes) for the next group to gather, after which you'll be taken through the house and told in detail about its history and the businessman's life. Tours are available only in English and French. Honestly, without the guide's narration, visiting this place isn't interesting at all, and if you don't understand spoken English or French well, you won't get much pleasure from the house museum, so you can skip it. More about the Jim Thompson Museum.

  🕐 Opening hours: from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM, no days off.

  💵 Entrance fee / ticket prices: 250 baht (7.46 USD), under 22 years old – 150 baht, children under 10 – free.

  🚶 How to get there: the house museum is in the Pratunam district in central Bangkok at Soi Kasemsan 2 Song, entrance from the same street (museum on the map). Two skytrain stations are a 10-minute walk from the museum: National Stadium (closest, 5 minutes walk), Ratchadewi (a bit farther), and Siam. You can also take a commuter boat on the Golden Line canal to Ban Krua Nua pier (see more about Bangkok's water transport).

• Human Body Museum

  

  The Human Body Museum is not a traditional museum for tourists, but as we might say, a departmental museum, since it's located on the grounds of a medical university and hospital. However, anyone can visit it.

  The museum isn't for the faint-hearted, since its exhibits are human bodies and organs, located in two spacious and well-lit halls. Each exhibit is described in detail on an information plaque with diagrams in Thai and English. Overall, this museum is somewhat reminiscent of another Siriraj Medical Museum in Bangkok, but much more modest and simple. More about the museum.

  🕐 Opening hours: Monday – 9:00 AM-4:00 PM, Wednesday – 9:00 AM-12:00 PM, Friday – 9:00 AM-4:00 PM. Schedule is subject to change, you can check on the university's official website.

  💵 Entrance fee / ticket prices: free, you can leave donations in the box in front of the entrance

  🚶 How to get there: the museum is in central Bangkok next to Siam skytrain station (Human Body Museum on the map). From the metro station you need to walk to the university complex and enter the grounds through the gate on the east side. Then you need to walk to the corresponding building (it's best to ask the guards at the gate for directions), enter the main entrance and take the elevator to the ninth floor with the guard, where the two museum halls are located. There are no obstacles to visiting the museum, everyone is allowed in, but to enter you'll need to show your passport to get a one-time pass.

• Sea Life Bangkok Ocean World Aquarium

  

  Bangkok's Sea Life Bangkok Ocean World aquarium (formerly called Siam Ocean World) is the largest aquarium in Southeast Asia. It displays more than 30,000 sea creatures and plants from all over the underwater world, including extremely rare species. Many of them are practically impossible for ordinary tourists to encounter in natural conditions.

  Besides just the inhabitants, there's also a whole complex of exhibitions and interactive entertainment: unusual types of aquariums, fish massage, interactive panels, a 4D cinema and much more. You can see how at certain times they feed big bloodthirsty sharks, ordinary fish, penguins and other inhabitants. For an additional fee you can go down yourself in scuba gear and swim with sharks, or observe the inhabitants from a boat with a transparent bottom. There's only one downside to visiting the Bangkok aquarium – the somewhat high cost. You should set aside at least 2 hours for a visit.

  🌐 Official website: visitsealife.com

  🕐 Opening hours: daily from 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM, last entry at 7:30 PM.

  💵 Entrance fee / ticket prices: aquarium tickets are sold in several types with different programs. The cheapest standard ticket, including only a visit to the aquarium, costs from 1190 baht adult / 990 baht child. A discount is provided when buying tickets on the official website.

  🚶 How to get there: the aquarium is in the Siam Paragon shopping center in the Siam district (aquarium on the Bangkok map). The most convenient way to get there is by BTS metro to Siam station. From the Baiyoke Sky tower area you can walk there in 20 minutes.

• Suan Pakkad House Museum (Suan Pakkad)

  

  Originally it was a family residence, but in 1952 Prince Chumbhotpong Paripatra and his wife decided to open it to the people and formed a museum. In fact, it's an estate museum with well-kept green grounds, an old wooden house and even older buildings adjacent to it (8 houses in total). The oldest building is over 450 years old.

  For some reason almost no tourists know this place, although you can say with confidence that it's no less interesting here than in the famous Jim Thompson House Museum. Inside there's a collection of works of art, furniture, household items, musical instruments, historical artifacts. More about the Suan Pakkad Museum.

  🕐 Opening hours: from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM.

  💵 Entrance fee / ticket prices: 100 baht (2.99 USD, see Thailand currency and exchange rate).

  🚶 How to get there: it's in the Pratunam district next to BTS Phaya Thai skytrain station (house museum on the map).

• R-Walk or Ratchaprasong Skywalk Promenade

  

  The R-Walk or Ratchaprasong Skywalk promenade is a network of concrete pedestrian walkways in the Pratunam and Siam districts in the very center of Bangkok, located above the roads and streets of this area for moving around and strolling. In case you don't know yet, the Pratunam district is Bangkok's main shopping district, modern and noisy, built up with skyscrapers and huge malls. This is where such malls as CentralwOrl, MBK, Gaysorn Plaza, Siam Paragon, the big Big C hypermarket, and a huge number of street markets are located. In short, if you're going anywhere in Bangkok for shopping, this is definitely the best place. Besides the shopping centers, R-Walk is interesting because 8 important city shrines are located along it. Among them the famous Erawan, as well as the shrines of Ganesha, Lakshmi and others. More about R-Walk or Ratchaprasong Skywalk.

  🕐 Opening hours: from 6:00 AM to midnight.

  💵 Entrance fee / ticket prices: free.

  🚶 How to get there: R-Walk is in the center in the Pratunam district, and runs above Ratchadamri, Rama I and Phloen Chit streets (R-Walk or Ratchaprasong Skywalk promenade on the map). The easiest way to get on it is by metro, the two stations Siam and Chit Lom are located right on R-Walk and connected to it by walkways. And if you're staying in the Pratunam district, walking to R-Walk won't be hard from almost anywhere in the district.

• Bangkok Art and Culture Centre

  

  This is the city's main venue for exhibiting works by local artists and designers. On the center's seven floors a huge number of works are displayed, from simple paintings to interactive installations, and the contents are constantly changing. So even if you were here a couple of years ago, you can visit again, you won't recognize much. Recommended for all creative people. More about the exhibition center.

  🕐 Opening hours: from 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM, Monday – closed.

  💵 Entrance fee / ticket prices: free.

  🚶 How to get there: it's in the center in the Siam district (exhibition center on the map). You can get there by skytrain to National Stadium station.