Things To Do In Bangkok

Bangkok is full of things to do, some easy to accomplish, some requiring a tour company.  What I will discuss are things which can be done on your own without a tour company and with little expense and will not break the bank.  As with all things, costs quoted are current as of July 2015 and are subject to change but not by much because Thailand is a very controlled economy.

Sumatprakan Crocodile Farm & Zoo

This is basically a half to full day trip depending on how much time you want to stay and visit the exhibits which include a crocodile show, elephant show and see the grounds which include a variety of caged animals, lakes and a dinosaur exhibit.  This is a relatively interesting day and the crocodile show is definitely worth the time.  Entrance costs 300 Thai Baht and the entrance fee for the dinosaur exhibit is an additional 60 Baht.

The best time to go is on a weekday when there are fewer visitors.  The crocodile shows are between 9am & 11am, then again between 1pm & 4pm, each show last about ½ hour. There are plenty of places to eat, find drinks and snacks and souvenirs.

If you are near an MRT station or BTS station the most convenient way to get there is to reach the Asok BTS station which is also at the interchange with the Sukhumvit MRT stop.  From there take the BTS to the Samrong stop which is the current terminus of the BTS line going to the south, travel time on the BTS is about 23 minutes (cost 50 Baht per person one way).  Exit the BTS station on the left side, go down the stairs, and continue in the same direction for about 75 meters or until you cross one street (Soi) and just a short distance after crossing the street you will find the bus stop (if you feel lost, just ask anyone on the street "Bus Stop"? They will point it out).  Take any of these buses, 511, 508 or 536 which are comfortable air conditioned buses, travel time on the bus is about 40 minutes depending on traffic.  Tell the conductor where you are going, the fare is 13 Baht.  Google maps says 32 minutes but it does take longer due to construction and depending on traffic.

Or you can take a taxi from the CBD (central business district), Asok BTS area of Bangkok and according to Google Maps, it is 27 Kilometers, has toll roads and takes a minimum of 47 minutes but traffic in Bangkok is notorious and can be very slow moving so allow at least 1+ hours. 

Alternatively, you can go to the Samrong BTS stop, get out and take a taxi from that location but there is a lot of construction on the BTS line extension which makes the road traffic slow for about 5 kilometers before the traffic moves at a better speed.  According to Google Maps, it takes about the same time in either bus or taxi but if you take the taxi there 3 routes and 1 route has toll road fees to pay. The total distance from the Samrong BTS stop to the crocodile farm is between 9-14 kilometers depending on route and total distance from the CBD is about 27 kilometers. Click here to see the possible taxi route maps from Samrong BTS stop.

Recommendation:  If you are with a group of 2-3 persons, it is probably more cost effective to take a meter taxi which should cost about 225 Baht each way but if you are going solo, then it is more cost effective to use the BTS and bus as round trip costs from Asok BTS to the crocodile farm is 108 Baht.

More to come.........