Our family adventure in
Rattanakosin · Chatuchak · Yaowarat
We arrive on Friday, 3 December 2027
Sunday 5 December 2027
Sanam Luang, Bangkok
Thailand marks the birthday of the late King Bhumibol, National Day and Father’s Day on one public holiday. In recent years the government has held a morning merit-making ceremony at Sanam Luang, with alms for monks followed by floral tributes to the king, and many people wear yellow. In 2027 the day off continues on Monday 6 December.
Every year on 5 December. Source ↗
Five days: temples by the river, Father’s Day at Sanam Luang and a night of street food in Chinatown.
Rattanakosin, Bangkok
An easy first day by the river: the huge reclining Buddha in the morning, then a short ferry across to the temple of the tall, tiled tower.
A big temple complex just south of the Grand Palace, rebuilt by King Rama I from 1788. Its reclining Buddha is 46 metres long and 15 metres high.
The Temple of Dawn stands on the west bank of the Chao Phraya. Its central tower is covered in pieces of colourful porcelain.
We reach the Grand Palace as it opens, before the heat and the tour groups, then take the train north to the biggest weekend market in the city.
The royal palace complex also holds Wat Phra Kaew, the temple of the Emerald Buddha. It opens daily at 8:30, and tickets are on sale until mid-afternoon.
More than 15,000 stalls in 27 sections, open at weekends and full of plants, clothes, ceramics, books and pets. It is easy to get lost, which is part of the fun.
It is Thailand’s National Day and Father’s Day. We wear yellow and go to Sanam Luang in the morning, then climb a hill with a view in the afternoon.
A wide open field in front of the Grand Palace, ringed by tamarind trees, where the state holds its biggest ceremonies. On 5 December it is the heart of the morning’s tributes.
A temple on a man-made hill, which began as a huge stupa that collapsed in the soft ground and slowly turned into a mound. A winding path takes you up to a view of the old city.
Monday is a holiday in Thailand, so we plan a slow day: a temple built of white marble, then a big park where the lizards are as long as Leo.
A temple begun in 1899 for King Chulalongkorn and built largely of Italian marble. It is quieter than the temples on the river.
A 57-hectare city park that King Rama VI gave to the nation in 1925, with a lake and shady paths. About 400 water monitors live here.
A solid gold Buddha and the street snacks of Yaowarat for a last lunch before we head home.
A temple at the edge of Chinatown with a seated Buddha of solid gold, reported to weigh about five and a half tonnes. It is on the upper floor, with an exhibition about Bangkok’s Chinese community below.
Bangkok’s Chinatown is a long, narrow street of gold shops, shrines and food stalls. It is known above all for its street food.
Every stop and our base.
What early December is usually like.
Bangkok
Typical weather for these dates, not a forecast: the average of 2016–2025, with data from Open-Meteo.com (ERA5). The chance of rain is an estimate.
15 photos from 9 places on our route
5 December is the birthday of King Bhumibol, Thailand’s National Day and Father’s Day, all at once. It is a public holiday.
On the route: Day 3, Sanam LuangAt recent ceremonies at Sanam Luang, people were asked to wear a yellow shirt, and the government invited everyone to wear yellow through the month.
As the 5th is a Sunday, Monday 6 December is a substitute day off, so offices and banks are shut and the city is quieter.
On the route: Day 4, the parkIn the last two years the ceremony at Sanam Luang began with alms for monks early in the morning, followed by floral tributes at about 8:30.
Tell us where you’re going. Your draft is free.