Thailand has always been a popular holiday break for Malaysians, for the obvious draws of food, shopping and fabulous resorts. I, too, have been on many a jaunt involving multiple massages, constant street food gorging, and entire days spent at Platinum Fashion Mall. Back when I was childless, that is.
With a 3-year-old, however, priorities have changed, and so Bangkok was a different experience for us the last time we were there. Here are some kid-centred or kid-friendly activities to consider:
Rot Fai Parkwas our favourite discovery of the trip. You can rent bikes from the entrance where the car park is (for only RM2 per bike!) and then take a leisurely ride through the park, stopping off at various playgrounds, a butterfly park (free admission), an indoor kids’ area with colouring pencils and computer games as well as an air-conditioned reprieve with clean toilets (also free admission), and plenty of greenery and wide expanses to picnic on.
For those of you with small ones, not to worry, because one of our bikes came with a seat in the front, so we plopped Alex in it and off we went!
We also saw an intriguing market by the car park with food and other things; worth exploring if you have more time.
We were meeting some friends and stumbled upon this at K Village, an outdoor shopping mall not far from BTS Phrom Phong. In and amongst the stalls of pastries, olives, soap and textiles, there were also bean bags and outdoor playground sets for Alex to flop down in and scramble over, along with a lot of other kids there. My husband and I took turns to browse the stalls and try the samples while the other watched Alex.
Next to K Village, there was also an indoor playground called Funarium, which is like your typical air-conditioned pleasure house for toddlers and up, with various activities. Alex enjoyed climbing up and down the giant obstacle course, riding a bike, jumping on the trampoline and generally wearing himself out (always handy for equally tired parents at the end of the day!). The food wasn’t anything to shout about; next time I’d go back to K Village to get something to eat.
One of my must-do things in Bangkok is a trip to Chatuchak weekend market, with all its cheap but attractive wares. It’s a daunting place to bring a toddler to, however, because of the heat and how higgledy-piggledy it is.
Fortunately, there’s a park next to it, and we spent a breezy late afternoon/evening walking around, pedaling a boat, chasing pigeons and feeding fish. There’s also a playground at the end closer to the market, though some of the structures were rickety and rusty, so we kept a closer eye on Alex while he was playing there.
Asiatiqueis a riverfront outdoor shopping area that was fun for Alex. He loved the boat ride there, and running up and down the boardwalk. We got on the Ferris wheel at sunset, with great views, and it was thrilling for Alex. There were also loads of different restaurants to choose from, as well as little boutiques featuring local products.
There were also other sights we never got to but would’ve if we’d had the time: the Bangkok Seashell Museum, the Bangkok Royal Thai Air Force Museum, the snake farm and a cat cafe. Next time!
Some travel tips:
- A lot of local restaurants do not have high chairs, unlike Malaysia. Be prepared to stack chairs, put your kid on your lap, or use a portable high chair like Totseat.
- Most of the big shopping malls provide a service where you can borrow a stroller from the information desk while you’re shopping there, in exchange for a photo ID.
- Unless you’re really only planning to limit yourself to shopping malls, leave the stroller at home. Pavements are often narrow and uneven, and most Skytrain stations don’t have lifts.
- Be prepared for Thais to reach out and touch your kid! They are a very tactile and affectionate bunch when it comes to children.
- Skytrain child fares start from little ones 90cm and above, but they’re not very strict about this.
- Check out Bkk Kids – a local website with more recommendations of kid-friendly activities.
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Uma is a Malaysian working mum with a French husband and a toddler named Alex living in their fourth country together.
Image Credits: Uma, Bangkok.com & Flickr users Captain Kimo, shuttercodez, Thomas Wanhoff, grrrl, taiyofj, nssn774.
