At first blush, Bangkok may not seem like the most baby- and child-friendly city to get around, but as you dig deeper, you’ll realize the possibilities for exploration.

Here are some ideas to get you started – for more details, be sure to check our directory.

• Open your eyes to the every day. The city itself can be a fascinating place to explore with small children, as even everyday activities can seem adventurous. Stop by your favorite street vendor to pick up freshly cooked and healthy snacks (satay, fruit, boiled corn, sticky rice….), take klong boats to your destination, ride the Skytrain, venture into that neighborhood temple…
• Know your indoor hideouts. We all need retreats from the heat or rain. Bangkok has a lot of indoor playgrounds, interesting museums, and plenty of other air-conditioned places to visit with your kids.
• Go green. Yes, Bangkok does have green areas! Many of the parks are easily accessible by the skytrain or subway, and provide a welcome relief to the urban jungle. Zoos and animal parks are also great places to enjoy a bit of outdoors time.
• Socialize and learn. There are tons of activities available, including playgroups, sports, swimming, music, cooking and much much more, all listed in our directory.
• Enjoy the big screen. Bangkok movie theaters are modern and cushy. www.movieseer.com has all the information you’ll need to find movie showing times. Just a word to the wise, if you’re taking little ones – previews can often be inappropriate for younger audiences (for example, you might see a horror movie preview before a PG rated film.) Since seating is pre-assigned anyway, you may wish to keep the kids outside until after the national anthem has finished (and don’t forget to stand respectfully while that is playing).

Further Reading

• What can we do today? is a pack of 52 cards designed by the same people who have brought us the iconic Nancy Chandler maps. Each card contains an activity suggestion for Bangkok and instructions.
• The Bangkok Guide for Kids by Kids is written by two Bangkok-raised third culture teens for their peers.

Online Resources

• Bangkok Guidebook and Bangkok Day Trips are two excellent resources written by longtime Thailand resident and blogger Richard Barrow. Not all excursions are specifically tailored for families with small children, but with the long descriptions and photos, you can easily see which ones your kids might enjoy. His more recent Thai Blogs seems to be replacing the earlier sites, but doesn’t yet contain all of the archived articles from the other two.
• Bangkok.com has a section dedicated to excursions and activities with small children.