Bangkok is an amazing, vibrant urban gist that blends first- globe cosmopolitan perks similar air-conditioned shopping centres amongst the ancient cultures of Asia featuring centuries-old temples in addition to monuments. But what’s in that place to create amongst the kids in addition to on a budget??
The respond is: more than you lot think!
Here are our Top five Favourite Affordable Things To Do With Kids inwards Bangkok:
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| KidZania Bangkok opened its doors March 2013 |
KIDZANIA
Have you lot had the ‘KidZania’ sense yet? Bangkok is it’s newest place (it’s 11th worldwide) opening only inwards March 2013. First conceived inwards United Mexican States inwards 1999, its concept is every bit a children’s indoor subject park/entertainment centre whose destination is to offering non exclusively ‘a condom in addition to unique house for children aged 4-14yrs to play’, but to larn inwards educational every bit well. To create accomplish that, each centre is seat upward every bit a urban gist (complete amongst enclosed faux sky), built to scale, featuring private buildings such every bit hospitals, burn stations, in addition to shops, consummate amongst paved roads, street lighting in addition to fifty-fifty the occasional vehicle such every bit ambulance in addition to burn truck rolling by.
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| Inside the KidZania world |
While the adults must hold back exterior 'on the street'(or think 'in the mall every bit you lot hold back for your other one-half who is inwards the shop'), the children roll-play the unlike activities featured inwards these premises. Each activeness has a specific fourth dimension duration in addition to release of children it tin can adapt at i time. For example some groups had a capacity of xv kids piece others were exclusively 6. Typically, the activities lasted approximately 20min, thus if i grouping is full, you lot must hold back this fourth dimension for the adjacent session or cheque out other activities that don’t stimulate got a wait. (It's a flake similar waiting for the Roller Coaster at an amusement park--each ride tin can adapt 'x' release of children, in addition to thus you lot stimulate got to hold back for the coaster to supply earlier the adjacent grouping tin can larn on.) Each activeness is structured in addition to the children are fully guided in addition to supervised yesteryear the staff in addition to also must wearable the corresponding uniforms such every bit lab coats at the vets in addition to inwards the infirmary in addition to fire fighter coats in addition to hats that become amongst each position. Some activities are viewable from exterior yesteryear the parents, but others are not.
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| The infirmary complex has close iv unlike positions on offer; yet most are non viewable to the parents who must hold back outside. |
Depending on the nature of the role, the children are either ‘paid’ inwards Kidzania currency for their labor or if it’s an activity, the children stimulate got to ‘pay’ inwards Kidzania currency to create it. At the cease of the day, the children tin can pass whatever currency they stimulate got left inwards the special gift shop. Interestingly many of the ‘businesses’ were sponsored in addition to branded yesteryear large corporate companies, such every bit AirAsia that had a mock bird in addition to had airplane pilot flying simulation training, flying attendant role-playing, every bit good every bit flying navigator roles. The release of roles in addition to activities available were overwhelming in addition to although nosotros were in that place from 10:30am (shortly after it opened) until it closed at 5pm, nosotros silent were non able to sense all that was on offer. Although it doesn't precisely stand upward for into the budget category, KidZania is genuinely a unique experience that the kiddies volition LOVE in addition to it's educational too.
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| Receiving her pay after her labor at the hospital! |
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| KidZania Currency aka KidZos |
Info: Kidzania is located on grade five of the Siam Paragon shopping complex; yet to located it within is a flake tricky. Try to larn into the complex via the primary atrium that features the wall of living plants in addition to thus ready your way upwards. Kidzania is opened upward Mon-Friday from 10am to 5pm in addition to weekends from 10am to 3pm in addition to thus 4pm to 9pm (you tin can exclusively attend 1 session on weekends). It gets busy there—weekdays are likely meliorate but you lot may meet schoolhouse groups (as nosotros did). I’ve been told that you lot would live wise to pre-book your session also every bit sometimes they create sell-out. Admission fees are non cheap: Adults (yes, they stimulate got to pay to stand upward around) are 400B($13.30 US) each in addition to kids are 650B ($21.60 US) but if you lot pass the whole solar daytime in that place every bit nosotros did, you lot larn your money’s worth. There is a special surface area for children aged 2-4yrs (and they are charged accordingly) but at the fourth dimension of our visit, this surface area did non appear fully functioning. There are no in/out privileges nor is exterior nutrient permitted but in that place are restaurant/eateries within for nutrient buy every bit good every bit a parents’ lounge in addition to gratis Wi-Fi access. Also Federal Reserve notation that non all staff could beak English linguistic communication thus at times, especially for older children, this was a flake of a hinderance.
FANTASIA LAGOON
This was the most unique H2O common that nosotros had always been to. Why? It was onset the rooftop of a 6-storey suburban shopping complex! While Fantasia Lagoon didn’t characteristic the biggest or best assortment of waterslides that we’ve always been to, its 2 large corkscrew slides, 2 underground slides, 1 slide ‘ride’ (extra charge, thus nosotros didn’t try), 25m swimming puddle addition iii H2O play areas amongst kiddie slides for the niggling ones were rattling sufficient for us in addition to our vi & 7yr olds—so much thus that nosotros spent 7hrs there! There’s also a ‘lazy river’ that where you lot could drift effortlessly about through parts of the common piece perched on a tube.
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| View of the 2 corkscrew slides |
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| One of the water-play areas |
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| Kids' slides |
We went on a weekday in addition to practically had the house to ourselves amongst no line-ups at all for the slides although nosotros were told that it was a unlike story on the weekends where it was rattling pop amongst the Thai locals every bit good every bit expats living nearby.
Having been late refurbished, the facilities were faultless: the alter rooms were large, modern in addition to clean, amongst toilets, private shower cubicles, in addition to lockers. There were many lifeguards on manus too.
Oh—and non exclusively could you lot convey your ain nutrient inside, but you lot could also travel out temporarily to stimulate got lunch/dinner inwards the nutrient courtroom on the bottom grade of the shopping centre or fifty-fifty convey the nutrient dorsum inwards in addition to swallow poolside at the many shaded tables available.
Coupled amongst the fact that it exclusively toll 100B ($3.30 US) each adult to larn into in addition to kids 80B, Fantasia Lagoon is a terrific solar daytime out in addition to a refreshing discover from the heat, in addition to hustle in addition to bustle of Bangkok. Now if exclusively they could improve their musical selection—they played the same (Thai) vocal over in addition to over again!
Info: Fantasia Lagoon is opened upward from 10am until 8pm (?). It’s located at ‘The Mall Bang Khae’, which is due west in addition to slightly southward of key Bangkok. To larn there, nosotros took the BTS to the cease of the trace (which is currently Wong Wan Yai, which is yesteryear Taksin), in addition to thus hopped on a taxi for xx instant for 111B ($3.70US). Once at the shopping complex, stimulate got the drinking glass bring upward at the centre to the 7th floor, where you lot volition uncovering the cinemas. There is some other ‘grand staircase’ located hither that takes you lot to the entrance of the Lagoon.
Also Federal Reserve notation that although admission is 100B each, in that place is a divide accuse for locker rental (40B amongst 50B refundable deposit), towel rental if required, underground rental (40B amongst 50B refundable deposit), in addition to bathing cap rental if required (bathing caps are mandatory for everyone, fifty-fifty if you lot are bald!).
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Great views--if you lot were really going ho-hum plenty to view it!
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| The 2 underground slides |
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| Tube slides amongst the puddle inwards the background |
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| Lazy River |
DUSIT ZOO
Situated adjacent to Parliament House, Dusit Zoo was i time the private garden of King Rama V. Now it’s run yesteryear the dry reason in addition to is dwelling to over 1600 species of animals, including a vast assortment of monkeys, birds in addition to reptiles. The enclosures appear sufficient for the larger animals such every bit the giraffes, zebras in addition to the hippos in addition to the signage are especially informative in addition to rattling educational. On our recent see inwards July 2013, nosotros also noticed the presence of some signage inwards braille. The grounds are good seat out amongst an abundance of leafy trees to plow over much needed shade in addition to discover from the oestrus in addition to sun. There’s also a lagoon inwards the centre where you lot tin can rent paddle boats in addition to there’s a small-scale children’s playground close the bird aviaries. There is a semi-enclosed stadium where they concur seal shows (3-4 shows per solar daytime on a seat schedule). Nearby in that place is also a nutrient courtroom where you lot tin can swallow Thai nutrient rattling economically. A nifty solar daytime out.
Info: The Dusit Zoo is opened upward vii days a week, from 8am to 6pm. Admission for foreigners is adults @ 100B ($3.30 US) in addition to children 50B ($1.75 US)—quite a bargain!
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| Braille Signage |
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| We institute the bilingual signage to live rattling interesting, informative in addition to educational |
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| Unexpected opportunity: up-close, watching a xanthous python beingness vaccinated |
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| There's a overnice playground inwards Dusit Zoo too |
LUMPHINI PARK
This huge (142 acres) common is seat inwards the Silom district of Bangkok in addition to features a large man-made lake at its centre surrounded yesteryear leafy trees, light-green grass in addition to lots of walking tracks. You’ll also uncovering picnic tables, ready clean can facilities in addition to the occasional lizard roaming about too. And best of all, in that place is a large playground surface area for the kiddies.
Info: Entrance is gratis in addition to there's a MRT station across the street.
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| Playground at Lumphini Park |
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| Locals practicing Yoga yesteryear the lake inwards Lumphini Park |
WAT ARUN (THE TEMPLE OF DAWN)
Wat Arun is a Buddhist temple dating dorsum to the 17thC situated on the banks of the Chao Phraya River inwards Bangkok. It’s a distinctive landmark, especially when seen inwards the early on morning time when it reflects the Sun on its porcelain-tiled mosaic surface or at nighttime when it is lit up. Its key tower is inwards the Central Khmer trend similar some of that institute at Angkor Wat thus for the kids (and adults), this agency fun climbing the steps on the exterior. But remember: while it’s fun to climb up, you lot must eventually come upward dorsum down! Tip: don’t facial expression downward when doing this but only focus on placing your feet firmly on the narrow steps in addition to you’ll live alright!
Info: Wat Arun is opened upward from 8am-5pm. Entrance fee for foreigners is 80B (kids nether 100cm are free, every bit for most things inwards Thailand). Best accessed via Chao Phraya Express Boat (need to alter boat to cross river).
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| Wat Arun glows yesteryear night |
So in that place you lot stimulate got it. We would really recommend that you lot allow lots of fourth dimension for each of these. With the exception of Wat Arun in addition to Lumpini Park, nosotros spent a total solar daytime at each of the activities. Get in that place every bit unopen to opening fourth dimension every bit you lot tin can also in addition to attempt non to see Kidzania or Fantasia Lagoon on a weekend. Have fun!
