How to (Properly) Visit Bang Krachao - The Green Lung of Bangkok
From the beautiful rooftop of my condo building I would always see this massive, green area of Bangkok while doing my outdoor workout as I like to call it (pull ups, dips, leg raises).
Totally undeveloped. Dang, I always wondered what it was and why it was like that.
Kind of funny, but I've been coming to Bangkok for literally 10+ years and have never heard of "Bang Krachao" or the "green lung of Bangkok" until I stumbled on a YouTube video from Chris Parker (retired working for you).
So that video put it in my head that this was place to checkout, and surprisingly this young girl I'm dating randomly brought up that she wanted to go to Bang Krachao so... we made plans to go - why not?
After visiting the green lung 3 times now, I have a great understanding of the ideal day trip to this place so I'm going to lay everything out for you here.
Let's get started.
TLDR?
1) Arrive at the pier from Bang Na BTS and rent a bicycle (sorry there are no motorbikes for rent). You'll want to be here around 11:30 am.
2) Ride your bicycle down the road to get lunch.
3) Head off for a nice 15 minute ride to Bakers cafe for coffee and chill.
4) Continue on the road to the weekend market. You'll have to take a right down a random road, but you're smart you can figure it out. Enjoy the market for an hour or two.
5) The market closes at 4, so around 3 start heading back to the pier. But don't leave, once back at the pier, head into a lovely back road and enjoy some jungle bicycling.
Done!
The small roads eventually spill back out into the main road. Head back to the pier and leave around 5:30 pm.
How to get to Bang Krachao - Use Wat Bang Na Nok Pier
First things first, you actually need to take a boat over to the green lung.
For this I recommend using the Wat Bang Na Nok pier. Get here around 11 am as this is enough time for a proper day in the green lung.
It's near Bang Na BTS.
Step 1 - You simply ride the BTS to Bang Na station.
Step 2 - Then use a local orange vest motorbike taxi (located near exit 2) and tell them "Wat Bang Na Nok pier." You could also just say Bang Krachao, they will know what you're talking about.
Then they will drive you down the road and drop you off at the pier.
Step 3 - Get on the small ferry for a 10 minute boat ride. Done, it's that easy. You pay when you exit the ferry. It leaves every 15 minutes so there is minimal waiting and costs a few Baht per person.
You could also just use Grab or Bolt and order a taxi to take you directly to the pier if you like.
But the most cost effective way is to use the BTS and a local orange vest motorbike taxi.
Wait, what about Khlong Toei Pier?
Most blogs and YouTubers talk about using this pier, but it's not ideal.
First off, it drops you off at the top, northern part of the green lung where there's nothing to do and everything is far away.
Second, the boat is also a little wooden boat and not a proper, comfortable ferry like Wat Bang Na Nok.
The only thing you're close to is Sri Nakhon Khuean Khan Park and a few cafes.
This park is "meh."
Bangkok has much much better parks like Benchakitti Park and Wachirabenchathat Park (what a mouthful that name is).
The good stuff is more on the east side of the green lung.
As such, the Wat Na Nok pier will drop you off closer to more things of interest.
The reason everyone mentions this pier is because travelers stay in central Bangkok (Asoke area) so Khlong Toei pier makes sense.
Bang Na BTS is an area where both Thais and expats like myself live and is somewhere tourists never venture so they are just unaware that Bang Na is a better entry point.
Upon arriving at the pier is where you can rent a bicycle for the day
There are bicycles for rent right at the pier, you can't miss it. Depending on the bike, they will charge you either 50 Baht or 80 Baht per person.
The first time I went on Monday they charged me 50 Baht, the second time they charged me 80 Baht when I went on the weekend.
So I have no idea if the price is different on the weekend, or if I was just being over-charged or if it depends on the bike you rent.
But whatever it's not a big deal.
Rent a bike and bring it back by 6pm because that's when the shop closes. The last ferry back is at 9pm btw.
Ride your bicycle to get lunch
Great you got a bike, it should be roughly 12pm. I suggest taking off to get lunch. You'll take the bike for a fun, 15 minute ride to a good little restaurant.
Kuenwang The Garden Boutique Eatery
This is a little restaurant with air conditioning and great food. It only has a few people working here so the food does take a bit of time, but it's a nice first spot to ride to, cool off and get some great Thai food.
For me they have this outstanding steak, egg and rice bowl with this tamarind dipping sauce. My girl got a traditional Thai dish.
Once you're done here, I suggest ridding to a cafe to get some coffee and enjoy nature.
There are of course other places nearby this eatery if you want to stop someplace else, but this is a good first pit stop.
Head over to Baker's House cafe
Baker's House sounds like they would have a wide assortment of baked goods - they unfortunately do not.
It's a cafe, but it's a cafe that's down a nice road that is surrounded by a coconut tree farm. The actual cafe itself reminds me of a Vietnamese cafe with a lovely view of a green pasture.
Get your coffee here and enjoy for 30 minutes to an hour.
Once done, continue down the road (it's a nice ride) and you'll eventually find the weekend market.
Bang Nam Phueng Weekend market
Bang Krachao/ The green lung has a large weekend market with a wide range of goods.
Take your bike and leave it at one of the market entrances and roam around the market for a an hour or two.
I found a wine seller selling locally made fruit wines from Chiang Rai. I took home both Blueberry wine and Mangosteen wine.
Overall it's your typical Thai style weekend market. Nothing too special, just a good spot to spend an afternoon.
This market closes at 4pm, so around 3pm you'll notice people leaving and vendors closing up shop. 3pm is a good time to go find your bike and continue on.
I suggest exiting the market on the eastern side. That means you will have to take your bike through the market to the other side, but once on the other side it's a fun ride back to the main road near where the eatery I mentioned is.
Now it's time to ride back to the pier and the bike shop, but wait were not returning our bikes yet.
Bangkok Treehouse/ bike path area
Once back at the pier, you'll want to use Google Maps and make your way down a beautiful little road to the Bangkok Treehouse.
You don't have to go to the Treehouse, I actually suggest going to BAANTONCHAK - a cafe tucked away down a little road in the jungle.
But my point is that once you're over here, it's a bunch of beautiful small roads where you'll need a bicycle to traverse.
Once in this area I simply suggest exploring all the little bike path roads and stopping by a local cafe in the area for a drink.
So spend an hour or two ridding around all these lovely paths and once done, they should empty out into the main road where again the eatery is near.
Head back to Bang Na
Now it should be around 5pm, the bike shop closes at 6 so head back to the pier and return the bike.
Ride the ferry back to where you started. There will be plenty of orange vest motorbike taxis waiting. They will drop you off at Bang Na BTS.
Conclusion
So overall the green lung is a fun day trip, you just have to know where to go to get the most enjoyment out of it.
I strongly suggest going on the weekend as the weekend is the only time there is a market to checkout.
Anyways, that's it's for now.
Hope you all have a productive week.
All the best,
-David