Wat Benchamabophit (commonly called Wat Ben) was constructed in 1899 at the request of King Chulalongkorn (King Rama V).  The Temple was located near King Chulalongkorn's Palace following the construction of his own palace nearby. The Temple most notable feature is the stunning Italian Marble used in its construction and a collection of 52 Buddha Images that surround the main Temple area.

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Wat Ratchabophit is a Buddhist temple located in on Atsadang Road, Bangkok, along Khlong Lot, not far from Wat Pho and the Grand Palace. The temple was built during the reign of King Chulalongkorn (Rama V), however the temple is dedicated King Rama VII.

The Temple most notable feature is the golden chedi which stands 43m high and is covered with orange-coloured tiles and on top of the chedi, there is a golden ball.  The chedi is reported to house a relic of Buddha.

Wat Ratchabophit​ is also adjacent to the Royal Cemetery Mausoleum which is to the west of the temple grounds.  The cemetery contains numerous monuments to major and minor members of the Royal Family, most notably those in the immediate family of King Chulalongkorn. ​

Wat Ratchapadit is a small temple originally built in 1864 on a former coffee plantation.   The temple is dedicated to King Rama IV who bought the plantation to build the temple for the people living in the Grand Palace to give them a place to practice Dhammayutika Nikaya  meditation near their residences.   Dhammayutika Nikaya is an austere order of Buddhism founded by King Rama IV himself.
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The temple is currently under renovation and much of the small temple grounds are not accessible. 

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The videos below is of birds in the garden, I hope you enjoy.

The Bangkok Art and Culture Centre is located on Rama I Road across from the MBK Mall and adjacent to National Stadium BTS Station, making a visit very easy. This Allows you to take a break from shopping to visit the Centre and enjoy both the art and the activities that are continuously ongoing. The centre opened in July 2008 and my first opportunity to visit was in 2010 and it was not disappointing. The facilities are amazing as I was very impressed with the very modern and very open architecture of the building.  I walked the whole building to look at the art on exhibits throughout the centre. There are often exhibitions displaying Thai modern art.  The Centre often allows photographing of some of the art showing at the centre and some of these are shown below.  Please take time in your trip to enjoy the Centre.

To learn more about the current exhibits go to this link for the Centre.

Benjakiti Park is nestled in the middle of downtown Bangkok and is surrounding by amazing skyline of high-rises.  This park is also known as Queen Sirikit Park because it is located next to the Queen Sirikit Convention Center.  This amazing city park is only a stones throw from the Asok BTS Station and Sukhumvit MRT Stations.  The main feature of the park is a large lake which gives a good base to my photos :).  The park also links to Lumpini park with a sort of hidden pathway through the city. 

Siam ocean is a huge aquarium located in the basement of the Paragon Mall, located in the center of Bangkok's main shopping areas in downtown Bangkok and not far from my office. It is purported to be the largest of its kind in Southeast Asia and it is quite large. The diversity of marine life makes your visit both interesting and a great break from your shopping routine. I have a sampling of the marine life below (click on the images below to see larger versions) but a larger selection of photo of marine life at Ocean World can be also found by clicking here… 

A trip down the Chao Phraya River is a great way to get to know Bangkok. Getting there is easy, starting at the Taskin Bridge and the Sathorn Road Pier. Take the BTS (sky train) to the Safon Taskin Station, which is located just before the pier. Boats for tourists that have guides explaining the sites along the river. If you are the adventurous type, there are many commuter boats that are very affordable. Here is a great website for information on the boats available. 

Getting on and off the boats takes only a little bit of nerve, the boats come in and leave the pier quickly. Once on the boat try to find a seat, which may be difficult. You can stand in the back area of the boat, just keep in mind that if you are one the opposite side of the boat from the sun you will get better pictures because you will have the sun behind you. 

On both sides of the Chao Phraya River, there are many temples and interesting buildings to see including the historic First Presbyterian Church, the Royal Thai Navy Dockyard, the Thai Maritime Navigation Company, the Old Customs House, Wat Prayunwong, Wat Arun, the Grand Palace, Wat Rakhang Kositaram, and the Royal Boat House.