Get Pumped to Get Pumped Up in Bangkok!
Do you want to sweat from something other than the spicy and exotic food in Bangkok? Have you seen enough temples and now want to make your body a temple? Are you fed up with Bangkok's chaos and commotion and want to get your body in motion instead? Then head to Lumpini Park gym, the open air workout area in the heart of Bangkok.
Here's how Lumpini Park's outdoor gym stands up versus your gym back home and, at the bottom, how to get there.
Lumpini Park Gym vs. Your Gym At Home
Temperature
Lumpini Park's outdoor gym DOESN'T have air conditioning, but DOES sell bottles of ice-cold water for almost nothing.
Cost
It DOESN'T let you in for free, but DOES cost only 50 baht, which is less than 1/100th of your gym membership back home.
Weights
It DOESN'T have super heavy weights for you big boys and girls out there, but DOES have a pretty nifty barbell with weights made from tires.
Atmosphere
It DOESN'T play typical Western gym music, but DOES play some pretty rockin' Thai beats. Just listen to the video above to get an idea of what to expect!
Gender Diversity
DOESN'T have any women working out there, but DOES feel totally comfortable to women like Kim who visit. I was the only one blatantly ogling Kim, while the respectful Thai guys were able to exercise much more constraint.
Clientele
DOESN'T have and creepy weightlifting bros like gyms back West, but DOES have a healthy population of monitor lizards that creep around the park.
Change Rooms
DOESN'T have any change rooms, but DOES have free lockers you can put your stuff in if you want.
Trainers
DOESN'T have any personal trainers, but DOES have an older guy who'll teach you his secret strategy to having six-pack abs like the ones he's very eager to lift up his shirt to show you.
Training Areas
DOESN'T have only the weight room area, but DOES also have a (completely free) calisthenics park right beside it.
Dress Code
Lumpini Park's outdoor gym DOESN'T have any dress code and DOES allow you to work out shirtless and in sandals. Don't be a dumbass like a Russian guy we met at the Lumpini Park gym who didn't wear shoes at all… ever. He even walked around the city and through the markets and malls naked. Thais already think feet are disgusting and dirty enough, so don't be ridiculous and be more disgusting and dirty than necessary.
Treadmills
It DOESN'T have treadmills, but DOES have the original treadmill: paths that go around and crisscross the park. This type of treadmill is really cool because you get to see different things as you go instead of staying in the same place the whole time. Try it!
Mirrors
DOESN'T have walls, but DOES still have some mirrors so you can check out your rippling biceps while doing curls. Thais, at least those who work out, are apparently just as vain as we are.
And the Winner Is…
You have to go there and decide for yourself whether or not it's better than your gym back home! It's definitely better, or at least more unforgettable than your hotel's gym.
The Lumpini Park gym DOESN'T find itself in many lists of must-do attractions in Bangkok, but it DOES make for a memorable workout. So forget your crappy and forgettable hotel gym, and get sweaty with the locals!
Where is the Lumpini Park Outdoor Gym?
To save you all the energy it would take to Google the location so you can expend it on your workout instead, here's the specific location of the Lumpini Park gym.
Lumpini Park itself is a 20 minute walk directly due south from Chit Lom station on the main line of the BTS. If you don't like walking (it's not a nice walk anyways), or happen to be coming from elsewhere than the centre of town, the Sala Daeng BTS station and Lumphini Metro station are closer.
The Lumpini Park gym itself is near the southeast corner of the park, as shown here:
Enjoy Your Pump!
Hopefully you enjoy your workout at the Lumpini Park gym as much as we did. Let us know in the comments how else it differed (for better or for worse) from your gym back home.
And if you're hungry afterward, take a look at our advice for how and where to find exotic food in Bangkok. Or, if you're leaving Bangkok and looking for exercise, consider going hiking in Khao Sok (but beware of the leeches!).
Keep it unconventional everyone!
Kim & Chris
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Get motivated to try fun but effective workout ideas—like hammock, rock, and partner exercises—by checking out our Fitness Archive.
