11 Photography Spots in Bangkok

Address: Ratchada Road, near the Esplanade Mall and Thailand Cultural Centre MRT 
Hours: Thursday–Sunday, 18:00–24:00

When to shoot: To capture this view of the night market, take a lift to level 4 in the Esplanade Mall, which is just beside the night market. Walk to the car parking terrace (left side upon entering the car park) and be rewarded with one of the most colorful views in the whole of Bangkok.

The best time to go is the golden hour, before sunset. Find a good position on the car park terrace and set up a tripod. The ideal time to photograph is during the blue hour when there’s still some light on the horizon to see the city buildings in the background as the stalls are lighting up. This would make an interesting time-lapse scene too.

Post-processing tip: Night shots of a vibrant market can be easily spoiled by digital noise produced by your camera. The powerful Denoise filter in Luminar 3 is a great solution. You can also use the Clarity filter to bring out the details and textures in your photos.

2. Erawan Museum  

Erawan Museum is a unique and carefully designed museum and temple combination. Despite its being officially located outside of Bangkok, in Samut Prakan, it’s easily accessible. Drive a couple of kilometers from the Bang Na BTS station and you’re right there.
The most striking thing in the Erawan Museum is a grandiose figure of a three-headed elephant that reaches 43.6 meters high and weighs around 150 tons. It’s an incredible monument and a photo-worthy subject.

Address: 1 99/9 Bang Mueang Mai, Mueang Samut Prakan District, Samut Prakan
Hours: 9:00–19:00

When to shoot: Shoot during the day to capture the whole beauty of the museum with its lovely tropical garden and Thai sculptures. To capture a great view, get to the top of the elephant by taking the revolving staircase or the elevator.

Post-processing tip: The innovative Accent AI filter will enhance your photos in no time. Just move a single slider to see wonderful results. The Details Enhancer filter is another option. It will reveal the structure of the museum, making it look lifelike.

3. Wat Pho

Another photogenic spot not to be missed is Wat Pho, one of the most ancient and biggest Thai temples. Built in the 16th century, it now features a chapel housing one of the largest single statues of Buddha in Thailand. The Reclining Buddha is an impressive 46-meter statue of gold and stone with delicately inlaid mother-of-pearl mosaics on its feet. Use this chance to take some close-ups of Buddha. 

Address: Phra Borom Maha Ratchawang, Phra Nakhon
Hours: 8:00–17:00

When to shoot: There are many fantastic places at Wat Pho to play around with composition. If you’re longing to catch the deep ochre of a Bangkok sunset, it’s best to bring a tripod for when the temple’s spires are lit a bright orange against the darkening sky. 

Post-processing tip: Try the Accent AI filter to bring out the colors. With Sharpening and Microstructure you can boost the details of the buildings.  

4. Damnern Saduak floating market

To see one of Bangkok’s boat markets floating down the water, drive about two hours to the west of the city. 

When to shoot: Locals say that the Damnern Saduak gets crowded and suggest that photographers should come before the 9:30 am buses from Bangkok arrive. Then you’ll have more chances to take clearer and more vibrant shots.
Alternatively, you can go to the Pak Khlong Talat, also known as the flower market, which grabs photographers’ attention with its exceptional vividness and diversity of petal patterns.

Post-processing tip: Go with Saturation and Vibrance to make your photographs speak for themselves. The markets are just about bursting with colorful pieces. So try to keep that mood in your photographs. The HSL filter will be helpful for more creative color editing. 

5. Yaowarat Road in Chinatown

Lovers of Blade Runner won’t want to miss the chance to capture night falling on Yaowarat Road in Bangkok’s Chinatown. This is an ideal location for street photography. The noisy street is covered with hundreds of red and yellow signs and shimmers with red lanterns – a stunning place to shoot! There are also views of historical temples that have survived from the early years of Bangkok.

Address: Yaowarat Road, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon
Hours: Open 24 hours

When to shoot: Discover the beautiful cityscapes by walking down the streets. Don’t get stuck on the street food, but rather look for a number of Chinese temples, including the easily accessible Li Thi Miew Temple.

If you want to get an exciting aerial shot of the street, there’s car parking in front of the Gate of Yaowarat (Odeon Parking). It offers a breathtaking view from the top floor. Note that the top floor is usually crowded with photographers at sunset.

Post-processing tip: Play around with Looks from the rich Luminar 3 collections. Your night shots will benefit from the Neon Tokyo Looks. Explore Street Looks or the Lifestyle collection and stylize your images in one click.

6. Wat Arun Ratchawararam

The prang of Wat Arun is a world-famous symbol of Bangkok. Besides being claimed the best Buddhist architecture of Rattanakosin, the tower is the world’s biggest prang at 86 meters high. Surrounded by four smaller satellite prangs, the central one symbolizes Mount Meru from Indian cosmology. The main image of Buddha, called Phra Phuttha Thammitsararat Lokkathat Dilok, is believed to have been created by King Rama II himself.

Address: Arun Amarin Road, next to the Chao Phraya River, opposite Wat Pho
Hours: 08:30–17:30

When to shoot: You can capture Wat Arun from the other side of the river and also take awesome photos around the temple. The details of this temple are mind-blowing, and it’s a must to experience and photograph while you’re in Bangkok.

Post-processing tip: For daylight shots, use Sky Enhancer in Luminar 3. It will rejuvenate the sky if your camera has failed to show its natural beauty. The Dodge and Burn tool will help to emphasize specific areas of a photo – whether you want to highlight a temple or make the edges darker, it’s the right filter to use.

7. Grand Palace

The spectacular Grand Palace (the house of the Emerald Buddha and the birthplace of Bangkok) is undoubtedly the city’s most famous landmark. It sits on a territory of 2.35 million square feet right in the center of the city. People keep coming to the Grand Palace to see the most significant image of Buddha in Thailand.

It remains the spiritual heart of the Thai Kingdom and is an ultimate photography spot. It’s the best place to get some gold-filled photos. 

Address: Na Phra Lan Road, Grand Palace, Phranakorn
Hours: 8:30–15:30

When to shoot: Among the greatest Bangkok attractions is the Grand Palace – a place all photographers visit to capture the temples, golden stupas, and incredible details. If you want to get the best shots, make sure to visit early in the morning before it’s filled with tourists. And be sure to put on proper clothes; otherwise, they won’t let you in.

Post-processing tip: What’s great about Luminar 3 is that it makes editing enjoyable. For instance, using just the Golden Hour filter, you can drastically boost the wow effect of your Bangkok shots taken at sunrise. Alternatively, you can apply the Deep Sky Look from the Landscapes category. Make authentic Grand Palace shots easily.

8. Lebua Hotel Sky Bar

Suspended on a precipice over the city, 820 feet in the air, the Sky Bar is one of the highest rooftop bars in the world and, along with the Distil bar one flight up, reinvents Bangkok’s cocktail culture nightly.

Go up to the 63rd floor of Lebua Hotel and you’ll find Sky Bar. It’s one of the locations where The Hangover was shot, and it has amazing views and delicious drinks. So feel like a Hollywood photographer and take priceless shots.

Address: Na Phra Lan Road, Grand Palace, Phranakorn
Hours: 16:00–01:00 

When to shoot: At this bar, there are plenty of good photo opportunities. It allows you to take amazing aerial photos without using a drone. The best tip is to visit Sky Bar before it gets dark since most locals and tourists come for the sunset. 

Post-processing tip: Shooting during times of day when there isn’t enough light may cause unwanted noise in your images. The Denoise filter gets rid of it instantly. Plus, Luminar has a special Aerial collection of Looks. 

9. Maeklong Railway Market 

Another unique place that’s gaining in popularity is the Maeklong Railway Market. It’s the counterpart of the one you can find in Hanoi, Vietnam. It lies close to both sides of the rails and is tightly packed with street stalls of exotic food. So not only photographers but also enthusiastic foodies are welcomed here. 

Address: 80 kilometers from Bangkok, located in the Samut Songkhram region. To get there, take the BTS Skytrain to the Victory Monument station and grab a minibus.
Hours: 6:20–17:40

When to shoot: To capture one of the most iconic shots, wait until the train is passing through the market. It looks really cool.

Post-processing tip: Thanks to AI-driven filters, Luminar 3 works on your images not only lightning fast but intelligently. To enhance shots of the railway market, try applying the Accent AI filter, LUT Color Punch Hot, and a little bit of Soft Focus. However, with the Downtown Look you can do that even faster. 

10. Ayutthaya & Lopburi

Ayutthaya & Lopburi are two Bangkok attractions located in the city’s countryside. Ayutthaya is known for its temples and the trees with the famous Buddha heads. Lopburi is located even further from Ayutthaya and is popular thanks to the Monkey Town and sunflower fields that blossom in the wintertime. 

Monkey Town (8:30–17:00): Tha Hin, Mueang Lop Buri District, Lopburi 
Ayutthaya National Park (8:30–18:00): Pratuchai, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya District, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya

When to shoot: If you have time while you’re in Bangkok, consider visiting both of these sites. If you get up early and go by train, you can pay a visit to both temples.

Post-processing tip: What’s vital when processing architecture photos is to preserve and unveil the structure of the buildings. That’s why you might try such filters as Structure, Microstructure, and Sharpening. Powerful tools like Sunrays and Sky Enhancer will help to improve the skies in your shots.

11. Lumpini Park

An urban space and haven of tranquility at the same time, Lumpini Park is best seen from Park Society, the 29th-floor rooftop cocktail bar on top of the SO Sofitel Bangkok hotel. Bring your tripod and go ahead.

Address: Thanon Rama IV, Khwaeng Lumphini, Khet Pathum Wan, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon
Hours: 4:30–21:00

When to shoot: Any time of the afternoon or evening is great for photos, so aim for 17:00 to 18:00 so you can capture Bangkok by day and enjoy the sunset before the streetlights in the park start twinkling with the financial district of Ploenchit and Chidlom popping up in the background.

Post-processing tip: Landscape Looks will be great for photos with nature. Also make use of the Adjustable Gradient filter. It allows you to selectively improve the exposure, contrast, and vibrance in your photos, making them really attention-grabbing.

The bottom line: Bangkok leaves thousands in awe of its overwhelming greatness, old temples, 40-meter-high Buddhas, and contemporary rooftop bars with unbelievable views. This is the photography experience of a lifetime, a checkmark on your to-do list, and a memorable vacation. So bring your camera, pack a travel bag, and embark on an exciting journey.