During one of my travel and work trips to Thailand, I finally managed to do some birdwatching in Lumpini Park in 2023, and this is one of the ticks off my list. Lumpini Park is one of the favourite places to do casual birding and bird photography.

Birdwatching in Lumpini Park Bangkok

This massive park sits in the middle of Bangkok city, providing an oasis to the many birds of Bangkok. Lumpini Park was also the first park built in Bangkok, providing one of the largest green spaces in this metropolitan city of Southeast Asia.

Lumpini, or Lumphini Park, as some spell it, opens at 4.00 AM, which provides a peaceful and serene open green space for joggers and those seeking early morning exercise. The park was initially owned by the Thai King and gifted to Bangkok City by the King in 1925. and was named after Lumbini, the birthplace of the Buddha in Nepal. Ok, enough of history and on with the birdwatching.

I visited the park at about 6.00 AM, only to find that there were already many people exercising and jogging along the main walkways into the park. As Lumpini Park is huge, there are several entrances you can access. For me, I used the entrance closest to the train station, which was Si Lom BTS Station. You can also use the MRT and exit at the Silom MRT Station.

As I did not want to spend too much time in the park, I planned for about three to four hours of birding here before the midday sun. This allowed me to explore the main walkway, heading towards the larger lake and going around it before exiting the park.

Birds at Lumpini Park

Of course, the star birds for me were the Asian Pied Starling and the Black-collared Starling. But I would be happy to see any birds here because it was my official first time birding around Bangkok City. I will list down the birds I saw at Lumpini Park below.

1. Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)
2. Spotted Dove
3. Zebra Dove
4. Asian Koel
5. Asian Openbill
6. Yellow Bittern
7. Little Egret
8. Striated Heron
9. Great Egret
10. Medium Egret
11. Gray Heron
12. Indochinese Roller
13. Coppersmith Barbet
14. Black-winged Cuckooshrike
15. Black-naped Oriole
16. Common Iora
17. Ashy Drongo
18. Large-billed Crow
19. Streak-eared Bulbul
20. Black-collared Starling
21. Siamese Pied Starling
22. Common Myna
23. Great Myna
24. Asian Brown Flycatcher
25. Oriental Magpie-Robin
26. Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker
27. Ornate Sunbird
28. Eurasian Tree Sparrow

You can also see this Lumpini Park Bird Checklist on eBird, which I uploaded. I use eBird a lot, especially when I travel, as it is a very easy app to manage while on the go. I also do not rush to post my birdwatching trip reports, so you will usually see them later in the year.

The best time to go is during the wintering months, as more migratory birds are seen here. But you can also visit Lumpini Park any time of the year for birding.

Birds of Lumpini Park in Bangkok

The photos above were taken using a Fujifilm X-H2S paired with a Fujinon 150-600mm lens. This was a review of the camera and lens performance for bird photography. I currently use a Canon R7 with an RF200-500 lens. And to add, I’m not a bird photographer who only focuses on getting the best bird shot.

My mission is to document the birds for identification when I return to my country. Sometimes, in photographing the bird, I may get a nice photo or two, which is a bonus for me. Overall, I enjoy birdwatching and photographing without going Insta-crazy for posting bird photos.

Where is Lumpini Park? 

Conclusion

Overall, I find Birdwatching in Lumpini Park quite easy, provided you go either early in the morning, maybe from 5.30 AM or in the evening around 4.00 PM. If it is your first time in Bangkok, you can spend the morning there before going for a Thai lunch and further exploring the city for shopping and sightseeing.

Because I was there for work and birdwatching, I had a great time, and it was a win-win for my wife and me. We went shopping, sightseeing and also exploring the foodie scene around Bangkok. I suggest going easy if you travel to Bangkok with your loved one or family. Just dedicate the early mornings to exploring for birding.

When I visited in 2023, I stayed further out of the core area of Bangkok and at the Cross Vibe Bangkok Sukhumvit, which is at On Nut in the Khlong Toei area of Bangkok. This gave me a less hectic area as I wouldn’t say I like overcrowded places. Moving around Bangkok was easy because the On Nut BTS Station was just a 2-minute walk from my hotel.