Bangkok for The Three Generations: a Friday-to-Monday weekend
Gold leaf, river light, and the long hot dusk.
A weekend everyone can keep up with. Flat routes and places to sit, a boat or a funicular for the view, one highlight a day that works at eight and at eighty, and dinners with a long table.
Friday: The river boat and a long supper
- Chao Phraya Express boat
The orange-flag boat has seats for everyone and a gentle breeze; ride from Sathorn to Tha Tien and look at the temples from the water.
- Supanniga Eating Room, Tha Tien
Long tables for a big family: mild chicken, plain rice, grilled prawns and a river view; ask for a table on the ground floor.
- Wat Arun lit up from Tha Tien
The prang is floodlit after dark and the pier has benches and ice cream sellers; no steps are required.
Saturday: Museum, a long lunch and a golden Buddha
- Museum of Siam
Air-conditioned, with lifts, benches and rooms that suit eight and eighty; the first floor's story of Siam is the highlight.
- Krua Apsorn, Dinso Road
A dining room with round tables and mild dishes for the whole family: crab omelette, green curry and fried fish.
- Wat Pho
The reclining Buddha is on level ground and there are shaded benches in every courtyard; take the cooler late-afternoon hour.
Sunday: A gallery, lunch and the riverfront
- Bangkok Art and Culture Centre
A free gallery with lifts and a café on every floor; the spiral gallery is easy to walk and the children like the sculptures.
- Inter Restaurant
An old-style Thai restaurant with big tables, air-conditioning and mild dishes for every age; the menu has pictures.
- Asiatique The Riverfront
Take the free shuttle boat from Sathorn pier to a flat riverside market with benches, a Ferris wheel and a calm evening breeze.
Monday: A park and fried chicken
- Lumphini Park
A slow loop of the lake in the early morning cool, with benches and the monitor lizards that children love.
- Polo Fried Chicken
The famous garlic fried chicken with sticky rice and spicy papaya salad; order the mild version for the youngest, and sit at the big shared tables.
- Suan Pakkad Palace Museum
A garden of eight Thai houses with lacquer and antiques; the paths are flat and shaded and there are benches throughout.