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  Benjakitti Forest Park

 

Thailand

Benjakitti Forest Park is a public park in Bangkok's Khlong Toei District, initially known as Suan Benjakitti Park, i.e. ‘Five Cycles Park’, and built on land formerly owned by the Thailand Tobacco Monopoly (TTM - fig.).

 

The TTM at the time possessed 600 rai of lan, of which it presented 420 rai to Queen Sirikit for the occasion of her 60th birthday and her 5th birthday cycle according to the Chinese zodiac, and hence the name of the park.

 

  Benjakitti Forest Park

 

  Benjakitti Forest Park

 

Initially it consisted of an area of only 120 rai of the 420 rai land donated and was made up of just a narrow stretch of park alongside the 200 by 800 meter long artificial lake, with some walking paths, a cycling track, and an outdoor exercise.

 

When the TTM in 2020 moved house from its location in the heart of Bangkok to the Rojana Industrial Park in Ayutthaya, the remaining 300 rai of the donated land was developed into an expansion of the original park, introducing wetlands, rare plant areas, and elevated walkways, whilst the original park was simultaneously refurbished. The only reminder of the TTM today is one discarded factory building that currently houses the Benjakitti Forest Park Museum and The Bangkok City Model, a huge scale model of inner Bangkok (fig.).

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  Benjakitti Forest Park