Benjasiri Park

Sukhumvit Rd., (between Soi 22 and 24), 02-262-0810. Open daily 5am-8pm.

Between pottery classes, golf lessons, lunches, shopping expeditions—oh and kids, too—the Sukhumvit housewife has no time to waste. Fortunately, she can stock up on LV at Emporium practically within earshot of Benjasiri’s concrete playground, where her offspring are making sand castles with the nanny. Benjasiri Park caters to teens as well, with a skate park, basketball and volleyball courts and even Segway rentals. Evenings office workers and laborers descend on the park for jogging and hand-holding in the dark.

What to read on the bench: Nikutai No Gakko (School of Flesh) by Yukio Mishima.

Santi Chai Prakarn

Phra Artit Rd., 02-225-7612/-4, Open 24/7.

Some teens can’t afford to shop at Paragon, but they do have this tiny park by the Chao Praya. Hippy, groovy and indie—Santi Chai comes alive regularly with concerts, book fairs, and even traditional Thai music (Sat-Sun at 5pm, with a special translation service for English-speakers). If you have dreadlocks and play Tibetan music, if you only wear second-hand T-shirts and listen to Britpop, if you can’t dance without spinning on your head or if you’re too old for all of this but refuse to admit it, Santi Chai is the park for you.

Don’t let anyone bore you with their lives: Take a notepad and write the book that you want to read.

Suan Luang Rama 9

Sukhumvit 103, Pravet, 02-328-1395. Open daily 6am-6pm.

Suan Luang is not exactly in central Bangkok, but braving the traffic will reap huge rewards. The Trapang Kaew Keb Nam is one vast piece of water, but the carefully designed curves that make up its banks don’t give it the artificial feel of Benjakitti. In fact, the royal showcase that sits at its edge gives a perspective that has you feeling you’re at a mountain lake (well, a little imagination helps). Outdoorsy nature-lovers will dig wandering around the seemingly infinite 500 rai, inspecting delicate exotic flowers at the botanical garden or meandering among the spiky cacti that sit beneath a space-age geodesic dome. This is not just like getting out of Bangkok, this is nearly a change of continents, if not planets.

What to pack for your expedition: Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne.

Santhipab

Victory Monument, Ratchavithi Rd., 02-245-2461. Open daily 5am-8pm.

Santhipab is a bit of a neighborhood thing but only because it’s a well-kept secret. Romantic couples can’t get enough of its benches—choose from classic or modern styles—and shaded lawns. The lush and perfectly manicured tropical vegetation, the looming silhouette of the Baiyoke Tower and the small puddle of water all seem to unleash the romantic artiste in the boys and the muse in the girls, who often turn the park into a giant photo studio of luuuv.

What book to leave untouched as the two of you disappear behind a palm tree: Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare.

Chatuchak

Khampangpetch Rd., Chatuchak, 02-272-4575. Open daily 4:30-8pm.

It’s hard to believe there’s a little Disneyland of bridges over water, pedal-boats, and colorful flowers just next to sticky, packed and dusty JJ Market. Shoppers should seriously consider extending their weekend expedition to the very end of the BTS and MRT lines by taking a stroll in Chatuchak’s park. It’s not quite like leaving Bangkok for a boutique hotel in the islands, but it’s closer, it’s free, and it’s green—and no tropical diseases or delayed flights!

What to read on your rented mat to turn it into a desert island: Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe.

Lumpini

Rama 4 Rd., Pathumwan, 02-252-8035. Open daily 4:30am-8pm.

This is the place to grab a B30 American breakfast after a long night of partying and indulge in some of the most fascinating people-watching in town: elderly Chinese playing chess or performing their morning tai chi, yuppie joggers, grunting body-builders and the busy-bee gardeners. Just watching all this morning activity might actually make you feel refreshed enough to make it to your place, but crashing under a tree is fine, too.

What to read in the shade without taking off your sunglasses: Tender is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald.

Benjakitti

Old Thai Tobacco Factory, next to QSNCC, 02-278-2426. Open daily 5am-8pm.

Some might like its clean look, but with that flat empty pool and those looming skyscrapers, Benjakitti is borderline eerie. The cycling track is top notch, though, and probably one of the only ones that is flat enough for (reasonably) safe rollerblading. If you’re all about aluminum kitchens and half-inch thick plasma screens—and if your office is nearby, Benjakitti may be the perfect place to get some exercise without getting too close to nature.

What audio-book to play on your iPod: American Psycho by Brett Easton Ellis.

Like the photo effects in this story? Here is our camera review