Bangkok has a reputation for being cheap, but most of the temples and major sights charge entry. Here are the things that remain genuinely free and are worth your time.

Wat Pho (exterior and grounds — inner temple is paid)

The outer grounds and many of the smaller chedis (stupas) at Wat Pho can be viewed without paying. The main temple hall with the Reclining Buddha charges entry, but the complex exterior and the atmosphere of the compound alone make it worth a detour. That said, entry to Wat Pho is inexpensive enough that most visitors pay without hesitation.

Wat Saket (Golden Mount — exterior)

The Golden Mount at Wat Saket charges entry for the full hilltop climb, but the temple at the base and the neighbourhood around it — Banglamphu — are free to explore. The canal that runs alongside is one of the more photogenic in the old city.

Lumphini Park

Bangkok's answer to a city park: large, green, and free. Lumphini Park covers 142 acres in the middle of the Silom business district. Locals use it for morning tai chi, jogging, feeding the fish, and escaping the heat. Monitor lizards roam the park's lake shores — they are large, prehistoric-looking, and entirely unfazed by tourists. Open daily 4:30am to 9pm.

Chatuchak Weekend Market

One of the world's largest markets, Chatuchak runs on Saturdays and Sundays near Mo Chit BTS station. Free to enter and browse. Over 15,000 stalls sell everything from vintage clothing and second-hand books to live plants and street food. You will almost certainly buy something, but browsing costs nothing. Go in the morning before the heat peaks.

Pak Khlong Talat (Flower Market)

Bangkok's wholesale flower market near Memorial Bridge runs 24 hours and is always active, though it peaks in the late evening and early morning. Free to wander through. The scale of the flower trade is staggering — huge piles of marigolds, lotus, jasmine garlands, and orchids. One of the most atmospheric spots in the city.

Chinatown (Yaowarat)

Bangkok's Chinatown runs along Yaowarat Road and is free to explore on foot. The area is best at night when the street food stalls set up and the neon signs come alive, but the temples, gold shops, and narrow lanes (try Soi Nana) reward daytime visits too. The neighbourhood runs roughly between the river and Hualamphong station.

Chao Phraya riverfront walk

The area around Tha Tien Pier, Wat Arun (viewable for free from the river bank on the opposite side), and the Memorial Bridge is one of Bangkok's most photogenic stretches of waterfront. Walk from Tha Tien towards the Flower Market along the river path. The Chao Phraya Express Boat (paid but cheap) runs the length of the river if you want to cover more ground.

Wat Arun — viewed from the opposite bank

The Temple of Dawn (Wat Arun) charges entry, but the view from the Tha Tien side of the river is arguably better than being on the temple grounds themselves. The iconic spires photograph best from a distance. Stand on the bank or the pier and you have the shot.

Sanam Luang

The large ceremonial ground facing the Grand Palace (Sanam Luang) is free to walk through. Historically used for royal ceremonies, it now hosts kite flyers, vendors, and locals relaxing. It gives a sense of Bangkok's ceremonial geography in a way the interior of the Grand Palace (paid) does not.

Bang Krachao (by bicycle or on foot)

Directly across the Chao Phraya from the industrial areas of south Bangkok, Bang Krachao is a large green peninsula often called the "green lung" of the city. Free to enter. You can rent a bicycle cheaply at the ferry pier and cycle the paths through fruit orchards and quiet villages. The ferry to get there costs almost nothing.

Rattanakosin Island streets

The historic island core of Bangkok — bounded by the Chao Phraya and a series of canals — is packed with temples and palaces, most of which charge entry. But the streets themselves, the old shophouses on Maharat Road, the amulet market along the canal, and the general urban texture of old Bangkok are free to walk. The Tha Maharaj riverfront development nearby has become a pleasant free waterfront area.

Benjasiri Park

Near the Emporium shopping complex on Sukhumvit, Benjasiri Park is smaller than Lumphini but worth knowing about if you are staying in that part of the city. Free to enter, with a lake, sculptures, and regular use by the local running community.