Metro Forest

Metro Forest is a 12-rai patch of reconstructed lowland forest on Sukhaphiban 2 Road in Prawet, on Bangkok’s eastern edge, planted by the PTT Reforestation and Ecology Institute using the Miyawaki method — a dense, mixed-species planting technique developed by Japanese ecologist Akira Miyawaki and used in more than 1,500 reforestation projects worldwide. It’s free to enter, but every visit is a booked, guided tour rather than a walk-in park.

The exhibition building that opens the tour is built from natural-toned clay, and the difference in air temperature is noticeable the moment you step inside — no air conditioning, just thermal mass doing the work brick and glass can’t. The visit runs through three sections: first, the history of Thailand’s reforestation efforts and King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s forestry theories; then a short film explaining the Miyawaki method itself; and finally, through a door behind the cinema screen, the forest proper. A skywalk climbs in stages as the surrounding trees gain height, ending at a viewing tower roughly 23 metres up with a 360-degree view over the reconstructed canopy and the Bangkok skyline beyond it.

Because the planting is dense and still maturing, the forest reads more like a working ecological experiment than a manicured garden — cicadas and birdsong replace traffic noise within a few dozen metres of the entrance, and the air genuinely feels cooler and more humid than the surrounding sois. It’s a small site, easily covered in the two- to three-hour guided visit, and closed on Mondays.

Insider Tip: Book well ahead for weekend visits — each shift caps at 50 people and school groups often fill the morning slots first. Weekday afternoons are the easiest to get a same-day space if you didn’t plan ahead.

Watch out: This isn’t a self-guided park. Tours run in two fixed daily shifts (09:00-12:00 and 13:00-16:00), booked online at least three days in advance through the PTT Reforestation Institute’s reservation system — turning up without a reservation risks being turned away or asked to wait for the next shift, if there’s space at all.

The site sits at 81 Sukhaphiban 2 Road, Dokmai, in Bangkok’s Prawet district — well off the BTS/MRT network, so a car, taxi or ride-hailing app is the practical way in. Pair it with Suan Luang Rama IX nearby for a more conventional park visit, or the Bangkok Butterfly Garden and Insectarium if you’re building a half-day of nature-themed stops around the city.