My experience with public pools is, to put it mildly, chequered. It ranges from being refused entry to them growing up in apartheid-era South Africa and eventually getting to swim in this one in Cape Town with its enviable Atlantic seafront positioning, to having to explain what gangs were to my three-year-old when we were forced to get a different swimming costume because his inadvertently displayed the banned colors of a local gang in New York City.
In Bangkok, many apartment dwellers enjoy large communal pools and not a few who live in houses enjoy modest splash pools too. And for those who want to get their laps on, the city’s public pools offer reasonable, well maintained options. For ease of access and proximity, there are my two favourites.
A short stroll from the Prom Phong BTS station to the far end of Benjasiri Park will lead you to the half-Olympic length public pool there. A membership will set you back a few hundred Baht plus a small per use fee. You’ll need to bring a copy of your passport, two passport photos, and a medical certificate to apply.
Less convenient to public transport but my favourite is the pool in the photo, located halfway between Thong Lo and Ekkamai BTS stations. This nine-lane, Olympic-sized outdoor natatorium complete with stadium seating is located in the Science Centre for Education near soi 40.
As my son says, “This is not a ‘fun pool’.” This is a pool for the more serious swimmer, for lessons, training and workout lapping. It is uniformly deep providing no point at which even the tallest adult can stand with their head above water. No wonder that part of the membership process involves a two-length competency test. Along with a doctor’s note, photo, copy of passport and Baht 500 membership fee plus Baht 100 for you membership card, this will gain you access to swim for Baht 40 per use. But it sure is a brilliant pool to swim!
To find these and other public pools anywhere in the world, try the Swimmer’s Guide website.
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