Here is a final look at this thing to do in Bangkok with kids before it closes for an 8-month renovation.
Growing up in Bangkok, Bangkok Planetarium is a place that has stayed with me through the years. When I was a kid, it was one of the things to do in Bangkok with kids where my parents took my brother and me for a day out.
As a high school student, it became a children discovery museum that my teacher assigned me to visit for school work. And now, as a fully grown adult, it has even become a romanic date spot.
So when the official Facebook page announced that it will stay open until 29 March before closing for an eight-month renovation, I was quite surprised. Even though it is only the Planetarium Hall that will close, it is the main highlight and the part that holds so many memories. Now it is about to get a new makeover – for the better!
Before the closure, I would like to take a look back at what is inside this cosmic centre. And if you have never visited before, this might be your last chance to see it before it returns with a new face.
The experience
As part of the Science Center for Education, the area is quite big with several halls to explore. But you won’t have trouble finding the Planetarium Hall. It sits inside a striking semi-dome building that you will recognise immediately.
During my visit, I bought a ticket and chose a showtime from the schedule. The timetable was actually available on the website, but I didn’t check beforehand, so I ended up waiting almost 40 minutes for the show.
While waiting, I explored several exhibitions inside the building. One of them was the Astronomy Exhibition, which showcases the history of the universe. Displays cover space technology, including satellites, the life cycle of stars and the origins of the universe through the Big Bang. You can also see an astronaut suit and learn how they survive in space.
But what I liked the most was a giant map of Bangkok on the floor. I was having fun with my friend trying to find out where our houses were located.
Soon it was time to enter the dome. The planetarium is a 450-seat dome theatre equipped with high-tech projectors. As the lights turned off, the show began and lasted around 50 minutes. The first 30 minutes were a live star-gazing session led by a staff member who explained the constellations and how to read the night sky. There are English sessions typically held on Tuesdays. The remaining 20 minutes were a full-dome film.
Throughout the show, I had to keep my head tilted upward, but it didn’t feel uncomfortable at all. Instead, it felt like looking up at a real night sky filled with stars that are impossible to see in Bangkok. The stars stretched across the entire dome and the journey moved from planet to planet, almost like travelling through space as an astronaut.
The film changes every month and the current one, Seeing! A Photon’s Journey Across Space, Time and Mind, will be the last film shown before it closes for renovation. It explores how the light we see travels across the vast universe before reaching our eyes and eventually our brain.
After the show ended, the sound of a rooster crowing played through the speakers, like the start of a new morning reminding us to step back into reality. I remember that when I came here as a child, my parents fell asleep during the show, so the sound felt like a gentle wake-up call as well.
During the renovation, one of the biggest changes will be the projector system, which has been in use since the opening in 1964.
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The kids
Even though the universe can feel vast and complex for children to understand, Bangkok Planetarium makes it easier for them to learn about it beyond the pictures in a book. The narration during the show is simple and clear without difficult vocabulary.
While the Planetarium Hall will be closed for eight months, you can still explore other halls at the Science Center for Education. During my visit, I spent almost four hours checking out the exhibitions, including Diversity of Life, which showcases rare and endangered fish species, and Marine Ecology, with interactive displays about tides and coral reefs. There is also a Prehistoric World with life-sized dinosaurs.
One of the highlights for kids is Science Topia. Opened in September 2025, this new zone is designed as a science playground. The space features a massive science-themed ball pit with a climbing structure and slides that drop into thousands of blue and white balls.
Around the pit are interactive walls where children can throw balls at digital targets to learn about physics, energy and simple maths. There are also air pipes where balls travel through clear tubes across the ceiling before falling back down.
The Vibe
Even though the last time I visited was because my science teacher forced our class to go there, it never felt stressful. Instead, it felt fun. The place has a relaxed atmosphere where learning doesn’t feel like studying. You can wander through the exhibitions, try the interactive displays and then sit back and enjoy the cosmic show inside the dome.
That balance between education and entertainment is probably why this thing to do in Bangkok with kids has remained a favourite for generations of Bangkok kids.
So before it closes for renovation, this might be your last chance to bring your little ones to experience it in its current form. After the eight-month renovation, we don’t really know what it will look like or how much it will change. Hopefully it will return even better, but for now, this is the version many of us grew up with.
Good to know before you go
Best for: Families who want to introduce kids to space and science
Where: Sukhumvit, 5 minutes walk from BTS Ekkamai, Bangkok. Call: 02-391-0544
How much: B30 per kid; B50 per adult
Opening hours: Tue–Sun 9am–4pm (closed on Mon)
