Ganesha temple

Most people come to Bangkok for the Buddhist wats, so a Hindu shrine to Ganesha on Ratchadaphisek Road doesn't make many itineraries. That's exactly why I'd send you. It's an active place of worship rather than a sight, small in scale, and the elephant-headed deity here draws a steady stream of people who've come to pray rather than photograph. If you want a temple experience where you're a guest instead of one of a thousand ticket holders, this is the sort of place that gives it to you.

Go early or go late. The listed hours run right through the day and night, and the difference between mid-afternoon on a six-lane road in Din Daeng and six in the morning is enormous. Give yourself time to stand still and watch what people do at the shrine, because passing through in five minutes tells you nothing. Skip it if you're only after grand architecture, since this isn't Wat Pho and doesn't try to be.