Bangkok’s Khao San Road

By alantvuong on April 8, 2020

Since I recently wrote about Ho Chi Minh’s Bui Vien Walking Street, I thought I would revisit and write about Bangkok’s Khoa San Road, which I visited in March 2013 with a buddy. Located in the Bang Lamphu area of Phra Nakhon District of Bangkok, Thailand and at almost half a kilometer long (quarter mile), it is one of the world’s most famous “backpackers area” of Asia, if not the world. This street is vibrant and brimming with cheap restaurants, bars, shops, hostels, music and lots of other backpackers.

bustling nightlife

Staying Here

There many cheap hotels and hostel that are directly on Khoa San Road and surrounding areas. They range from $20 to $70 USD per night and depends on how nice you want your place to be. Just know that it is a very busy area and very loud with music playing from bars, clubs or singers on the street right until 2 AM which is when the street closes.

we stayed at W Hotel which was 15 min taxi drive from Khao San road

Back in 2013, I always chose to stay at a hotel that was more modernized because I figured that wheelchair accessibility would be better there. We end up staying at the W Hotel. It is a 5-star hotel and really fancy. It had a roll in shower and the room and hotel were really accessible. This hotel was really close to the BTS train station but since there are too many stairs to get into, this makes it too hard to use. Lucky, taxis are cheap and my buddy helps me to transfer every time as this was our main way of getting around Bangkok.

you can see the roll in shower in mirror reflection

Eating and Drinking Here

Khao San Road literally have so many food and drink options that are so cheap, it’s quite hard to believe. Not only are there restaurants and fast food here, there are also a lot of street food vendors and carts. The price ranges from $1 to $10 USD depending on where you visit. I am usually a bit cautious when trying street food due to sanitary reasons, but I did try some delicious but cheap bbq chicken skewers. Alcohol can be found everywhere at such low prices so you will see lots of drunks and party goers here. It is also a great way to meet and socialize with other backpackers and tourists here.

bbq chicken skewers

Shopping and Services Here

Khao San shops here sells everything from crafts, clothes, paintings, local fruits, dvds, souvenirs and more. Everything here is quite cheap and lots of counterfeit items could be purchased here. Just be careful when buying clothes or jewelry because everything will be of poor quality and you will be scammed.

street food everywhere

Spas, salons and massage parlors could also be found everywhere. My buddy even got a fish spa where you put your bare feet in a fish tank and the tiny little fish will eat the dead skin from your feet. This started at 150 baht ($5 USD) for 15 minutes. He really enjoyed the experience as I just looked on.

fish spa

The Experience

Getting around Khao San road was pretty good. Since the street is closed to vehicle traffic from 5 PM to 4 AM everyday, and we were there in the evening, it was quite easy for my wheelchair. Even with the crowds of people everywhere, we stayed on the street so my buddy didn’t have to worry about tight and inaccessible sidewalks and curbs. We even found a good sheesha place on the side of the street.

sheesha

Good To Know

Since it can be very crowded on this street, and lots of drunks are everywhere, be vigilant and watch out for pickpocketers and opportunists. Also, never get a taxi directly from Khao San road, you will get ripped off. It is best to go a few blocks away and get a taxi from there. Just make sure the cab driver turns on the meter.

be aware of your surroundings in crowds

Nearby

Soi Rambuttri road is another major street that is similar to Khao San road but smaller, quieter and tamer. It is still busy and full of tourists with shops, food, massage places, and hostels. It is only a couple blocks away so we visited this street too.

soi Rambuttri road

We both really enjoyed the few hours we experienced at Khao San road. With it being crazy and wild with tourists, shops, restaurants and more, it definitely brings the energy and draws people in to visit and everyone should visit at least once. The whole road is currently getting a 48 million baht ($1.6 million USD) renovation with upgrades and improvement. This should be done sometime in the spring of 2020 an I would love to revisit Bangkok and spend more time on this world famous road.