Bangkok city guide: Here are the best places to stay in Thailand's wild capital – from Chinatown to Banglamphu is written by Jacob Gowland Jørgensen.
Welcome to a fantastic city
Bangkok is big city when it is most intensive, wild and fun. It is also a gigantic metropolis, which has not just one center, but many.
It can be easy to just get overwhelmed and give up on Bangkok, but if you're into big city experiences, Thailand's capital can do a lot if you just choose the right neighborhood to live in. Because there are huge differences. Each neighborhood has its own personality, so it's just a matter of finding which one suits you.
After 8 visits - and with good help from locals and expats, who works in the city – I am gradually getting a handle on the most important parts of Bangkok.
Here is therefore a city guide to which 10 obvious neighborhoods you can live in. And tips for urban areas and food markets - from the well-known to the overlooked.
Bangkok city guide: Why you should live in Sukhumvit
Many know Sukhumvit as the place where Bangkok's efficient Skytrain runs up over the road and the line that runs here is of course called the Sukhumvit Line.
Sukhumvit is the first of 4 obvious neighborhoods to live in Bangkok, because here you will find a unique combination of amazing Sukhumvit hotels, delicious restaurants and walks in the street. Sukhumvit can be both the most intensive and commercial you can find in Bangkok, and then there are also the trendy districts of Thong Lor and Ekkamai, which are more peaceful and creative.
Sukhumvit is also really well connected to both the airport and the rest of the city with both the Skytrain, subway and major roads, and you will soon be happy about that.
Read our entire guide to Sukhumvit here.
Bangkok city guide: Why you should stay in Banglamphu – Khao San Road
The original backpacker area of Bangkok is another obvious choice when choosing which neighborhood to stay in Bangkok. Even if you are not backpacking.
Khao San Road is in the center of the area, and as long as you don't live directly on the road, which gets quite noisy in the evening, it's a really nice area. Banglamphu is an old city area of Bangkok and it stretches right up to the river.
Here are mostly low buildings, and lots of small cafes, shops and travel agencies where you can easily walk around. There are no major roads here, and unfortunately no train stations either. Alternatively, you can take the ferry that sails on the river and experience beautiful Wat Arun and get off at Sathon Pier where the Skytrain can take you to Sukhumvit and beyond.
The area is also within walking distance of The Grand Palace, Wat Po and several other classic sights in the neighboring neighborhood 'The Old Town' - or Rattanakosin - which is nice to visit, but not such an obvious place to live.
Today, Banglamphu has become trendy for the young Thais, so it is to that extent a melting pot of travelers from all over the world who meet curious Thais from the big city.
Read our article about Khao San Road here.
An obvious hotel on the edge of the area is Lamphu Tree House Boutique Hotel, and there are also many others located in the center of the area, such as The Ember Hotel.
Bangkok city guide: Why you should live in Chinatown - Yaowarat
Chinatown is also close to 'The Old Town'; just on the other side down towards the river. The local name is Yaowarat, and it is the third of the obvious neighborhoods to live in Bangkok.
Chinatown is full of street markets, street food and an eternal hum of life. The center is at Yaowarat Street, where there is also a subway station, Wat Mangkon, and where Bangkok's gold markets are located.
Remember to go down to Talat Noi by the river, where the original neighborhood is located, and you can walk along small paths along the river. Have lunch overlooking the river at the River View Residence or take on bike ride in the big city, because this is also where you can do it.
Hotel ASAI Bangkok Chinatown is perfectly located right next to the metro, the main street and not least opposite the tiny streets, you have to remember to get lost in, because there are many local food experiences there.
Chinatown is a witty mix of cozy corners and bustling streets, beautiful places and primitive workshops, where life is lived out on the street. Not all places are equally cozy, but that's how it is here in Chinatown; it's a neat mix of everything in one place.
Bangkok city guide: Why you should live in Riverside – Chao Phraya River
Just across Chinatown, you'll find Riverside, which is the neighborhood that runs down the Chao Phraya River.
Here is the giant ICONSIAM shopping center and a string of luxury hotels on both sides of the river. It is obvious to stay here if you want to have a few peaceful days in the city at a cool luxury hotel and experience one more elegant side of Bangkok.
Some hotel classics at Riverside are e.g Chatrium Hotel Riverside Bangkok, Anantara Riverside Bangkok Resort and Avani+ Riverside Bangkok Hotel.
The disadvantage is that you are not really close to the rest of the city, so it is something with slightly longer trips when you go sightseeing. There is also not much else to see locally in the areas.
In return, you get some hotels that can easily handle both a family holiday and a romantic weekend in the big city, and you often get a free boat shuttle to Sathon Pier, where you can catch the Skytrain, included in the price.
Riverside is a neighborhood in Bangkok that some keep coming back to.
Siam, Sathon and Silom: Other neighborhoods you can spend the night in
In addition to the 4 most popular neighborhoods to live in Bangkok, there are of course also other places to find accommodation.
There are many hotels in the neighbourhood Siam, Sathorn and Silom, and you often get good 'value for money' in these business districts, because they are often nice newer hotels with really good service. On the other hand, it is limited how interesting the neighborhoods themselves are because there are many office buildings.
The best of the 3 neighborhoods is Siam, because here there are several lively shopping centers – including one aimed at young people – and it is also here that the main railway station in central Bangkok is located, so it is a practical traffic hub.
Dusit is located north of Banglamphu and is more peaceful than the neighboring neighborhood. Dusit is an elegant neighborhood that houses the parliament and has a convenient location in the city.
Ratchadapisek, also known as Ratchada, is one upcoming area north of Sukhumvit. Here you will find Jodd Fair Night Market and Royal City Avenue, which is a street full of bars, discos and restaurants.
If you are going to stay in Bangkok for a longer period of time, it is popular to go further out of the Sukhumvit line in the direction out of the city.
There are two obvious possibilities here.
The first is the Bangkok neighborhood with the cozy name On Nut, where there are many expats.
On Nut has cozy food markets on one side of the Skytrain station and some iconic bars such as Cheap Charlies on the other hand. Due to the many foreigners who work in the city and live here, the level of service is also above what you often experience. Here you will also find one of the rare large supermarkets – right next to the station, even.
Baering is even further off the Sukhumvit line.
Baering As a neighborhood, it primarily has two qualities. Here you can find cheap and new rental apartments, and they have a fantastic food market right by the station, which is worth a visit or two. This food market is primarily for the locals, so both the selection and the prices are in a special class. And the market is a cozy place. However, it is a bit far from the rest of Bangkok even with the Skytrain.
Have a nice trip to Bangkok, and good journey to the always lovely Thailand.
Here's where to live in Bangkok: 10 obvious neighbourhoods
- Sukhumvit
- Banglamphu – Khao San Road
- Chinatown
- Riverside
- Siam
- Silom
- Sathorn
- Ratchada
- On Nut
- Baering
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