Best area of Bangkok

We stayed at the Train Inn right next to the train station both times we were in Bangkok.
Starting at 450baht, it's among the cheapest around.
Sterile clean.
Maid service was not optional - they came through every day and rearranged all our bags - grrrr.
Precious few travellers around.
Nearby extremely cheap food spots (ie 25 baht for a meal - only time we saw rats leave the sewer and sit under our table was during a big rain!!!)
Easy walk to Chinatown....longer but still doable walk to Platinum and Pratunum malls and Centralworld if that's what you're wanting to do.....river taxi and skytrain nearby for getting to other places....airport shuttle goes from train station too

Definitely a very helpful thread.

You might want to stick on the first idea of where to stay, that might be the most ideal for you.

I hope you are having a grand time and have gotten to taste what really is Thai.

Cheers

I've been to Bangkok a lot of times already. I only go there for shopping and food, nothing else. The clothes and accessories there are crazy cheap! I feel like I want to live there and be seen fashionable everyday!
The best place I've stayed so far was in Holiday Inn, Bangkok. It was near Siam Paragon, one of the biggest malls in Asia. If you get a hotel, make sure it's around Silom so that you will have easy access to a lot of malls in Bangkok.
Also, it's nice to walk around since there is a bridge connected to various buildings and malls in Silom.

I'm very excited for you! I hope I can go back to Bangkok soon

Actually "SIAM" is in the center of all the big Bangkok shopping malls, Siam Paragon, Siam Center, Siam Discovery and Siam Square. Centralworld, Bangkok's largest, is just east.

Let me start by saying that this is one of the best threads on Bangkok. I've been browsing the past couple of days seeking inputs on living in bangkok. I took my time to go through all of the replies on this post. Although, i am a little confused owing to the contradiction in some of the posts. But i've gathered that Sukumvit, Silom or Khao San road etc seem popular with tourists. I would really appriciate if someone can suggest me or give me tips on long term accomodation?

I plan to take up a year long course in Bangkok. I'd be attending the university 3 days a week so staying near the university is not a must. Besides, anything close to Sky train or any other reliable mode of travel will do...I am a 23 yr old male, outgoing with an active social life. I'd like to stay close to popular spots and thereby avoid too much travelling while returning in the nights. I am working on the budget for the whole year. I figured i can afford maximum 8000-9000 Thai Baht per month on accomodation. Is that a decent figure for monthly accomodation? I'd really like a clean studio apartment preferrably well located and near these hangouts.

From what i've read so far, I like the sound of Sukumvit (the bars, retaurants, movies, proximity to sky train etc) KSR seems a little too touristy and crowded. I could be wrong? I'd like to stay where people like myself do...i mean the outsiders..tourists...expats..i guess that ways it'd be easy to make new friends..socialise etc...A year is a long time after all...So besides the mentioned choices are there any areas particularly known for may be student accomodation or long term tourists....i'm sorry if i'm all over the place with my question....but any information will be appriciated...i'm pretty clueless at the moment...i'm looking forward to this year in Bangkok...and travel a bit too around asia whenever i can...With regards to Bangkok, I'd like to end up in the best of situations...i'm quite curious at the moment and right now internet is the only source of planning and preperation for me...so please feel free to share your thoughts...i've noticed some wise contributions in this thread from people who really seem to know a great deal about Bangkok...i look forward to your suggestions...thank you

Hoo-ha, I am not sure if this post will help. I was in Bangkok a few times in 2007. Unfortunately, I was blind to what areas of the city I was in, but this is what I will tell you about the posts in this thread: for the most part people are detailing the best areas of bangkok to stay as a tourist on vacation, as not as someone who is spending to live there for a year. My suggestion is to stay away from KSR. Hanging out there for a day or two is cool to see all the backpackers but it is wayyy more expensive than anywhere else you will go in bangkok. The real estate is the most prime real estate in Bangkok and the prices are reflected there. Food, the clothing shops, bars and restaurants are much more expensive than any area I visited. Even the street food is more expensive. Sure, I may be talking about something being 25 cents vs 50 cents, but it is still an indicator that things in and around KSR are 2 - 4 times more expensive and for a student on a budget studying that adds up!

My suggestion is to maybe stay near the university. Areas around universities are generally cheaper since students dont have a lot of money. Do you know where the University is located? I mean obviously if it is located in the outskirts of the city (like towards the airport or other neighboring cities) you may not want to stay there. You also may be able to find cheap, clean accommodation and maybe even share accommodation with other students (either foreign or domestic). Are you doing this study as an exchange or as an international student. If this is part of an exchange your current school may be able to get in contact with the university in Bangkok and maybe they can help you find some student housing. When i studied abroad in Australia that is what I did and I ended up living in an international housing development and it was a great time.

Again, sukamvit and silom etc...are all touristy areas...i think you need to find like a neighborhoodie type area of bangkok as these touristy areas loaded with malls etc could get annoying after a few weeks. Unless you are looking for the area where you can party every night then I would say check out the areas suggested by others. If you are looking to engrain yourself in the local culture and people then I would suggest staying near the university or an area near the school where other local students may be there. I think that would be best.

KSR at the very least is so absurdly overpriced and over-crowded that would be enough for me to avoid it, especially for a year. I spent like three nights staying there and that was enough. It is also not conveniently located near any skytrams or river taxis and car taxis fleece you going there.

Also, remember at night if you go out there to a bar getting back to your apartment is a little tricky. A lot of taxis refuse to turn on your meter and you could end up paying like 3-500 baht so make sure you go with others and try to bargain like hell. They know you have no choice if you want to go home and you can't walk otherwise you would. So keep those things in mind...I would also avoid patpong and some of those seedy areas. Chinatown seemed pretty nice, but you may have to continue to scour the internet. Maybe you can find like a very reputable real estate agent in Bangkok through the University and find a good area or like I said before, contact the university and see what they suggest for student housing, they may be able to help you or maybe the university has like a student housing website or message board...I know a lot of schools do that now.

Sorry I couldn't provide a concrete place to stay but hopefully I gave you enough to consider and maybe gave you some leads as to how you can find the right area of bangkok for you to spend your year studying abroad.

@ Eppyboy

Thank you for sharing the information with me. I have got in touch with a few foreign students from that university and they have been very helpful. Just as you said, it indeed seems a better choice to stay near the university. I have contacted a broker referred to me by one of those students and he has given me some very good options. For a longer stay i guess...something quite and peaceful would be more preferrable. So, yes i'm gonna stay away from those touristy areas. Once again mate...thanks a lot for your post!

Wow, great to get some decent ideas about Bangkok. The first couple of times I went there I stayed around Khao San and didn't venture far, and that kinda affected my view of the city. Last time I went to Chinatown and some of the areas around there are beautiful, little back streets, not much in the way of shops or restaurants but with a lovely vibe and great for a walk.

I love it around Khao San Road, and despite what you might think lots of Thais hang out there too making it a cool place to be.

Would DEFINITELY recommend staying round Khao San road for a first-timer.

Everything you need there (including great hostels) and easy access to all of the city's sights.

Nick

We were in Bangkok a couple of months ago and tried a new location to base our visit from. We normally stay around Sukhumvit Soi 2, but wanted to try something new this time.

I found the Davis Hotel, which is located on Sukhumvit Soi 24 about 6 to 7 blocks from the Sukhumvit main drag. It is a nice hotel that is just far enough off Sukhumvit, to be a little quieter and removed from some of the seedier areas. The hotel has a free tuk-tuk that will take you up the Soi to the Prom Pom Sky Train station or to the Emporium mall (which has an excellent food court and amazing movie theater). The hotel also included a full buffet breakfast and it has a Starbucks on site.

My wife and I both enjoyed staying in this part of town, we also had an excellent dinner at The Lemon Grass restaurant, which is just up the street. The location around the hotel has a residential feel to it and made for an enjoyable stay. This area would be worth checking out the next time you are in Bangkok.

We hit up BKK in month 7 of 8 during our time in Asia. At that stage of our trip we considered KSR close to hell on earth (or at least Asia). We stayed in a really nice place in Silom. BKK is easy to get around via Skytrain, tuk-tuk, and boat there is really no reason to stay in KSR. If you need to do something there, get in and get out. BKK is an unforgettable city, and I look back on our couple of weeks there with fond memories.

For first time travelers, Khao San Road is the place to go. It's very tourist friendly and is filled with hostels and other travelers.