BootsnAll Travel Community

Hey people, hope everyones happy today! I've been doing a bit of research myself but would like some personal opinions from others. Which area of Bangkok would you recommend for a first timer in Bangkok?
I was wanting to check out the main spots i.e. Grand Palace, Jim Thompson's etc. but also do alot of people watching and just generally get a 'feel' for Bangkok.
Hopefully by the time i arrive (September) i will have got my tongue around a small amount of Thai so wouldn't mind staying in a very 'Thai' area???
Obviously the first choice for most would be Banglamphu/Khao San Road but (no offence meant) it sounds like my idea of hell! After my own research i was looking at maybe Thonburi? I know it's the other side of the river but i don't think the traveling would be too much of a hassle, and it would be a good excuse to get on the river lots!
Also i was planning on spending maybe a week in Bangkok, do you think this may be too long?
Thanks in advance for any answers/recommendations/comments. Peace and love, Danny J

quote:

After my own research i was looking at maybe Thonburi? I know it's the other side of the river but i don't think the traveling would be too much of a hassle

I'm not sure where exactly Thonburi is, but if you're near a river taxi stop, it's easy enough to get around town using a combo of the river taxi and public transportation (and A/C cabs when necessary!).

quote:

Also i was planning on spending maybe a week in Bangkok, do you think this may be too long?

I don't think it's too long. Bangkok may not have a ton of "must see" sites, but it is a very pleasant city that is worth lingering in. Get Nancy Chandler's map of Bangkok, check out the English-language expat magazines (like Farang), and just explore!

I stayed near KSR, so don't have any suggestions about other neighborhoods to stay in.

When I am in Bangkok I stay in the Sukhumvit Road area. I like the lively nightlife, familiar cheap restaurants and street vendors. In the Sukhumvit Road area and the Siam too area you can find inexpensive hotels and cheap food like the Khao San Road (KSR) area, but the main advantage is the Skytrain.

The Skytrain is an overhead rapid transit system that can be used to take you quick and cheap to many popular areas of Bangkok. There is no Skytrain stop in the KSR area. The Skytrain has stops at the Ekamai Bus station and the new subway. The new subway can connect you to the main train station.

Where you stay is sometimes influenced by your age. Many really really young travellers like to go to the KSR area and be with other really young travellers. Other, perhaps more mature, travellers seem to head for other areas of Bangkok like Silom, New Phetchaburi Road, Siam and Sukhumvit.

Pick up a a Lonely Planet TG and see what interests you. Some things appeal to women more than men. There are lots of travel agencies that have menu lists of cheap available tours to many places too. You can pick and pay for a tour that interests you - or go it alone. Always compare prices from different travel agencies if you want to take a tour that way.

Hotels are cheap in Bangkok, AirCon rooms with HW and private toilet/shower, etc. can be had from 650 baht to 4000 baht per night. In smaller towns and cities the hotel prices are even a cheaper.

No matter where you stay in Bangkok the taxi cabs are pretty cheap, compared to Western countries. Avoid taxi cabs lurking around bus stations or hotels, these parked taxi cabs will most often want to bargain for the fare. Stop a passing meter taxi, tell the driver "meter only" and pay the meter fare - it will be cheaper than bargaining. Tuk-Tuks will be more expensive for travel than the AirCon taxi cabs, unless you speak Thai.

Have fun in Bangkok.

That post oughta be made into a "sticky".

i've been working in bkk for over 4 years but haven't got around yet. i like sukhumvit of course easy access to anywhere in bkk by skytrain, bus and taxi. if you like historical sites, go to khaosarn road area cos many places to see there in a walking distance.

another place i want to recommend is somewhere near bts taksin station. there are some cheap hotels there (i.e Bossotel, not really cheap if compared with khao sarn road, Shangri-La is there too..expensive na ^^"). it's close to the peir that you can catch a ferry to anywhere along the river line - KSR, temples, grand palace, koh kret, and close to skytrain that you can take to downtown in a few minutes or another side of bkk to jatujak (weekend market)or connect with metro.

i'm on sukhumvit line and i see less tourists when i get to phrakhanong area then on-nut.

not sure if this can be any of help

depends on ur personality... if u are in desperate need of other western tourists, head for kao san road. i don't think you truly experience bangkok by going to this area. personally, my favourite part of bangkok is silom road... any of the sois. silomcityinn is about $40 per night and in a fantastic location (this is expensive considering you can get one bedroom apartments for 5000 baht per month... $under $200) ... not far from siam square and the skytrain. by staying in silom, i met locals... no westerners which made for a fantastic time in bangkok (and i've got somewhere to stay now when going back!). i've fallen in love with bangkok and can't wait to get back... in a couple of weeks time... i'm even contemplating staying there a month or two after china. it will seem overwhelming on first arrival, but nothing beats the entertainment/facilities/ease of getting around etc.

I like the Sukhumvit area but some tourists don't like being in an area that has so many bars around.

A long time ago before the Skytrain was finished I used to stay in the New Phetchaburi Road area. My place was not
too far from the First Hotel. Lots of street vendors, interesting shops, Pantip Plaza (6or 7 floors crammed with electronic/computer stuff,) Krung Thong Plaza (a mini garment center,) and lots of restaurants.

Once you know the cheap city bus system you can pay 5-12 baht for a bus ride that connects you to the Skytrain. Nearest Skytrain stop by walking is the Asia Hotel stop or up by Siam.

Phetchaburi Road is a nice area to stay in if you want a more "bar free" neighborhood but still have lots of places to shop and eat at.

AL

Thanks so much to everyone for posting replys here, lots of food for thought! Am still looking but i've got ages till i go yet and the amount of info here is enough to keep me in investigative work for a while.
Glad this has been made sticky as well, loads of helpful stuff here. Thanks again guys, Peace and love, Danny J

Banglamphu/Khao San Road

Why is hell?

No am not happy today.

Never went to Bangkok. May go in next five years. Have relative, Uncle, who went. Met his wife, in fact, there. She was another traveler. I think they wrapped their tongue on thai, too.

DannyJ, (not to offend anyone) but you are correct,
Khao San IS hell. In fact, it is a layer so deep that
even Dante was afraid to make mention of it.

Im a BKK newb, but Sukhumvit is my favorite strip so far.

- Greg

Bangkok rules! I love it. A week isn't too long. A lot of people just say you should get in and out as fast as you can, but I disagree. I came for a couple days and I've been here a week, still having the time of my life!
I like Banglampu (sp?) and in fact I'm here now. If you don't like KSR, don't go there! I like it for the people-watching. And I've met plenty of Thais here.
I also stayed on Sukhumvit which was cool too.

I'm heading out to Bangkok in a couple of weeks. Khao San is not sounding too appealing so far but to be honest I do want some kind of touristy action for the first few days before I head North, purely to acclimatise I think. Is it really so bad? Why exactly? What makes Suk better?

What makes Suk better?

Depends on you! If you are a single male adult you might like the easy access to the many bars in the neighborhood.

If you like dealing with street vendors - there are loads on Sukhumvit. (New Phetchaburi Road, Patpong,and Siam also have lots of vendors too!)

You might like Sukhumvit for the easy access to the Skytrain. The Skytrain gives you connections with the Ekamai Bus Station and the new Subway. The Subway connects you to the train station. There is a Skytrain stop that takes you to the MBK shopping center and a stop for the Chatachuk market. There is a Skytrain stop for Patpong.

Cheap hotels, like KSR, are available in the Sukhumvit area, as well as lots of restaurants.

The Airport Bus (100 baht) has a route that runs down Sukhumvit. The Airport Bus provides easy transportation from the airport (up to just past midnight anyway!)

And, if you want to splurge, there are many expensive hotels available in the Sukhumvit area.

I love these forums!

Some extra content here from some of the same posters on another thread.

I had the most amazing time in Bangkok when I was there. I was lucky in the sense I was staying with Thai's and they were showing me all the cool places to go. I stayed in Lat Phrao which is East of Mo Chit, and it was awesome. Me and my pal were the only Farang for miles and would get some stares as if to say what the hell are you doing here when walking down the road!! Our Thai friends took us to some unbelievable restaurants and bars that most travlers will never get to, and we did the clubs down Ratchadari Road which in my mind pi55 all over the clubs in Ibiza. Ratchadari road is not a Farang hangout and will be quite hard to go to without Thais. I remeber being in Dance Fever Sat night drinking Jonnie Walker, some waiter filling our glasses while watching 4 Premiership matches live - wicked days can't wait to go back.

I have to agree with Crazy Al about the Sukhumvit area. I live part time in the Phaholyonthin area - but when friends are in town Suk is the area we go to. Movies, food, bars, easy to get around.

Craig_904, thats the Ratachadaphisek Road where Dance Fever is dude, a mouthfull I know! lol. That area and Lad Praou are nice to stay at now because the metros there and its easy to get into the rest of the city. Certainly more farangs in this area now than there was a few years back, so its not too much hardship to get around, a lot of people speak english here.

The OP suggested Thonburi, its a nice old skool area of Bangkok, I lived there quite a while back, but can be a nightmare for transport unless you are ok to take the boat everyday. Otherwise the traffic can be a killer round there, I wouldn't bother with it mate.

Best suggestion for you would be around the sukhumvit Thong Lor/Ekamai area, which is soi 55 and63 respectively. Its got a lot of Thai style bars at nice, quite a classy fashionable area for the local Thais at night, good food round there and there's some budget guesthouses springing up in the area now. One worth checking out is called Big Johns guesthouse coz he does some lovely food there. Its also directly on the skytrain so easy to get around from. Its got the advantages of being in Sukhumvit, but without a lot of the crap you get towards the Nana end of Sukhumvit, I think you'll like it. Enjoy your trip. Take a look at:

areas of Bangkok

Its pretty basic info at the moment, but maybe it'll help you out.

Cheers, Simon

Hey yall, I am in Bangkok currently staying at the Trang hotel, just north of the KS area, on the witsut kasat rd near the foot of the new cool Rama V111 suspension bridge. the rates here are resonable, 1,400bt a night with a really great breakfast bar and large pool and off the street quiet..planned on only 3 days in Bangkok but have decided to stay a week because I really love it! Street food is awsome for a food explorer like me, although i dont really know exactly what i am eating most of the time... Looking for a cheaper alternative tomorrow for around 800bt a night for the rest of my stay....any specific suggestions? thanks, Jon

Since you are already in the neighborhood, why not check out the KS House?
Their best rooms are only 600 baht.