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Bangkok/Khao San RoadBangkok/Khao San RoadImage:Thailand-khaosan_road.jpg|thumb|256px|Khao San Road Market '''Khao San Road''' (??? ??????? ''Thanon Khao Saan''; also spelled ''Khaosan'', ''Kao Sarn'', ''Koh Sarn'' and many other variations) is, technically speaking, a small street about three blocks long located about a block from the Chao Phraya River in the '''Banglamphu''' district northwest of downtown Bangkok. ==Understand== Backpackers and budget tourists are drawn by some of the cheapest accommodation in Thailand - most guesthouses charge around 150 baht a night and a bowl of noodles is 20 baht or less - and great bargains on tour and transport. The first business to open on Khao San Road was a small hotel aimed at serving civil servants from the provinces who came to Bangkok on business. The hotel was followed by Sor Thambhakdi, a shop selling monks' accessories. It was followed by four similar businesses, and khao San became known as a "religious road". Word soon spread about the easy lifestyle and friendliness of the locals. Friends told friends, and before long the owner of the house started to charge 20 baht for food and lodging. The first commercial guesthouse, called Bonny, opened with six small bedrooms. On a more practical level there are also '''pharmacies''', '''internet cafes''', '''money changing booths''', '''ATMs''', shoe stores, laundry, and optometrists. '''Accommodations''' and '''restaurants''' are hard to recommend, since places spring up and disappear on a monthly basis. ==Get in== Khao San Road is fairly easy to get to from anywhere in Bangkok. '''Taxis''', '''buses''', and '''river ferry''' are your main options. The hourly '''airport bus''', A2, arrives and departs from the corner of Khao San Road. Buy a ticket from the booth at the airport, or on the bus. A meter taxi should cost about 200 baht, if using the toll roads (known to Thais as ''Toll way'') which costs upto 60 baht. Traffic during the day can make the toll roads very worthwhile, as it will save time and money. A tip for budget conscious travellers arriving at Bangkok airport is to band together with fellow back packers and catch a meter taxi from the depatures terminal upstairs. See the Bangkok section for info on arriving in town. ==See & Do== There aren't any historical sights to speak of on the road itself — head south to Bangkok/Rattanakosin|Rattanakosin for that — but the Banglamphu area is just an interesting place to walk around for a glimpse of Thai life. The '''Banglamphu park''', just beyond Khao San Road, has a great view of the Chao Phraya river and the ultra-modern Rama VIII suspension bridge. Sites walking distance from Khao San Road include: The Grand Palace (''Wat Phra Kaew''), Wat Po, Sanam Luang Park, Chao Phraya river, Democracy Monument and The Golden Mount (''Phu Khao Thong''). See Bangkok/Rattanakosin|Rattanakosin for details. ==Buy== The '''Banglamphu market''' is a good place to pick up cheap Thai knock-offs of everything from jeans to Italian sneakers, as well as a few posh Thai silk stores. Food stalls also abound in this area. Khao San road is also home to many wholesale silver jewlery stores. ==Eat== Khao San Road offers one of the most diverse food selections anywhere in Bangkok. Since the street sees such a varied nationality of travelers, several ethnic foods can be found here. Street carts that line Khao San Road sell decent ''phat thai'' (fried noodles), quail eggs, roti (like a pancake), falafel, hummus, various bugs and some sell just cocktails. However, it's worth noting that much of it is specifically geared for backpackers — even the local ''phat thai'', especially the 10 baht variety, economizes on the ingredients and uses soy instead of the traditional tamarind sauce. Those looking for truly good food would be advised to head elsewhere, such as to Bangkok/Sukhumvit|Sukhumvit. As Khao San leaves its backpacker roots, standards (and prices) are rising. International outlets Burger King and Starbucks have moved in during 2004. *'''Tom Yum Gung''', the restaurant, is highly rated and great place to try some tom yum gung (spicy shrimp soup). *'''Gulliver’s''', on the west end of the road, is a decent sports bar with mid range pricing a good offering of Western food. *'''Sidewalk Cafe''', a great outdoor people watching spot with a large menu. ==Drink== Khao San Road has some of the cheapest bars in town, and these days even some Thais head down to knock back a few. A can of Beer Chang is 25 baht at 7-11. Worth a look are a few street side VW vans converted to mobile bars, serving cocktails made from cheap liquor. *'''Lava''', Middle of Khao San. Go down the steps to one of the more modern and western own bars on the Road. Sunday nights are good. *'''Bangkok Bar''', *'''Susies Pub''', The pub that started it all. Owners of the is pub have branched out to owning Austin Pub, Tom Yung Gung, and The Club. Usually packed playing top 40s tunes. *'''Gullivers''', A sports pub. *'''The Club''', With a huge neon sign, you can't miss it. Interesting open design. Coffee: *There is a relaxing, small coffee shop inside the book store on the 2nd floor of the Khao San Road shopping mall. *Most restaurants on Khao San serve freshly brewed coffee. *There is a branch of the chain Coffee World near the McDonald's *There is a very nice Starbucks in a converted house around the middle of the street. Iced drinks: *Coconut milk, iced and drunk directly from a fresh coconut is a cheap and good way to cool the body. Coconuts are available at all the restaurants on Khao San Road. ==Sleep== Khao San Road is Bangkok's backpacker guesthouse center. ===Budget=== Keep in mind that anything on the main drag will be loud, and anything with exterior windows will get hot. Try walking a block or two off Khao San proper to find something with a little personality-- or at least a little quiet. The street past the police station end of the block (Soi Rambuttri) has reasonable little bars and restaurants that are starting to spill out onto the sidewalk. The road gets darker and quieter as it wraps around the wat (temple) grounds. The '''post office''' end also has a few original spots-- including a great veggie restaurant and cooking school. *'''Sawadee House''' *'''Khao San Palace''' *'''Rambuttri Village Inn''' *'''New Merry V''' *'''My House Guest House''' Clean rooms and good food singles from around 180 baht per night *'''New Siam Guesthouse''' Clean rooms and singles starting around 150 baht per night (without airconditioning). The area just beyond the park has a number of small river-front '''guest-houses''' which can be an escape from the noise and chaos of Khao San. ===Mid-range=== There are two better class hotels in the area, priced just over 1000 baht for proper hotels with swimming pools, minibars, etc. The better one is the Royal Hotel, while the Vieng Tai is also a popular choice. *'''Buddy Lodge''', [http://www.buddylodge.com BuddyLodge.com] +66-2629-4477, Prices 1,600 to 2,500 baht. Right on The Road. ==Get out== Cheap '''tourist bus''', '''mini-van''', and airline tickets are available at any of the dozens of travel agents in the area. Visas for other Southeast Asian countries can also be obtained on your behalf. Popular destinations include Chiang Mai in the north, Phuket in the south, Angkor Wat in the east (in Cambodia), and various islands off the coast. See also the One month in Southeast Asia itinerary. '''Warning''': While convenient, honest to a certain extent (ie. if sold a ticket to Siem Reap, you eventually will probably get to Siem Reap) and ''seemingly'' cheap, many of the agencies operating here have turned scamming into an art form. The "VIP buses" you are promised turn into clapped-out minibuses, you are likely to be hit for extra charges for various dubious services along the way and many operators will intentionally slow down the journey so you arrive in the middle of the night and can be coaxed into choosing their guesthouse — invariably the crappiest place in town which just happens to pay the agency the highest commissions. Worst of all, since you have paid in advance, you have no recourse of any kind when this happens! It will generally be faster and cheaper to arrange your own tickets directly. ==External links== * [http://www.khaosanroad.com/ Khao San Road — self-proclaimed official site] WikiPedia:Khaosan Road First page | Prev | Next | Last page |
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