Who has not heard of Bangkok’s Khaosan Road? What started out as a residential area with a large rice market (Khao San can be translated as “raw rice”) has now become the most international street in the capital of Thailand. A favorite spot for backpackers, it is a good neighborhood to land in search of cheap accommodation, to change currency or to visit a travel agency to plan routes.
You could say that it is a good transitional place between the West and the East. You will certainly not miss the international atmosphere, the hustle and bustle, the lights, the bars and the shops. You may miss the Thai residents, who left this area in the 1970s in search of peace when the massive influx of travelers came…
But you have to walk through its streets. It’s a must. On the main street, Khaosan Road, you can enjoy nightlife pubs and a market that, every day, makes it a place where it’s impossible not to take out your wallet: massages, clothes, food… If you forgot to put something in your backpack, here you can definitely replenish.
Almost everything. In addition to finding answers to your travel needs, such as changing currency, booking a tour or finding accommodation, you can try to find out your future in the cards, take a quick Thai cooking course, participate in a mass massage, or simply have a beer on one of the terraces.
Khaosan has always had the reputation of being the street where you can find the most backpackers per square meter in the world (something funny if you have just started your trip to Thailand, but boring if you have been wandering around for months). But, besides lots of tourists, we can also find other things that can catch our attention.
There are thousands of illuminated signs, lamp posts with 8 million cables, hundreds of people offering you something to buy, but also street stalls with delicious food.
Noodles, which are made from rice, are a delight. They mix them with all kinds of vegetables and cook them in front of you. Or grilled fish… anything is possible. There are other street stalls where they prepare fruit shakes, with a kind of condensed milk and ice.
Search, compare and try Thai food, you will find it difficult to find your favorite dish among so many options.
On this street it is very common to find stalls with all kinds of cooked insects, but apart from the impression they give, the appearance is usually not at all appetizing…
By the way, don’t forget to shop. Khaosan is usually a place where you can find almost everything, you just have to make good use of bargaining to get a good price. Nowadays, it is also common to find places with fixed prices, so it’s okay if you are afraid to haggle.
If you’re planning to celebrate in April, this is definitely the neighborhood to enjoy the Thai New Year or water festival, Songkran. According to Thai tradition, this moment of astrological passage is the time to purify oneself and wash away sins and bad luck.
When visiting Buddhist temples, it is customary to pour water over statues of Buddha. Young people also wet the hands of the elderly as a sign of respect.
For the international community, temporary inhabitants of Khaosan Road, tradition gives way to a popular festival where water pistols are more than allowed. All over the city, the main streets are closed to traffic, becoming the scene of water battles. Parades and music fill this celebration where the backpacker district is even more alive than usual.
To find accommodation, in addition to Khaosan Road, we recommend Rambutri Road, which is a bit quieter without being a haven of peace… On both streets, as well as on Phra Atit Road, close to the Chao Phraya River, you can also find dozens of places to have lunch or dinner.
Here is a list of hotels:
But if you want to relax a little after all that hustle and bustle, you can lie down on some stretchers at street level where they will give you a nice facial massage and a facial cleansing.
The hard part is not to do it, because it is located in the center of the city, close to the Chao Phraya River, the Grand Palace, the temples Wat Pho, Wat Chana Songkhram, Wat Phra Kaew and the Bangkok National Museum. In addition to being able to get there on many of the city bus lines, we recommend getting off at the Tham Phra Athit pier along the Chao Phraya River.
If you prefer, a taxi or tuk-tuk is always an option. If they see you with a backpack, they will probably offer to take you to Khaosan Road, although they will want to charge you a fixed price; insist and ask them to put the meter on.
If you have just arrived in Thailand by plane, don’t miss this article: Ways to Get From Bangkok Airport (Suvarnabhumi) to Khaosan
