Khao San Road information

About

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.

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.

Arrive

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. More information.

Sightseeing

		Floating Market and Rose Garden Cultural Tour You will have the opportunity of witnessing the unique and unforgettable experience of the world-renowned Thai Village Cultural Show. Daily, over 150 performers vividly portray a fascinating cross section of Thailand's culture, heritage and way of life; dances, ceremonies, rituals, sports and pastimes. More information
		Rice Barge Cruise Canal Tour  This afternoon tour allow you to experience The timeless world of “ the Venice of the East” The most exciting, spectacular, and vibrant Experience trip, a trip nothing to comparison an memorable experience of a lifetime, a dream come true. Trip start at 2.30pm. At river city pier by long tail speed boat, pass various canal temples. You will touch a great on the water-way and see Thai people at home along the canals More information
		Morning Canals Tour  06.00 Am - 12. 30 Pm Experience and early morning trip along the bustling Chao Phya River and the quit Klongs( canals ) in a long tail bouat enjoy scenes of life by the water..... More information

Shopping

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 jewelry stores.

Food courts & Restaurants

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 Sukhumvit.

As Khao San leaves its backpacker roots, standards (and prices) are rising. International outlets Burger King and Starbucks have moved in during 2004.

• Siam Oriental Restaurant, lively atmosphere, serve international and Thai foods. "Chicken satay" is recommended to try.

• 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.

Nightlife

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.
• Silk Bar & Restaurant, click here

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.

Hotels

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.

		K.S. HOUSE (Guest House & Restaurant) Khao san Road K.S. House offers 55 standard rooms with duals fan and A/C and nice view Top-Roof restaurant which you can see river and famous Rama VIII bridge.5 minutes walk from famous backpacker Khao san Road. Next to Siam Commercial Bank (Banglamphu Branch) right on Banglamphu intersection. More information
		SAWASDEE BANGKOK INN (Khaosan Road) Sawasdee Bangkok Inn is one of the most beautiful hotels on the Khaosan Road area. Our guests will enjoy the unique colonial architecture and the charm of the old Siam. Our rooms, decorated with the antique teakwood and inviting colors, reflect a bygone era in Thailand. More information
		TRANG HOTEL (Khaosan Road) Trang Hotel Bangkok offers the amenities and services of a hotel with an extra touch of warmth and hospitality, which includes comforts for the body and mind, as well as facilities for business meetings or other special occasions. More information

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 (khaosan Road) The Boutique Hotel, guests are templed to taste the food of your choices from range of international ceusine, buddy beer is a Thai European style restaurant that serves delicious. Thai meals & varieties of western dishes. More information
		VIENGTAI HOTEL (Khaosan Road) One of the most fascinating areas of Bangkok, the riverside reflects a constantly changing scene with taxi boats gently transporting passengers, rice barges being towed laden with goods and local trading boats, against a backdrop of glittering temples and modern warehouses. More information
		ROYAL HOTEL BANGKOK (Khaosan Road) The Royal Hotel is a tourist class hotel ideally situated in the heart of the old town of Bangkok. Here one can explore plenty of tourist attractions concentrated in the city such as the Grand Palace, the National Museum, several best-known Buddhist temples, shopping centres, government and United Nations offices at a short distance. More information

Get out

Cheap tourist bus, mini-van, and airline tickets are available at Charlie Connection Travel & Tour. 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.  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 or fly.