Travellers wanting no more than a short stumble from bar to bed should check out the options on Khao San Road and neighbouring Rambuttri Road. Those who don’t mind a five- to 15-minute walk from these main traveller strips will find a better selection of accommodation to go with more of a local vibe on the streets around Khao San. Some quality places to stay are also found further east around Democracy Monument, or you could head north to Thewet and Dusit if you don’t mind positioning yourself further from the action in a sleepier part of town. Key attractions like the Grand Palace, Wat Pho and National Museum are all relatively easy to access from all of these locations.
We have 34 places to stay in and around Khao San Road.
The brash heart of Thailand’s traveller scene, Khao San Road is stuffed with vendor stalls, touts and dozens of cranking bars. Running parallel to Khao San to the north, Rambuttri Road also has a lively traveller scene but with a slightly mellower scene. Cross Chakrabongse Road to the west and you’ll hit Soi Rambuttri, another traveller strip that keeps things quieter than Rambuttri Road and is almost sleepy compared to Khao San. Loud music can be heard inside rooms at many places until around 02:00 on Khao San and Rambuttri roads, but much of Soi Rambuttri stays quiet enough to sleep early.
Some of our favourite places to stay in all of Bangkok are located within a kilometre walk from the west and north of Khao San Road, on or just off Phra Arthit, Phra Sumen and Samsen roads. A mix of travellers and locals create a scene that spares you the brashness (and noise) of Khao San while still offering plenty of low-key bars and cafes to chill in. The area is much better for budget travellers than Khao San itself, with some 20 cheap hostels found on Samsen sois 4 and 6 alone. You’ll also come across good-value guesthouses, boutique hotels and luxury rooms with river views.
Including some of Bangkok’s finest bed and breakfasts, these properties are all situated closer to the unmistakable Democracy Monument at the heart of Ratchadamnoen Avenue. Expect more of a local scene that places you one to two kilometres east of Khao San Road, and the same distance northwest of the Grand Palace and other key sites down in Rattanakosin.
These spots are all spread around a leafy area near Thewet Pier on the river ferry lines and the National Library, as well as further east in the similarly low-key Dusit and Nang Loeng neighbourhoods. Those who don’t mind a two- to three-kilometre trip down to Khao San Road will find several quality places to stay that tend towards the artistic and intimate.