Khao San Road goes upmarket
Best known as a backpacker magnet for Southeast Asia, the infamous Khao San Road has been changing in recent years. Though still firmly bohemian in character, the street has seen the arrival of trendy bars, smart hotels and the likes of Starbucks as it goes somewhat upmarket.
Bangkok’s ‘backpacker central’ remains the place to begin if you’re new to Thailand and travelling on a budget, it’s full of cheap accommodation, cheap apparel and cheap services. But it’s so much more than that, and has become a prime tourist attraction in the city, with many Thais partying here on weekends simply to soak up the freak show.
But those who want to wallow in the free-spirited atmosphere but cannot do without a comfy room and grande mocha will be pleased to know that Khao San now has plenty of upmarket venues to sit in and people watch from, safely at arms length from the dreadlocked travellers, pickpockets, and croc wearing Israeli crowds that are heard long before they’re seen.
A decade ago, the Khao San Road was certainly on the Bangkok tourist maps, but back then the accommodation was quite downmarket, the restaurants and bars impromptu at best and the entire road a scruffy and chaotic warren of smelly lanes lined with vendors.
Today Khao San road is scarcely recognisable in parts, where considerable construction has added shiny new multi storied hotels, purpose built arcades and numerous brands that the very backpackers came to avoid, such as Starbucks, McDonalds, Boots and many more.
But its all done to fit in, and the lines of street stalls selling faked goods still add the free-wheeling façade to the whole experience. There are still fake dreadlock parlours, al fresco noodle shops, and cheap cocktails served out of mobile bars fashioned from old VW Combis.
The Starbucks is in a lovely old converted Sino-colonial mansion down a quiet lane, the hotels might be comfortable on the outside but certainly aren’t flashy. And the numerous trendy bars add an exciting new buzz to the place, making it one of the nightlife hotspots of this famously naughty city. They aren’t exactly full of bar girls, but the girls who are in the bar give it all some real sex appeal.
“It’s definitely changed, and I think for the better”, says Aaron Copeland, who has run a bookshop on the street for more than 10 years.
“It got to the point where the whole backpacker thing was tiresome once you’ve been a few times, but now the trendy bars have breathed new life into the place, we’re getting a lot more Thais coming down here”
But for most first time visitors to Thailand, Khao San Road is definitely one of those must-do experiences if you are a backpacker. If you’re not in that category you probably would’ve preferred to give the place a wide berth, Copeland pointed out. But that’s changing, “I encourage the Sukhumwit Hotel crowd to come down for an evening just to see the whole circus of it all.
“There’s some good restaurants here and cool bars, it’s a fun and lively experience”.
The Khao San Road has always been popular because it’s considered a ‘decompression chamber’ for new Southeast Asia arrivals. It makes everything so easy, Copeland explains.
“You can get everything arranged here, complete trip to Koh Pha Ngan, trekking in Chiang Mai, visas for Laos, buses to Cambodia, the right clothes, you name it”.
In fact it was the road’s proximity to the Rattanakosin Isle sights, such as the Grand Palace, Wat Po and Temple Mount that sealed its fate. With hotels in the new CBD areas of Silom and Sukhumwit proving too expensive, a few old Chinese hotels clustered here for the budget crowd. After Lonely Planet author Joe Cummings began recommending the place in early Thailand editions, the crowds arrived, more accommodation opened up and a legend was born.
Today Khao San Road is as busy as ever, evolving but somehow retaining its relaxed, bohemian character. In fact it’s become an neighbourhood, more than just a street, with many of the adjacent lanes providing some of the quieter places to stay while the street itself is heavily commercialised and the domain of shopping and nightlife.
Those who prefer their boutique experiences, with spa and expensive restaurants won’t feel too comfortable on the Khao San Road, but travellers who like to be part of the free spirit of travelling but insist on clean sheets and decent room will be pleased to find something available in the Khao San Road area.
Accommodation and hostels: Khao San Road and the adjacent area is packed with budget accommodation offering cheap rooms to travellers. There’s no need for hostels in Thailand, you can get your own room for as little as 150 baht, although much more comfortable, higher priced options are available. Generally these are overlooked by hotel booking sites but there’s a wide select of budget rooms on hostelbookers.com.
