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Khao San, Backpacker’s Most Popular Area in Bangkok Khao San road or Thanon Khao San is a short road that has the longest dream in the world in central Bangkok, Thailand. It is located in the Banglamphu neighborhood (Phra Nakhon district) about 1 km north of the Grand Palace with Wat Phra Kaew. It has developed over the years into probably the most profound worldwide example of a "backpackers' ghetto", with relatively cheap accommodation compared to other areas of central Bangkok. The accommodation varies from 'mattress in a box' style hostels, to full Western-standard luxury.
You can catch a taxi straight from the airport and find readily available, guest houses, inns and hotels to stay in. There are also travel agencies, tour arrangers and places to store your luggage as you get the feel of the area. Many tourists use Khao San road as their base for exploring the rest of Thailand as there are many direct coaches from the street to virtually all major tourist destinations in Thailand, from Chiang Mai in the North to Ko Pha Ngan in the South. Many visitors will also take advantage of the abundance of relatively cheap travel agents to arrange visas and transport to neighboring countries such as Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Malaysia. It is not uncommon to be scammed or ripped off by these travel agents so be wary, check all your options and try to check with other travelers about the legitimacy of the services offered.
Khao San is one of Bangkok's most vibrant streets, host to people from around the world. The street certainly attracts some bizarre characters. There is night-time entertainment. The bars and clubs are aimed at young Western travelers, with pool tables, cheap beer and either a programme of back-to-back video showings or a DJ with a good loud set of turntables; some of these places also attract crowds of young Thai Drinkers. Khao San itself becomes a traffic-free zone after about 7pm and the curbside tables make great places to nurse a few beers and watch the parade of other travelers; most of the stalls and shops stay open till 11pm or later, so this is also a good time to browse. Khao San road has in recent years also become popular among local people, especially artists and art students. The road hosts a number of pubs and bars, where people of many nationalities meet and discuss their travels. Khao San and the streets nearby are also Bangkok's center of dancing, partying and splashing water during Thai New Year (Songkran festival) on April 13 to April 15.
The sidewalks lined you will find the street vendors setting up for business selling everything from inexpensive jewelry, t-shirts, food, novelties, crafts, paintings, clothes, pirate CDs, DVDs, fake educational diplomas, fake driver's licenses, food (including fried insects), tattooists, health shop, body massage, foot massage, aromatherapy, spa, express photo, laundry service, hair-braiders, second hand books as well as many items useful to backpackers are among the common goods traded along the road.
Accommodation on Khao San itself is noisy, with few places offering windows in their rooms. If you want the benefits of Thanon Khao San without the bustle, try the smaller, quieter roads off and around it: Soi Chana Songkhram, which encircles the wat of the same name; Phra Athit, running parallel Thanon Khao San to the south, Trok Mayom and Damnoen Klang Neua. About ten minutes’ walk north from Thanon Khao San, the Thanon Samsen sois offer a more authentically Thai atmosphere, while a future fifteen minutes’ walk in the same direction will take you to Thanon Sri Ayutthaya, behind the Nation Library, a seven-minute walk from the Thewes express-boat stop, the most attractive area in Banglumphu, where rooms are larger and guest houses smaller. We’ve listed only the cream of what’s on offer in each small area in Banglumphu: if your first choice is full there’ll almost certainly be a vacancy somewhere just along the soi, if not right next door. Banglumphu is well used to serving travelers’ needs, so facilities here are second to none. The excellent Bangkok Information Centre is on Thanon Phra Athit, and there’s a 24-hour tourist information and assistance booth in front of the police station on the west corner of Thanon Khao San, so Khaosan Road is the one of safe road for backpacker. If you plan to stay in Banglumphu, arrange to have poste restante sent to one of the area’s two post offices rather than to the GPO, which is inconveniently far away on Charoen Krung; the one closet to Khao San is Ratchadamnoen Post Office on the eastern stretch of Soi Damnoen Klang Neua, but Banglumphubon Post Office near Wat Bowoniwes is also very handy. Though there are several private companies offering poste restante services in Banglumphu, their service tends to be haphazard at best; the Khao San business that advertises itself as “GPO” is a private operation. Most guest houses will receive faxes for guests, and their numbers are listed below. Almost every alternate building on Thanon Khao San and on the west arm of Soi Ram Bhuttri offers internet access, as do many of the guest houses; intense competition keeps the rates very low. There are also Catnet Internet terminals at the Ratchadamnoen Post Office. Numerous oversea calls and money exchange kiosks can be found on Thanon Khao San, including branches of national banks (with ATM), dozens of shops and travel agents, and self-service laundries. Transportation
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