IgoUgo

Bangkok Journals

Khao San Road

Best of IgoUgo

A January 2000 trip to Bangkok by Scott

Quote: The most famous backpacker ghetto in the world, Khao San Road is a circus of budget services and fake desiegner labels. Some love it, some hate it. This is a spot where local culture gives way to international budget culture.
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Khao San Road Best of IgoUgo

Overview

Quote:
Wander the streets of this area at any and every given moment of the day. There is something interesting to see from the crack of dawn as vendors begin to set up their booths until nearly 24 hours later when the last few barflies are stumbling back from the Mango bar.Quick Tips: To get there from the airport, take the airport bus that costs 70 baht, or ask about the public transport which will be less than ten baht. There are other services that will catch you and charge a lot more for the same service. If you are taking a taxi, bargain down to 250 baht at the most. Best Way To Get Around: Get a map with bus routes on it if you plan on seeing a lot of the city. Taxis are expensiv...Read More
Quote:
Khao San road is fun to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there. Sawasdee House is just around the corner from the main drag behind Wat Chana Songkhram. There veranda restaurant and the Bangkok Bar next door makes this a popular place and a good place to meet people and hear about their adventures. This is one of the more expensive guesthouses in the area (which is not saying much!). The rooms range in price from 250 baht single with a fan and shared bath but no outside window to 750 baht for a double with air-con, private bath and a small balcony. They don't have hot water and I've never needed it in Bangkok. The down side of this place is that it can get quite noisey especially a...Read More

Member Rating 2 out of 5 on July 23, 2000

Sawasdee House
147 Soi Rambutri
Bangkok, Thailand
281 8138

Street Vendors Best of IgoUgo

Restaurant

Quote:
I know your mother told you not to drink the water or eat anything off of the street, but she doesn't know what she is missing. Vendors line the streets in the Khao San area at night, serving up some of the tastiest local cuisine you'll find. Heaping plates of Phad Thai, suculent sliced pineapple, curries, Tom Yam (spicy soup),Noodle soup, Satay and the traveler's favorite, banana pancakes can all be found on carts on the street, most of it for less than a dollar. These mini chow wagons are not blessed with visits from a local health inspector so if you see something that doesn't look right just move on. You'll find ten more place that serve the same thing. The rule of thumb is hit the ones that ...Read More

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on July 23, 2000

Street Vendors
Various Locations
Bangkok, Thailand

The Mango Bar Best of IgoUgo

Attraction

Quote:

I was feeling a little lonely and homesick heading back to my room the first time I stopped at the Mango. Before the bartenderess set the first beer in front of me I'd met three people. I stayed all night.

The bars in Bangkok are supposed to close by midnight. Somehow the Mango manages to stay open till dawn or later most of the time. It's just a cabana bar in the open air of the alley that runs behind Wat Chana Songkhram. They only have two kinds of beer and some Thai whiskey. They usually run out of cold beer before they close. It's one of those places that has a lot more heart than pomp and is truly one of the jewels of Khao San Road.

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on July 23, 2000

The Mango Bar
Thanon Rambutri
Bangkok, Thailand

Bangkok Bar Best of IgoUgo

Attraction | "the Bangkok Bar"

Quote:
I'm suprised it took this long to get a full-fledged bar/nightclub in the Khao San Rd area. These guys do a pretty good job of it. There is almost always something crazy going on in this pulsing, throbbing, dark and dirty bar. Well, not really dirty. It was brand new when I was there (Jan, 2000) and well kept. But who knows how long that will hold up to the all night dancing and drinking that goes down here every night (much to the dismay of those in the neighboring guesthouse who are too worn out from sight-seeing to join in on the fun. DJs come and go; many of them are travelers. There are cross dressers, sex tourists with their 'dates', quite a few Thai folk who work in the area, and of cour...Read More

Member Rating 3 out of 5 on August 11, 2000

Bangkok Bar
149 Soi Rambutri
Bangkok, Thailand 10200
+66 02 629 4443