Khao San Road

A good restaurant that offers green and red curries, and delicious tom yum soups at fairly low prices. Some of the curries can be spicy. It has a nice interior with either wooden chairs or lounge couches. Excellent for people-watching if you take a seat near the pavement. They could turn the volume of the music down a bit for lunch though. It is also a newly renovated guest house, and rooms cost 700-1,500 baht depending on facilities.

Part of the Navalai River Resort, this luxury restaurant with Thai and Western dishes has river views over the Chao Phraya River. The interior of the indoor bar has random postmodern touches. It's best to stick to outdoors though, as the deck gives the best views. The breeze, trees and light music make the ambience chilled out. Mostly foreigners visit this place, and the staff make it feel a bit like being inside a resort (well, which you are). The kitchen sure knows how to keep their dishes true to the Thai tongue, though. Try the tom kha kai — it's whiter than white.

An institution in the area. Table and floor seating. Excellent Thai and International vegan and vegetarian cuisine. No MSG, preservatives or artificial colours or flavours. Free Wi-Fi. Coffee, healthy drinks. Mouth-watering desserts.

Pure vegan. Most dishes contain fake meat and fish. Coffee. Contemporary design. Part of a chain of vegan restaurants. Fast and polite service.

Hidden among spas and small bars and restaurants down an alley that runs parallel to Khao San Road, this Italian restaurant offers the usual pizzas and pastas, though you will be better served making a selection from the Thai dishes. The curries are delicious (but don't be surprised to find that the jungle curry is made on a watery base and not on a coconut base like other curries — this is normal for jungle curry). Serving sizes are sufficient but not large. Free Wi-Fi.

European-style interior with all the typical Thai dishes. It's also a bakery, and their pies are just waiting to be eaten (try the carrot cake!). Just be warned that many of their dishes and drinks are low-fat and low-sugar, so Thai tea doesn't taste that good. Their menus are loved by vegetarians.

Bright and cozy. Excellent Thai cuisine. Fast and friendly service. Vegan and vegetarian options.

Many of those that cannot find May Kaidee's 2 stumble across this gem. There's some excellent vegetarian and organic food here that even the most picky meat eater would enjoy. There's a kind of homey and cosy feel with a nice staff. The owner has previously lived in the US, and speaks good English. Try the mushroom curry.

Named after Thailand's national dish, it is one of the best restaurants the area has to offer. It's gigantic neon sign may seem cheesy, but the restaurant itself is one of the classiest along Khao San Road. Its square is decorated in traditional Thai style, where the noise of the road cannot be heard. Try some of their authentic Thai dishes, like tom yum kung soup or som tam kung sod, or one of their excellent fish menus (which get you stuffed for sure).

A long-standing halal restaurant part of the Nouvo City Hotel. The interior is decorated in a modern boutique style that gives it a romantic ambience. A friendly staff serves Thai, Indian and international cuisine. Try some Thai favourites, such as tom yam, papaya salad or fried chicken with basil.

Chic minimalist interior. Top quality macha and Japanese tea. Excellent coffee. Friendly and quick service.

Chic cafe with grey concrete walls. Plants. Good desserts. Excellent coffee.

Small inside and sidewalk seating area. Excellent baked items. Only two items for breakfast. Good coffee

Modern, minimalist interior. Large tree-facing wondow. Excellent coffee. Cakes. Huge and loud sound system. Mostly elevator-type music. Popular with teenage Instagramers. No WIFI

Modern decor. Excellent coffee. Free WiFi. Standard desserts. Gelato. No meals, only pastries.

A cool cafe. Metal seats. Rough wood tables. Concrete floor. Brick counter. Rock music, such as Pink Floyd. Simple healthy fruit-based breakfasts. Free WIFI. A little noisy at seats near open windows facing the highway.

A small blues bar. There is always a band playing on the live stage, so visiting this one is an absolute must if you're into blues. But even for those not into it, the intimate atmosphere and tight spaces are an interesting experience for everyone.

Bangkok Bar is a popular bar with local Thais. Live performances are given. Thursdays are busy, Fridays and Saturdays very crowded. A Chang beer is 70 baht, but the locals seem to drink bottles of scotch or cocktails.

Brick Bar is an underground ska and reggae bar with live music performances. Its interior is in an old-fashioned Western style. It is very popular with the locals, and extremely crowded in weekends. Known to check IDs.

Easily the best spot for people-watching on Khao San Road. It's probably the largest venue, in the middle of the street, with its seats right beside the road; and it's always open. It's a great place to chat, sip a beer and lose track of time. There's also a pool table and simple dishes are served. And if you run out of money, there's an ATM at both sides of the bar.

A relaxed open air bar on Soi Rambutri. With standard drinks prices and characterful staff, this is a great place to meet other travellers and watch the world go by. Large beer is around 70-80 baht.

Small bar whose slogan is "Cocktails, very strong. We do not check ID card." One of the cheapest on the road with 50-baht small Chang beers and 200-baht buckets.

Psychedelic interior with mismatched furniture, but not really hippie style. Outside is a nice place to chill with a beer or cocktail. It's a bit off the main street, so no noise from there, but the reggae and tropical music are a bit too loud for a casual conversation.

There's a really relaxed vibe in this colonial-style bar. In the evening, there is a band playing in the corner. Don't expect a quality band, but the live music does give this bar its laid-back feel. It spills out onto the road with plenty of seating outside, so it is a nice alternative for people-watching. And there's a lot to see, as a diverse group of customers attend, including locals.

Opened in 2009, this Irish pub has a daily promotion between 20:00 and 02:00, when a large beer or a cocktail sets you back 110 baht. The area downstairs is relaxed, and right beside the road, so a great place for talking and people-spotting. There is no music downstairs, but the atmosphere is still good as soft music comes from the other side of the street. Upstairs is a large Irish pub. There are often live performances there or you can just play the arcades.

Another people-watching spot, this time along Soi Rambuttri. The tables outside are good for conversation and people-watching, and you can smoke sheesha if you wish. You can also sit inside, but talking is more difficult as the music is very loud. The interior looks nice, with traditional Thai decoration all around. They have plenty of beers and cocktails available, as well as simple Thai dishes to go with them.

Suksabai is touted as a restaurant, and they have a large menu with Thai, grill and Italian dishes in the 80-130 baht price range. While decent for budget travellers, the real attraction of this place is its outdoors seating. Seats are lined up onto the main road every night, which makes it is a good place to hang out, talk and watch football on the big screens. Beer and cocktails here are slightly cheaper than on Khao San Road; a large Chang beer goes for 80 baht. It's best to only go inside for the toilet, as its interior is rather uninspiring and messy.

One of the better clubs on Khao San Road, and you can't miss it, as it has a huge purple neon sign. It is an Ibiza-style club that basically consists of one large room in Italian style. It might feel a bit overdone and pretentious for Western crowds, but Thai locals flock to this place in large numbers. Music styles played are house, electro, techno and trance.

Lamphu House is a resort-style guest house. Even its cheapest rooms have bamboo beds and rattan lamps, giving it a modern and airy feel. Cheap rooms only have a fan, shared bathrooms and no windows, while the more expensive rooms have air-conditioning, ensuite and balconies overlooking the courtyard. A big plus is that you can store your backpack here for about 10 baht a day. You don't need to be a hotel guest to use this service. There's no internet inside the rooms, only the lobby area. This hotel is very popular and you will need to book in advance. The chances of getting a room just walking in are slim.

Absolutely great place to stay for backpackers as it has a Thai-style homey decoration with Thai cushions and garden surroundings. Rooms are dorms, but the bathrooms are among the cleanest of Khao San Road and there is free high-speed Wi-Fi throughout the building. The English-speaking staff are really nice and ready to help you 24 hours a day. You can chill out at their chic and cosy coffee bar.

This is a very basic guest house with small rooms, but it is quite cheap (and close to Khao San Road). They have no facilities, except for a free Wi-Fi hotspot, which doesn't reach every room. Toilets can be broken, and then need a bucket to flush. Ensuite showers work fine though. The doors are locked at night, so knock hard to wake up the owner and he can let you in. Unfortunately popular with the older male contingent, who can be violent towards the guests — both the hotel's and their own.

This guesthouse is far enough off the main drag to be quiet, but close enough so you can still walk to Khao San Road. The rooms are fairly sized, clean and well-maintained. Most rooms are air-conditioned, have hot showers and have safe boxes available. The common area has a basic restaurant, a swimming pool, sofas, lockers and staff is available 24 hours.

This hotel is quite far from Khao San Road, but on the plus side, that's why this hotel is in such a peaceful environment. It is a clean and quiet place with a nice garden and river view at the rooftop. Rooms are quite large with a wide window. High-speed internet and free Wi-Fi available. A good place to relax, meet friends, and to have an early-morning coffee.

This place is basic, but its priced for it. They have air-conditioned dorm rooms that are good value. Amenities include free Wi-Fi, nice Indian food and beer, and free private security lockers for all guests (you can use your own padlock or borrow one of theirs). The noise can be troublesome though for the private rooms in the front, but the dorms in the back are quieter.

Quiet series of uninspired buildings with small rooms, its main draw is its relaxing rooftop swimming pool. However, their website neglects to mention that it shuts down at 18:00 despite alluring photographs suggesting otherwise. Its rooms range from basic fan rooms to "deluxe" air-conditioned rooms. Biggest issue is the staff. If you have a problem, neither staff nor management will care about complaints nor will they offer refunds or compensation, even if it is the hotel's fault. They require a 1,000-baht refundable key deposit that can only be paid in cash (Thai baht only). If you cannot produce the deposit, they will not let you in your room even if you have already paid for it beforehand. There is no communal area. Free Wi-Fi.

Cheap and quiet. Family-run guesthouse. View of river from terrace. Free Wi-fi. Reports of scams and theft.

All rooms have a private bathroom with cold water. Hot water is only available in the more expensive rooms. Internet is available for 60 baht per hour and there are laundry facilities. The inn is next to a disco/pub, so expect excessive noise in the lower floor rooms.

Family-run guest house with decent rooms that have cable TV, fridge, air-conditioning and hot shower. The cheaper rooms do not have windows. It is just far away enough from the crowds, but close enough to the action. They also have plenty of other services, including a restaurant, travel agent and internet.

It is down a long alley — far away from the noise of the main street, but only a few minutes walk from the action. It is fairly clean and spacious rooms of an older style, all with air-conditioning and en-suite bathrooms. Guests are allowed onto the roof to look at the Bangkok skyline, a rarity in the area. Wi-Fi is available on all floors and there is a free internet terminal.

This boutique hotel, with a rather odd logo, is a sister hotel of the Viengtai and is a bit cheaper. It is a fifteen-minute walk north of Khao San Road. Staff friendly, good swimming pool, but poor breakfast offering very little choice.

One of the few mid-range hotels right on Khao San Road. Rooms are good with fridge, TV, phone and air conditioning. It has a great rooftop pool, balcony, room service, free Wi-Fi and bar. They also have a gym for 200 baht per day.

Nice looking boutique hotel that is especially worth it for its amazing jungle gardens that include a waterfall and a pool. It also has a nice garden restaurant. Rooms have all the amenities, including air-conditioning, cable TV, en-suite bathroom and coffee/tea facilities. The views are a bit deceiving though. Do not leave valuables from your room, as you have to be careful with the cleaning staff. There are also no lockers available.

A huge hotel (by Khao San Road standards) with a roof-top swimming pool, massage facilities, and a very clean and efficient 24 hour internet cafe. All rooms have attached bathrooms, air-conditioning, TV, and rates include breakfast and use of the pool. They do not allow check-in until after 13:00.

A chic boutique hotel in the quieter Samsen area. Cheaper-end rooms are small and do not have windows. Others overlook a canal. Chinese Taoist temple below. Spotlessly clean. Cosy Thai atmosphere. Warm and welcoming communal area. Staff are very helpful and knowledgeable. Rates online are much lower that walk-in rates. A seven to ten minute walk to Khao San Road.

A fairly basic guest house right in the middle of the action with an impressive Thai-style entrance and rooftop pool. The rooms are a bit on the small side, but always clean and include cable television, cold or hot shower and air-conditioning or fan. The pictures on their website do seem nicer than they are in reality though. Big downside of this hotel is the noise from nearby cafes, expect excessive noise till about 04:00 if your room is at the road side.

A great location at the banks of the Chao Phraya River, with the express boat pier and the Khao San Road area closeby. If you're willing to pay extra for it, make sure that you actually book a "river view room", as many of the other ones face the road! Rooms are quiet, clean and just good. The breakfast is big and varied, and served buffet-style beside the pool and river. Definitely worth it. The attached restaurant can also be visited by non-guests and mains go for 100 baht or less.

This hotel is for those on a lower mid-range budget. Rooms are okay, and some of them have a fun view over the canal. Some rooms are a bit dated though. It's only a short walk to Khao San Road, but is still far enough not to be annoyed by noise.

Baan Chantra is an upmarket hotel in a beautiful Thai historic home dating from 1936. The front rooms overlook the busy road, but it is relatively quiet at night. The rooms are spotless with ensuites, air conditioning, mini-bar and a full breakfast. The staff are very helpful.

Great riverside view of the Chao Phraya as you can hear the river flowing. The room looks spectacular; the style of the interior combines Thai traditional design with modern decoration. There's Wi-Fi available that works inside the rooms. Also has a great restaurant downstairs, the Aquatini Bar and Restaurant that is listed separately in the Eat section.

A new boutique hotel with very nice rooms, a roof-top swimming pool, complete spa, free Wi-Fi for guests and a halal restaurant. Buffet breakfast is included with the price.

This hotel is a popular choice for Thais visiting Bangkok. Rooms are large and have air conditioning, but are not really inspiring and the ones facing the road can be noisy because of the bars. It has a big pool. The staff are superbly efficient and friendly as they are in most hotels. The breakfast is superb, offering many choices among different cuisines.