A guide to Khao San Road in Bangkok

Khao San Road is ostensibly the most famous backpacker crash pad in the world, but given the raucous vibe, inflated prices and pushy tuk-tuk drivers, it isn't exactly where I tell my friends and family to stay in Bangkok, my on-and-off hometown during the 20 odd years that I lived in Thailand. But that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t visit the area at all. Behind all the neon is a fascinating backstory. And all that neon means that Khao San Road is the base for a fun, very Bangkok night out.

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How did Khao San Road become a backpacker haunt?

Although it may not be immediately apparent, there’s some history behind all those hotel facades. Khao San Road was previously linked to the Chao Phraya River by a canal, which meant it was a conduit for goods shipped via river. In particular, khaao saan is Thai for “milled rice,” and going back to the 19th century, the street was lined with shops selling the stuff. 

Khao San Road became a stop on the hippie trail of the late 1970s, drawing alternative thinkers from around the world. It’s also only a few blocks from Silpakorn University, Thailand’s premier institution for visual and performing arts, and a bastion of liberal thought. During more conservative eras, Thai students, drawn to the street’s cheap beer and open-minded foreign population, made it a hangout.

One could argue that business didn’t really shift until 1977, which is when the author of Lonely Planet’s first guide to Thailand, Joe Cummings, visited Khao San Road in search of cheap accommodations. He found a couple of inexpensive, Thai-Chinese-run hotels and three family-run guesthouses, which he later included in 1982’s Thailand: A Travel Survival Kit.

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The backpacker boom of the 1990s and exposure in the 2000 Hollywood film The Beach made Khao San more mainstream and more expensive, spooking many of the students to the smaller, cheaper side streets. I first stayed on Khao San Road in 1997, when the strip was well established but still largely catering to a budget crowd. "Flashpacker" hotels, beachy bars and dance clubs define the street today. The recent decriminalization of marijuana in Thailand has led to street-side vendors selling stacks of buds, an oblique nod to Khao San’s counterculture roots.

What do I need to know before going to Khao San Road?

If you’re visiting Khao San from another part of Bangkok, make a trip of it: Hop on the river canal boat and get off at Phanfa Leelard Pier. From there, head south, then west, winding through Ko Ratanakosin, formerly an artificial river island and Bangkok’s oldest and most charming neighborhood.

In Bangkok’s high tourist season, between November and January, Khao San hosts thousands of visitors and partyers and is quite something to be seen. The street has been at the center of some of the city’s most raucous water battles during Songkran, Thailand’s New Year.

Tips for a great night out on Khao San Road

Pro tip: Avoid Khao San Road during the day. Arrive at night when the air is cool, the street is closed to traffic and the pushy tuk-tuk drivers and scammers have (mostly) gone home.

Start with a falafel plate at Shoshana, a Khao San staple since 1982, or biryani or one of the spicy southern Thai curries at Karim Roti Mataba.

Transition to one of the street-side bars, like Gecko Bar, which is strategically located for one Khao San’s greatest activities: people watching. Few places in the world bring together so many people from so many countries, and they'll all walk right in front of you on Khao San Road. Madam Musur, a few doors down, offers a more upmarket experience and tasty northern Thai eats.

For a look at the more local side of Khao San, shift to one of the Thai-oriented bars such as Mischa Cheap. And if you’re still going at the late hours, wrap it all up at one of the raucous live music bars, like Brick Bar or Adhere the 13th, a long-standing blues bar where both the decor and patrons appear frozen in time.

Where to stay near Khao San Road 

The lanes and alleys that surround Khao San Road form the core of the Banglamphu neighborhood, where you'll find traditional wooden homes, laid-back music venues, some of the best street food in all of Bangkok and the majority of the accommodations in the area.

Niras Bankoc Hostel has a retro feel across its six-bed dorms, with wood floors and a cool downstairs cafe. Look past the horrible name and the well-located Chillax Resort will surprise you with spacious rooms with bathtubs. At Riva Surya, the large rooms come with river views, and its bar surrounds an excellent pool.