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Excited to visit Bangkok and experience everything this huge, complex city has to offer? Great, you should be. But it’s also understandable if you’re also feeling uncertainty or apprehension around planning your time there.
I think the biggest stumbling block for people is usually working out where to stay in Bangkok. Even if you’ve visited before, it’s such a sprawling place with hotels everywhere that deciding on an area of the city, let alone a hotel, can be hard. Now that I’ve visited Bangkok a handful of times, often when travelling in Thailand or passing through, I’ve experimented with staying in different parts of the city.
These three areas have been my favourite so far.
Best places to stay in Bangkok at a glance
Are you short on time and just need quick ideas so that you can book something? Let me pull out the highlights so that you can quickly look at areas and some easy accommodation options.
- For the first-time visitor – central or southern Phra Nakhon
- For the budget traveller – Phra Nakhon and Silom
- For a romantic stay – Sathon or riverfront areas of Phra Nakhon
- For peace and quiet – Silom and Sathon
- For the nightlife lover – Chinatown and Khao San Road
- For a local feel – northern end of Phra Nakhon and Chinatown
The best areas to stay in Bangkok
If you’d like to understand why I recommended specific areas above, let’s look at each area individually. These three areas offer wildly different experiences, but each has its strengths and suits different types of visits.
And yes, you can choose to stay in other parts of the city. Two common areas with many high-end hotels that are not included here are Ratchathewi, which is fine, and Sukhumvit, which is further out. Some people might like these areas of Bangkok, but I think the ones below are more convenient.
Phra Nakhon
The most common place people begin with when looking at Bangkok accommodation is Phra Nakhon.
This central district includes two of Bangkok’s most popular tourist areas: the Old Town and Khao San Road. In the Old Town, you have iconic landmarks such as the Grand Palace and the Reclining Buddha. Meanwhile, Khao San Road is all about food, nightlife, and cheap souvenirs.
With so much for tourists in Phra Nakhon, staying in this area makes sense.
The biggest downside to Phra Nakhon is that there’s currently no metro in the area. From here, you’ll need to take tuk-tuks or use the river ferries to get around.
I like to think of Phra Nakhon in three distinct sections: north, Khao San Road, and south.
Khaosan
Many tourists choose to stay in the area around Khao San Road.
This is the part of Phra Nakhon between the Khlong Rop Khung canal and the major roads, including Thanon Ratchadamnoen Klang Road.
It’s full of budget-style accommodation, but prices are often higher here because of its close, walkable location.
This used to be Bangkok’s backpacker hub, and while it’s still popular among that crowd, budget travellers have more options around the city these days.
If you’re young and looking for nightlife Khaosan works. But I don’t think this is the best area of Phra Nakhon for everyone.
Northern Phra Nakhon
Cross the Khlong Rop Khung canal northward, and you begin the transition from the tourist zone to the local zone.
You begin to find a greater mix of high and low-end accommodation and streets like Samsen 4 Alley full of restaurants and massage places.
But the farther north you go towards the next district, Dusit, the quieter things get. You can still find hotels scattered about, but they’re tucked away among the community.
You won’t find as many attractions in this area, just a temple or two. There are fewer restaurants, too, except for the areas close to Khaosan. Not that you need them with the night market on Krung Kasem Road full of street food.
One of my more recent stays was at Phranakorn-Nornlen Hotel in this area. I liked the quiet location, its artsy rooms, and its restaurant/cafe.
Previously, I’ve also stayed at Nouvo City Hotel, where you’re in a lively area just one bridge away from Khaosan.
For first-time visitors to Bangkok, I do think northern Phra Nakhon offers the best of both worlds.
Southern Phra Nakhon
The rest of Phra Nakhon is everything south of these two areas until you reach the Chao Phraya River.
Now, between Sanam Luang park, Wat Pho, and the Grand Palace, tourist attractions cover half of this area.
Accommodation is only available by the river’s edge and the eastern city streets. Stay in this area, and you have Bangkok highlights right on your doorstep.
Staying somewhere with river views is obviously expensive. Maybe one day I’ll be able to tell you what that’s like.
Everyone else will want to look at these eastern subdistricts: San Chaopho Suea, Samran Rat, and Wat Ratchabophit.
The first two are near attractions such as the Golden Mount and the nightlife of Khao San Road. The other is great for seeing the big sights, plus the food at the Ong Ang Walking Street isn’t too far to walk.
I’ve never stayed in this part of the city, but I have walked through enough of it to know that it’s a little generic and kind of busy.
Summary – Stay in Phra Nakhon to be close to major sights and the river. Pick Khao San Road for nightlife and backpacker convenience. Otherwise, the north is quiet, and the east is convenient.
Chinatown
Follow the Chao Phraya River downstream and you next reach Bangkok’s Chinatown.
Nowhere that I’ve been in the city feels quite as lively as Chinatown. This is especially true in the evening when Yaowarat Road loses a lane of bumper-to-bumper traffic to host a night market.
It’s not that this is the only market in the area. Sampheng Market fills many of the laneways of Chinatown, and there are side markets scattered throughout. Besides the various markets, the other main attraction here is Wat Traimit.
While you’d expect Chinatown to be good for street food and Chinese dishes, there are also loads of noodle shops and even some excellent coffee shops.
Getting to Chinatown and getting around is also easy, thanks to the Ratchawong Ferry Wharf and Wat Mangkon MRT stop.
All in all, it’s an interesting part of the city to stay in.
Most Chinatown accommodation has midrange prices, with a couple of high-end boutique hotels and a few more budget hostels around the edges. Staying here is more about the area than it is about the hotel or getting the cheapest accommodation.
Summary – Chinatown in Bangkok offers atmosphere, markets, and good transport options. However, its accommodation options are mostly middle-of-the-road.
Si Lom and Sathon
The combined neighbourhoods of Si Lom and Sathon are another area of Bangkok where there are many accommodation options.
These two parts of Bangrak, a southeastern district of the city, have almost zero tourist attractions. But they do have excellent public transport connections, many places to eat, and many hotels.
Look at one of the main streets in Sathon or Si Lom, and you’d find it hard to see the appeal. Office buildings and embassies fill up much of these streets, making them look rather unremarkable.
But it all changes when you explore the side streets and back streets. Alleys in Sathon are often full of character and greenery, making them nice place to wander around.
It’s on these side streets that you can find trendy brunch spots and cafes that take advantage of the quieter atmosphere. Some of these places can be solely aimed at tourists and be a little more pricy, but they’re ideal for rest days. Thanks to places like the theCOMMONS Saladaeng, tourists rarely have a hard time getting food in Si Lom and Sathon.
Accommodation in Bangrak covers every price point, from the hostels along Pan Road to the 5-star hotels around Lumphini Park.
I first stayed in the area on the recommendation of a friend and it’s become one of my favourite areas when passing through the city.
My recommendation for a simple, mid-range place to stay is Marvin Suites near the Saint Louis BTS Station. For somewhere a little grander, the Cotton Saladaeng Hotel is an affordable and comfortable 4-star option I tried out for a couple of nights.
Summary – While they may not look as exciting as other areas, Si Lom and Sathon offer quiet convenience and accommodation for backpackers and luxury travellers alike.
