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Image by Carina Hofmeister from Pixabay

Bangkok has many facets: the ancient temples and palaces; the world-renowned shopping, both market and mall; the food…and then it’s all topped off with the wonderful activity of the streets and the genuine friendliness of the people. This is a city to lose yourself in, and find yourself in, and as long as you know where you’re staying, you’re just a tuk-tuk ride from a nap and a change of clothes. So you can get out there again and keep exploring.

Bangkok is both old and lived in, and new and exciting — if you want to relax here, you need to do it consciously, because the natural state of visitors should be explorative. As with most big cities, there’s a wide range of different neighbourhoods to stay in, all with their own unique traits and atmospheres, so it’s a good idea to match your travel ideals with a neighbourhood. For example, Rattanakosin is great for seeing the sights, Sukhumvit for nightlife, Siam for shopping, and Khao San Road for great value. There are many more great neighbourhoods to discover, as you’ll find when you read on.

Our Guide to the Neighbourhoods of Bangkok

From bangkok-infoguide.com

Bangkok Old Town/ Rattankosin Island

Flickr user Uwe Schwarzbach

Rattankosin Island has the river to its west, and a series of man-made canals to the east, which make it an island neighbourhood. The canals date from the time this area was the heart of the city; they were there as moats, to help fortify the Grand Palace, the Wat Phra temple complex. As well as being home to some of Bangkok’s most historic sights, Rattankosin is famous for its view of the Temple of Dawn, which is directly opposite on the right bank of the Chao Phraya, and is also known for its range of markets, museums, elegant parks, and its wide pavements. Don’t skip the Bangkok National Museum. Rattankosin makes a great base, because you can explore the rest of the city by river, on the river bus. Rattankosin has some great boutique hotels, some very Thai-style hotels, and some great value options too.

Siam Square

By Fabio Achilli - https://www.flickr.com/photos/travelourplanet/48108036022, CC BY 2.0

Siam Square, and the area around it, is known for high-end shopping, but also for hip shopping! Up-and-coming designers test their styles here, only moving into the huge local malls when they know they can compete with big international fashion. This is also a cool neighbourhood for restaurants, and for accommodation, with new ideas tested here, as well as classic winners, and a very good range of price points. Siam Square is a great spot for the Skytrain too, both lines pass through Siam Station, and for a lot of people this neighbourhood is the centre of Bangkok. This is a square that isn’t a square, though, it’s a collection of huge malls with small alleyways running off, which are also lined with boutiques and cafes, bars and restaurants. Beyond the incredible shopping and eating opportunities, Siam Square has the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre, an interactive arts museum, Thailand’s Madame Tussaud’s, Siam Ocean World (which is the largest aquarium in Southeast Asia), and the Queen Savang Vadhana Museum, which is her former royal residence.

Sukhumvit

Image by MLbay from Pixabay

The Sukhumvit neighbourhood is famously home to several of Bangkok’s red light districts, but in the area closest to the centre of Bangkok, it’s also known for being a popular residential area, with high-end shopping and boutique and luxury hotels. The neighbourhood corresponds with the start of Sukhumvit Road, which is one of the longest boulevards in the world, linking central Bangkok to the Cambodian border. This can be a pretty exciting place to stay, however if you’re looking for something in the neighbourhood, but a bit quieter, look down the side streets coming off Sukhumvit Road. Sukhumvit is also known for its food, with dining options that range from Michelin-starred to street food, and for its malls — the Thailand Creative and Design Centre especially. During the day much of Sukhumvit Road’s pavement is covered in markets, and come the evening they give way to bars and restaurants. As far as major sightseeing destinations, Sukhumvit has the National Science Centre and the Kamthieng House Museum. One of the reasons Sukhumvit has become such a popular neighbourhood is the Skytrain, which runs straight along the road, so the public transport links here are super easy.

Banglamphu

Flickr user Adam Jones

One of the best known parts of Banglamphu is the tiny stretch of road called Khao San Road — it's just 400m long, but a famous place to stay if you’re backpacking the world, or just through Southeast Asia. This small area is packed with hostels, guesthouses and great value hotels. Come the evening, things get a little more sophisticated, because the bars and restaurants popping up here have attracted the attention of local hipsters too. And later in the evening, the trendy clubs will start to open. Away from Khao San Road, Banglamphu is a surprisingly leafy and authentically Thai neighbourhood, with lively wet markets, friendly antique stores, and some beautiful temples, including Golden Mount, Wat Suthat and Wat Bowonniwet. Banglamphu’s other sights include the King Prajadhipok Museum, the Queen’s Gallery, and the Mahakan and Phra Sumen Forts. Banglamphu has good transport links too.

Silom

Image by allPhoto Bangkok from Pixabay

Silom is home to Chulalongkorn University and Lumphini Park, and these key landmarks lend the neighbourhood a calm, but youthful atmosphere, in what is otherwise a neighbourhood of glittering skyscrapers. Many of the skyscrapers bear the names of international banks and other global corporations, so it may not surprise you to see big-name luxury hotels alongside them, especially around Bang Rak, which still has a very European feel, with colonial buildings. This is one of the best neighbourhoods in Bangkok for rooftop bars — the views are glorious! After dark, Silom gets livelier, especially in the streets between Silom Road and Surawong Road, which becomes a sort of red light district. There aren’t many major attractions for sightseers in Silom, but there is a Snake Farm, a seashell museum, Bangkok’s only photography gallery, the Kathmandu Photo Gallery, and the Bangkokian Museum, which is a traditional family home from the 1930s, repurposed into a gallery of Thai life during that period. Silom also has a traditional Thai puppet theatre. Expect a lot of four and five-star hotels.

Chinatown

Flickr user Uwe Schwarzbach

Not everyone would travel to Bangkok, and then stay in Chinatown, but if you’re a foodie, then this is often touted as being one of the best neighbourhoods to stay in. It’s a bit of a rabbit warren of alleyways, all packed with commerce, and tables laid out across the pavements at all hours of the day and night. This isn’t a vast area, but there are some definite highlights. Sampheng, for example, which is a pedestrianised alleyway turned market, lined with shops, and the Talat Mai market which is great for spices, sauces and dried goods. Bangkok’s Chinatown is busy by day, but super busy come the evening; the food here is so good that even some of the street food vendors have Michelin stars. As well as markets, street food vendors, and restaurants, Chinatown has a surprising number of religious buildings. Keep an eye out for Wat Traimit, which has a 3-metre, solid gold Buddha statue, supposedly worth $250million. There’s a decent variety of accommodation here, but not lots of it. Chinatown also has good transport links, including long-distance trains.

Bangrak

By 牛糞, CC BY-SA 3.0

Bangrak has some of Bangkok’s best hotels. There are many high-end options, and some of the properties here appear regularly in lists of the world’s best hotels. So you can expect amenities like expansive spas,  elegant restaurants, pools by the water, and often tropical gardens. As well as the nice hotels, Bangrak is known for its architecture, including colonial architecture close to the river, and some impressive skyscrapers. The Mahanakhon building is one of the tallest buildings in the country, and State Tower and the Jewellery Trade Centre are ‘up there’ as well. Bangrak has its own major local sights, including the Bangkokian Museum, the Thailand Creative and Design Centre, Wat Maha Phruettharam, and the Sri Mahamariamman.

Ratchada

By aotaro from Yokohama, Japan - Night Market in Bangkok, Thailand, CC BY 2.0

Home of the Ratchada Train Night Market, the Ratchada neighbourhood is something of an extension of its landmark market: bustling, colourful, and pervasive with its sounds and smells. The Train Market draws visitors to the neighbourhood, and it’s a fantastic place to explore: a maze of shopping and eating opportunities that includes some of the best vintage shopping in Bangkok, cool bars, and live music and entertainment. The offshoot — Thailand Cultural Centre Night Market — is worth visiting too; this is where you’ll find traditionally made handicrafts and local products. The neighbourhood is more recently built than you might guess from the market; the pubs, bars, department stores and hotels have all gone up in the last 40 years or so. It’s a friendly spot for testing Bangkok’s nightlife, and popular with locals as well as visitors. Great transport links too.

Thonburi

Flickr user John Mason

Bangkok has been attracting tourists for hundreds of years, so it’s not easy to find neighbourhoods you haven’t come across a hundred photos of. Thonburi is a good bet if that’s what you’re looking for: a relatively residential neighbourhood right on the bank of the Chao Phraya River, and run through with canals. This area might not be an obvious pick for contemporary travellers, but it was briefly the capital of Thailand (in 1768), so it does have a landmark or two, including Wat Arun. Other sights include Wat Kalayanamit, Wichai Prasit Fort, and the Artist’s House. Thonburi is close to Banglamphu, which is known for its clubs, bars and restaurants, so it’s not too remote if you’re hoping to sample Bangkok’s nightlife, but it’s not in the thick of things if you’re hoping to avoid it. Because it’s less touristy, Thonburi has some good shopping opportunities, including a small mall where prices will be lower than the big malls of central Bangkok.