Khao San Road district in Bangkok

Description of the Khao San area and what is interesting about it

Khao San District (Khao San or Khaosan) is located in the heart of Bangkok, on the Ratanakosin Peninsula, and is rightfully considered the tourist center of the capital (Khao San on the map). This is exactly the place where economical tourists and backpackers go first, and you should go there if you are not sure which area to choose for the hotel during your first trip. The most budget hotels in Bangkok are located here. For example, you can find a clean room for two with air conditioning here from 500 baht (15 USD, currency of Thailand), and a bed in a hostel from 150 baht (4.5 USD).

You can search and book accommodation in the Khao San area on the following websites:

• 🛌 Search for hotels in Bangkok on Trip.com (💳 Mir cards work)
• 🛌 Hotels in Bangkok on Yandex.travel
• 🛌 Search for hotels on Ostrovok.ru

Map of Khao San district with attractions, hotels, transport

The heart of the area is the Khao San Road, which is only 400 meters long. But in fact, the tourist area is not limited to just this street, and there are many more small alleys, for example: parallel street Rambuttri Alley, a little further to the river is Soi Ram Butri lane. In general, when they talk about the Khao San district, they actually mean all these streets, and not just Khao San Road itself.

There are not so many tourist attractions in the area, but the atmosphere in this place is extremely tourist and fun. Tourists walk the streets until late at night, massage parlors, bars, and girls work. There is a brisk trade in everything that tourists may need: starting from clothes and ending with fake rights. The main attractions of Bangkok on Ratanakosin Island are within walking distance: Royal Palace, Reclining Buddha Temple, Wat Suthat Temple, Marble Temple, City Shrine, Golden Mountain Temple, National Museum and others.

The infrastructure here is well developed. There are travel agencies where you can buy tours to all corners of Thailand and even to neighboring countries; you can buy tickets for tourist buses, trains, planes; transfers to the airport or to resorts neighboring Bangkok. Here is the office of the company Lomprayah, on the catamarans of which you can get to the islands of Koh Samui, Phangan, Tao, etc. There is a currency exchange, but the exchange rate varies, so it's worth taking a walk and comparing the profitability in different exchangers. Be sure to make sure that there is no hidden commission before the exchange.

Khao San Street itself is predominantly commercial, and it's better to go to the parallel street Rambuttri Alley to eat. There are many restaurants on Rambuttri Alley, but prices are mostly high, as is the level of establishments. It is cheaper to eat on Soi Ram Butri street behind the temple, where there are many inexpensive budget street cafes, and prices are almost twice as low.

Tourist life here is in full swing around the clock, and something is always happening on the street, including unpleasant stories with tourists, because this is one of the most criminal areas of the capital. There are just swarming different crooks, scammers and pickpockets. Of course, do not worry unnecessarily that you will be robbed here, this happens extremely rarely. It is enough for Protso to be vigilant and not get involved in any adventures with locals or other tourists, and then everything will be fine.

But what is really worth worrying about here is that you can easily be deceived when buying or paying a bill in a cafe or restaurant. So it's more worthwhile to follow the cunning merchants than for possible crime.

In general, this is just a wonderful place to plunge into the tourist life of Bangkok.

How to get to Khao San district

Which is inconvenient, Bangkok Metro bypassed the Khao San area, so you can only get here by taxi, city buses, or by scheduled boats on the Chaopraya River.

Taxis in Bangkok are inexpensive, but it is important to use trips by the meter, and not at a fixed price. It is even better to use Grab, Maxim or InDrive applications, because this way you will immediately see the cost of the trip when ordering and avoid possible surprises with twisted counters, double fares for night trips, etc. However, keep in mind that you will have to pay extra for toll roads in addition to the amount on the meter or calculated Grab. Taxi payment is possible by card in the application (Russian cards are not accepted) or in cash at the end of the trip. Of course, to use these applications you need mobile Internet, for which it is best to buy a local Prepaid SIM card (cheaper) or tourist sim card (more expensive).

For reference, the cost of a trip to the Khao San area by taxi:

• From Suvarnabhumi Airport – from 400 baht (12 USD)
• From Don Mueang Airport – from 450 baht (13.5 USD)
• From Pratunam District – from 150 baht (4.5 USD)
• From Chinatown and Hua Lamphong railway stations – from 100 baht (3 USD)

If you want a car to be waiting for you by the time you arrive and the driver will meet you with a sign at the airport, you can order a ready-made tourist transfer from the airport to any place in Bangkok via the search form:

And here are more budget-friendly ways to get to the area:

• From Don Mueang Airport can be reached by city or express buses. There are direct city buses No. 59 (round–the-clock, cost from 8 baht) and A4 express (run from 07:00 to 23:00, cost 30 baht). For more information, see our instructions - how and how to get from Don Mueang Airport to Khao San district here...
• From Suvarnabhumi Airport you can get there by express bus S1 (run from 06:00 to 20:00, cost 60 baht). For more information, see our instructions - How to get from the airport to Khao San district by bus is here...

You can also get from the airports to the Khao San area or vice versa from Khao San to the airports by tourist minivans. Tickets for them are sold at airports, and in the area at travel agencies. The fare costs 200 baht, minivans depart approximately every hour.

What to see in the Khao San area

The area is not full of sights, but there are two interesting temples in it: the largest monastery in Bangkok, Chana Songkhram, as well as the temple of Bovon Nivet Vihan (Wat Bowonniwet Vihara), where the remains of King Rama IX have been kept since 2016.

But the most important thing is that within walking distance from Khao San Road are all the main attractions of the historic district of Bangkok. Here is a list of them, indicating opening hours, costs, and ways to get there.

• The Grand Royal Palace

  

  This palace complex, consisting of many temples and palaces, is the main religious building of Bangkok, and the first attraction of the capital, which is worth a visit. The palace complex was built in 1782, and serves not only as a real royal residence, but also as the location of numerous government offices. Of course, both the royal residence and the offices are not accessible to tourists, but the most beautiful and interesting part of the complex is open to tourists for a fee. Several palaces and throne rooms are open to the public, which are used by the royal family to receive ambassadors and foreign delegations, many temples and shrines. For a full acquaintance with the palace you will need at least half a day. Read more about the Royal Palace of Bangkok and photos here...

  Practical Information

  🕐 Working hours: daily from 8.30 to 15.30 (the complex is open until 16:30 , but visitors stop starting at 15:30 ). In 10:00, 10:30 , 13:30 and at 14:00 free excursions in English begin.

  💵Entrance fee / ticket price: 500 baht (15 USD, currency of Thailand), audio guide player - 100 baht (passport or credit card as collateral).

  🚶 How to get there: the palace is located in the historical part of the city (Entrance to the Royal Palace on the map). From the tourist area of Khao San Street, you can get here on foot. From other areas by taxi (about 200 baht) or buses, or take the subway to Taksin station, and then take a regular boat on the river to pier No. 9 Tha Chang.

• Temple of the Reclining Buddha (Wat Pho)

  

  Not far from the Royal Palace is the Temple of the Reclining Buddha (Wat Pho) – one of the oldest temples of the Kingdom and the largest in Bangkok, built in 1688-1703. Here is the famous 46-meter gilded statue of the reclining Buddha. There are many chapels and pagodas on the territory of the temple complex.

  This is the largest and oldest temple in the capital, and at the same time the most famous among tourists, and one of the most famous symbols of Thailand. Rarely any feature film, the action of which takes place in Bangkok, does without shots from the temple. Despite the "promotion" and tourist popularity, the temple must be visited, especially since it is located almost right next to the Royal Palace. Read more about the temple of the reclining Buddha here...

  Practical Information

  🕐 Working hours: every day seven days a week from 8:00 to 18:30.

  💵Entrance fee / ticket price: 300 baht (9 USD), cook without change, it is not given; guide escort (optional) for 1 person - 200 baht, 2 people - 300, 3 or more - 400 baht.

  🚶 How to get there: The Temple of the Reclining Buddha is located next to the Royal Palace of Bangkok on the banks of the Chao Phraya River on the Ratannakosin Peninsula (temple on the map). The tourist area of Khao San and Chinatown are within walking distance.

• Bovon Nivet Vihan Temple

  

  Bovon Nivet Vihan (Wat Bowonniwet Vihara) is not particularly famous and is visited by tourists, but it is one of the most important temples and monasteries in Bangkok. Here, in a large golden stupa, there is a statue of the Buddha from about 1357, and most of the members of the royal family spent their period of monasticism and training here. But the most important thing is that the remains of King Bhumibol Adulyadej Rama IX, who died in 2016, rest in the temple. Nearby in a separate building is the monastery library and the abbot's museum. Read more about the temple Bovon Nivet Vihan here...

  Practical Information

  🕐Working hours: from 08:00 to 18:00.

  💵Entrance fee / ticket price: free.

  🚶 How to get there: the temple is located next to the tourist street Khao San Road, 5 minutes walk from it (temple on the map). From other districts of Bangkok you can get here by taxi (no more than 200 baht according to the meter), by bus, by boat on the river to Phra Arthit pier and then 10 minutes on foot.

• Chan Songkharam Temple

  

  Wat Chana Songkhram or fully Wat Chana Songkhram Rachawora Mahawiharn is a royal temple and monastery, located almost right next to the tourist street Khao San Road. It was founded at a time when Bangkok was not yet the capital, and was originally called Wat Klang Na, which means "temple in the middle of a rice field," which it was then. Its current name can be translated roughly as "victorious". He received it in honor of three great victories over the Burmese in 1785-1787. Learn more about the Chan Songkharam Temple here...

  Practical Information

  🕐Working hours: from 08:00 to 18:00.

  💵Entrance fee / ticket price: free.

  🚶 How to get there: the temple is located next to the tourist street Khao San Road, 5 minutes walk from it (temple on the map). From other districts of Bangkok you can get here by taxi (no more than 200 baht according to the meter), by bus, by boat on the river to Phra Arthit pier and then 10 minutes on foot.

• Bangkok National Museum

  

  This is the largest museum in Bangkok and the country, and in our opinion, if you visit any museum in Bangkok, then this one is the best. This is a complex of several buildings, a temple and a territory where performances on the history and culture of Thailand are sometimes held. The collection is very rich, and even a cursory inspection of all the expositions will take two hours, and it will take a whole day to study everything in detail and familiarize yourself with the signatures under the exhibits. It is interesting to visit the National Museum even without a tour, but if you want, you can join a free excursion in English, French or German, which are held several times a week. Learn more about the National Museum of Bangkok here...

  Practical Information

  🕐 Working hours: open from Wednesday to Sunday from 09:00 to 16:00; Monday and Tuesday are closed. The free tour is held on Wednesday and Thursday at 09:30, Sunday at 10:00 and 13:30.

  💵Entrance fee / ticket price: 240 baht (7.2 USD, currency of Thailand). With this ticket, you can also visit the Royal Barges Museum and the National Gallery.

  🚶 How to get there: The museum is located in the center of Bangkok on the Ratanakosin Peninsula between the Khao San tourist area and the Royal Palace within walking distance from them (museum on the map). From other parts of Bangkok, you can get here by taxi (no more than 200 baht when traveling by meter); by regular boats along the Chaopraya River to the Tha Chang or Phra Athit pier; by bus 3, 6, 9, 30, 33, 43, 53, 59, 64, 65, 70, 80, 82, 91, 123, 124, 203, 503, 507, 524.

• Phra Sumen Fort (Phra Sumen Fort)

  

  Phra Sumen Fort is one of the architectural landmarks in the historical part of Bangkok on Ratanakosin Island, a defensive structure built in 1783. Honestly, there's nothing much to do here, and spend no more than 5-10 minutes examining it. So it's not worth getting to it from other parts of the city on purpose. But if you suddenly find yourself in this part of the city or just walking around the tourist street Khao San, and from it to the fort is just around the corner, you can explore it. Also next to the fort is the Bang Lamphu Museum, which can be visited together with the fort for just 30 baht. Read more about Phra Sumen Fort here...

  Practical Information

  🕐Working hours: you can explore the outside around the clock, and climb the fort and walk around the adjacent park from 08:00 to 21:00 seven days a week.

  💵Entrance fee / ticket price: free.

  🚶 How to get there: located in the historical part of Bangkok on the Rattanakosin Peninsula (fort on the map). Just a five–minute walk from here is the main tourist area of Bangkok - Khao San Road. It is not so easy to get here from other parts of Bangkok. You will have to take a taxi, city buses, or take a regular boat along the Chaopraya River to Phra Arthit pier.

• Park-Museum of ancient Artillery (Ancient Artillery Museum)

  

  The Park-Museum of ancient Artillery is a small park in front of the administrative building of the Ministry of Defense of Thailand, where a dozen different antique cannons used by the Thai army are exhibited in the open air. The park is not for recreation, there are no shops here, but there are information signs with a description of each gun. It's not worth going here on purpose, but if you walk around the Big Royal Palace, you can take a walk in the park.

  Practical Information

  🕐 Working hours: around the clock.

  💵Entrance fee / ticket price: free of charge.

  🚶 How to get there: located on the Ratanakosin Peninsula near the Grand Royal Palace (park museum on the map). You can get here from Khao San Road on foot, from other areas by taxi or buses.

• Banglamphu Museum

  

  The Banglamphu Museum is a small museum that tells about the history of Bangkok's Banglamphu district, one of the oldest in the city. Does not represent anything special and is not very large. But the exhibition as a whole is modern and well-groomed, free excursions are held. Nearby is the old Phra Sumen Fort, which is also worth exploring during a visit to the museum.

  Practical Information

  🕐 Working hours: from 10:00 to 17:00, Monday off.

  💵Entrance fee / ticket price: 100 baht (3 USD).

  🚶 How to get there: located on the Ratanakosin Peninsula within walking distance from the Khaosan tourist area (museum on the map).

• Amulet Market Amulet Market

  

  There are many places in Bangkok where you can buy amulets, but the largest and most interesting of them is the amulet market next to the Grand Royal Palace and opposite the Mahatat Temple on Maha Rat Street. This is a truly unique and worthwhile place to visit, and we recommend that every guest of the city visit here if possible. And it's definitely worth coming here if it's not the first time you've been to Bangkok. Here you can not just walk among the rows of amazing crafts and souvenirs that smell of religion, mysticism and antiquity, but also buy yourself an amulet (if you believe) or a souvenir (if you don't believe). By the way, amulets are very inexpensive here, prices start from 20 baht. Learn more about the amulet market here...

  Practical Information

  🕐 Working hours: there is no exact time of the market, but most traders work from about 08:00 to 16:00.

  💵Entrance fee / ticket price: free of charge, prices for amulets and souvenirs start from 20 baht.

  🚶 How to get there: located in the historic district of Bangkok, a few minutes from the Grand Royal Palace opposite the Mahatat Temple on Maha Rat Street (amulet market on the map). To get here from the main tourist area of Khao San Road, the easiest way is to walk, walk about one and a half kilometers or 20 minutes. From other areas, you can take city buses or a boat along the Chaopraya River to Tha Maharaj Marina. Read more at the link with the full description.

• Monument of Democracy (Democracy Monument)

  

  Democracy Monument is a monument erected in 1939 in honor of the establishment of the constitutional monarchy by the King of Thailand in 1932. It is located on the traffic ring in the center of Bangkok, and is a zero kilometer, i.e. it counts the length of the tracks from the capital throughout the country. Very often it is used as a landmark in order to get to this part of the city and to the Khao San area by taxi or bus. Read more about the Monument of Democracy here...

  Practical Information

  🕐 Working hours: around the clock.

  💵Entrance fee / ticket price: free.

  🚶 How to get there: located in the historical part of the city at the roundabout of Ratchadamnoen Klong road (monument on the map). From the tourist area of Khao San here on foot 5 minutes. There is a bus stop next to the ring, to which there is an S1 bus from Suvarnabhumi Airport, and from Don Mueang Airport there is a bus number 59.

• Mahakan Fort (Mahakan Fort)

  

  Mahakan Fort is a historical place, although there is not much to see here. You can stop by here if you are walking in the area of the Temple of the Golden Mountain, the Monument of Democracy, as well as other attractions in the vicinity. The fort was built at the end of the 18th century as part of a fortress to protect the royal district of the city, and now the historical district or Rattanakosin Island. In 2018, a small green park with benches was laid out nearby.

  Practical Information

  🕐 Working hours: around the clock.

  💵Entrance fee / ticket price: free.

  🚶 How to get there: the fort is located in the historical center of Bangkok (fort on the map). From the tourist street Khao San here is a kilometer and a half on foot. You can get from other areas by bus №2, 15, 44, 47, 59, 60, 70, 79, 157, 169, 183, 503, 509, 511, 556 to the stop Panfa Leelard. From the districts of Pratunam and Siam, you can take a boat along the canal to the Phan Fa Pier terminal, and then cross the bridge on foot.

• Rattanakosin Exhibition Hall

  

  This is a museum-exhibition for exploring the culture and history of Thailand. The exhibits are new and well-groomed, everything is clean, there are detailed inscriptions, modern interactive exhibits. The visit provides for the accompaniment of tour guides along one of several routes through the museum. To do this, a group of visitors gathers every 20 minutes and, accompanied by guides, goes along one of the routes to choose from. Learn more about the museum here...

  Practical Information

  🕐Working hours: from 10:00 to 19:00, Monday is a day off.

  Entrance fee / ticket price: adults – 100 baht (3 USD), children up to 120 centimeters tall - free of charge; refundable deposit for using the audio guide – 1000 baht. Tour service is included in the price.

  🚶 How to get there: located in the historical part of the city on Ratchadamnoen Street (museum on the map) near the monument of democracy. From the tourist area of Khao San on foot 10 minutes. From other parts of the city to get by taxi, bus or river transport, the metro does not go here. By bus you need to choose any route to the monument of democracy. From the Pratunam area and others, you can take a Golden Mount Line boat to the Panfa Leelard terminal Pier (next to the Golden Mountain Temple), and from there you can walk 10 minutes.

• Mahatat Temple (Wat Mahathat Yuwaratrangsarit)

  

  This is one of the most important and oldest temples in Bangkok, one of the top ten royal temples of Thailand of the highest level, founded to store one of the Buddhist relics. There is also a Vipassana meditation center (Vipassana). However, this temple is almost unknown among tourists and is rarely visited by guests of the capital, although it is located very conveniently in the heart of the historical district of the city: not far from the Royal Palace and within walking distance from the tourist street Khao San Road. Most likely, its low popularity is due to the fact that it is lost in the shadow of other more interesting and more architecturally refined temples in the area. Read more about the Mahatat Temple here...

  Practical Information

  🕐Working hours: from 07:30 to 18:00, seven days a week.

  💵Entrance fee / ticket price: free.

  🚶 How to get there: located in the historic district of Bangkok, a few minutes walk from the Grand Royal Palace (temple on the map). To get here from the main tourist area of Khao San Road, the easiest way is to walk, walk about one and a half kilometers or 20 minutes. From other areas, you can take city buses or a boat along the Chaopraya River to Tha Maharaj Marina. Read more at the link with the full description.

• Coin Museum (Coin Museum)

  

  The coin Museum exists with the support of the Ministry of Finance of Thailand, and is like an official museum of the Ministry. Here you will learn the history of Thailand money since ancient times, when it was used for payment... peppers. You will see some rare coins, and you will be able to watch the movie. The exhibition is modern and interactive, but worth a visit only if you are interested in numismatics or just have absolutely nothing to do in Bangkok. Learn more about the coin museum here...

  Practical Information

  🕐 Working hours: Tuesday-Sunday from 10:00 to 18:00, Monday is a day off. The free tour starts approximately every 20 minutes.

  💵Entrance fee / ticket price: free.

  🚶 How to get there: the museum is located near the tourist area of Khao San (museum on the map).