Bangkok BTS – Thailand with Maps BTS in Thailand
The Khaosan Night Market is very popular with backpackers in Thailand and is not that far away from other tourist attractions such as the Taling Chan Floating Market which is a taxi ride away as well as the Khlong Lot Market. Khaosan Raod still has the hippy feeling to it and not much has changed over the years however the quality of the bars and pubs in the area has seen a major upgrade over the past 9 years.
Khaosan Night Market
Khaosan Road is located in the Phra Nakhon district of Bangkok and about 1 km north of the Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew and a bit further away from the Taling Chan Market in Bangkok. Khaosan translates into Thai as milled rice which was what the street was many moons ago – a rice market. There are a number of hostels in the area and also a 3 star hotel or two.
Over the years the street has attracted backpackers and you can meet many of them touring Asia here. There are a number of good low budget hotels in Khaosan road such as the Marcopolo Hostel and also the Rikka Inn which is very beautifully done and the Khaosan Palace Hotel amongst others.
There are a number of tour operators in the area where you can book a place on a minivan to Cambodia, Vietnam or Malaysia. There are also a number of visa agents if you need to apply for a Thai visa in Cambodia, Malaysia or Laos. Some will also take you to a Thai Embassy in Cambodia or the Thai Embassy in Penang if you need assistance to get to the embassy and return to Thailand. If you are going to apply for a Thai visa then you can also speak to a law firm in Thailand.
Khaosan Road shops sell all types of handcrafts and paintings, budget clothes and loads of pirated CDs, DVDs and second-hand books. In the evening the road turns into bars and music is played and if you have never had scorpions to eat then you can try it there. Note that during Thai new year being the Songkran Festival in mid April the road is absolutly packed to capacity with everyone splashing water. A special note that if you are a backpacker ensure that you have proper travel insurance when touring Asia as most time the hospitals will only accept Mastercard or Visa while you claim back the insurance from the insurance company later.
Visa rules also change all the time so check with your local Thai Embassy about the latest visa rules as visa on arrival have changed numerous times over the years. There is no mass transit to the area but the closest station is the MRT Hua Lamphong Station which gives you access to Bangkok on the cheap as the subway connects with the BTS stations throughout Bangkok.
Khaosan Night Market Map
Khaosan Night Market Gallery
