In this guide on where to stay in Bangkok we will go over the different areas of the city. We will look at the prices for accommodation and hotels in each area of Bangkok. And the benefits, and what you can expect from each area.
Whether you are looking for nightlife and fun, or you’re a tourist looking to explore the big city. or even just looking for the best value hotels in Bangkok to stay. This article will help you find out which area to stay in Bangkok.
Where to stay in Bangkok depends on the purpose for your visit. If you are looking for the best nightlife, you can either go the backpacking route and stay near Khao San Road, you can also stay around Nana BTS station or downtown in the Silom area.
For a tighter budget, hotels further away from the center is an excellent option. Both along the end of the Airport Rail Link, and around On Nut on the Sukhumvit BTS lines will offer great value. Keep reading for a more detailed description
Where to stay in Bangkok for nightlife
Like mentioned above both Khao San Road and around the city centre both offers great party options.
Partying in Khao San Road
As a backpacker, or younger person I would highly recommend staying in one of Khao San Roads many hotels and hostels. This is where you can find cheap drinks in Bangkok, as well as a younger, and wilder crowd. It will be good for a few days, but anything beyond that may be excessive, as it is an area centered heavily around partying.
Staying between Khao San Road and the new Sam Yot metro station has recently opened some flexibility if you want to explore the city and also be near the nightlife in Khao San Road.
A walk between the two will take you about 20 minutes, and staying a bit OUTSIDE Bangkoks party street will give you a better nights sleep as it can be noisy even after the bars officially close around 2-3 AM.
I should note there are buses, tours, and taxis available around Khao San Rd. too if you want to stay closer to the action!
Read my guide from the airport to Khao San Road.
A few hotel options near Khao San Road
Thai Garden House (Agoda affiliate link) great low end budget option near Khao San Road. You can find deals like this all around the street, but if you have a bit extra to spare I recommend checking out the option bellow.
Chern Hostel (Agoda affiliate link) personally I would recommend staying a bit outside of KSR itself, and this hotel seems like a great budget option.
Khaosan Palace Hotel (Agoda affiliate link) if you want to stay in the middle of the action this hotel is great. There is also a pool on the roof if you want to hang around and soak up rays of sun that make it through the fog of Bangkok. It is also an excellent place to enjoy a beer and relax.
Bars and nightlife from Ekkamai to Nana BTS station
Staying around the Sukhumvit BTS line in Bangkok offers a lot of convenience if you want to stay near the centre while also being close to the party.
You have the skytrain nearby to connect you to the city, as well as a variety of bars near the BTS stops from Ekkamai to Nana BTS station.
If you looking for where to stay in Bangkok for one night, or even a week I would consider staying near Nana BTS station.
Note: there is a spot for shady bars in this area, so I would recommend having a look at Google Maps to make yourself a bit familiar with the area if you don’t want to see this side of Thailand.
If you want to party into the night, note that the Skytrain stops running around mid-night. So if you are not in walking distance of your hotel, be prepared to shell out on a taxi. If you are lucky they will accept using the meter, otherwise you will have to negotiate your fare BEFORE you go into the taxi. Tuk tuks are always going to be more expensive than taxis.
Hotel options along the Sukhumvit line:
Grand Swiss Sukhumvit 11 by Compass Hospitality (Agoda Affiliate link) Excellent option for staying near Nana BTS station. Comes with a pool.
W 21 by Serene Asoke Suites (Agoda affiliate link) Budget option near Asok BTS station. A great stop to stay near all the public transport systems. Also Nana is very close by.
The 63 Bangkok Hotel (Agoda affiliate link) Budget option very close to Ekkamai BTS station. Also easy access to the large mall connected to the BTS station.
Hotels in Silom and where to stay
If neither Khao San Road, or the Sukhumvit area pleases you, Silom may be the place for you. Most commonly known as the business district of Bangkok, Silom also offers great value for your baht. While it is also known as a less safe area than Sukhumvit, there is no lack of tourists here looking to party.
You also have the convenience of the Silom BTS Skytrain line, and the MRT metro nearby. Both of which can connect you with the Sukhumvit and Airport lines quickly if you are looking to move around the city.
I would personally describe this area as the less safe budget version of Sukhumvit. But if this area interests you there is a lot of fun to be had for sure.
For accommodation in Silom area, staying closer to Sathon will be the cheaper option. But you will be further from the action. Staying near Sala Daeng BTS will be central to the popular restaurants and bars, and also offer the great benefit of being near the Si Lom metro line.
Hotel options Simon:
Smore Sala Daeng – Silom by D Varee (Agoda affiliate link) great budget option if you want to stay near the BTS and MRT stations.
D Varee Xpress Pula Silom, Bangkok (Agoda affiliate link) also a great option a bit closer to the action. As you can probably tell I am comfortable recommending you D Varees accommodation options around Bangkok.
Silom One Hotel (Agoda affiliate link) Right in the middle of the action you will find Silom One Hotel. Clean and simple rooms tucked away inside a side street so you will avoid the noise of the city. Comes with a free minibar!
Silom line: Khlong San and beyond
I can not recommend staying very far across the river into Khlong San as a tourist in Bangkok. This area offers excellent value for your money if you stay near the BTS stops, and people are very friendly once you get outside of the city centre. But there is one major drawback: English speaking skills.
Unfortunately, outside of the main tourist hot spots the Thai people can be very bad at English. If you know some Thai, or have somebody guiding you around, this is an excellent area to visit. There are beautiful temples, more culture, delicious food, and a more relaxed atmosphere here.
But if you are a first time tourist in Bangkok maybe save this area for another time. At least stay close to the BTS stations, as the taxi drivers will instantly assume you want to go all the way to Sukhumvit, and may be vary of picking you up, and asking other people than Google Maps can prove to be a challenge.
Cheap hotels in Bangkok
Cheap hotels in Bangkok can still easily be found. Unfortunately most of the budget accommodation in Bangkok is either in Khao San Road, or too far away from the BTS/MRT.
If you take one thing from this guide, let it be: Bangkok traffic is some of the worst in the world. You want to stay near the trains.
So we want to move a bit outside Bangkoks busy center where prices drop to find budget hotels. The ride back into the center with BTS, MRT, or Airport Rail Link is quick and painless.
Above I recommended against staying in the Khlong San area and beyond due to the language barrier. That leaves us with three great options: The northern parts of the Sukhumvit lines towards Chatuchak. Around the Airport Rail Link line. And east around On Nut and beyond on the other end of the Sukhumvit BTS line.
Hotels near On Nut BTS
Where to stay Bangkok on a budget, that is not Khao San Road? ON NUT of course!
This area offers all the benefits of staying in the city centre at half the cost! The only drawback is that you will need to spend 15-20 minutes longer on the BTS Skytrain each way.
If you are on a budget in Bangkok I can strongly recommend staying in this area of Bangkok.
Heres why: Sukhumvit. This is the safest area of Bangkok for tourists. People here will be able to communicate with you to a certain degree in English. Speaking of English, you will be surrounded by ESL English teachers who often choses On Nut as their home due to the location, and the low cost of living here compared to Bangkoks center.
Staying near the On Nut BTS station will cost you as little as $30 for a decent hotel during high season. Great options would be something like: KV Mansion, or Resort M Bangkok – On Nut. If you are willing to, there are option for half that as well around the Skytrain station.
Highly rated hotels near On Nut BTS station:
Qiu Hotel Sukhumvit (Agoda affiliate link) at the “higher end” of the spectrum, and I say that with quotation marks, because the value for this hotel seems ridiculously good for what you are getting: pool, beautiful room, and super easy access to the BTS station.
Qiu Hotel Sukhumvit (Agoda affiliate link) is a budget option also really close to the BTS. At less than half the cost of the hotel above, you get excellent value at this hotel as well.
There are lots of hotels available in the area if you are willing to walk a few minutes further as well.
Beyond On Nut
On Nut offers a great balance of price and location. But you could also look further along away along the Sukhumvit BTS stations, just be aware that it will get more and more suburban, and you will spend more time to move into the city, with little savings on accommodation.
Hotels near Chatuchak and along the Airport Rail Link
From Suvarnabhumi Airport to Phaya Thai BTS station (part of the Sukhumvit line) there is an elevated train that runs very frequently from 06:00 AM to midnight daily. While there are a lot of people on this train with briefcases, it also offers excellent value hotels along the route.
Highly rated hotels near Chatuchak:
The Plim Place (Agoda affiliate link) seems like an excellent budget option. Near convenience stores and the BTS.
Apartelle Jatujak Hotel (Agoda affiliate link) looks like a great option. Highly rated, and comes at at great price for being so close to the BTS.
Hotels near Makkasan Station or Phaya Thai
Hotels near Makkasan Station or Phaya Thai offers most convenience on the airport rail link. Going further away from the BTS end of the Airport Rail Link will be cheaper, but you will also have a longer trip into the city, and you will need to change trains at least once.
Phaya Thai is connected to the Sukhumvit line, and will take you into the city center quickly. Prices around here are much lower than Nana etc.
Makkasan Station is connected to Phetchaburi MRT Station, and which is one stop away from both Sukhumvit MRT Station and Asok BTS station, both of which are very close to the center point of Siam.
With the prices being considerably lower than if you were to stay near Asok BTS station, you can get excellent value for your money here. This is where to stay in Bangkok on a budget to be near everything.
Hotel recommandations near Makkasan Station:
D Varee Xpress Hotel Makkasan Bangkok (Agoda affiliate link): Excellent place to stay for easy access to the public transport system. Also near the mall. Rooms are clean, but simple. I’ve stayed here multiple times.
FX Hotel Metrolink Makkasan (Agoda affiliate link) Another hotel in the area with a higher standard (and a pool!). I have not personally stayed at this one, but it looks like an excellent choice.
Summary
Where to stay in Bangkok depends on your needs. Staying in a hotel near the BTS, MRT, or Airport Rail Link is your best bet. The trains in Bangkok is your best friend for getting around.
For nightlife and partying, stay near the center (Silom or Nana) or Khao San Road. For budget hotels, consider staying outside the center near the Skytrain stations. Avoid staying somewhere far from the trains, taxis are slow due to the heavy traffic.
Here’s my guide on where to stay in Manila if you want to continue researching, and here is a look at Dinsomon Hotel where we recently stayed in Bangkok.
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I have spent the past 10+ years traveling around the world. On this website, I am dedicated to making high-quality travel guides focusing on South East Asia. My content focuses on how to get the most out of your travels. That includes getting good value, staying in the best locations, what things to do, and what to avoid.
