Bangkok has a vast range of accommodation including some of the best hotels in the world — and some of the worst dives too Broadly speaking Khao San Road is backpacker city; the riverside by Silom and Thonburi is home to The Oriental and The Peninsula respectively often ranked among the best in the world (and priced to match); and Sukhumvit Road has hotels (and hostels) for all budgets When choosing your digs pay careful attention bangkok cheap hotels to Skytrain and Metro access; a well-placed station will make your stay in Bangkok much more comfortable Boutique hotels have mushroomed in Bangkok during the past few years they usually provide less number of rooms (usually 10 or less) and a more personalized service With most types of accommodations a majority of boutique hotels can be found in the Silom and Sukhumvit areas Again the latest trend for the boutique hostel is emerging in the Silom area since 2008 One Bangkok hotel phenomenon of note is the guest fee of around 500 baht added to your bill if you bring along a newly found friend for the night and a rare few will even refuse guests This is obviously aimed at bangkok cheap hotels controlling local sex workers which is why hotel security will usually also hold onto your guest's ID card for the duration of the visit but some hotels will also apply it to Western visitors — or more embarrassingly try to apply it to your Thai partner Most of cheap hotels and guesthouses are either free of this charge or sometimes in the Khao San Road road do not allow Thai guests at all Look for the signs or if in doubt ask the staff before check-in Covering an area of 1500 square kilometers the greater Bangkok Metropolis fits into the ‘big city’ league with great ease Add to that an estimated ten million inhabitants more than 30000 taxis bangkok cheap hotels and an ever-increasing number of tourists and you’ll soon realize that getting to grips with such a vast concrete jungle is no easy feat especially if you’re a first-time visitor This is where our Area Guides come in pretty handy Certain areas have become more popular than others largely due to their good location and the things there to do and see — be it traditional attractions shopping highlights or a notoriously famous nightlife scene Navigating this exciting city has also become much easier thanks to the Skytrain (BTS) and underground (MRT) systems connecting large areas Get to know Bangkok a little better before your trip The easiest way to break Sukhumvit Road down is by Skytrain (BTS) station and somehow the area around each station has developed its own unique bangkok cheap hotels character with special attractions highlights and supporters What all of these areas have in common - apart from easy Skytrain access - is a selection of fine hotels suited to every taste and budget and we've lined up the best for you along with some great deals The start of Sukhumvit Road is at the Ratchaprasong intersection (both the Chidlom and Ploenchit BTS stations are nearby) and for hotels in this area renowned for its many upper-end shopping malls you can have a look at the Ratchaprasong hotels section Other hotels along this road are mostly concentrated around the Nana Asok and Phrom Phong BTS stations which are the most popular areas The further away from the city towards the end of the BTS line at On Nut station the more suburban and less touristy Sukhumvit Road becomes Affluent and bangkok cheap hotels upmarket this predominantly business retail and diplomatic area offers a central location very close to main shopping and entertainment areas Siam Square Ratchaprasong Sukhumvit and Silom Some of the city's most luxurious hotels and serviced apartment are assembled here The easiest way to tackle it is by breaking it down by road Choose Ploenchit road for direct access to the Skytrain department stores like Central Chidlom bangkok cheap hotels and malls such as Emporium For mildly more natural less chaotic surroundings try Lang Suan Road or Wireless road The former is home to hip world class restaurants the latter several major
embassies Both give ease of access to the delights of Lumpini Park This busy road stretches east to west from Siam Square past Ratchaprasong intersection (where malls like Emporium Gaysorn and CentralWorld are located) to the start of Sukhumvit road It is well known for its upmarket shopping malls restaurants offices and embassies The elevated BTS skytrain covers its length (its served by Chidlom and Ploenchit station) making this a bangkok cheap hotels perfect place to stay for those wanting to traverse the city quickly and conveniently Stretching from Charoen Khrung Road in the West to Rama IV Road (by Lumpini Park) in the East the Silom area extends as far as the parallel Suriwong Road and Sathorn Road Part of the city's main business and financial district it's short on traditional tourist attractions Canceling out the sterility of the abundant head offices and tower blocks however is the combined appeal of the famous Patpong Silom Road's energy and enterprise some great bars and restaurants and its central location - in fact its one of the city's most liveliest and popular areas in town Depending on where you stay along its 45km length Silom places you roughly halfway between the riverside and main shopping areas like Siam Square The standard of accommodation overwhelmingly ranges between mid-range and five-star luxury and prices reflect this Loosely served by three Skytrain (BTS) stations - Surasak bangkok cheap hotels Chong Nonsi and Sala Daeng - its best broken up by these If the riverside traces Bangkok's rich historical roots Ploenchit Road Chitlom Ratchadamri Lang Suan and Wireless Road represent the new face of Bangkok Shaped by high rise offices upscale apartments embassies expensive shopping malls and luxury hotels the area is low on traditional tourist attractions (other than several popular shrines) but high on chic and prestige During the day it's mostly about shopping of the designer bangkok cheap hotels status-symbol variety Food courts adjoining these ritzy malls and a slew of quality restaurants also do a brisk trade If shopping or business is high on your agenda and you require a location slap-bang in the middle of all the action this is it The area around Ploenchit Road and Chidlom is to Bangkok what Orchard Road is to Singapore and Knightsbridge to London Some of Bangkok's finest malls can be found here - the likes of Gaysorn Peninsula Plaza Amarin Plaza and the newly-revamped CentralWorld the latter which is now the largest mall in Southeast Asia The area in front of CentralWorld is also Bangkok's official New Year countdown venue Along with these great malls come some bangkok cheap hotels wonderful hotels restaurants two skytrain (BTS) connections (Chidlom and Ploenchit) - all conveniently connected with modern elevated walkways Central Chidlom department store is another highlight and many embassies are also located closeby in Wireless and Rajadamri Roads The area around Siam Square including Ratchaprasong Intersection and Ploen Chit is Bangkok's modern commercial core full of glitzy malls and hotels The Skytrain intersection at Siam Square is the closest thing Bangkok has to a centre The long Sukhumvit Road is Bangkok's nightlife district filled with quality hotels restaurants and clubs Part of its nightlife represents Bangkok's naughty image particularly Soi Cowboy and Nana Plaza To the south of Sukhumvit the area around Silom Road and Sathorn Road is bangkok cheap hotels Thailand's sober financial center by day but Bangkok's primary party district by night when quarters like the infamous Patpong come alive Between the river and Sukhumvit lies the densely packed "Old Bangkok" home to Bangkok's best-known sights such as the Grand Palace and Wat Pho On the northern part of Rattanakosin Bangkok's backpacker bangkok cheap hotels mecca Khao San Road and the surrounding district of Banglamphu have everything the budget traveler is looking for Along Yaowarat Road you will find Bangkok's Chinatown while Pahurat Road is the home of the sizable Indian community This multicultural district is filled with a Sikh Temple (Sri Guru Singh Sabha) and markets selling food gold fabrics and Bollywood movies This leafy European-style area is the bangkok cheap hotels political center of Thailand home to numerous political institutions and the monarchy Its breezy palaces lush gardens and broad avenues give the district its distinct character The quieter west bank of the Chao Phraya River with Wat Arun and many small canals to explore The area around Phahonyothin Road and Viphavadi Rangsit Road is best known for bangkok cheap hotels Pratunam Chatuchak Weekend Market and Baiyoke Tower II The sois around Ari offer some excellent nightlife The district north of Sukhumvit centered around bangkok cheap hotels Ratchadaphisek Road (part of which is called Asoke) The sois of "Ratchada" are popular nightlife spots with the locals as is the area around Royal City Avenue (RCA) Around Bangkok are the provinces of Pathum Thani to the north Nonthaburi to the northwest Chachoengsao to the east Samut Sakhon to the southwest and Samut Prakan to the southeast bangkok cheap hotels