This backpacker destination in the capital city has been known for years to those familiar with trips to Thailand and especially Bangkok. Foreigners, typically young backpackers in their twenties, use it as a base or a stopover after a long flight to spend a night or two before they head off to the North’s jungles or the South’s beaches. Then, once the tiring travel fun is done, it’s back to one of the quaint Khao San rooms for some rest before the airplane home.

You will be hard-pressed to find the traditional hostel in this backpacker area. There are many hotels near Khao San. However, for accommodation, what you find on the road itself are basically guesthouses. Instead of sleeping in a big room with a bunch of smelly travelers for a hundred baht, you can sleep in a single unit with privacy and a lock on your door for the same price. Shower and bathroom facilities are likely to be shared for that price, of course. The Khao San guesthouses typically have restaurants or bars on the bottom floor, and play movies in the evening which you can watch for free. For nubile tourists on a tight budget, this is the place to be.

As you will not want to spend much time in a tiny room, there is much to do here in the way of thumping clubs and the popular night market. There are tons of tasty and varied restaurants around, as well. Khao San sits quite near the main tourist destinations in Bangkok such as the Grand Palace, too. Best of all, over a million other young tourists visit this backpacker road every year, so you are sure to find interesting and beautiful friends from all over the world if you so desire.

In conclusion, hostels are not what you need in Bangkok. In Khao San, rooms for the budget traveler are located in the many guesthouses. Those who stay in Khao San hotels pay the rates of a hostel, but at least have some privacy and can be part of the excitement in this tourist destination of Bangkok.