There is La Rambla in Barcelona, Leicester Square in London, and in Thailand there is a famous street to match these famous places. The Khao San Road is a relatively short street in the popular district of Banglamphuwhich has a large population of locals, travellers, and hardcore backpackers from around the globe. It is located about one kilometre north of the Grand Palace, Wat Phra Kaew. It has been described as ‘a short road that has the longest dream in the world’.
The Khao San road has become such an important place because it is an ideal hub for travellers, where you can meet like-minded people. Buses and coaches can be taken from here to most places in Thailand, especially the backpacking and tourist hotspots such as Chang Mai or Ko Tao. Also here are a host of travel agents that can help with visas, travel to neighbouring countries, and internal transfers. A word of warning though: some of these travel agents are some form of scam, and it’s important to be wary and inquisitive when dealing with them.
Khao San as a place for meeting people and partying is almost without parallel. Look through any travel guide book, and without a doubt many of the bars and clubs listed in them as good places to go will be on the Khao San Road. The range is good: from the house and rave of the Lava Club, to chilled out cocktails on the outdoor decking of the Silk Bar, to good old-fashioned boozing at one of the many sports bars such as Susie Pub. A good mix of locals and travellers gathers in these bars, which means a chance for making friends and getting a bit of local knowledge as well.
Flights to Bangkok are pretty regular since the explosion in the gap year and backpacking market, with flights from most European, North American and Australasian destinations. Cheap flights are available from a variety of sources such as Dialaflight.com who offer flights to Thailand and to Bangkok, making Thailand a much more affordable destination than it used to be.