Khao San Road in the Daytime 2022 @ Bangkok [Thailand]

My first trip to Bangkok was 15 years ago in 2007 and since then, I have visited Thailand's capital numerous times and while I have been to many iconic places; one continued to elude me until 2022.

The world famous Khao San road. Known internationally as the backpackers' area, the 400-meter road is said to be the center of dancing and partying before the pandemic; not exactly activities I am particularly fond of. 

And with travel restrictions just being eased in recent months, I presume the activities would take some time to recover. Hence, I decided to drop by in the day time whereby visibility is better for photo-taking and if it were interesting enough, I could go again at night in my next visit to Bangkok. 

Since this would be my virgin visit to Khao San, there's nothing for me to compare about. Even though it was said to be more vibrant at night, I presume there would still be some stuff to look out for given its status among backpackers. 

One thing I realized after strolling a while; there appeared to be quite a number of jewelry stores offering sterling silver as the material. To be honest, I have never known Thailand to be a country famed for their silver.

Just wondering - closed for good or would only open at night? For the street stall, I presume it's the former. Can't really know for the physical brick and mortar stores though. The signboard for the second photo appeared new.

Windows or doors?

One thing about Bangkok in general; you seriously don't need to bring along any attire as it's so easy to buy from the streets! And best of all, they don't cost you a hand or leg; bargaining is strongly recommended though.

Pose from Ronald McDonald that's unique to Thailand! 

Called 'wai', it's a traditional Thai greeting. 

Looked like a old clock tower but from what I searched on google, it's s shopping plaza with a 3-star hotel by the name of Buddy Lodge. Should I consider a stay at Khao San next time?

The Mulberry Hotel seemed nicer though? It has a nice rooftop pool but lacked a gym which I required nowadays in my trips. Given how much I love to eat, having a gym would at least help burn off some of the excessive calorie intake.

Interesting but seemed to have closed down.

Souvenirs to buy and bring home. I have reached the age whereby I would concentrate more on bringing home food souvenirs rather than knickknacks. 

Buddhism teaches compassion towards all living things; as Singaporeans, we have been taught not to feed pigeons as it would result in them relying on humans' handouts when they should be foraging in the wild. 

Thai massages; of course it's a must to have them along Khaosan road.

Pricing across three different parlors. My favorite had always been traditional Thai massage but with age, I am now more inclined to go for back, neck, shoulder massage. 

I am so keen to braid my hair but I can't stand not washing my hair for days! The longest I could make do without a wash is one day even though that's limited to where I am. In Singapore and Thailand, where humidity is high, daily wash is essential.

Khao San was said to be a mess in the past and according to Wikipedia, the road was transformed into a walking street in February 2020. From what I see, there's still a one-way road in the middle for motor vehicles.  

More jewelry.

Shuttered stores. Guess it would take a few months for things to improve. Even at Chatuchak Weekend Market, those stores not facing the main streets were shuttered and with China providing the most number of tourists, it will be heavily dependent on when China would open up its borders.

Khaosan Palace Hotel -  I just run a check and a night stay was just S$30 a night! It came with a rooftop pool too although once again, no fitness centre. 

A shuttered bank.

Bet this would be a great place to people-watch! Known as The ONE at Khaosan, it appeared to be open according to Google Map, from 3pm till midnight.

McDonald's was shuttered too! In the past, I would always have pork samurai burger every time I go to Thailand as we don't have pork on the menu in Singapore's McDonald's. Nowadays, I lacked the motivation and it's been a long while since I last stepped into a McDonald's, even in Singapore.

Random photos taking along Khao San Road.

Tack a break; for English speaking individuals, this was funny but we must always be mindful that English isn't the Thais' first language and I bet they would laugh at our feeble Thai too. Most importantly, we do understand what the notice means, despite the mistake.

Rocco Club - you can't miss the signboard at the start of Khao San road. As the name suggests, we were too early as the club opens from 6pm till 3am.

Guess the distance marker was sponsored by the club; fantastic marketing to be honest. Tourists, me including, would want to take a photo with it to signify our presence at this iconic road. And for people arranging to meetup, it's also the perfect meeting point. 

Must do list in Khao San! 

Well, I bet would be back at night, soon. 

=====

Click here for my 7 Days 6 Nights Papazao Itinerary to Bangkok

Lueng Pha Pad Thai, next to Thipsamai along Maha Chai Road @ Bangkok [Thailand]

Bad luck persisted on day three of our Bangkok trip after the two eateries we wanted to try were either closed for the day or had yet to open. We walked all the way to Thipsamai and despite a sign stating operating hours from noon; the employee told us it would only be open in the evening. 

There's no way I am leaving the area without any food! A search on Google Maps resulted in the above; Lueng Pha Pad Thai. I knew of this eatery which is literally two doors away from the famous pad thai restaurant.

With green walls adorned with random pictures and newspaper clippings, there was never a queue and I always assumed it would be just one of the few eateries along the street, with Thipsamai and Jay Fai being the popular ones. 

Similar to Thipsamai, there was this charcoal stove at the front of store where the chefs would work their magic and deliver you the delicious food; a literal open kitchen concept. 

Items on the table where you can add to your food based on your personal preference. I would usually ignore although in this case, the additional crushed peanuts shall add on to the texture and bite.

Coke - came in glass bottle and only cost 13 baht! There is something mystical about drinking iced coke on a hot day and in the Singaporean's context; it just felt so thirst quenching and shiok! 

Pad Thai with Prawns - at 120 baht, the pricing might seem expensive but compared to Thipsamai, which priced a similar plate at 200 baht, this would appear to be heavily discounted.

However, portion was smaller and honestly, it could have been a result of the recent spike in global inflation. I couldn't be too sure as the queue at its neighbor could be insanely long and people who didn't want to wait wouldn't mind trying a lesser known pad thai at reduced pricing, and without nicer plating. 

Taste wise, it bore resemblance to the unique shrimp oil based pad thai from Thipsamai but less intense and without the sweetness that's either a boom / bane depending on your personal preference. While prawns were plump, I took issue more with the frying as the noodle was dry with strands of them clumped up. 

Nevertheless, we still cleaned up the plate. As it was our first time trying, we decided to order one plate for sharing. My honest opinion is that Lueng Pha Pad Thai is not bad for shrimp oil pad thai but given how precious calories intake is; I would definitely still prefer the more expensive Thipsamai, if it is open for business. If you have limited time, maybe you can consider Lueng Pha Pad Thai.

=====

Address

315/1 Maha Chai Rd, Samran Rat, 

Phra Nakhon, Bangkok 10200, Thailand

Map

As above.

Menu

As above. I just realized egg wrapped pad thai is same pricing as the one that's unwrapped. Not much of a difference for me as I prefer the unwrapped version even though wrapped one looks better on photos. 

Pricing

Coke - 13 Baht

Pad Thai with Prawns - 120 Baht 

Additional Information

There's also a satay stall next door that's likely open at night when the street comes more alive. I think you can order and eat at Lueng Pha Pad Thai given the menu of the pork satay (and some desserts) pasted on the walls.

Click here for my 7 Days 6 Nights Papazao Itinerary to Bangkok