Sukhumvit, Bangkok

What is Sukhumvit like?

Sukhumvit Road starts in central Bangkok and runs all the way to the Cambodian border. The part visitors mean when they say "Sukhumvit" is the stretch served by the BTS Sukhumvit Line between Nana and Ekkamai, and it isn't one neighbourhood but several, each with a different feel. The numbered side streets (sois) — odd numbers on one side of the road, even on the other — are where most hotels, restaurants and bars are.

Choosing the right stretch matters more than choosing the right hotel.

Sukhumvit, section by section

Nana

The busiest, most tourist-oriented stretch: budget and mid-range hotels, pubs, tailors, and a nightlife scene that includes the Nana Plaza red-light complex. Convenient and lively, but not to everyone's taste.

Asok

The main interchange: BTS Asok connects to MRT Sukhumvit, making this one of the best-connected spots in Bangkok. Terminal 21 mall, a good food court, and quick access to Benjakitti Forest Park. Soi Cowboy, another red-light street, is here too.

Phrom Phong

More polished and residential, with the Emporium and EmQuartier malls, a large Japanese community and excellent restaurants. Benjasiri Park is beside the BTS.

Thong Lo

One of Bangkok's most fashionable areas for dining and drinking. Soi Thong Lo (Sukhumvit Soi 55) runs north from the BTS for several kilometres, lined with restaurants, cocktail bars and small community malls. It's popular with Bangkok's own professionals and expats.

Ekkamai

Thong Lo's younger neighbour, with cafés, bars and a slightly more relaxed feel. The Eastern Bus Terminal, for buses to the east coast, is here.

Where is it, and how do you get there?

• BTS Sukhumvit Line — Nana, Asok, Phrom Phong, Thong Lo and Ekkamai.
• MRT Sukhumvit (interchange with BTS Asok) and MRT Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre — linking Sukhumvit to Silom, Chinatown and the Old Town.

Sukhumvit Road traffic is among the worst in the city. Use the BTS.

Best things to do

• Eat and drink in Thong Lo and Ekkamai. Sukhumvit's best evenings are spent on food.
• Take a Thai massage. Sukhumvit has spas and massage shops at every price level.
• Take a cooking class. Several established schools are based around Sukhumvit.
• Shop at Emporium, EmQuartier or Terminal 21.

Where to eat

Sukhumvit has the widest choice of restaurants in Bangkok, from street food to international fine dining. Phrom Phong has a concentration of Japanese restaurants; Thong Lo and Ekkamai have many of the city's fashionable Thai and international places. Soi 11 and the streets around Asok have plenty of choice close to hotels. See our food guide.

Nightlife

Sukhumvit is the city's biggest nightlife area: pubs and late bars around Nana and Asok, rooftops such as Octave at the Marriott near Thong Lo, and cocktail bars throughout Thong Lo and Ekkamai. See Bangkok nightlife.

Staying in Sukhumvit

Sukhumvit has the most hotels of any area in Bangkok, at every budget.

Advantages

• Huge choice of hotels, restaurants and bars
• The BTS runs the length of it, and the MRT crosses at Asok
• Good for longer stays — serviced apartments are common
• Lively evenings

Disadvantages

• 30–40 minutes to the Old Town temples
• Heavy road traffic
• Some stretches (around Nana and Soi Cowboy) are seedy

Which stretch?

• First trip: Asok — the BTS and MRT interchange.
• Food and a more grown-up evening: Phrom Phong or Thong Lo.
• Budget: Nana and the lower sois.
• Families: Phrom Phong, near the parks and malls.

When to visit

Evenings, for dinner and drinks. Early mornings or sunset for Benjakitti Forest Park.

Nearby

Siam is a few BTS stops west; Silom is a short MRT ride from Asok.