InsideOut Travel—Avoiding Khao San Road Cont.

<< back << home

Recommended: Sri-Ayutaya Guest House

A large, extended family runs many of the guesthouses in this neighborhood. Sri-Ayutaya is their newest building, it has heavily lacquered teak interior brightened with hand-stitched pillow covers and fresh flowers. The spotless, generously sized double rooms in the rear of the hotel are quieter than the ones facing the street, perfect for two people or a small family, with rates starting at 400 baht per night ($10.00 USD).

All rooms feature Western toilets, cold-water showers (some private, some shared), and fans—no air-conditioning. Fresh linens and daily cleaning are provided and there is a pay phone in the lobby/cafe. The kitchen is open until 9:30 p.m. The staff lock up for the night at about 11 p.m., so be sure to inform them if you plan to be out late—otherwise, you may find yourself locked out when you return.

Although inexpensive laundry service is available onsite, the adjacent guesthouses toss all of their washing in together. On our last visit, it took several days of searching and trading to retrieve our belongings from the communal pile, and two items never resurfaced. So mark your clothing and count out your clothes before turning them in or they may end up leaving the country with new owners.

The staff here is very friendly, honest and eager to please. They speak some English and can advise you about transportation to major attractions, arrange for a massage in your room or call a taxi to take you to the airport.

Monk relaxing at a Bangkok temple. Skip Hunt.

For bottled water and other necessities, trot across the street to 7-11. Conveniences are sprouting up on Soi 14—there are now two Internet cafes in addition to a few shops and several snack vendors, who set up their carts on the shady side of the soi from late morning until about 6 p.m.

Food and Drink

Thewet isn’t a booming area for food just yet, but chances are you’ll want to grab a meal or two near your home base. Aside from street carts, the cafe at Sri-Ayutaya Guest House produces edible—though not outstanding— local dishes and some pedestrian “Western favorites” such as omelets and spaghetti. For best results, stick with simpler fare such as stir-fried chicken with vegetables and fresh fruit juices. Most dishes are priced between 60 and 100 baht ($1.50-$2.50 USD).

Two doors down, Shanti Lodge serves a similar menu at slightly higher prices but pays closer attention to quality and ambiance. Shanti is one of the oldest guesthouses in the neighborhood and very popular with travelers. Their rooms run from 200-450 baht ($5.00-$11.25 USD) and they always seem to be full. Shanti’s cozy bar is the neighborhood hangout, though like the rest of Thewet, it shuts down early.

For a true traveler’s meal, take a 15-minute evening stroll up Samsen Road which turns into Chakraphong Road towards Khao San Road. The Banglampu Night Market begins at dusk, just past the bridge over the canal. There you’ll feast on pad thai, satay and other standard street fare for as little as 10 baht (.25 cents US) per item, accompanied by fresh young coconut juice and the usual live street theater of vendors, musicians, beggars, tourists and con artists, jostling along with the locals on their way home from work.

Getting Around

After comfort and cost, the primary consideration in choosing your base camp is Bangkok’s notorious traffic. However leisurely your visit may be, you certainly don’t want to spend it developing lung cancer and rigor mortis while trapped in the back of a taxi or tuk-tuk.

While Bangkok is not an ideal walking city, particularly at midday when the heat and smog are at their worst, you can reach several “must-sees” from Thewet just by hopping on and off the efficient river ferry. If you get up early, stroll by Wat Thewrat, a lovely neighborhood temple at the end of Soi 14, to hear the monks chanting. As morning traffic begins to drown out the monks' ethereal tones, head around the corner and catch the Chao Phraya Ferry at the Tha Thewet stop.

Ferries run several times per hour from sunrise to sunset, and upriver rides to the Grand Palace, National Museum, Wat Prha Koew (“Wat Po”) and Chinatown start at 6 baht (about .15 cents USD). Just don’t try to see them all in one day.

You can also walk from Thewet in about fifteen minutes—five minutes by taxi—to the Khao San Road/Banglampu area to shop or make travel arrangements.

A stopover in Bangkok—especially a first visit—can be overwhelming. But, by taking a minor detour from the beaten track to a comfortable bed in a strategic location, and the chaotic capital city may begin to grow on you.

Laurie Weed took a leap from the career ladder, burned the remaining rungs and ran away to form a small vagabond tribe of shoestring travelers with standards. E-mail her at laurieweed@hotmail.com.

<< home

<< back

<< discuss article >>

CONTINUED JUST THE FACTS

<< back << home