Best Bangkok Neighborhoods To Stay - Full City Guide 2025

If you are wondering where to live in Bangkok, Thailand, this is going to be a complete breakdown of the best neighborhoods to choose from. Now, picking the right neighborhood for you. It's going to be one of the most important decisions that's going to dictate your exact lifestyle while you're here in Bangkok, Thailand.

So, I'm going to help you make that decision here in this video. I'll see you guys on the computer. So, you've probably heard by now that you should stay in Sukumvid.

However, Sukumvid is not just a single neighborhood. Rather, it's a huge road that stretches all across Bangkok. And every single neighborhood within this road is vastly, vastly different from each other.

So it's really important to know exactly where you're staying in Sukumit. And the reason Sukumit is widely recommended and it's a preference amongst foreigners and locals is because it's simply the most convenient. Everything is on Sukumit.

You have the BTS sky train, you have condos, restaurants, malls, nightlife. You have literally everything all on this single road. So this list is going to cover a ton of different neighborhoods within the Sukumit line as well as a couple neighborhoods that are outside of Sukumit.

So the first one which is the most northern neighborhood on this list which is AI. This is like the trendy kind of hipster kind of calm neighborhood. It's often called like the Brooklyn of Bangkok cuz it's very it's kind of hip.

It has leafy streets, boutique cafes, really nice kind of antique kind of design, and it has a very kind of local community feel. And it's a lot more affordable than other neighborhoods on this list, especially the central areas, and has a creative atmosphere. It's very walkable.

It has a mall there, ton of good restaurants, Michelin food, a couple nice bars. So, it's nice if you want a steady kind of relaxed neighborhood. However, it might be a little bit too chill as there's not a lot going on.

There's not a ton of things to do and there's virtually no night life. Um, if that's important for you, I think it's a nice getaway neighborhood, but long-term you might find yourself lacking things to do. However, it's very peaceful.

Next one is Cam, which is just five stations away from Ari. Now, Cam is Bangkok's premier shopping district. It is literally known as the shopping district.

You're surrounded by mega malls such as CM Paragon, CM Center, MBK. It's buzzing with energy and packed with young college students, and it's just very lively and youthful. But for long-term living, in my opinion, it can feel very crowded and overwhelming.

I hardly know any foreigners who actually live in CM because SM is a place you go to to shop or to hang out, but it's not really a place where I feel like people go to actually live. In my opinion, being just a few stations away is much more ideal rather than being literally in one of the most tourist heavy locations on this list. Next up is Chilum and Plunch.

They're very similar to each other, as in they're very, very luxurious and very refined. These neighborhoods are right next to each other, and they offer high-end malls, embassies, clean roads, and a pretty close distance to Lumpini Park. But keep in mind, these two neighborhoods are going to be the most expensive on this list, especially the neighborhood Languan, which is within the Chitlong neighborhood.

That is, I believe, the most expensive real estate in all of Thailand. Don't quote me on that, but I know it's at least like top five at least. In my opinion, it's a nice neighborhood, but it's very, very expensive.

It doesn't really have a local feel to it. Doesn't have a lot of like Thai culture kind of embodying it. It just feels very like pristine, polished, a bunch of shopping, nice architecture.

It reminds me of like the Saks Fifth Avenue, like the billionaires row in New York City. It's kind of like that as an extremely luxurious, extremely expensive, a lot of good shopping, a lot of luxury shopping. But I probably wouldn't recommend this neighborhood for most people unless you just have a huge budget and live like a king essentially.

Next up we have Nana which is just one station away and it's literally the opposite of its next door neighbor which is Chitlom and Plunchet as I mentioned. You know Nana is famous for its red light district which is Nana Plaza. So not all of Nana not the entirety of Nana is like city or like a red light district.

So there are some nice restaurants, some nice things to do at Nana, but it is uh it just has that stereotypical image and the overall location of Nana will attract a lot of tourists specifically seeking the red light district. So it can feel quite city. However, Nana does offer a huge Indian, Middle Eastern and African presence with a lot of strong communities and also has Soy 11, which is one of the most popular nightlife areas in Bangkok, which attracts a lot a lot of foreigners.

So if you're looking for like an expat area with you know western bars and restaurants and things Soy 11 and this general area is going to have a lot of options. However, I generally wouldn't recommend people to stay in Nada just because it can feel very chaotic and like I said I mean in my opinion I don't want to taint the whole neighborhood as like this red light thing but it's a huge presence there. Yeah.

And right next door we have Assoc. If there was just one neighborhood that was considered the downtown of Bangkok, it would probably be this neighborhood. You have the BTS and the MRT line intersecting at this single point.

So, you're going to have major major traffic and it's going to be very tourist heavy and it's going to be the busiest neighborhood on this list. You've got the famous Terminal 21 Mall, endless restaurants, gyms, rooftops, nightlife spots, all cluttered here, making it extremely walkable. So, this is the perfect location if you want to be central and connected.

Oh, and I forgot to mention actually Asok has uh one of the best parks as well. So there's a huge park, Benja Kiti Park in Asok and actually a lot of recreational uh sports can be done at this park as well. So actually as a pretty good neighborhood if you're looking for that as well.

But if you're looking for somewhere that's more quieter, more peaceful, then you probably should not stay here. The traffic here is absolutely going to be insane as well. If I were to rate this neighborhood A out of F, I'd probably give it like a a B tier, you know, cuz it's really, really convenient.

It's just very chaotic. It's very busy. The next up is Pong.

Now, this is the sweet spot in my opinion. I prefer, actually, I would recommend almost anybody that asks me where should I stay in Bangkok. Honestly, I'd probably recommend them stay in Pong if they're looking to stay right in the center.

If they looking for convenience, modernity, balance, community, things to do, and if they just want to be in one neighborhood and have everything around them, I'd say it's Pong. Pong is kind of like Aulok in that it's very, very uh convenient. However, it's just a little bit more refined in my opinion.

The architecture is a bit nicer, the malls, you have a huge Japanese expat community here. You have countless things to do, and you also have the park. But yeah, Assoc, really good parks.

However, this neighborhood can be quite pricey and it can be very touristy and also very crowded. And just right quick, if you're interested in becoming a digital nomad and need help escaping your 9 to5 and relocating abroad and want to join a community of like-minded digital nomads and expats, then make sure to check out my community down in the description below. Next up, we have Tonglaw.

Now, this is the neighborhood that I stayed in 3 years. I currently still live in Tonga. And it's considered one of Bangkok's like trendiest neighborhoods.

Kind of like the Soho of Bangkok. Not in the sense of the shopping, but more in the sense of the cosmopolitan kind of young crowd energy. It's vibrant.

It's kind of trend setting. It's the go-to neighborhood where like affluent ties, aka highos, and digital entrepreneurs and expats converge and hang out. So, this is the neighborhood where people come to hang out.

You know, there's so many bars, rooftops, nice cafes, restaurants, and they all look picturesque. Like, a lot of them are like Instagram worthy. A lot of them are very nicely designed, kind of chic, kind of trendy, kind of hit.

This neighborhood attracts a lot of young crowds and you've got some of the best nightife here. However, the downside of this neighborhood is that there isn't really like a good mall here and there is no park here. So, those are actually two big downsides for me.

That's why I always frequent Pong. So, even though I live here in Tonglo, I very often visit Pong because I crave a park or a mall. You know, Pongo is going to be like a B tier in my opinion even though I lived here for so long.

Next up, we have Sylum and Saton. Now, this is the central business districts of Bangkok. They're defined by ultraodern towering skyscrapers, multinational offices, embassies, luxurious accommodations, and these neighborhoods are very, very polished and professional.

So, if you're an expat employed at an office here in Bangkok, chances are it might be in this neighborhood. You've also got two mega malls, some of the newest malls here in Thailand, which are one Bangkok and Central Park. I mean, if you visit them, they are so grand, you know, like the architecture in this neighborhood as well as Ponchin and Chilom.

It's just so grand, you know, it's so spectacular. It's so first world. It's so developed, like hyper modern.

Like, and these neighborhoods are also very close to Lumpini Park, which is one of the best parks in Bangkok. So, it provides a nice escape from the hustle and bustle. If I was super super wealthy, I'd probably live here.

Maybe Chitlom. Chlom seems a bit too commercial. So, if you have a huge budget and you're trying to live like a very professional kind of more quieter, uh, more polished, more refined kind of lifestyle with like the high-end dining, high-end restaurants, rooftops, then you should definitely check out this neighborhood.

Next up, we have the Riverside, which is the Charon Krung and Bangarak area. This is one of Bangkok's most scenic and historic neighborhoods with beautiful views of the Chapaya River. Don't quote me on this, but I believe this is the only neighborhood that actually has a water view, you know, cuz there's no official beach in Bangkok.

So, if you want that water view, if you want that kind of Miami vibe or that kind of Dubai vibe, this is the area you should stay at. It's going it's got some of the most iconic hotels like Mandarin Oriental or the Shangrila and also home to the world famous Iconia Mall. Now, this is the most famous mall in all of Thailand.

The malls, the hotels, the architecture, it is just spectacular. You also have yachts and cruises that are always going alongside the Chapa River and it just boasts some of the best views in Bangkok. It's very romantic in my opinion.

However, the trade-off is going to be transportation. Getting into the center of Bangkok can often take up to an hour. If I were to go from Tonglon to this iconia mall by motorbike, it'd probably take around 45 minutes.

And then if I wanted to take a car, if there is traffic, it could take at least an hour and 30 minutes or even 2 hours. And also, this Riverside area, it can be pretty quiet. And a lot of times, if you're going to places or if you have an eventful life or you're meeting with people, it's an inconvenience to live here in my opinion cuz you're always going to have to travel back and forth.

And yeah, it can it can really add up. Next, here are some alternative neighborhoods worth mentioning. First up is Bangna.

It's a neighborhood that's developing very fast. It's very affordable. It's very homey and chill.

Like they have a lot of houses and town homes there that are pretty affordable. You can rent a town home for maybe 20k bot, 30k bot, which is much cheaper than if you were to rent a house or town home in Aso, for example. You've got one of the largest malls, which is Mega Banga.

You've got Topgolf, and you've got a lot of affordable condos. Next up is La Prao. Now, this is authentic local living.

It has budget friendly rents. It has good food markets. It's only 30 minutes from the center, which is not too bad.

It's got malls. It's got shopping. It's got a movie theater.

It has a lot of things to do. It has a pretty youthful young crowd. And it's very, very It feels very Thai.

You know, not a lot of foreigners live there. So, if you want that cultural immersion without being in a super chaotic neighborhood, and while being in a pretty affordable neighborhood as well, I would strongly recommend La Pra. Next up is Punowiti and Onut.

pretty similar to Bangna in that they're up and cominging areas. They're quieter, they're more affordable, and they're still on the BTS line as well. Plus, Punowiti has the best co-working space in all of Bangkok, which is True Digital Park.

Now, lastly, here's the last neighborhood, which I strongly don't recommend anyone stay at. There's no reason to stay out here. You can visit, you can have fun here, but there's no reason to actually stay here, you know.

So, this is Kalan Road. Kelson Road is Bangkok's legendary backpacker haven. It's buzzing with cheap host, crazy bars, non-stop nightife.

Now, contradictory to what most people think, there is no like red light district here. It's pretty much just night life and bars and clubs and things like that. And yeah, it's just like the holiday backpacker like western person coming here to party and get drunk.

And yeah, it does attract a lot of Thai locals as well. Like a lot of Thai locals, a lot of young kids, they they like to go here cuz it's it's cheap. It's cheap to drink here.

And if you want to go to a like huge club or a really like crazy bar, I mean, yeah, Kelson Road like Kelson Road is good for that experience. So, I think Kelson Road is fun to visit every now and then, but yeah, it just doesn't make sense to actually stay here. You know, there's no reason to stay here.

You could just stay somewhere else and then travel to Kelson Road when you want to go out and then go back out, you know. And yeah, that is the last neighborhood on this list. So, I hope you guys appreciate this video.

Hope it was useful. And like I said, if you need help with your Thailand journey or becoming a digital nomad, make sure to check out my school community down in the description below. Follow me on Instagram at I'mpolly and I'll see you guys in the next video.