Kahosan Road (more commonly spelled separately as Khao San Road) is undoubtedly the most famous, liveliest and wildest street not only in Bangkok, but in all of Southeast Asia.

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Today, the name Khao San actually refers to the wide area around this famous avenue in the Bang Lamphu district and is the most touristy area of Bangkok.

Thanks to its numerous budget hostels and privately owned hostels, Khao San is often referred to as the backpacker centre of Thailand. However, Khao San offers much more than just cheap accommodation...

Asia's centre of fun and vice

Khao San Road itself is about 400 metres long and is literally littered with businesses of all kinds. But you'll also find entertainment in a fairly wide area, especially westwards towards the Chao Phraya River.

Bars - Khao San is dotted with them. Lively entertainment goes on here until the early hours of the morning. The most famous of the bars is the Rocco Club at the west end of the street.

Clubs and cabarets - are mainly along Khao San itself and you'll come across venues of all kinds. From the more serious clubs with occasional musical performances, to pure erotic cabarets with famous ping-pong shows and striptease performances. As the names and focus of the clubs on Khaosan change frequently, there is no point in describing each establishment separately. You'll have to figure out what the focus of the club is on the spot.

Massage parlours - you'll see them literally at every entrance, and some houses will have several. Remember, though, that on Khaosan Road in particular, many massage parlours are actually more than just massage parlours, and it's definitely a good idea to find out in advance how and what the massage will end up being, to avoid any misunderstandings... Massage prices on Khaosan are also roughly 2x higher than elsewhere in the city.

Shops and services - they know no limits. On Khaosan you can refresh yourself in small street bistros, in shops you can buy souvenirs, clothes, books, tourist equipment, but also fake documents and other illegal goods.

Classic restaurants - you can also find them right on Khao San, but their value for money is quite dubious. For food, head to the parallel street Ram Buttry Aly, which continues almost to the river.

Nightlife on Khao San

The street and its fairly wide surroundings are alive 24/7. In the morning, you'll mainly encounter cafes and street stalls, but real life doesn't pour into the veins of Khao San Road until dusk.

From around 6pm onwards, the street starts to fill up with tourists, with bars, clubs and discos opening up, but the peak doesn't come until between 10pm and midnight. By this time, Khao San Road becomes the beating heart of historic Bangkok.

At night, the vices come out in force, which clearly include drug dealing. Avoid anything that even resembles drugs at all costs and never buy anything suspicious. The police tend to be very active on Khao San at night and the penalties for buying or possessing drugs in Thailand are draconian.

Although local cabarets and some massage parlours have an erotic feel, you won't encounter much classic prostitution on Khao San. Look for typical bars and brothels in modern Bangkok, specifically in the Si Lom (Patpong Street) and Sukhumvit areas.

Cheap accommodation in Khao San

The whole area around Khao San is famous for cheap hostels and hotels and if you prefer to live in the heart of old Bangkok and don't mind the nightlife, then this area is for you.