BANGKOK · KHAO SAN ROAD
Khao San Road Route
The Khao San area, backpacker mecca, from the riverside into the old town. From stalls of mataba, moo ping and mango sticky rice to Thipsamai's egg-wrapped pad thai and Michelin-starred Jay Fai's crab omelette — Thai street food, shop by shop.
What Khao San Road is
Khao San Road, on the north side of Bangkok's old town of Rattanakosin, is the street the world's backpackers gather to. Onto a few hundred metres crowd cheap guesthouses, bars, money changers and countless food stalls. But the real fun of the walk lies not in Khao San Road itself so much as in the lanes fanning out around it: Phra Athit Road along the Chao Phraya, the calmer Soi Rambuttri, and the old-town streets running toward the Democracy Monument. By day it is stall Thai food; by night, fried insects and the din of the bars — a street that changes face entirely with the hour.
Thai street food, all on one walk
The appeal of this route is that Thai street food is nearly all here within walking distance. Pad thai stir-fried over high heat, khao man gai of poached chicken on chicken-fat rice, charcoal-grilled pork skewers (moo ping), mango sticky rice pairing glutinous rice with ripe mango. There are the Muslim roti and mataba, and after dark the deep-fried crickets and scorpions. And deeper into the old town wait shops a grade above the stalls — Thipsamai, famous for pad thai wrapped in a thin omelette, and Jay Fai, whose crab omelette holds a Michelin star.
How to walk this route
Start on Phra Athit Road, near the Chao Phraya. From here head east into the old town, about 1.5 km. Eat Karim's mataba by the river, a banana roti and moo ping on Soi Rambuttri, and mango sticky rice by the temple. On Khao San Road, there is pad thai at the east end and, by night, the insect stalls. To finish, walk a little further to the old-town names: kai foo poo on Dinso Road, Thipsamai and Jay Fai on Maha Chai Road, sitting down to a plate unlike the stalls'. Half a day in all; going out from the evening, out of the daytime heat, works well too.
What to look for
The stars of the stalls are the stir-fries and skewers. Pad thai tossed over high heat, and moo ping — pork marinated in coconut milk and soy, grilled over charcoal — stop you by their smell. For sweets, mango sticky rice and a banana roti drizzled with condensed milk. Among the names: Thipsamai's "pad thai wrapped in egg," which breathes shrimp fragrance with the steam when you open it, and Jay Fai's crab omelette — the goggle-wearing owner cooking it in a charcoal wok, whole lumps of crab inside the egg. Tasting the ease of the stalls and the plate of a famous shop, gap and all, is Khao San.
Before you go
Bangkok is hot all year, and daytime walking is tiring. Khao San comes alive at night, so heading out from the evening is more comfortable. Stalls take mostly cash only (Thai baht). Many shops sign only in Thai, so this site lists the Thai (local script) for each; showing a photo or the Thai makes a shop easier to find. Heat can usually be adjusted, so say "mai phet" (not spicy) if you prefer. Popular names (Thipsamai, Jay Fai) have queues and closing days, so allow time.
Route map
Phra Athit → Rambuttri → Khao San → Old City (west to east, 1.5km) · numbers match the dishes below
The dishes on this route (10)
Tap through to each shop and dish
1SnacksKarim Roti Mataba×Matabaโรตี-มะตะบะ × มะตะบะMinced meat and egg folded into roti dough and pressed on the griddle. The outside splits in layers; the inside stays wet with juice. Curry comes alongside to dip into. Nothing like the sweet banana roti — this is a meal.Nearest 136 Phra Athit Rd (by Phra Sumen Fort)Price Roti 44B / Mataba 59–149B
甘
2SweetsSoi Rambuttri stalls×Banana Rotiโรตีกล้วยDough stretched thin, fried in butter, folded around chopped banana, then finished with condensed milk and sugar. Cut into squares and handed over on a paper plate. Eaten fresh and standing, the outside is still hard enough to make a sound. The stalls cluster where the lane bends from the temple toward Phra Athit.Nearest Soi Rambuttri (west of the temple)Price ฿ THB
飯
3RicePhra Sumen Rd stall×Khao Man Gaiข้าวมันไก่Rice cooked in the broth the chicken was poached in, with the poached chicken laid over it. Everything rides on the sauce — ginger, chilli and fermented bean — and how much of it you spoon on. Look for the blue, green and red parasols; they often sell out by midday.Nearest Along Phra Sumen RdPrice ฿ THB
甘
4SweetsStalls by Wat Chana Songkhram×Mango Sticky Riceข้าวเหนียวมะม่วงWarm glutinous rice soaked in coconut cream, served beside slices of ripe mango. The point of the dish is cold and warm arriving in the mouth together. Season runs March to June; outside it, the price climbs and the fragrance drops. Carts set up by the temple side gate in the evening.Nearest Wat Chana Songkhram side gatePrice 60–100B (season Mar–Jun)
肉
5MeatSkewer stalls, Soi Rambuttri×Moo Pingหมูปิ้งPork marinated in coconut milk and soy, grilled over charcoal. The sweet smell arrives before the stall does — you find it by nose. Cheap enough per skewer to carry several. Locals buy a bag of sticky rice to go with it.Nearest Soi Rambuttri (east side)Price ฿ THB
串
6SnacksKhao San Rd stall×Fried InsectsแมลงทอดCrickets, bamboo worms, scorpions. The carts appear at night; everything is deep-fried and dusted with salt and pepper. Bamboo worms are the mildest, closest to a crisp. Plenty of people photograph and walk off — if you are going to eat, buy a cup first, then take the picture.Nearest Khao San Rd (nights only)Price ฿ THB
麺
7NoodlesEast-end carts, Khao San×Pad ThaiผัดไทยThe carts bunch up near the Tanao Road junction. There is one criterion: high flame and a moving wok. Whether the char comes through decides if it is the same dish at all. The tourist version, stirred slowly over a low flame, comes out soggy.Nearest East end of Khao San (Tanao junction)Price 70–100B
魚
8SeafoodKrua Apsorn (Dinso)×Kai Foo Pooครัวอัปษร × ไข่ฟูปูEgg blown open in very hot oil with crab meat held inside. The surface is as light as cotton; bite it and the oil falls away, leaving only crab. It is the same crab-and-egg idea as Jay Fai further on, at a fraction of the price. Eat this one first and the difference becomes legible.Nearest 169 Dinso Rd (near Democracy Monument)Price ฿฿ THB
麺
9NoodlesThipsamai×Pad Thai Hor Kaiทิพย์สมัย × ผัดไทยห่อไข่Noodles fried in prawn oil, then sealed completely inside a thin omelette. Break it open and the steam carries the smell of prawn. Same name as the cart version back on Khao San, but a different noodle and a different construction. Open until 1am, so it works as a closer.Nearest 313-315 Maha Chai RdPrice ฿฿ THB
魚
10SeafoodRaan Jay Fai×Crab Omeletteร้านเจ๊ไฝ × ไข่เจียวปูThe owner cooks in goggles over a charcoal wok. Inside the egg the crab sits in whole unshredded lumps that hold together when cut. It looks like a street stall and costs what it costs — compare it with Krua Apsorn's version and the reason becomes clear.Nearest 327 Maha Chai RdPrice 1,000–1,400B