Wondering where to stay in Bangkok for street food and near famous and authentic Thai eateries?
In this article, we dive deeper into some of the best areas to stay in Bangkok when you want to explore Thai cuisine and give you all the information you need to experience the capital’s food scene to the fullest.
Aside from where to stay in Bangkok for street food, we also dive deeper into where you can find amazing restaurants in particular.
Keep in mind that we had to simplify this article as in theory, you can find good food in all areas of Bangkok if you know your way around.
But when you’re on holiday, you simply want the best and easiest recommendations and to save precious travelling time.
With that being said, let’s give you some answers!
This article is divided into two sections.
Feel free to navigate straight to the section you’re looking for by tapping on one of the following links:
Each section provides recommended areas and explains to you where to find great restaurants or designated street food areas.
Where to stay in Bangkok for street food?
The best areas to stay in Bangkok for street food are around Phaya Thai BTS Station, Silom, and Asoke.
You can find plenty of street food elsewhere throughout Bangkok, but there are some designated areas where there is an abundance of street food and those three areas are conveniently connected to these areas.
With the change in government policy regarding street food in Bangkok, many street food vendors were forced to move to designated areas.
This policy made sure that street food carts were not blocking the sidewalks, though Bangkok lost yet some of its authenticity.
On the other hand, these dedicated areas, such as the popular (train) markets and other night markets, are much more convenient and offer an insane amount of street food.
Visiting one of these night markets in Bangkok is an absolute must.
The following pictures illustrate the street food scene in Bangkok. The article continues after the pictures.
The best areas in Bangkok for street food are:
1. Phaya Thai
Phaya Thai BTS Station is connected to the Airport Rail Link, meaning that you can go straight from and to Suvarnabhumi Airport with the Skytrain.
Most importantly, Phaya Thai BTS Station is located close to two popular street food areas, namely Petchaburi Soi 5 and Victory Monument.
The latter is a transportation hub and when there are people waiting for a bus, there is food to be found.
If you visit Bangkok during the weekend, you can easily take the Skytrain to Chatuchak Weekend Market, which is the largest weekend market in the world with an abundance of finger food.
As there are not many designated street food areas in Bangkok to be found except at markets, Phaya Thai is basically the only area in this article that offers actual street food (actual vendors located on the streets).
Some of the best hotels to stay in Bangkok for street food in this particular area are handpicked by us and visually listed below:
Agoda is part of Booking.com, and often offers significantly cheaper options compared to its competitors. You’ll get the same service that you are used to at Booking.com, but you simply pay less.
2. Asoke
Asoke is not directly surrounded by street food areas, although there are a few local markets nearby, but thanks to its connection to the Skytrain and especially the metro (MRT), you can easily travel to several street food areas.
None of the other recommended areas has this benefit.
The most popular market is Jodd Fairs, which is from the same organization that created Ratchada Train Market, and is just only a few metro stations away.
Unfortunately, the hugely popular Ratchada market with its iconic colourful tents had to close down permanently due to COVID as tourists were the largest group of visitors.
But, with a new location and a new name, a market from the same organization is back in business and that market in particular offers a huge variety of street food (over 400 stalls).
When going in the other direction to Wat Mangkon MRT Statio, you’ll enter street food Walhalla Chinatown (Yaowarat).
And if you visit Bangkok during the weekend, you can easily take the Skytrain to the previously recommended Chatuchak Weekend Market.
Not only is Asoke a great option for street food exploration, but also for sightseeing purposes, all because you have such a good access to Bangkok’s public transport.
Tip #1: at the same location of Ratchada Train Market is now a new market named The One. Same location, and different organization.
Tip #2: there is another train market called Srinakarin, which is located more toward Suvarnabhumi. It’s a bit of a hassle to get there are there currently is no BTS Station (under construction), but you will experience an authentic, not-too-touristy evening market full of street food.
Relevant articles:
Chinatown food in Bangkok that you should not miss.
Best night markets in Bangkok.
Some of the best hotels to stay in Bangkok for street food in this particular area are handpicked by us and visually listed below:
Agoda is part of Booking.com, and often offers significantly cheaper options compared to its competitors. You’ll get the same service that you are used to at Booking.com, but you simply pay less.
3. Silom
Silom is an ideal area to stay for tourists because of its strategic location with great connections to the nearby city highlights.
It also has a street food area on Silom Soi 20 where you can find a good variety of street food, though it’s not as large as other street food areas we mentioned in our Bangkok street food guide article.
You’re located closer to the older parts of Bangkok than the others, but unfortunately, there are no night markets nearby.
In the end, the best tourist-friendly street food can be found in markets such as Srinakarin, Jodd Fairs and Chatuchak Weekend Market.
However, Silom is located close to Chinatown, which means you can explore the street food scene in both Silom and Chinatown very easily.
If you choose to stay in Silom, visit one or two night markets and explore the street food scene in Chinatown and Bangkok and you have a bit of everything.
Some of the best hotels to stay in Bangkok for street food in this particular area are handpicked by us and visually listed below:
Agoda is part of Booking.com, and often offers significantly cheaper options compared to its competitors. You’ll get the same service that you are used to at Booking.com, but you simply pay less.
Bonus: Street food near Suvarnabhumi Airport
Many tourists book their hotel close to the International Airport Suvarnabhumi for the last day(s) in Thailand to make sure they arrive at the airport on time without too much hassle.
There are a few markets located in this area, but most of them are not that great.
There are two markets though worth visiting.
One is the original train market at Srinakarin, which is not that easy to reach, but most definitely worth the ride as this market offers a large variety of street and finger food, as well as bars, vintage shops, and classic car shows.
The other “market” is located right next to Paseo Mall. The market next to Paseo Mall offers a good variety of street food and most importantly, the food is surprisingly clean.
This tiny market caters to Thai residents nearby, but the variety of street food is great and worth visiting solely for tasting food.
Where to stay in Bangkok for food in general?
The best areas to stay in Bangkok for food, in general, are Silom, Chinatown, Asoke, Phaya Thai, and Khao San Road.
There are plenty of other areas in Bangkok for exploring Thai restaurants, but for a tourist, not every area is convenient to stay in these areas because of the lack of the city’s highlights, events, and connection to public transportation.
The five areas listed above offer a wide variety of restaurants where you can easily find some of the most popular local restaurants grouped together.
When staying in one of these areas, you can experience amazing food and eat some of the most unique Thai dishes Bangkok has to offer.
Most of the recommended areas are also connected to public transport (Skytrain or metro), which gives you the opportunity to travel around the city as fast as possible.
The best areas in Bangkok for food, in general, are:
1. Khao San Road
Khao San Road is one of the most popular areas to stay in Bangkok among tourists due to its vibrant nightlife as well as all the street food vendors and small shops.
When it comes to food, Khao San Road is an excellent area to stay, but a few streets further, you will find some of the most interesting local eateries the city has to offer.
Especially at Maha Chai Road and Dinso Road, you find excellent restaurants including the famous Jay Fai.
Other places such as Pad Thai Thip Samai, Nattaphon Coconut Ice Cream, Mit Ko Yuan, Tee Yentafoo and Krua Apsorn can all be found close by.
The downside of staying in this area is that Khao San Road is not located near public transport apart from the boat service and one MRT Station near the Grand Palace.
It is possible to take the ferry to MRT Station Sanam Chai and BTS Station Saphan Taksin.
You can also take a taxi to BTS Station Ratchathewi or MRT Station Sam Yot. A
s Khao San Road and its connected alleys are popular areas among tourists, the food and street food is a little bit touristy, meaning that you can find a lot of Pad Thai, Mango Sticky Rice, Coconut Ice Cream and Banana Rotis.
For the majority of the tourists, this is a feast.
If you’re looking for more authenticity and a lot more chillis, then head over to Maha Chai Road and Dinso Road.
Tip: You can avoid Khao San Road if you’re not a party type. We recommend you stay closer to the river, preferably near the MRT. For example, near MRT Station Sanam Chai.
Some of the best hotels to stay in Bangkok for food in this particular area are:
Agoda is part of Booking.com, and often offers significantly cheaper options compared to its competitors. You’ll get the same service that you are used to at Booking.com, but you simply pay less.
2. Silom
Silom is not only a great place to stay in Bangkok for food, but it’s also ideal for tourists due to its strategic location.
Many of Bangkok’s highlights are within reach, such as Wat Arun, Wat Pho, and The Grand Palace, as you can easily access these highlights by boat or the newly added extension of the MRT.
Silom is located close to the river, which means you can find plenty of hotels that have an awesome riverside view.
But most importantly, Silom is home to many amazing restaurants, from local eateries to high-end restaurants located on top of a skyscraper.
In Silom, you can find a business district and during lunchtime, many office workers go out and eat proper Thai food and the variety is enormous.
If you also want to explore Bangkok’s street food scene, you can combine this with Silom as well as there is a street food area located on Silom Soi 20. Later in this article, we dive deeper into this particular area.
Contrary to the previously recommended Khao San Road, Silom has excellent access to public transportation but is less vibrant than Khao San Road.
Relevant food article: Best restaurants in Silom.
Some of the best hotels to stay in Bangkok for food in this particular area are:
Agoda is part of Booking.com, and often offers significantly cheaper options compared to its competitors. You’ll get the same service that you are used to at Booking.com, but you simply pay less.
3. Chinatown (Yaowarat)
Chinatown in Bangkok is the largest Chinatown in the world and the Thai cuisine is partly influenced by Chinese merchants who moved here a long time ago.
For that reason, you find incredible restaurants in this part of Bangkok.
The downside of this area is that it’s polluted and noisy, which is not ideal for picking an area to stay in Bangkok.
But things will change in the upcoming years with plans to modernize this part of the city as well.
Nonetheless, Chinatown is a fantastic place to experience typical Bangkok food and in the outer parts of this area, you’ll find plenty of great places tucked away from the noise and the fumes.
Note: keep in mind that most of the restaurants in Chinatown are closed on Mondays.
Relevant food article: Best restaurants in Chinatown Bangkok.
Some of the best hotels to stay in Bangkok for food in this particular area are:
Agoda is part of Booking.com, and often offers significantly cheaper options compared to its competitors. You’ll get the same service that you are used to at Booking.com, but you simply pay less.
4. Asoke
One of the most convenient areas to stay in Bangkok is near Asoke BTS Station as from here, you can both use the MRT and the Skytrain while being in the city centre.
That also means it’s one of the busiest areas in Bangkok, especially with road traffic.
But we can’t ignore the fact that you can easily visit amazing restaurants located nearby on Sukhumvit Road, while also visiting many other great food areas in Bangkok (Chinatown, Silom, Chatuchak Weekend Market, Jodd Fairs Market) by public transport.
Even the older parts of Bangkok can be easily visited thanks to the extension of the MRT line.
But there are also many great local Thai restaurants nearby.
Relevant food article: Best restaurants Nana and Asoke.
Tip: There is a unique food hostel located near Nana BTS Station named Hom Cooking Hostel (listed below) which offers all sorts of food tours and classes.
Some of the best hotels to stay in Bangkok for food in this particular area are:
Agoda is part of Booking.com, and often offers significantly cheaper options compared to its competitors. You’ll get the same service that you are used to at Booking.com, but you simply pay less.
5. Phaya Thai
Phaya Thai BTS Station is directly connected to the Airport Rail Link, which makes this area a popular area to stay in Bangkok.
When taking the Skytrain up north, you can easily visit popular food areas such as Victory Monument, which is famed for its boat noodles, but also Ari, a trendy upcoming neighbourhood.
Great places in this area are Ong Thong Khao Soi, Nittaya Kai Yang, Khua Kling Pak Sod (Rajchakru Branch) and Kub Kao Kub Pla (Ari Branch).
But there are also some fantastic restaurants near Phaya Thai BTS Station itself, such as Pe’Aor, Phayathai Kitchen and Ar-Simp.
There is no direct connection to the MRT line, making it slightly less practical to reach other parts of Bangkok compared to the previously recommended area of Asoke.
Phaya Thai is a budget-friendly area that is not as bustling as other parts of Bangkok but is located relatively centrally.
Some of the best hotels to stay in Bangkok for food in this particular area are:
Agoda is part of Booking.com, and often offers significantly cheaper options compared to its competitors. You’ll get the same service that you are used to at Booking.com, but you simply pay less.
Conclusion
There are several ideal areas to stay in Bangkok for (street) food as a tourist, although you can in theory find (street) food everywhere in Bangkok.
We highly recommend staying at Khao San Road, Silom, Phaya Thai, Asoke, Silom or Chinatown as these areas are packed with good restaurants and most of them have good connections to public transport routes.
When it comes to street food, you can find plenty of street food in these areas, although the best street food experiences for tourists in Bangkok can be found at markets such as Srinakarin, Jodd Fairs and Chatuchak Weekend Market.
To help you make a decision on where to stay in Bangkok for (street) food, have a look at the following map:
A map will follow soon
There you have it, the best places to stay in Bangkok for street food and amazing restaurants.
We hope you enjoyed it and hopefully, you can make a good decision and have the time of your life in this amazing city!
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