Great Bangkok Sois

[H1w4yR1da]

Which soi has a combination of street food/market and A/C restaurants plus affordable accommodation and some nice bars but retaining the 'old Bangkok' atmosphere with no anti-westerner feeling?

I used to like Sukhumvit Soi 8 in the 90s before it was gentrified with high end condos and pretebtious wine bars with snobby DJs.

Petchaburi Soi 5 came close in the early 2000s.

[JoseThailand]

50 minutes ago, H1w4yR1da said:

Petchaburi Soi 5 came close in the early 2000s.

 

I think it hasn't change much since then. Same old crappy buildings and broken pavements inside the soi

[JoseThailand]

51 minutes ago, H1w4yR1da said:

Which soi has a combination of street food/market and A/C restaurants plus affordable accommodation and some nice bars but retaining the 'old Bangkok' atmosphere with no anti-westerner feeling?

 

Onnut, soi 81

[Lorry]

1 hour ago, JoseThailand said:

 

Onnut, soi 81

aka "Little Pattaya"

So, if you like Pattaya ...

[metisdead]

A post with an irrelevant trolling video and the replies have been removed.

[H1w4yR1da]

On 12/17/2023 at 12:26 AM, JoseThailand said:

 

I think it hasn't change much since then. Same old crappy buildings and broken pavements inside the soi

Had character, though.

[KhunLA]

Y'all need to leave the tourist ghettos.   Finding good areas for food is easy.  Hop the rail line to popular station; Ari is a good one, use Gmap for local restaurants.  Pick a spot, and zoom in/out and refresh "search this area" and you get more options.  Pick the ones with most reviews, w/menus & photos.

 

You want halal, vegan, pick one of the large Mosques, and explore the sois near them.

 

Just get out & explore ... too easy, too much fun., and if wanting a beer to wash down your munchies, just pop into a 7-11.  Use a Yeti to be discreet and keep it cold.  Can even take it into a restaurant with you, just make sure you order water with any food.

 

One thing Krung Thep is good for, almost impossible to be bored there ... though you do have to leave the barstool.  

 

Also a few floating/canal side markets worth a visit, though avoid weekends, or not.  Accessible by rail and or bus, if not wanting to drive.  I don't when in town, unless I know I can park at a mall.  Then hit the streets, means it's not a late night, which never are anyway.

 

Stayed at iCheck Inn/Sathorn a few weeks back (since pet friendly), and decent street around the corner there with some good munchies.  Had Mexican, OK, a little pricy, and there's a Charlie Brown's there for the 'non experimental' types.  At night the street vendors showed up.  Just OK, though TBH, didn't explore too much, as just hanging out with daughter, she's a bit lazy.

[lanng khao]

Soi 8 is where a always stay, stable lodge decent hotel, taxi firm outside is cheap, took me to korat for 2500 baht 

[nana kid]

Sukumvit Soi 8 has become a street food mecca.  Yes the restaurants are overpriced, but a bunch of little bars have popped up.  Otto Pizza is new and better than most.  Slip down the alley next to 7-11   3 restaurants there              and you can get the best haircut et al in Nana

[H1w4yR1da]

6 hours ago, lanng khao said:

Soi 8 is where a always stay, stable lodge decent hotel, taxi firm outside is cheap, took me to korat for 2500 baht 

Stable Lodge was opened by Danes just before their first hotel on the soi, Mermaids Rest closed. First place I stayed at in Bangkok. Nice bungalows around the pool. Soi 8 used to be great but now gentrified with expensive eateries and poncy western DJs though some of the smaller bars are ok.

[BigStar]

11 minutes ago, H1w4yR1da said:

Mermaids Rest closed. First place I stayed at in Bangkok.

 

Yeah, me too. Great place, perfect soi.

 

12 minutes ago, H1w4yR1da said:

Soi 8 used to be great but now gentrified with expensive eateries and poncy western DJs though some of the smaller bars are ok.

 

True. Lot of mostly working expats hang out at Det 5. Monsoon is an expensive eatery but pretty nice. I hit it once in awhile.

 

 

[Seppius]

17 minutes ago, BigStar said:

 

Yeah, me too. Great place, perfect soi.

 

 

True. Lot of mostly working expats hang out at Det 5. Monsoon is an expensive eatery but pretty nice. I hit it once in awhile.

 

 

Monsoon is not expensive, B500/600 for a main.

 

El Gaucho steak place, now that is expensive

[micmichd]

On 12/18/2023 at 8:57 AM, KhunLA said:

Y'all need to leave the tourist ghettos.   Finding good areas for food is easy.  Hop the rail line to popular station; Ari is a good one, use Gmap for local restaurants.  Pick a spot, and zoom in/out and refresh "search this area" and you get more options.  Pick the ones with most reviews, w/menus & photos.

 

You want halal, vegan, pick one of the large Mosques, and explore the sois near them.

 

Just get out & explore ... too easy, too much fun., and if wanting a beer to wash down your munchies, just pop into a 7-11.  Use a Yeti to be discreet and keep it cold.  Can even take it into a restaurant with you, just make sure you order water with any food.

 

One thing Krung Thep is good for, almost impossible to be bored there ... though you do have to leave the barstool.  

 

Also a few floating/canal side markets worth a visit, though avoid weekends, or not.  Accessible by rail and or bus, if not wanting to drive.  I don't when in town, unless I know I can park at a mall.  Then hit the streets, means it's not a late night, which never are anyway.

 

Stayed at iCheck Inn/Sathorn a few weeks back (since pet friendly), and decent street around the corner there with some good munchies.  Had Mexican, OK, a little pricy, and there's a Charlie Brown's there for the 'non experimental' types.  At night the street vendors showed up.  Just OK, though TBH, didn't explore too much, as just hanging out with daughter, she's a bit lazy.

I still like Soi Rambuttri and Khao San Road. 

[bangkok19]

14 hours ago, BigStar said:

 

Yeah, me too. Great place, perfect soi.

 

 

True. Lot of mostly working expats hang out at Det 5. Monsoon is an expensive eatery but pretty nice. I hit it once in awhile.

 

 

Monsoon's buffet breakfast was great and only 250 baht...  then it went up to 300 baht....  then Covid hit, and now it's ala carte.

For a Soi that totally fits the OP's description.. you gotta get out've town a little.

[Sluglord]

On 12/17/2023 at 1:59 AM, Lorry said:

aka "Little Pattaya"

So, if you like Pattaya ...

 

What makes it like Pattaya?

[Lorry]

15 hours ago, Sluglord said:

 

What makes it like Pattaya?

Farang, especially the kind of farang you find in Pattaya.  And Thais who are interested in these farang

[ozimoron]

36 minutes ago, Lorry said:

Farang, especially the kind of farang you find in Pattaya.  And Thais who are interested in these farang

 

.

[Walker88]

On 12/19/2023 at 2:56 AM, nana kid said:

Sukumvit Soi 8 has become a street food mecca.  Yes the restaurants are overpriced, but a bunch of little bars have popped up.  Otto Pizza is new and better than most.  Slip down the alley next to 7-11   3 restaurants there              and you can get the best haircut et al in Nana

Otto is horrible. Chewy, soggy crust. Tried it once and won't do it again. I'll stick with nearby Vesuvio, which I've been eating at for 5 years.

 

The two best real Italian-style pizza places in Bangkok and Pizza Massilia and Vesuvio.

[mstevens]

1 hour ago, Walker88 said:

Otto is horrible. Chewy, soggy crust. Tried it once and won't do it again. I'll stick with nearby Vesuvio, which I've been eating at for 5 years.

 

The two best real Italian-style pizza places in Bangkok and Pizza Massilia and Vesuvio.

 

Peppina in soi 33 area is 100 times better than Vesuvio. Never tried Pizza Massila.

[Walker88]

54 minutes ago, mstevens said:

 

Peppina in soi 33 area is 100 times better than Vesuvio. Never tried Pizza Massila.

I've eaten at Peppina. It's good, but Massilia and Vesuvio are superior. Vesuvio seems to be the pizza of choice among Italian expats in Bangkok, as I see groups of them eating there just about every time I visit. I assume they know good Napoli-style pizza.

 

I visited Bangkok for many years before moving here. I looked for years to find good pizza, and tried just about everywhere. Nothing beats the two on which I've settled.

[StayinThailand2much]

On 12/17/2023 at 1:59 AM, Lorry said:

aka "Little Pattaya"

So, if you like Pattaya ...

 

Muggings by motorbike, too! (See recent news.) LOL

[DonniePeverley]

Alot of great soi's have unfortunately gone to makeway for soulless condos - who then order the street life to go. 

 

Gentrification sucks, and no one does anything to stop it. 

[KhunLA]

2 hours ago, DonniePeverley said:

Alot of great soi's have unfortunately gone to makeway for soulless condos - who then order the street life to go. 

 

Gentrification sucks, and no one does anything to stop it. 

That's a false narrative.  If you can't find street food, whether ma/pa shops or mobile or permutant walkway vendors, then you're not looking very hard.  We visit Krung Thep often, and never a problem.

[DonniePeverley]

34 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

That's a false narrative.  If you can't find street food, whether ma/pa shops or mobile or permutant walkway vendors, then you're not looking very hard.  We visit Krung Thep often, and never a problem.

 

Nonsense of the highest order. 

 

If you look at what Bangkok was like simply 8 years ago (in the central zones), compared to now it's worlds apart. All of south east asia goes through gentrification - China, Japan, etc basically eradicated their great neighbourhoods in favour of gentrification. 

 

There's a reason why people love Thailand - and it's not nicely neat and orderly pavements. People want the hussle bussle. 

[KhunLA]

24 minutes ago, DonniePeverley said:

 

Nonsense of the highest order. 

 

If you look at what Bangkok was like simply 8 years ago (in the central zones), compared to now it's worlds apart. All of south east asia goes through gentrification - China, Japan, etc basically eradicated their great neighbourhoods in favour of gentrification. 

 

There's a reason why people love Thailand - and it's not nicely neat and orderly pavements. People want the hussle bussle. 

Locals dictate, not tourist.   Yes, more condos & businesses over the years.  Means the people need the walkways to actually walk on.   Best thing they did was clear out the vendors on Sukhomvit rd, as last few times I was down the tourist ghetto, it was a pleasure walking between T21 and Chitlom Central, (odd # side) instead of single file, if even possible, while avoiding the hot grills or oil set up.   Along with all the overpriced t-shirt, trinkets and useless knock off & fake crap nobody bought.  

 

Though do read they're slowly returning.   Last time up soi 11, noticed more in the street, making walking more treacherous.

 

I avoid Silom area just for that reason, as yet to clean it up.  Hopefully they have, but I won't venture there to find out.  I usually avoid the tourist ghettos; lower suk and side sois.

 

Plenty of vendors still on most side sois, but quite the hazard during rush hour, and barely able to get 2 cars down the side sois when congested with vendors, and not safe to walk on.

[cdemundo]

On 12/17/2023 at 1:59 AM, Lorry said:

aka "Little Pattaya"

So, if you like Pattaya ...

So if I want to avoid "Little Pattaya" on Soi 81 where should I tell the taxi driver not to go.

You know, to avoid it.

[smokie36]

11 hours ago, Walker88 said:

Otto is horrible. Chewy, soggy crust. Tried it once and won't do it again. I'll stick with nearby Vesuvio, which I've been eating at for 5 years.

 

The two best real Italian-style pizza places in Bangkok and Pizza Massilia and Vesuvio.

 

My experience at Otto last week was good...really excellent pizza.

[FruitPudding]

On 12/17/2023 at 1:59 AM, Lorry said:

aka "Little Pattaya"

So, if you like Pattaya ...

 

How is On Nut 81 similar to Pattaya?

[Marsupienemi]

Ratchada soi 3

[soi3eddie]

On 12/21/2023 at 3:45 PM, Lorry said:

Farang, especially the kind of farang you find in Pattaya.  And Thais who are interested in these farang

 

Taxi!