Located in the Banglamphu area, Khao San Road is where budget travellers converge, exchange tales, party and prepare for their next stint on the road. The popular book 'The Beach' called it "the centre of the backpacking universe", and judging by the flip-flop wearing masses that use it as their base for exploring the rest of Thailand and Southeast Asia - and who have done so for the past 20 years - it's a phrase that sums it up perfectly.
At under 1km in length, it packs in countless budget guesthouses and mid-range hotels, fusion restaurants, clubs, bars, bookshops, budget travel agents, tailors, chemists, clothing and counterfeit stalls, internet cafes, food carts, tattoo shops and much, much more. So much in fact, that the shops, people and party spirit have spilled over into Soi Rambuttri, within walking distance away.
With its carefree, anything-goes vibe it's quite unlike anywhere else in Bangkok and, probably, the world. In recent years there's been a subtle makeover, with an influx of fast-food outlets, swanky bars and mid-range hotels helping the area to shed its shabby image. Only slightly though - it's still got an in-your-face energy that is all its own, and is still the stage for a cast of bizarre, kaleidoscopic characters. Today, so infectious is its atmosphere that it's also popular with locals, especially artisans and art students. Stay too long though and it may all wear a little thin.
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