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You may think that consensus on the best neighborhood to live in Bangkok is a preposterous proposition, if not impossible. Just take a shot at boldly stating what you think is the best part of town to live in. Post it on f-book, or any of the myriad local web forums, and see what happens – if you guessed that you’ll be laughed off the block and trolled to the point of forgetting that you’re just being trolled, you’re right.
But I know the answer, and let’s back it up with some talk and a bit of a guide to do the walk.
Firstly, where in this glorious urban spectacle we call home could possibly, definitively, be called the Best Place to Live? Easy. It’s Chatuchak. Now, before you rage at the hubris involved in staking such an outrageous claim, let’s take a look at just what this part of town has to offer that makes it so great.
Paddling the ponds at Chatuchak Park are a perfect escape from the busy city.
Greenery as far as the eye can see
The Chatuchak area encompasses some of the most gorgeous (and largest) green space the metropolitan area has to offer. Many who have lived here for years are giddily surprised to find the abundance of outdoor recreation within a stone’s throw of BTS and MRT stops.
Locals can take a morning or evening jog in Chatuchak Park, more popular with runners than cyclists, who head to neighboring Suan Rot Fai for a spin.
The most conspicuous is Chatuchak Park, which sits snug against the famed Chatuchak Market, but it’s just one of three contiguous parks – and nowhere near the biggest.
A network of cycling/jogging/walking/whatever-legal-mode-of-mobility-you-wish-to-engage-in paths weave through the park’s leafy trees, open fields and lakes, offering a great weekend escape from the concrete madness that is Bangkok.
Fear not if you don’t have a bicycle, you can rent them on the spot, on the cheap. There are also kayaks and paddle boats for rent, for those wishing to splash into the water – keep your eyes open for monitor lizards.
A sculpture graces one of the many lawns of Suan Rot Fai.
If lanes, lawns, lakes and lizards aren’t your thing, you can visit the city’s only butterfly garden and insectarium which, as it just so happens, sits at the border of yet another park – Suan Sirikit. You’ll have to leave your bike at the door, but both the colorful displays of the butterfly garden and the well-manicured gardens in Suan Sirikit make for a relaxing stroll.
It’s not Bangkok without a place to shop
We all have opinions on Chatuchak Market, and it often gets a bad rap for being overcrowded with tank-topped tourists. True as this may be, we often forget that this place is huge – the largest in Thailand, with 27 sections containing over 8,000 stalls.
This means you probably haven’t seen it all, and you may not know that there are less-trod paths that take you to high-end art galleries, antiques and even a whole section with top-notch home furnishings.
The JJ Green shopping concourse, nestled between Chatuchak Park and Suan Sirikit – near the Children’s Museum – is quickly becoming one of the most diverse spots in town.
It’s studded with hip fashion outlets (think Terminal 21 but outdoors), bars playing host to the city’s trendsetting musicians, and from Thursday through Sunday, it’s home to the Siam Gypsy Market. Those of us who remember the days of the nearby Rot Fai Market will be pleased to know that since its demolition, a similar atmosphere has been re-created with the Gypsy Market.
And for those who need name-brand, chain-store, climate-controlled goodness, and the latest theatrical releases, head no further than Central Ladprao across Ladprao intersection at the north end of Chatuchak Park.
Food! … and drink!
This is the hardest part about explaining why Chatuchak is the best neighborhood in Bangkok – not because the area is lacking in food-and-drink options, but because there are just so, so many.
For you budding chefs out there, the Or Tor Kor Market (just opposite Chatuchak Market, Kamphaeng Phet MRT Exit 3) is by leaps and bounds the best fresh market in the nation – in fact, it has been ranked as one of the best in the world.
The prices may be a bit higher than average, but the quality of the produce, seafood and meat on offer more than make up for it. There is also a wide selection of pre-prepared food for takeaway – and among those, don’t miss the satay chicken stall… and there’s even a stall that churns out American-style barbeque pork ribs!
You want to order-and-eat, you say? There are a dozen or so stalls cooking up a wide variety of Thai food in the Or Tor Kor Market itself, with tables for those who wish to dine in – and they are good… but the best Isaan Thai food on the planet (hubris, again? OK, maybe just the best in Bangkok) is just across the parking lot at Sut Jai Gai Yang. The place is constantly packed with locals, constantly delicious and conspicuously absent of tourists.
Let’s get to the booze. Firstly, we should point out that the area is swamped with bars, so for the sake of discussion, let’s just look at a couple of our favorites.
Pathe: Where the atmosphere is warm, and the beers are cold. Very, very cold.
Pathe is a charming restaurant bar that not-so-subtly gives off a vintage vibe (a la photos of John Wayne, vinyl record covers of Jimi Hendrix, Kenny Rogers, the Culture Club – and on and on – pasted to the walls). An ancient-looking victrola greets you at the door, and an icy – and we do mean icy – cold beer can be had at your table.
The food here is nothing to write home about, but so long as you’re ordering those frosty mugs and enjoying the classic tunes in the background, they’ll keep topping your table (free-of-charge) with an addictively-delicious mix of peanuts, salt, fresh chilies and spring onions.
And for those of you who like to hold on to your youth (we certainly do), bar hopping at the aforementioned JJ Green makes for a great night out. A highlight among many is Stair By Me, which hosts live original (usually indie) music regularly.
Transportation
There is no better-connected neighborhood in Bangkok. Chatuchak/Ladprao is served by no less than:
- Mo Chit BTS Station
- Chatuchak MRT Station
- Kamphaeng Phet MRT Station
- Ladprao MRT Station
- Pahonyothin MRT Station
- Mo Chit Bus Terminal; and
- The Don Muang Tollway
… oh, and it’s also anchored by the confluence of Pahonyothin Road, Ladprao Road, Vibhavadhi-Rangsit Road and Ratchadapisek Road at the Ladprao Intersection.
So with that, we go all in and toss our cards on the table with Chatuchak as the best neighborhood to live in. If you have not yet checked it out, do yourself a favor and head that way.
The Line
Rising in the middle of this urban treasure is The Line, a new condominium project being developed by a joint-venture between real-estate giants Sansiri Plc. and transport company BTS Group Holdings Plc.
The Line is conveniently located on Pahonyothin Road, only 350 meters from the Chatuchak MRT station, and 400 meters from the Mo Chit BTS station.
Check out this one-of-a-kind collaboration here, and be a part of the best Bangkok has to offer – location is everything.
