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What is Ekkamai? That question, aimed at any Bangkokian, can elicit a number of responses: trendy, hip, expensive, miles-away, restaurant heaven, bar district (but classy), next to Thong Lor. All of these are correct, to a varying extent, but have you ever thought past the good-time feels of the neighborhood and thought about what it would actually be like to live there?
We’ve all been there, whether to submit to the joys of comfort food at places like Sabai Jai Gai Yang (with a clank of a glass, chok dee dim sum, and honorary drink to some of the best isaan food in Bangkok), street food on Soi 38, Bourbon Street (American Thanksgiving anyone?), or Gaggan Anand’s Meatilicious (Beef!). Or to one of the most lauded new restaurants in the city, Upstairs at Mikkeller, for some progressive American cuisine (and then maybe downstairs to have a pint, or two, of the famed Mikkeller craft beer?). Or on a spontaneous bar-hopping escapade for no other reason than to try to outdo the amazing cocktail you just had at that last place.
The neighborhood certainly hosts an endless supply of great food and drink, but that’s nighttime Ekkamai — what about daytime Ekkamai? What about Ekkamai as home?
Clustered around Sukhumvit Soi 63 and bordered by khlong Saen Saeb (with access to canal boat transport) and the Airport Rail Link to the north, Sukhumvit Road coupled with BTS Skytrain (Ekkamai Station) and the Eastern bus terminal to the south, Thong Lor to the west (everybody knows Thong Lor, amirite?) and the up-and-coming arts district of Phra Khanong to the east, Ekkamai is certainly nestled in an easily-accessible part of the city whichever direction you look at — and you should live there.
And now is a great time to be coming to that realization. You see, AP, one of Thailand’s leading property developers is offering significant, limited-time discounts up to THB300,000 (yeah, that’s right, a real discount) on units at its spacious new Rhythm Ekkamai Estate condominium development right in the heart of Ekkamai, just a breath to Thong Lor, and all you have to do is register here to qualify.
Rhythm Ekkamai Estate takes a different tack than some of the other newer developments you might have encountered around the city – especially in high-demand areas – where a premium is placed on location, but maybe not so much on space. However, AP has a different idea; they’ve actually rewired the thinking about what it might feel like for someone to call a 35sqm apartment a “home” and have placed a premium corner on space, and 81.5sqm 2 Bedrooms with welcome foyer and connecting area of living, dining, and kitchen just like home — and Ekkamai is no exception.
While there are smaller units on offer (one-bedrooms at 35 sqm; one-bed “plus” at 39.5-40 sqm) for young professionals, or those wishing to have a crash pad in the heart of Hip Bangkok (or perhaps you’ve been on a Marie Kondo kick and are looking to minimize), the more unique offerings start in the two-bedroom range (starting at 74 up to 86.5sqm for a two-bedroom simplex, and 64-129.5sqm for two-bedroom duplex) which actually provide ample space to separate two bedrooms and maintain your sanity. Not big or high enough? Sky Villas (109-121 sqm) or the Penthouses are definitely the upgrades worth considering if the sky is your limit (100-177 sqm).
A fundamental design aspect of the 32-storey building is to provide common spaces and facilities that actually feel like home and not like some post-apocalyptic laboratory that you want to run away from as fast as possible (we’ve all been in one).
One of the ways this is accomplished is by simply moving the lobby to the 7th floor – away from the commotion of the street – which it will share with a tea pavilion, theater pavilion, garden and other common area features.
And moving the garden to the rooftop makes the lobby shift look like child’s play. That’s right, the garden is on the roof, so not only will you be able to enjoy the privacy and quiet such distance from street level will provide, you’ll also have some pretty killer views of the city from up there. Down a floor, on the 31st-32nd floor, will be a 360-degree infinity swimming pool, honeymoon seat (keep your PDA in private please), sky lounge, sky fitness center, and sky wellness center — talk about gaining back control of your wellbeing at home, right?
But let’s get back down to the street, because that’s what brought you to Ekkamai in the first place. Or maybe the BTS did. Or a boat taxi. Or a taxi taxi. Or the Airport Rail Link. Or, you drove. It doesn’t matter which, because it’s accessible by all of the above. People all too often conceive of anything beyond Thong Lor as being too far away. Well, it’s not! It’s a quick BTS or canal taxi ride to Siam – an even quicker BTS ride to the MRT subway interchange at Asoke – has an easy access to the Chalerm Mahanakorn, Chalong Rat, and Sirat Expressways, and is a stone’s throw (with a good arm) from the Airport Rail Link that runs between Phayathai and Suvarnabhumi Airport.
And down on the street is where you’ll find the things that make Ekkamai as a location feel like home. Not only are there countless restaurants and bars there, like its sibling locale Thong Lor, but the small interconnecting roadways between the two are the perfect place to walk or cycle and explore the neighborhoods.
These roadways are also home to a number of art studios, yoga studios, bicycle shops, cafes, international schools (St. Andrews and Ekkamai International School both have campuses here), educational centers (Science Centre for Education is right out on Sukhumvit Road, near the BTS Station), hospitals (Sukhumvit Hospital and Samitivej Hospital – famed for its international-standard care and maternity care – are nearby), Gateway Ekkamai mall, movie theaters, you name it. Point being, even if the place weren’t in the center of the city and so well connected, you’d never need – or want – to leave!
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