Khaosan is completely unrecognizable from when I used to travel to and live in Banglampoo (circa 1990 - 2005). Not only has the backdrop changed, but the flavor of people seems to have changed as well. The travelers who made it to Khaosan "in the day" were a unique, lively and colorful breed. Now, ever since phones got smart, a more boring clientele of digital zombies follow the dictates of others to go everywhere with little of the original flair or enthusiasm. Cry the beloved Khaosan!
1990 to 2005… I bet that was a great time! When I first arrived in 2015, there were definitely phones and all that..but Khaosan still had a traveler culture and vibe. But definitely not what it would have been prior to the mobile phone takeover. More recently. I think the ownership of some of the bars on the street adopted a weird strategy of just harassing everyone into a bar… but it’s actually killing the whole street as it’s lost the vibe that made it famous. A lot of the bars are empty and they seem to just add more touts, when it’s the touts causing the place to lose business overall. Strange!
Wow,@@thebangkokguide, what an apt observation! So many of the videos online these days tout Khaosan as a cheap place to stay with inexpensive food and beer. Chances are it was all that before the current scene as well, but we never thought of it as simply a cheap place. It was a hub of adventurers from all over the world, a microcosm of shops, travel agents and people you could not otherwise meet anywhere else in the world. You could literally buy anything (fake IDs, passports, etc,) down those tiny sois (alleyways).'Glad you got to see a bit of it in 2015. I simply have no desire to return given its current state.
I think many of the vloggers here haven't actually been in Thailand for very long. Bangkok has definitely changed a lot since I arrived back in 2015. And even I am a relative newcomer compared to people that have lived here for over a decade! I think one problem that businesses here have is that they sometimes overlook what actually makes a place successful in the first place. This is definitely what has happened with Khaosan. No desire to go there in the current state as well!
Back in 2002/2003 Khao San was the place I kept coming back to during my time in South East Asia. It was my anchor, I knew I could get everything I needed for my next adventure out to Cambodia/ Laos/ Burma/ Indo etc, etc. It was tons of fun, day and night. You could get anything, literally anything on in that neighbourhood. I mostly stayed on Rambutri because it was quieter but we partied on Khao San. My prison cell style room was in the Sawadee House on Rambutri, same as Cal mentioned, no windows and very much like the room in the Beach. I miss it all!!
Happy that I watched this video, you just read my mind! I went to KSR for the first time in 2017 and the vibe was magic You could walk easily and see all the bars full of people. I had some good memories of those days. I came back last year and I was freaking out, almost no tourists, no space to walk, and the parties were horrible... I saw the same empty scene in other places in Thailand regarding nightlife... Looks like Thailand after the covid had a massive drop in tourists.
It’s unfortunate. Khaosan used to be a very unique scene. Sadly the businesses themselves seem to have killed it with all the touts that have made the whole place unwalkable.
Oh Dear. Khao San road used to be pretty wide, with a very relaxed hipster type of vibe, loads of Bars and Clubs: With ramshackle appearance that Tourists loved. Now it's got extremely narrow streets, full of Touts in your face, and is looking horribly rigid, over organised, and very boring/ plain. Just the kinds of things that Tourists don't like!
@@thebangkokguide The Authorities said many years ago they wanted to go more "upmarket". Luckily though, Bangkok is a lot more than this street, and I didn't bother so much with it in the past, having seen it in its heyday already, and preferring to avoid crowds of Tourists. I prefer the lower Rambuttri area instead. Maybe you could do a video on that? Hopefully they haven't changed it...
@@spirittravels. yep, upmarket has been the strategy. Although I’m not sure how flooding khaosan with workers will appeal to the upscale market. It’s a really strange direction as I don’t see how it appeals to any market! Rambuttri is probably the main beneficiary 😅
Keep it up with great content and the subscribers will come. I will be there soon and I won’t have anything to compare it to cause first time looks fun to me.
Things always change i used to be there early 2000s first place I went in Thailand or outside of Europe it was amazing some of the best memories of my life. Its not for me anymore but thats probably because I'm a 44 year old fat bloke. But I hope people are still making memories there
Thanks for making this video. Currently fixing my itinerary! Booking a hostel or a hotel near Khao San Rd. At least I have an idea of what it’s like there! More travels to you!!!
I agree with you on Khao San. I was in Bangkok in August for two weeks. Outside of the Covid era I was there at least twice a year after moving to Korea from there in 2015. It was never my favourite area, but my Korean wife has a sentimental attachment to Rambuttri. We avoided Khao San and "The Gauntlet" at night but still liked chilling down by Rambuttri Village and watching people go by. There are still some falang characters down there trying to do what they can for free drinks or a baht.
In the past it was at least a strange scene with a lot of entertainment just taking a stroll and people watching. Now even walking in is unpleasant. Street isn’t wide enough for pre-Covid foot traffic and most of that space is filled with totes. Def best to avoid. Very strange. Rambuttri seems to have maintained a more chill vibe at least!
I went there yesterday and admittedly it was at 5 pm and similar to you -- well not many people around -- but almost everyone is walking, and no one sitting. Seems like everyone wants to get out the place. I normally go to Saphan Taksin and get the river taxi down, and then walk around from there - but walked all the way through the place and found no reason to stop. Very little vibe. One section near Khaosan round the back is more chilled and lots of hotels there. If the taxis were not such rip offs as well not turning on their meter -- which by the way is illegal but they all do it -- more people might be inclined to go. Walked out to the main road and caught a bus for 15 baht to the old Pantip -- Platimum PLaza and was full of life near Central world. This will be the last time I go to Khaosan Road. No life, constant touts, thought prices expensive -- and could get better on Sukhumvit or near Central world. That was for everything -- massages were 400 + Baht and beers were maybe 120 Baht where even in Nana plaza can get a draft beer for 100 Baht.The sellers on Khaosan looked depressed and most had given up even trying. Maybe it changes at night -- but it seems like yours everyone walking, no one stopping, and very few actual customers.
The new bars that opened up on the walkway area went and hired dozens of touts that have single handidly ruined the place by standing in the already narrow walkway harassing people endlessly in competition with each other… and in the process they are driving all the business out of the street. Analogy of killing the golden goose comes to mind. They repaved the whole road just to turn it into a horrid mess. I don’t bother going there anymore either. Cheers!
It’s strange…it’s quite new and totally destroyed any notion of a ‘walking street’. It’s also much less busy with actual customers as the walking space is quite small and filled with these workers. In the past, the whole place was much busier, including the bars…now it’s just workers.
Great video. The main Khaosan road has always been a bit chaotic, the side roads such as Rambuttri, and down by the Temple have always been a more pleasant place to sit and chill. I remember when there was the midnight curfew and people used to sell bottles of Chang out the back of laundry trucks on mats. The removal of the old street stalls has definitely made an impact on the flow of the street, making more room for the nightclubs to take over. Even the removal of the huge iconic signs Such as the D&D & Buddies sign has changed the skyline around there. Bangkok is trying to be more modernised and it's starting to look like any other major city, which loses some of its charm. I still prefer the KSR over some of the other tourist areas, so I wouldn't completely write it off - it's sometimes just hard to keep up with hyped-up expectations or to let go of old sentimental memories of a place.
Thanks for the input! I remember those days as well. I think the main problem now is just the sheer number of workers waving signs in your face. Makes it virtually unwalkable.
Back in the day,we all retreat to when it was... Thanon Khao San,1999,spit and sawdust bars,cats on hot tin roof s opposite. Mini mii asking me what order I would like the dvd movies to play in. New people,old acquaintances and great memories.
Have travelled to Thailand for over 20 years and Khaosan is terrible now, mainly due to overcrowded. Last time I was there two competing bars across from each other had their dance music so loud to try to outdo one another it almost ruptured my eardrums!
I agree. After they renovated it they really ruined the street by pushing all the bars into the walking area. No space to walk, noisy and touts everywhere. Horrible place now.
stayed here at the Rambuttri side Hotel Tinidee middle of the chaos and it was an absolute experience!! Didn’t know what to expect but just across the hotel was a nice weed smoking bar (also serving alcohol), a massage salon and a nice big bar with live music every night until 3 am. Since we did some island travel we decided to book the hotel for the return date as it was a good quality hotel with affordable prices. Would stay there again! Ps Khaoson road itself is terrible with all the chaos
I was there in 1999. KSR in 2023 is KSR in name only. No vibe, no sketchyness; it's basically a middle-class Thai hangout and a place for Westerners to go because they've read about it as a must see place. Find a new scene or swallow the fact that proper backpacking has died in Thailand.
@@thebangkokguide Bangkok was a fairly run down place in 1999 with hardly any nice cars or flashy shopping malls, but KSR was an incredible place for an impressionable early 20-something who'd never been to Asia before. I find it kind of sad how today's "backpackers" armed with their laptops and iPhones will never experience proper backpacking. Times change I guess and I don't blame young people for wanting to explore the world; unfortunately, for the traveler, a lot of iconic places are heading at light speed to modernity.
Yeah my first time traveling abroad was backpacking in Europe in the early 2000s. We didn’t have phones or anything like that. Had a lonely planet and Internet cafes. It was like being in a different world.
@@thebangkokguide Yup. Lonely Planet, Teva sandals, a bottle of water and no idea! Ah to be 20-something again in the 90s. Good luck with the channel. Cheers.
Khao San! The centre of the universe! But i'm with the old school guys commenting on this. Very early to mid 2000's i was travelling around SE Asia on multiple occasions, always stayed on Khao San when in Bangkok and it really does look like it's gone to pot! Glad to see the centre is still open, that was a fav haunt of mine to people watch during the day with a few cold Leo's and a spot of very cheap lunch. Sorry but those days look much better than these days!
Yeah I bet it was great back then. My first experience with Khaosan was in the mid 2010s. Was a great place back then too. It really went downhill after Covid and renovations that allowed all the bars to take over the walking area. Total mess now.
@@thebangkokguide You were absolutely right in saying what made it great was the chilled vibe and the opportunity to meet fellow travellers. It's a shame really
@@daniellockett9975 Places change I guess. I'm way too old to fit into any backpacker ghettos these days and I've changed too; I prefer mid-upmarket travel these days with a few local bus journeys thrown in. Let the kids have their fun - they don't know any better, but we know what REAL backpacking was like back in the day.
Hi Cal! At 06:00, I thought they installed those metal bollards to keep vendors from spilling out into the road and blocking traffic. Apparently, it's not working!
Yeah that was supposed to be the plan. The actual walking space is much more narrow now and filled with workers waving signs in your face. It used to be really busy around that time but with such a narrow space and all the workers, they have actually made it impossible for it to accommodate anywhere near as many visitors as before. The business logic of it all is mind boggling.
You say gauntlet, I say midway. The more I watch these Bangkok street videos, the more these side streets look like a carnival midway to me. It's not a compliment
Another comment about Khaosan 20 years ago. Used to be able to get counterfeit college degrees from prestigious American universities and authentic looking journalism credentials from street vendors here, LOL.
It looks like it's okay to walk the streets at night there. No curfew? Safe? I like night strolling but I don't know if it's okay there especially in those quiet areas.
Yeah I used to love partying there too. It seemed like Rambuttri, the street adjacent to KSR, had more people as I think everyone walks through the KSR gauntlet of people waving stuff in your face and goes there. But it still has a more chill vibe. Bangkok party scene seems to have fallen off with a lot of the outdoor Soi 11 bars shutting down too. I can’t really name a place that has gotten better 😂.
@@thebangkokguide that's a shame, if you can't party in Bangkok where can you party? It seems like since the COVID shutdown a lot of the party scene has left Thailand. I wonder if the Full Moon Party is still popular?
@@sl5946 To be fair, there are still plenty of places in Bangkok. The more upmarket scene is good with lots of nice rooftop bars and clubs. Frankly I think KSR could still be a great place if it didn’t have so many workers overwhelming the street. I think in the aftermath of Covid there was lot of competition for fewer customers, so bars started bringing in all these workers to compete for customers. Now tourism has returned and there actually isn’t enough space on the street for the tourists with all the touts who are probably actually driving business away. Makes for an absurd business model. That could change quickly again if owners and the business association there realize it is actually hurting business. Personally I haven’t been to the Full Moon party since Covid. Might make a little visit to check it out!
@@sl5946 Yep! I just got back from some travels in Vietnam! Will be uploading some content from there as well. Have to say they have really picked up in the tourism sector over there!
Oh man, what’s happened to that place?! Admittedly the last time I was there was in 2000-2003, long time ago, travelled throughout Thailand and across a lot of Asia, into India and far beyond. Amazing times. I remember meeting so many people along the way and we’d use this area as a point to meet up down the road on our various travels. Writing down email addresses, using the proper old school internet cafes down the side streets to try keep in touch, then all the amazing street food vendors and shady shit going on. Saw some really crazy shit go down around that whole khaosan area. Ram buttri was always a good time. It looks absolutely awful now. Boring. Doesn’t feel like any real place, no backpacker vibe, no Thai culture, no culture at all, just… empty. Shame.
Sounds great back then! It was still a great hub when I arrived back in 2015… but it really changed after the pandemic and became a total mess of pushy sales people all over the streets. It’s unfortunate. Thanks for your input!
To the YT channel guy who said 2015 is like how khao san used to be lol I been here from 1999 until,now and you had to be there it hasn’t changed from 2015 til 2024 my bro lol
Tbh I’ve been taking taxis from Ksr for years and never actually encountered a scam…but having been here a long time I probably have those scam senses on alert. It’s funny cause I called Grab from there once and the guy actually tried to scam me 😂
I saw a comment here promoting Itaewon, South Korea. Don't be fooled. Itaewon has become a fully Korean place since the withdrawal of U.S. troops seven years ago. There used to be a lot of Westerners, but now there are a lot of blacks and Muslims among the few foreigners. In comparison, everywhere in Thailand and Khao San Road are predominantly Westerners. And in the 60s~70s, the U.S. soldiers stationed in Korea went to Japan or Thailand to enjoy nightlife.(Nightlife in Japan and Thailand has a longer history than Korea.) Since the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Itaewon, Itaewon and Khao San Road have nothing in common. If you go to Itaewon, you will see that it is full of Koreans. In particular, the proportion of Korean men on the streets is too high.. If you watch the video of the stampede accident in Itaewon, you can see that most of the Korean men are on the streets. It's not a place for Westerners anymore. However, even though Khao San Road has changed a lot, there are still too many Westerners. My friend is Thai, and when Westerners disappeared from Itaewon, she went back to her country, Thailand. The commenter(She?) disparages Khao San Road as having a lot of older Westerners, but it is not true, there are many people in their 20s~30s, and older Westerners have more Pattaya.
Hi Cal, could you do a video on paying tips, and the culture about it, I find it hard to determine how much is a fair tip, or too little or too much - I think 380 bath is minimum wage for some people ?
I can imagine. But did it have all the touts hanging around blocking the road sticking signs in your face? This seems to be new in just the past couple of years..
I walked through once and it started to give me a headache. Sad as it used to be such a chill place. I think most of the workers there actually aren’t Thai. I think perhaps from Myanmar and some neighboring countries. I noticed far less Thai people there, as at that time there used to be lots of Thais that would go walk around.
Just went to Khaosan Road 2 weeks ago. Had never heard of it and had no idea what to expect.... There can be no place like this on earth. Its absolutely wonderful in every way. I was completely blown away. It might be the best experience I ever had. Thank you Bangkok!
Yep. I talk about Grab and Bolt in a previous video and also in my next video. I use them a lot. In my experience, waits for Grab at Khaosan and busier areas can be a bit long though. I find it is normally easiest and cheapest to walk out to the main street and wave down a taxi driving by.
@@fijitime71 all good! I love Grab bikes too. I agree with that one for leaving KSR too. I find the cars and taxi prices can get a bit steep during peak times with brutal waits.
Yeah when it all reopened after lockdown it went downhill fast. The strategy seems to be to harass people until they go to a bar, but seemed like most people were just leaving the street. In the past the bars would be quite busy at that time…totally empty now.
Khaosan is completely unrecognizable from when I used to travel to and live in Banglampoo (circa 1990 - 2005). Not only has the backdrop changed, but the flavor of people seems to have changed as well. The travelers who made it to Khaosan "in the day" were a unique, lively and colorful breed. Now, ever since phones got smart, a more boring clientele of digital zombies follow the dictates of others to go everywhere with little of the original flair or enthusiasm. Cry the beloved Khaosan!
1990 to 2005… I bet that was a great time! When I first arrived in 2015, there were definitely phones and all that..but Khaosan still had a traveler culture and vibe. But definitely not what it would have been prior to the mobile phone takeover. More recently.
I think the ownership of some of the bars on the street adopted a weird strategy of just harassing everyone into a bar… but it’s actually killing the whole street as it’s lost the vibe that made it famous. A lot of the bars are empty and they seem to just add more touts, when it’s the touts causing the place to lose business overall. Strange!
Wow,@@thebangkokguide, what an apt observation! So many of the videos online these days tout Khaosan as a cheap place to stay with inexpensive food and beer. Chances are it was all that before the current scene as well, but we never thought of it as simply a cheap place. It was a hub of adventurers from all over the world, a microcosm of shops, travel agents and people you could not otherwise meet anywhere else in the world. You could literally buy anything (fake IDs, passports, etc,) down those tiny sois (alleyways).'Glad you got to see a bit of it in 2015. I simply have no desire to return given its current state.
I think many of the vloggers here haven't actually been in Thailand for very long. Bangkok has definitely changed a lot since I arrived back in 2015. And even I am a relative newcomer compared to people that have lived here for over a decade! I think one problem that businesses here have is that they sometimes overlook what actually makes a place successful in the first place. This is definitely what has happened with Khaosan. No desire to go there in the current state as well!
Those were the days! Place is a joke now compared to what is was. Places change but backpackers don't; they're like sheep.
Back in 2002/2003 Khao San was the place I kept coming back to during my time in South East Asia. It was my anchor, I knew I could get everything I needed for my next adventure out to Cambodia/ Laos/ Burma/ Indo etc, etc. It was tons of fun, day and night. You could get anything, literally anything on in that neighbourhood. I mostly stayed on Rambutri because it was quieter but we partied on Khao San. My prison cell style room was in the Sawadee House on Rambutri, same as Cal mentioned, no windows and very much like the room in the Beach. I miss it all!!
Woah, I was last on Khaosan back in 2009.. things sure have changed! Just found your channel. Awesome vids 👍
Thanks! I first came in 2015 and it is almost unrecognizable now. I can only imagine what it was like in 2009. Changes fast!
Happy that I watched this video, you just read my mind! I went to KSR for the first time in 2017 and the vibe was magic You could walk easily and see all the bars full of people. I had some good memories of those days. I came back last year and I was freaking out, almost no tourists, no space to walk, and the parties were horrible...
I saw the same empty scene in other places in Thailand regarding nightlife... Looks like Thailand after the covid had a massive drop in tourists.
It’s unfortunate. Khaosan used to be a very unique scene. Sadly the businesses themselves seem to have killed it with all the touts that have made the whole place unwalkable.
Oh Dear.
Khao San road used to be pretty wide, with a very relaxed hipster type of vibe, loads of Bars and Clubs: With ramshackle appearance that Tourists loved.
Now it's got extremely narrow streets, full of Touts in your face, and is looking horribly rigid, over organised, and very boring/ plain.
Just the kinds of things that Tourists don't like!
Yeah it is really unfortunate. It seems to have lost the traveler meeting place vibe that made it famous.
@@thebangkokguide The Authorities said many years ago they wanted to go more "upmarket".
Luckily though, Bangkok is a lot more than this street, and I didn't bother so much with it in the past, having seen it in its heyday already, and preferring to avoid crowds of Tourists.
I prefer the lower Rambuttri area instead.
Maybe you could do a video on that?
Hopefully they haven't changed it...
@@spirittravels. yep, upmarket has been the strategy. Although I’m not sure how flooding khaosan with workers will appeal to the upscale market. It’s a really strange direction as I don’t see how it appeals to any market! Rambuttri is probably the main beneficiary 😅
Do you know where the more hipster backpacker vibe is found now? :)
Do you know a good alternative nowadays? I am visiting Bangkok soon.@@thebangkokguide
Keep it up with great content and the subscribers will come. I will be there soon and I won’t have anything to compare it to cause first time looks fun to me.
Thanks! If you go later it won’t be as bad. It’ll still be fun! Bangkok is a great city overall.
Things always change i used to be there early 2000s first place I went in Thailand or outside of Europe it was amazing some of the best memories of my life. Its not for me anymore but thats probably because I'm a 44 year old fat bloke. But I hope people are still making memories there
Yep. I think a lot of it has to do with the time of life that we all visit in. I think the young travelers will still find it a blast!
Thanks for making this video. Currently fixing my itinerary! Booking a hostel or a hotel near Khao San Rd. At least I have an idea of what it’s like there! More travels to you!!!
Thanks for the kind words! It’s a lot of fun! Just don’t stay right on khaosan or you might not sleep! Noisy!
I agree with you on Khao San. I was in Bangkok in August for two weeks. Outside of the Covid era I was there at least twice a year after moving to Korea from there in 2015. It was never my favourite area, but my Korean wife has a sentimental attachment to Rambuttri. We avoided Khao San and "The Gauntlet" at night but still liked chilling down by Rambuttri Village and watching people go by. There are still some falang characters down there trying to do what they can for free drinks or a baht.
In the past it was at least a strange scene with a lot of entertainment just taking a stroll and people watching. Now even walking in is unpleasant. Street isn’t wide enough for pre-Covid foot traffic and most of that space is filled with totes. Def best to avoid. Very strange. Rambuttri seems to have maintained a more chill vibe at least!
Pray tell, what is "The Gauntlet"?
I went there yesterday and admittedly it was at 5 pm and similar to you -- well not many people around -- but almost everyone is walking, and no one sitting. Seems like everyone wants to get out the place. I normally go to Saphan Taksin and get the river taxi down, and then walk around from there - but walked all the way through the place and found no reason to stop. Very little vibe. One section near Khaosan round the back is more chilled and lots of hotels there. If the taxis were not such rip offs as well not turning on their meter -- which by the way is illegal but they all do it -- more people might be inclined to go. Walked out to the main road and caught a bus for 15 baht to the old Pantip -- Platimum PLaza and was full of life near Central world. This will be the last time I go to Khaosan Road. No life, constant touts, thought prices expensive -- and could get better on Sukhumvit or near Central world. That was for everything -- massages were 400 + Baht and beers were maybe 120 Baht where even in Nana plaza can get a draft beer for 100 Baht.The sellers on Khaosan looked depressed and most had given up even trying. Maybe it changes at night -- but it seems like yours everyone walking, no one stopping, and very few actual customers.
The new bars that opened up on the walkway area went and hired dozens of touts that have single handidly ruined the place by standing in the already narrow walkway harassing people endlessly in competition with each other… and in the process they are driving all the business out of the street. Analogy of killing the golden goose comes to mind. They repaved the whole road just to turn it into a horrid mess. I don’t bother going there anymore either. Cheers!
We found the same when we visited! We didn't know how the bars could afford to put that many people outside when no one was in there drinking! 😅
It’s strange…it’s quite new and totally destroyed any notion of a ‘walking street’. It’s also much less busy with actual customers as the walking space is quite small and filled with these workers. In the past, the whole place was much busier, including the bars…now it’s just workers.
It's a shame really, we ended up just finding somewhere out of ear shot to get dinner and chill out! 😂😂@@thebangkokguide
I think that’s what most people do nowadays 😅
Great video. The main Khaosan road has always been a bit chaotic, the side roads such as Rambuttri, and down by the Temple have always been a more pleasant place to sit and chill. I remember when there was the midnight curfew and people used to sell bottles of Chang out the back of laundry trucks on mats.
The removal of the old street stalls has definitely made an impact on the flow of the street, making more room for the nightclubs to take over. Even the removal of the huge iconic signs Such as the D&D & Buddies sign has changed the skyline around there. Bangkok is trying to be more modernised and it's starting to look like any other major city, which loses some of its charm.
I still prefer the KSR over some of the other tourist areas, so I wouldn't completely write it off - it's sometimes just hard to keep up with hyped-up expectations or to let go of old sentimental memories of a place.
Thanks for the input! I remember those days as well. I think the main problem now is just the sheer number of workers waving signs in your face. Makes it virtually unwalkable.
I like when u show how do u go back to MRT. Really happy to watching this video, Thx a lot 🙏🏽
Thank you for the kind words 🙏☺️
Back in the day,we all retreat to when it was...
Thanon Khao San,1999,spit and sawdust bars,cats on hot tin roof s opposite. Mini mii asking me what order I would like the dvd movies to play in. New people,old acquaintances and great memories.
I bet it was an interesting time then! Wish I could have seen it.
Oh damn that's horrific, what have they done to it!
It became a European walking street apparently 😂👀
Have travelled to Thailand for over 20 years and Khaosan is terrible now, mainly due to overcrowded. Last time I was there two competing bars across from each other had their dance music so loud to try to outdo one another it almost ruptured my eardrums!
I agree. After they renovated it they really ruined the street by pushing all the bars into the walking area. No space to walk, noisy and touts everywhere. Horrible place now.
Thanks Cal for the tour. The atmosphere is very pleasant to walk around. ❤️❤️❤️😍
Thanks for the kind words 🙏😊
stayed here at the Rambuttri side Hotel Tinidee middle of the chaos and it was an absolute experience!! Didn’t know what to expect but just across the hotel was a nice weed smoking bar (also serving alcohol), a massage salon and a nice big bar with live music every night until 3 am. Since we did some island travel we decided to book the hotel for the return date as it was a good quality hotel with affordable prices.
Would stay there again! Ps Khaoson road itself is terrible with all the chaos
Rambuttri is much more relaxed. Stayed there many times during my travels in Thailand. Hope you enjoy the travels!
I was there in 1999. KSR in 2023 is KSR in name only. No vibe, no sketchyness; it's basically a middle-class Thai hangout and a place for Westerners to go because they've read about it as a must see place. Find a new scene or swallow the fact that proper backpacking has died in Thailand.
I bet 1999 was a time there. Definitely would have liked to have seen that!
@@thebangkokguide Bangkok was a fairly run down place in 1999 with hardly any nice cars or flashy shopping malls, but KSR was an incredible place for an impressionable early 20-something who'd never been to Asia before. I find it kind of sad how today's "backpackers" armed with their laptops and iPhones will never experience proper backpacking. Times change I guess and I don't blame young people for wanting to explore the world; unfortunately, for the traveler, a lot of iconic places are heading at light speed to modernity.
Yeah my first time traveling abroad was backpacking in Europe in the early 2000s. We didn’t have phones or anything like that. Had a lonely planet and Internet cafes. It was like being in a different world.
@@thebangkokguide Yup. Lonely Planet, Teva sandals, a bottle of water and no idea! Ah to be 20-something again in the 90s. Good luck with the channel. Cheers.
Thank you!
Khao San! The centre of the universe! But i'm with the old school guys commenting on this. Very early to mid 2000's i was travelling around SE Asia on multiple occasions, always stayed on Khao San when in Bangkok and it really does look like it's gone to pot! Glad to see the centre is still open, that was a fav haunt of mine to people watch during the day with a few cold Leo's and a spot of very cheap lunch. Sorry but those days look much better than these days!
Yeah I bet it was great back then. My first experience with Khaosan was in the mid 2010s. Was a great place back then too. It really went downhill after Covid and renovations that allowed all the bars to take over the walking area. Total mess now.
@@thebangkokguide You were absolutely right in saying what made it great was the chilled vibe and the opportunity to meet fellow travellers. It's a shame really
@@daniellockett9975 Places change I guess. I'm way too old to fit into any backpacker ghettos these days and I've changed too; I prefer mid-upmarket travel these days with a few local bus journeys thrown in. Let the kids have their fun - they don't know any better, but we know what REAL backpacking was like back in the day.
Thank you so much for posting this
Thank you for the kind words!
Hi Cal! At 06:00, I thought they installed those metal bollards to keep vendors from spilling out into the road and blocking traffic. Apparently, it's not working!
Yeah that was supposed to be the plan. The actual walking space is much more narrow now and filled with workers waving signs in your face. It used to be really busy around that time but with such a narrow space and all the workers, they have actually made it impossible for it to accommodate anywhere near as many visitors as before. The business logic of it all is mind boggling.
@@thebangkokguide - Welcome to Thailand! Nothing ever makes sense.
YES Khaosan before is great and now music is so loud
Agree!
You say gauntlet, I say midway. The more I watch these Bangkok street videos, the more these side streets look like a carnival midway to me. It's not a compliment
Khaosan really went downhill. It used to be a much more chill area to walk around. Horrible now.
Another comment about Khaosan 20 years ago. Used to be able to get counterfeit college degrees from prestigious American universities and authentic looking journalism credentials from street vendors here, LOL.
Went to Harvard, Yale and Princeton…and applying for an ESL position eh? 😂 The good old days!
I also remember that
I saw it in 2012 when i was backpacking
I miss the roadside sellers with their cassettes😅.
The good old days 😅
I heard that Thailand is a very safe country , just like Singapore Japan Taiwan and S Korea
It is very safe. I find most of Asia is generally quite safe!
It is just don’t go looking for trouble and just avoid ppl approaching you! Don’t even respond just walk away!
@@thebangkokguideto be honest , I dare not travel to India and Brazil， because it is not safe
@@BB-yi6qn I would like to visit both countries, but I think they are definitely less safe!
@@Iceyfire12 good rule to follow for any country!
It looks like it's okay to walk the streets at night there. No curfew? Safe? I like night strolling but I don't know if it's okay there especially in those quiet areas.
Yes, it is very safe! You can walk pretty much anywhere! Street crime is extremely low in Bangkok.
@@thebangkokguide Thank you. It's one of my favorite things to do. Looking forward to my visit.
@@PJ4Code same. It’s definitely a great place to wander freely!
❤❤❤❤❤
Khaosan used to be the party place but now it looks boring af. Where's the new party spot?
Yeah I used to love partying there too. It seemed like Rambuttri, the street adjacent to KSR, had more people as I think everyone walks through the KSR gauntlet of people waving stuff in your face and goes there. But it still has a more chill vibe. Bangkok party scene seems to have fallen off with a lot of the outdoor Soi 11 bars shutting down too. I can’t really name a place that has gotten better 😂.
@@thebangkokguide that's a shame, if you can't party in Bangkok where can you party? It seems like since the COVID shutdown a lot of the party scene has left Thailand. I wonder if the Full Moon Party is still popular?
@@sl5946 To be fair, there are still plenty of places in Bangkok. The more upmarket scene is good with lots of nice rooftop bars and clubs. Frankly I think KSR could still be a great place if it didn’t have so many workers overwhelming the street. I think in the aftermath of Covid there was lot of competition for fewer customers, so bars started bringing in all these workers to compete for customers. Now tourism has returned and there actually isn’t enough space on the street for the tourists with all the touts who are probably actually driving business away. Makes for an absurd business model. That could change quickly again if owners and the business association there realize it is actually hurting business. Personally I haven’t been to the Full Moon party since Covid. Might make a little visit to check it out!
@@thebangkokguide A trip to Koh Phangan would make a good video 🌛
@@sl5946 Yep! I just got back from some travels in Vietnam! Will be uploading some content from there as well. Have to say they have really picked up in the tourism sector over there!
Spent some of the best and worst nights of my life there in 2011. Sad to see what it's become.
Yep. Same as me around 2015-2016. It really declined.
Oh man, what’s happened to that place?! Admittedly the last time I was there was in 2000-2003, long time ago, travelled throughout Thailand and across a lot of Asia, into India and far beyond. Amazing times. I remember meeting so many people along the way and we’d use this area as a point to meet up down the road on our various travels. Writing down email addresses, using the proper old school internet cafes down the side streets to try keep in touch, then all the amazing street food vendors and shady shit going on. Saw some really crazy shit go down around that whole khaosan area. Ram buttri was always a good time. It looks absolutely awful now. Boring. Doesn’t feel like any real place, no backpacker vibe, no Thai culture, no culture at all, just… empty. Shame.
Sounds great back then! It was still a great hub when I arrived back in 2015… but it really changed after the pandemic and became a total mess of pushy sales people all over the streets. It’s unfortunate. Thanks for your input!
That is what our "leaders" call the "new normal". After C19 I changed to Pattaya, a right decision for me.
Probably a good decision. Enjoy!
Lived on a side street to Kao Sad Road in 2011. Gonna return in one week. Would love to meet up!
Sure. Give me a heads up! Quite a different place these days though!
We'll be back in BKK in one week. What's the best way to contact you?@@thebangkokguide
Send me a message in IG!
You got it. Is there a link on your RUclips page or anything?@@thebangkokguide
Yeah it’s on my RUclips profile. My IG is ajarncal 👍
To the YT channel guy who said 2015 is like how khao san used to be lol I been here from 1999 until,now and you had to be there it hasn’t changed from 2015 til 2024 my bro lol
I used to go to Khao san every week. Then stopped. it's been many years. By the look of things, I won't go back.
Yeah I used to love Khaosan. These changes made me want to leave as soon as I walked in. Totally lost its soul.
Is Nana Plaza area better than Khaosan St?
I prefer Khaosan. Nana plaza is a red light district. They are quite different.
Taxi tip should be, take a grab dont get scammed.
Tbh I’ve been taking taxis from Ksr for years and never actually encountered a scam…but having been here a long time I probably have those scam senses on alert. It’s funny cause I called Grab from there once and the guy actually tried to scam me 😂
Looks totally different now. what went wrong ?
Too many bars open on the street and add way too many totes.
I saw a comment here promoting Itaewon, South Korea. Don't be fooled. Itaewon has become a fully Korean place since the withdrawal of U.S. troops seven years ago. There used to be a lot of Westerners, but now there are a lot of blacks and Muslims among the few foreigners. In comparison, everywhere in Thailand and Khao San Road are predominantly Westerners. And in the 60s~70s, the U.S. soldiers stationed in Korea went to Japan or Thailand to enjoy nightlife.(Nightlife in Japan and Thailand has a longer history than Korea.) Since the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Itaewon, Itaewon and Khao San Road have nothing in common. If you go to Itaewon, you will see that it is full of Koreans. In particular, the proportion of Korean men on the streets is too high.. If you watch the video of the stampede accident in Itaewon, you can see that most of the Korean men are on the streets. It's not a place for Westerners anymore. However, even though Khao San Road has changed a lot, there are still too many Westerners. My friend is Thai, and when Westerners disappeared from Itaewon, she went back to her country, Thailand. The commenter(She?) disparages Khao San Road as having a lot of older Westerners, but it is not true, there are many people in their 20s~30s, and older Westerners have more Pattaya.
Good summary! Thanks for the detailed input. I haven't visited Itaewon, so I am not very familiar with it. Cheers
Hi Cal, could you do a video on paying tips, and the culture about it, I find it hard to determine how much is a fair tip, or too little or too much - I think 380 bath is minimum wage for some people ?
Yes I believe that is correct. Sure that sounds like an interesting video! Cheers
was there in the early 90s looks total different now and not for the better
I bet the 90s was a great time there!
So Many foreigners , almost from all over the world , that's why Bangkok is the most visited city in the world
Yes it is. Great place!
Khao San in the 80's and 90's
Was just as packed with people.
I can imagine. But did it have all the touts hanging around blocking the road sticking signs in your face? This seems to be new in just the past couple of years..
Thanks for showing this street, now i definitely do not want to go here.
You can go for a walk through...perhaps either earlier in the day or later at night. Sadly it has become pretty annoying though.
The street looks obnoxious now with Thai dudes waving menus in your face and bars with annoying laser lights blinding you. To hell with all that.
I walked through once and it started to give me a headache. Sad as it used to be such a chill place. I think most of the workers there actually aren’t Thai. I think perhaps from Myanmar and some neighboring countries. I noticed far less Thai people there, as at that time there used to be lots of Thais that would go walk around.
Hi Cal. How can I slide you a DM? Hope to hear from you
Sure, feel free to contact me on IG
@@thebangkokguide whats your IG Cal?
Ajarncal
Just went to Khaosan Road 2 weeks ago. Had never heard of it and had no idea what to expect....
There can be no place like this on earth. Its absolutely wonderful in every way. I was completely blown away. It might be the best experience I ever had. Thank you Bangkok!
I think I would feel the same way if it was my first time there! Cheers!
@@thebangkokguide Haha, exactly my thoughts...
But why would anyone want a eurpoean vibe feeling street while being in Thailand? The best part of going aborad is the culture differences
I think it was the Thai government plan… I agree
Taxi? Tuk tuk? Ever heard about Grab?!?
Yep. I talk about Grab and Bolt in a previous video and also in my next video. I use them a lot. In my experience, waits for Grab at Khaosan and busier areas can be a bit long though. I find it is normally easiest and cheapest to walk out to the main street and wave down a taxi driving by.
@@thebangkokguide sorry I must have missed that! GrabBike is so convenient and inexpensive👍🏻
@@fijitime71 all good! I love Grab bikes too. I agree with that one for leaving KSR too. I find the cars and taxi prices can get a bit steep during peak times with brutal waits.
Great videos. Yeah I think Khaosan stared to lose it in about 2019. Too much greed on the parts of the bars and street vendors ect
Yeah when it all reopened after lockdown it went downhill fast. The strategy seems to be to harass people until they go to a bar, but seemed like most people were just leaving the street. In the past the bars would be quite busy at that time…totally empty now.
You should get a better camera. Maybe the latest iPhone or Samsung ????
This is an older video. I use a proper Sony digital camera and Gopro now! Thanks for the input!
I went early 2000's now its too load and fools inhaling balloons. Turd
It really went downhill after the pandemic.
Is and always was an absolute sh- hole for gullible tourists
Fair point
What's with all the cannibis establishments? I thought thailand had zero tolerance to drugs. That's just so in your face!
It's been in a legal grey area for a while now as they changed the law a couple of years back. Looks like they are set to change it again though!
Its Asia not Europe so go to Europe!
I liked it when it was an Asian walking street with random bikes and cars rolling by tho haha
wow that looks horrible. too many touts.
Ya it’s pretty bad these days.
Way too many touts.
They overwhelm the already small walking space in the street.
Still can fake fake diploma there ?
Probably but the Thai authorities have a lot of bureaucracy to make them less useful
They want to clean it as opposed to to leaving it dirty and unorganized. Well…. Attempt to
I think it was a nice attempt, but then they filled it with touts 😂
❤❤❤❤❤