On the River This is the territory of Bangkok's grand riverside hotels, fine shopping at the River City Shopping Complex as well as the many upmarket stops along Charoen Krung.
Chinatown Also along the riverside, just west of the Grand Palace area and Banglamphu, Chinatown is a maze of shopping streets and home to a few little atmospheric hotels.
Banglamphu and Historic Bangkok Home to the Grand Palace, this area is the site of the original Bangkok capital The area lies within the confines of Rattanakosin Island, created as a defense measure by King Rama I. The area contains the city's most important historical sites, beginning with Wat Po, the Grand Palace, and Wat Phra Kaeo, then continuing north to the Dusit Zoo and Vimanmek Palace Museum. There are numerous historic wats (temples), the National Museum, and the National Theater and Library. Khao San Road is what brings most young travelers to this area, and there are but a few first-class and moderate hotels among the many budget guesthouses. The only drawback here is that, short of the slow riverboats, you're cut off from central Bangkok and faster modes of public transport (the BTS, skytrain, and the subway).
The Business District The Business District, also called Bangrak, is bounded by Rama IV Road on the east, Chinatown on the north, Chaoren Krung Road (or New Rd., near the river) on the west, and South Sathorn Road on the south. Silom Road and Surawong Road run east-west through the center. As its name implies, many banks, businesses, and embassies have offices in this area, but it's also a good choice for vacation travelers with its many shops and malls, good restaurants, high-quality hotels, and the famous Patpong nightlife area.
Sukhumvit Road and the Shopping/Embassy Area This includes the neighborhoods on either side of the thoroughfare called Rama I Road on its western end, then Ploenchit Road as it runs east and crosses Ratchadamri Road, and finally, Sukhumvit Road as it crosses under the airport freeway. Here are several deluxe hotels, many first-class and moderate hotels, numerous shopping complexes, the newer office buildings, most of the Western embassies, and a large concentration of the expatriate community: a convenient central area with access to all of Bangkok's activities.
