Hidden Bangkok Neighbourhoods Locals Actually Love

During my first visit to Bangkok, almost 14 years ago, I visited all the must-see sights – Wat Pho, the Grand Palace, Wat Arun and Khao San Road. I didn’t have time for anything else, but I felt as though I was truly discovering Bangkok! It was my first trip to such an exotic country, and all these places seemed extraordinary to me. I’m sure they’ll be for you too. I think everyone should see them, but what if you want to get to know Thailand’s capital a bit better, from a different angle? Perhaps you’ve already been to the city a few times and are keen for more? In this article, I’ll show you five neighbourhoods in Bangkok off the beaten track that are well worth exploring and are sure to pique your interest.

Bangkok is huge. I’ve been travelling there for so many years and I’m still discovering new places all the time. Every year, during my workation, I seek out neighbourhoods, streets and attractions I haven’t seen yet and set off to explore. Although Thailand’s capital isn’t my favourite city on the planet, I’m still impressed by how many possibilities there are here and how many things there are to marvel at. Bangkok is certainly not just the Grand Palace or Wat Pho. It’s not just Soi Cowboy or Khao San Road. This metropolis harbours secrets that you’ll only uncover if you have time to explore or if you return here regularly. So, if you’re looking for Bangkok off the beaten track, you’ve come to the right place. Start with these five places.

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Quick facts about hidden neighbourhoods in Bangkok

Neighbourhood	What It’s Known For	Best Time to Visit	How to Get There
Songwat Road	Old Chinese riverside trading street, historic shophouses, emerging café scene	Morning or early afternoon	Ferry to Ratchawong Pier or walk from MRT Wat Mangkon
Talad Noi	Machine-shop alleys, famous street art, Chinese shrines	Morning, before the heat sets in	MRT Hua Lamphong or ferry to Marine Department Pier
Kudi Chin (Portuguese Quarter)	300-year-old Portuguese-Catholic community, Santa Cruz Church, khanom farang	Late afternoon, before sunset	Cross-river ferry from Talad Noi/Wat Kanlaya
Banthat Thong Road	One of Bangkok’s hottest street food strips, late-night eats, student vibe (next to Chulalongkorn University)	Evening, 6:30–9:30 PM (liveliest)	BTS National Stadium (Exit 2) or MRT Sam Yan (Exit 2)
Koh Kret	Mon pottery island, car-free, weekend market	Weekend mornings (market at its liveliest)	Ferry from Wat Sanam Neua Pier (about 1 hour by taxi/Grab from the city center)

Songwat Road

I love old Chinese neighbourhoods and the buildings that have always stood in such places for hundreds of years. I also really like places with a concept, a spark of creativity – places that are out of the ordinary. Songwat Road brings all of this together – the latest spot on the Bangkok map that’s causing an absolute sensation on social media.

Songwat Road was once home to Chinese merchants. To this day, you can still see their typical houses here, with large doors and tall windows fitted with shutters. In the main part of the street, you’ll often see decorations characteristic of Chinese minority groups, whilst on the main road, amongst the hipster shops, family-run businesses sell red lanterns, incense sticks and special paper houses that are burnt as offerings to ancestors.

However, this neighbourhood mainly attracts young people eager for something new, often from Asia, including local residents. Beautiful boutiques, home décor shops, hipster cafés, and bars and restaurants serving Asian cuisine successfully draw in all those who appreciate neighbourhoods of this kind.

Soul Songwat is certainly worth a visit – a huge warehouse converted into a concourse with restaurants and shops. It also offers a lovely view of the river. I was captivated by the beautiful murals on the walls. Another place worth recommending is the street where the Adidas Originals shop is located. It’s a pedestrianised shopping street. There you’ll find a lovely restaurant serving mango sticky rice.

How to get there? – The nearest underground station is Wat Mangkon.

When’s the best time to go? – During the day or after dark.

Talad Noi

Talad Noi is a street lined with car repair workshops. In its hidden corners, if you wander around a bit, you’ll see mountains of car parts, old, dismantled wrecks and men who still make a living from repairs. An urban legend has it that you can find every car part in the world here.

At one of the roundabouts, you’ll see a huge Transformers figure. It’s a sculpture created by a local celebrity artist who displays his collection of all sorts of figurines outside his house every day. I had the chance to meet him during a cycle tour I went on a few years ago.

Talad Noi is also a café district. You’ll find some really interesting cafés here serving good coffee. Check out Ban Chim Cha, for example, which is housed in an old Chinese house.

This neighbourhood is perfect for a visit early in the morning if you want to avoid the crowds and enjoy a good cup of coffee. It’s also lovely here in the evening. I recommend popping into the Horseshoe Shrine – a small Chinese temple by the river, offering a beautiful view and great light for taking photos.

How to get there? – The nearest underground station is Hua Lampong.

When to visit? – Either first thing in the morning or at sunset.

Kudi Chin – The Portuguese Quarter

This neighbourhood is over 300 years old. Its main centre – and what sets it apart – is the Catholic Church of Santa Cruz. It was closed during my visit, but it’s certainly worth seeing up close.

Part of the Kudi Chin district is situated in very narrow streets along the river canal. It is therefore the perfect place if you’re looking for a side of Bangkok off the beaten track and want to experience local life.

Farang kudi chin cakes are very popular here, with visitors travelling from as far afield as central Bangkok to try them. These small, round cakes are a blend of Chinese and Portuguese influences. Farang kudi chin are made with yeast and topped with raisins and sugar. You can try them in the small bakeries in Kudi Chin.

The Baan Kudi Chin Museum is also well worth a visit. It traces the history of the Portuguese who arrived in Thailand in the 17th and 18th centuries and settled on this bank of the river. The museum is truly fascinating and well worth a visit during your stay.

How to get there? – The nearest metro station is Itsaraphap, but it’s quite a long walk from there, so it’s worth taking a GRAB. It’s easy to get there from the Grand Palace or Wat Pho. Just catch a boat from Rajinee Pier.

When to visit? – During the day or in the evening.

Banthat Thong

Are you looking for a part of Bangkok off the beaten track where you can enjoy a delicious meal? The Banthat Thong district is the place for you. Here you’ll find restaurants that will satisfy even the most discerning foodie. Each place offers a wide variety of dishes, and these are often quite different from the typical fare you’ll find in tourist spots.

The restaurants along the main road are mainly hot pot places – either mookata (Thai hot pot) or Korean-style versions. If you’re travelling with others, especially if there are several of you, I highly recommend trying mookata, which is a favourite way of eating together and spending time together in Thailand.

The most popular spot amongst Thais is Nueng Nom Nua, which serves thick-sliced toast with sweet sauces. This place is also famous because its logo – depicting a little boy marching along with a tray of toast – is almost a symbol of this neighbourhood and looks really striking at night.

How to get there? – The nearest BTS or MRT station is Hua Lampong.

When to visit? – In the evening, after dark.

See also – where to stay in Bangkok.

Koh Kret

Koh Kret is probably my favourite place in Bangkok so far. I’ve only been there once, as it is actually a bit far away, but I remember that trip as if it were yesterday.

Koh Kret is an island on the Chao Phraya River. It’s home to a community that mainly makes a living from pottery and crafting beautiful ceramic items. So, if you’re looking for something lovely for your home, Koh Kret is the perfect place to visit.

There’s a market here at the weekends. The stalls are lined up along the narrow road leading from the ferry. Further on, you’ll find beautiful, leafy streets, outdoor cafés and the peaceful rhythm of local life.

Koh Kret is a long way from the centre of Bangkok. It’s therefore worth setting aside a whole day for a trip there and not combining it with other attractions.

How to get there? – Getting there is complicated.

Option one – Difficult, long, but cheap

That’s how I did it, and it was quite an adventure! First, I took a boat from Rachanwongse to Nonthaburi for 15 baht. From the pier, I walked straight down the street to the bus stop and took bus number 32, which cost me 8 baht. I travelled on it to the terminus. When I got off, I walked to the jetty. There, some boatmen were already waiting for me, wanting to take me to Koh Kret for 50 baht. I ignored them and carried on, through the market, to the next jetty. There, the boat cost 10 baht.

The whole journey took me 3 hours and was quite a challenge, especially as it was very hot. Please note: only choose this option if you speak at least a little Thai. Otherwise, it might be difficult.

Option 2 – A bit simpler

You can combine my method described above with other options. For example, in Nonthaburi you can hire a boat. The driver will wait for you on Koh Kret for 2 hours and take you back. The cost is 800 baht. This is a convenient option, but I think 2 hours is a bit too short.

You can also opt to hire a boat for 50 baht rather than 10, as the second jetty is tucked away and quite difficult to find.

Option 3 – The simplest and most relaxing

Book a tour. Yes, I know that travelling with others can sometimes be a bit of a hassle, but it doesn’t have to be! I recommend Take Me Tour and their tours of Koh Kret. They’re all small-group tours, designed for just a few people and tailored to your needs. See what you can do on Koh Kret with Take Me Tour!

When to visit? – During the day, preferably at the weekend to see the market.

How to combine these places? – A suggested route

I’ll be honest straight away and say that it’s not possible to combine these places into a single itinerary. Some are too far apart for it to make sense to travel from one attraction to the next. So I recommend the following options.

Option 1 – Combine – Songwat – Talad Noi – Banthat Thong – This is the ideal order. In the afternoon, you can head to Songwat, then watch the sunset at Talad Noi and walk over to Banthat Thong for dinner and to admire the neon lights.

Option 2 – Combine – Kudi Chin with a visit to Wat Pho and the Grand Palace; after visiting Wat Arun, you can walk to Kudi Chin. In the evening, I’d also recommend popping into Wat Pak Nam.

Option 3 – Spend a whole day on Koh Kret.

See also – how to spend 3 days in Bangkok.

Bangkok – Practical Information

How to get there?

There are many airlines flying from Poland. In my opinion, the best ones are those from the Middle East, such as Emirates. Air China often offers cheaper options. Flights from Poland rarely go direct, and I actually see this as a plus. You can always get off halfway to stretch your legs.

I always search for flights on Skyscanner and I recommend this method.

You can take a taxi from Bangkok Airport. You’ll find public taxis at the very bottom. At a special ticket counter, you tell them where you want to go and pay. You pay the driver an additional 50 THB or so for the motorway toll.

A cheaper option is the Airport Link – the train into the city. You can reach many areas of Bangkok and, if necessary, take a GRAB taxi.

Travel Insurance

Good insurance for shorter trips (up to 2-3 weeks) is HeyMondo. If you’re going for longer, you’ll need something more complex. Try SafetyWing or Genki.

How to move around the city?

Public transport is reasonably well developed. It’s best to use the BTS, MRT and Skytrain – these are the train and underground lines in Bangkok. In addition, you’ll also find boats travelling along the canals and the main river.

I’d tend to avoid hailing taxis from the street. Drivers tend to overcharge. It’s much better to download the GRAB app and book taxis and motorbike taxis through it.

Accommodation

Bangkok has some beautiful and affordable hotels. It’s a good idea to stay somewhere near the Grand Palace. Thong Lor or Ekkamai are less touristy areas, but good places to stay.

Find more hotels on Booking.com here.

SIM card

You can buy a SIM card at the airport. There’s a kiosk right by the baggage reclaim area. Choose the plan that suits you, and the staff will activate the card for you.

It’s even easier to buy an eSIM before you leave. I recommend Airalo. The card will activate automatically once you land.

Some people say it’s cheaper at the 7-Eleven downstairs at the airport. The price difference is minimal and the shop is always packed with people. For me personally, it’s a waste of time.

If you’re going further

Are you heading further afield in Thailand? Book your transport. You can buy flight tickets from AirAsia or Nok Air. Buses and trains in Thailand are great too. I often travel by land and always buy my tickets through 12GoAsia.

Hidden Neighbourhoods of Bangkok – FAQs

Is Talad Noi safe and worth a half-day visit?

Talad Noi is very safe. Although it looks a bit dark after dark, you won’t come to any harm here. The locals are very welcoming towards visitors.

I’m not sure if half a day is too long, but it all depends on what you want to do. I think you’ll spend at least two hours here. It’ll certainly be longer if you like to explore at a leisurely pace, or have a bite to eat or a drink along the way.

Is it possible to explore Koh Kret without an organised tour?

Yes, absolutely. I did it on my own. Getting there wasn’t the easiest, but it was doable.

What’s the best time of day to visit Kudi Chin?

I was there at lunchtime and lots of places were closed. It was also very hot. So I think it might be better to go a bit later. On the other hand, if you want to see Wat Pak Nam at sunset, you should definitely head to Kudi Chin earlier.

What to eat on Banthat Thong Road?

It’s definitely worth trying a mookata if you’ve never had one before. Afterwards, you could try some toast with sweet sauce.

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