Sukhumvit (Thai: สุขุมวิท) is an exclusive district in Bangkok. It is home to fancy apartments, villas, restaurants, bars and clubs. Popular among foreign visitors and expats, it becomes more and more a Thai residential neighborhood as you follow the road southeast. Khlong Toey is also dealt with here, which, ironically enough, is one of the poorest neighborhoods of Bangkok.

[edit]Understand

Sukhumvit Road is not only one of the longest roads in Thailand, but one of the longest roads in the world. Towards the west end it changes name to Phloen Chit Road and Rama I Road as it enters the Siam Square area, but to the east it runs most of the way to the Cambodian border. The sois are numbered from west to east, with odd numbers north and even numbers south of Sukhumvit Road. The sois on the north and south sides of Sukhumvit don't line up; for example, Soi 33 is opposite Soi 24. Confusing is that these sois also have names of their own (for example, Soi 55 is better known as Soi Thong Lo) and these sois can also have sois of their own (such as Thong Lo Soi 1).

Looking at the high-rise apartment buildings, the Skytrain and the perennial traffic jam on Sukhumvit Road, it is hard to believe that this area used to consist of rice fields until World War II. After the war, this area became developed with large contemporary villas catering to the upper class. As property values kept rising, developers have been buying more and more land and cashed them in by constructing big apartment high-rises. The construction of the BTS Skytrain in 1999, covering most of Sukhumvit Road, has increased the popularity of this district even more.

The lowered-numbered sois (roughly between Soi 1 and 63) are a popular residential area for western expatriates and affluent Thais. It is densely packed with shopping centres, restaurants and hotels. The fleshpots of Nana Entertainment Plaza (in Soi 4) and Soi Cowboy (between Soi 21 and 23) are also in this area, as are plenty of more (and less) salubrious bars. Also, the pavements of Sukhumvit itself has become a huge market carrying everything from luggage to fake Rolex watches, and after midnight they turn into pavement cafes and bars. Sukhumvit offers the best dining in Bangkok, from five-star dining to street stands, the variety of choices and tastes are almost overwhelming. Japanese nationals can be found in the area Soi 21 and upwards, but most tend to congregate around Soi 55. Indians have settled around Soi 12, while Arabs are grouped at Soi 3/1, which informally is known as Soi Arab. After Soi 63, Thais take over again, though this might change when the Skytrain extension is completed in late 2011.

South of Sukhumvit's sois lies Khlong Toey, which, if recognized at all, foreigners only know for the Khlong Toey Market. Khlong Toey is a borough, a market and a port, all named after the canal that flows through the area. It means "canal of pandan" as that plant used to grow along the southern bank of the canal. A large part of it was filled up to make way for Rama IV Road in 1947. South (and under) the Chalerm Maha Nakhon Expressway are the infamous Khlong Toey slums, generally unexplored by even the most adventurous travelers. At the banks of the Chao Phraya river is the Khlong Toey Port, which has a history dating back to the ninth century, when it connected Bangkok with the cities upstream the river. Since 1981, it has lost most of its economic relevance when the larger Laem Chabang Port near Pattaya took over business.

Map of Sukhumvit

Map of Nana

[edit]Get in

Map of Sukhumvit

Map of Nana

[edit]By public transit

[edit]Skytrain

The BTS Sukhumvit Line runs, as the name suggests, entirely over Sukhumvit Road from west to east. Sukhumvit can directly be reached by Skytrain if you're coming from Siam Square or Phahonyothin. A ride from Mo Chit takes about 25 minutes to reach Asok station, while a ride from Siam station takes about 10 minutes. If you're coming from Silom, you'll need to take the Silom Line north and change onto the Sukhumvit Line at Siam station. It takes about 20 minutes for a ride from Saphan Taksin station to reach Asok station, including the transfer at Siam. Trains leave every five to ten minutes for a fare of about 15 to 40 baht.

The following BTS stations are currently present in Sukhumvit (from west to east): Nana, Asok, Phrom Phong, Thong Lo, Ekkamai, Phra Khanong and On Nut. Each station serves the neighborhood of the same name. Asok is the most convenient station as it is in the center of Sukhumvit and has a direct transfer with Bangkok's MRT metro system. In the following years, the Sukhumvit Line will extend even further south connecting other residential areas in the south of the city.

[edit]Metro

If you're coming from Silom or Ratchadaphisek, you can directly reach Sukhumvit by Bangkok's MRT metro system. The most convenient station is Sukhumvit, which is right in the middle of the district and with a possible transfer onto the BTS Sukhumvit Line. The other stations in the district are Khlong Toei and QSNCC. The metro ride from Silom takes about ten minutes, while the ride from Ratchadaphisek takes about 15 minutes. Trains leave every five to ten minutes for a fare of about 15 to 40 baht.

[edit]By boat

The Saen Saep Express Boat service is a rough, but entertaining way of getting in and around Sukhumvit. The Saen Saeb canal forms the northern boundary of Sukhumvit's sois and is a cheap alternative means of escaping the traffic jams if you're coming fromKhao San Road, the eastern side of Rattanakosin or Ramkhamhaeng.

There are two lines: The Golden Mount Line runs from Panfa Leelard near the Golden Mount in Rattanakosin east to Pratunamnear Ratchaprasong intersection. The NIDA Line runs from Pratunam all the way northeast along Ramkhamhaeng Road to Wat Sriboonreung. A single trip from Panfa Leelard to Nana Nua takes about 35 minutes and costs 13 baht. You must switch boats at Pratunam. Other stops along Sukhumvit's northern sois (from west to east) are Nana Chard, Asoke-Petchaburi, Prasanmit, Italthai, Wat Mai Chonglom, Baan Don Mosque, Soi Thonglor, Charn Issara andVijit School.

If you're coming from the Grand Palace area in Rattanakosin, there are two ways to get into Sukhumvit. The fastest way is to take the Chao Phraya Express Boat to Sathorn (Taksin) pier in Silom. From there, continue your way north using the BTS Skytrain Silom Line. You'll need to switch trains at Siam BTS station and continue your way east onto the Sukhumvit Line. The whole ride from Rattanakosin takes about 40 minutes. You can also choose to take the 30-minutes walk (or a five minutes taxi ride) to Panfa Leelard pier and continue your journey using the Saen Saep Express Boat.

[edit]By bus

This first tip on bus travel is one to remember: do not do it! Sukhumvit Road is probably the most congested road of Bangkok and traffic jams exist the whole day till late in the evening. Also, it is really hard to find out which bus goes where or where to get out. Better take the Skytrain, metro or express boat, even if it costs a little more.

If you insist, there are a gazillion bus lines going through the Sukhumvit area. The most important one is ordinary and air-conditioned bus 25, which starts far southeast of Sukhumvit Road. From there, it goes all the way northwest along Sukhumvit Road and then rides over Ratchadamri Road and Rama IV Road to Silom. It then continues its way to Hualamphong Train Station, through either Charoen Krung Road or Yaowarat Road (depending on direction) and finally on to Tha Chang in Rattanakosin (for the Grand Palace).

From the new Suvarnabhumi Airport, you can take bus AE3 for 150 baht to Sukhumvit. It runs up the Bang Na-Trat Expressway and along Sukhumvit all the way up to Siam Square. It then loops back around to Nana and then back out to the airport. Another option is bus 552, which heads on to On Nut, where you can continue your way with the Skytrain. There are many stops and depending on traffic the ride can take from 1 to 2 hours.

[edit][add listing]See

[edit]Museums

Garden at Kamthieng House Museum

• Kamthieng House Museum (พิพิธภัณฑ์เรือนคำเที่ยง Ban Kamthieng), 131 Sukhumvit Soi 21 (Asoke Rd) (BTS Asok or MRT Sukhumvit, then a five-minutes walk north), ☎ +66-2-661-6470‎, [2]. Tu-Sa 9AM-5PM. Ban Kamthieng is a 19th-century ancient Thai stilted teak house where you definitely wouldn't expect it: right in the middle of Bangkok's high-rises. It was transported from Chiang Mai in pieces and assembled in Bangkok in 1964 to function as the headquarters of the Siam Society, an organization that has the goal of preserving the cultural heritage of Thailand. Beside the house itself, on display are traditional tools, arts and crafts used by Lanna farmers and fishermen from northern Thailand in olden times, as well as a large selection of Thai flora in its yard. There is a heavy focus on the cultural heritage of northern Thailand, as that's where the house and most of the tools on display came from. The only downside of the museum is that it's quite small, so don't expect to spend here longer than 30 minutes (or even 15 minutes if you're quick). 100 baht.  edit

• Museum of Buddhism Art (พิพิธภัณฑ์พุทธศิลปะ), 104 Phattanakan Soi 40, ☎ +66-2-321-0048(-50). M-Sa 10AM-5:30PM, Su closed. This museum features a large private collection of Buddha images and is operated by the Foundation of Thai Arts Preservation. The exhibition focuses on the art of Buddha images in accordance with Thai history. An international presentation comprising light, sound (chanting) and scent (incense) explains the information to the visitor in an air-conditioned room. Besides Buddha images and artefacts of different periods, there is also an area allocated to be a shrine and a museum dedicated to the Goddess of Mercy and other major gods of various beliefs in Asia. Make contact in advance if you want to visit. 250 baht.  edit

• Museum of Thai Pharmacy (พิพิธภัณฑ์เภสัชกรรมไทย), 40 Sukhumvit Soi 38 (BTS Thong Lo, diagonally opposite Soi Thong Lo), ☎ +66-2-391-6243. M-F 10AM-4PM. The museum is on the third floor of the Pharmaceutical Association of Thailand under Royal Patronage Building. It was established to publicize about traditional Thai medicine from past to present, so that later generations would learn and treasure it. The exhibition features various topics, such as the birth of pharmacy, the evolution of oriental pharmacy and basic wisdom, the evolution of western Thai pharmacy and the evolution of herbs and natural products. Make contact in advance if you are visiting with a group. Free.  edit

• Science Centre for Education (ศูนย์วิทยาศาสตร์เพื่อการศึกษา (ท้องฟ้าจำลอง)), 928 Sukhumvit Rd (BTS Ekkamai, the museum is next to the Eastern Bus Terminal), ☎ +66-2-392-5951(-5), [3]. Tu-Su 8:30AM-4:30PM, M and hols closed. This is an exhibition centre about the variety of scientific knowledge. Among the attractions are a planetarium, an aquarium as well as a permanent exhibition on sports science, communication technology and natural environments. One-hour shows at the planetarium start at 11AM and at 2:30PM with additional shows on Saturdays and Sundays at 10AM and 1:30PM. 20-40 baht.  edit

• Thailand Creative and Design Center (TCDC), 6th Floor, Emporium, 622 Sukhumvit Rd (BTS Phrom Phong), ☎ +66-2-664-8448, [4]. Tu-Su 10:30AM-9PM, M, hols closed.There couldn't have been a better place for this design gallery, at the the Emporium, the most fashionable shopping mall of Bangkok. The TCDC, as abbreviation-loving Bangkokians call it, seeks to show and promote Thailand's design innovations. There is a permanent exhibition about the question what design actually is, and how it is influenced by factors like society, history, politics, economics, geography and religion. There is also a temporary exhibition that often changes. If you want to enter the resource center and the library, you can get a free one-day pass. You can only do this once and you must carry your passport with you. Spend the day reading amazing design books, or just using the internet. If you want to visit the resource center and library again later, you'll need to pay for a subscription. Free.  edit

[edit]Parks

• Benchasiri Park (สวนเบญจศิริ), Sukhumvit Rd (BTS Phrom Phong, between Soi 22 and Soi 24, next to The Emporium shopping mall). 5AM-8PM daily. This compact park was built to commemorate the 60th birthday of HM Queen Sirikit in 1992. It features a huge sculpture of a commemorative coin illustrating an image of HM Queen Sirikit and 12 pieces of contemporary sculptures including children's works. Free.  edit

• Benjakiti Park, Ratchadaphisek Rd (MRT Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre). 5AM-8PM daily. When the Tobacco Company moved all its factory operations to Chiang Rai in 2008, a large swathe of free space came free in the center of Bangkok. It has been turned into a brand new public park that surrounds a big lake in front of the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre. It is a neat park with children playing in the lake at hot summer days. Another part of the former factory compound will turn into a man-made rainforest in the future. Free.  edit

• Ozono, 307 Sukhumvit Soi 39 (BTS Phrom Phong), ☎ +66-2-259-3788, [5]. Tu-Su 10AM-9PM, M closed. Luxury in Sukhumvit is not just for those on two legs. Ozono is a so-called "lifestyle complex" where Bangkok's pet owners can bring their pets as buddies and spoil them in an equal manner. There are pet hotels, pet stores, pet spas, pet restaurants and a landscaped pet park. The pets are treated as humans, so they can sit at the table in a restaurant along with their owners. If you don't have a pet, you can just look at the quirkiness of it all, or check out the pets at one the pet hotels. You might think it's just overdone luxury, but demand is high among Bangkok's pet owners, as pets are forbidden in all of Bangkok's public parks.  edit

• Suan Luang Rama IX Park (สวนหลวง ร. 9), Sukhumvit Soi 103 (about 7 km deep inside Sukhumvit Soi 103 (Soi Udomsuk)), ☎ +66-2-328-1395. 5AM-7PM daily. Built in 1987 to celebrate the 60th birthday of the present HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej, this is the largest public park of Bangkok. It consists of six zones: the Homage to His Majesty, the Botanical Garden, the Trapangkaew Resevoir, the Rommaniya Garden, the Sanam Rasdara and the Water Garden. It is very very deep down the sois of Sukhumvit, so its best to stop over a taxi to find it. 10 baht.  edit

[edit][add listing]