Khao San Road

At just 410 meters long, Khao San Road is one of the most famous streets in Bangkok. When it was created in 1892, it served as a major rice market—its name, “Khao San,” literally means “milled rice.” The street’s true fame, however, came much later. From the 1980s onward, its central location made it the natural meeting point for backpackers from around the world. Some even call it “the backpacker’s kilometer zero.” Its reputation went global in 2000, when Leonardo DiCaprio’s character in the film The Beach made a stop here before heading off to the islands. Since then, Khao San Road has been on nearly every traveler’s map. By day, it bustles with cafés, travel agencies, and stalls selling clothes and souvenirs. But it’s at night that the street really comes alive—music blasting from bars, sizzling street food stands, tattoo parlors, neon lights, and a nonstop sea of people. For some it’s chaotic, for others it’s pure energy, but for everyone it’s unforgettable: Khao San Road is the beating heart of Bangkok’s traveler scene.