Bangkok’s legendary Khao San Road- you either love it or you hate it. With its own cult following and reputation, it’s not surprise that every backpacker feels obliged to start their South-east Asian adventure here. Because thousands of travellers flock here to immerse themselves in buckets of SangSoms and Red Bulls as a kind of initiation, you’re guaranteed to bump into all sorts of different characters.
Never been? Not sure what to expect? Maybe it’s time to book that flight to Bangkok and find out for yourself. Cheapflights.co.nz can help with that. In the meantime, here are seven people you always see on Bangkok’s Khao San Road.
The budget travellers
Identification: The budget traveller can be seen sipping ฿50 bottles of Chang outside a 7-Eleven. Anything is better than their so-called hostel dorm for ฿70 a night, right? They’d rather sit on the pavement (annoyingly in everyone’s way) or on the steps outside of Khao San Police Station than pay ฿100 for a bottle of Chang inside the bars.
Diet: Strictly 7-Eleven’s toasties — cheese and ham for lunch and a chicken burger one for dinner. All for under ฿100 – what a bargain.
The first-time tourists
Identification: First things first, they’re not travellers, they’re tourists and they’re probably staying in Bangkok just for a day because they have an early morning flight to catch to Phuket (they probably came to Khao San because their guidebook said so and got a taxi all the way from Sukhumvit). They’re most likely to be seen walking up and down the length of Khao San browsing the market stalls for tie-dye tops and hippie pants or getting an outdoor foot massage.
Diet: They’re the ones who will pay ฿1,000 to have their photo taken eating deep fried scorpions and insects.
The first-time travellers
Identification: The most common type of people you’ll come across on Khao San are the first-time travellers. Khao San is probably their very first experience of Thailand before they embark on their three-month backpacking trip through South-east Asia. They can usually be seen wearing knock-off tie-dye Adidas t-shirts and hippie pants.
Diet: As a rite of passage they considered trying Khao San’s bland Pad Thai, but ended up on buckets of SangSom rum and Red Bull. And that’s all they’ll “eat” for the rest of their stay on Khao San.
The veterans
Identification: While the first time visitors may find themselves getting sick in public, the veterans will probably be shaking their heads nearby, saying “been there, done that”. Then they’ll probably complain about Khao San being swarmed with way too many gap year students. You can spot the veterans from a mile off — they’ll most likely have dreadlocks and be covered in tattoos, spending their days chilling at one of the reggae bars playing a game of Jenga.
Diet: The veterans know where to get the good grub and that’s not Khao San. They know only too well that finding decent food on Khao San is a challenge, and it’s one they’re usually fine with skipping. Unless they get a craving for coconut ice cream or Nutella pancakes, of course.
The foodies
Identification: According to numerous guidebooks, Khao San Road is a haven for food lovers, which attracts truckloads of foodies. But when they turn up, they’ll soon realise that Khao San Road’s menu mainly consists of Nutella pancakes, deep fried insects (strictly for tourists), Turkish kebabs and really bland Pad Thai. So the easiest way to recognise the foodies? They’ll most likely have that disappointed expression on their faces, desperately searching for the mouthwatering Thai food they were promised. In the end, they’ll end up with chicken satays, which even they have to admit taste damn good with a chilled bottle of Singha.
Diet: Everything and anything.
The Snapchatters and Instagram-turned-Facebook-Live celebrities
Identification: This social media-savvy set can be found pretty much anywhere. Eager Snapchatters will be seen using the puppy filter while dancing to Shakira’s “Hips Don’t Lie” (Khao San’s favourite), while Facebook Live celebrities will be live streaming themselves getting a tattoo. And, of course, Instagrammers will be getting their hands dirty kneeling on the ground trying to get that perfect angle of D&D’s legendary neon sign with their iPhone.
Diet: Definitely fresh coconut ice cream with toasted peanuts and chocolate sauce served inside a coconut shell.
The gap-year students
Identification: Rocking “SAME SAME BUT DIFFERENT” t-shirts, they always tend to come in groups of five or more. They are the rowdiest of them all, crashing every possible party on Khao San, making sure they are seen and most importantly HEARD. They usually congregate around the Golf Bar, but since they probably won’t be able to afford Golf Bar’s “Seriously strong cocktails” they’ll probably end up on the sidewalk outside KFC.
Diet: KFC zinger fillet burgers. When they feel a little bit more adventurous they’ll be seen snacking on 7-Eleven’s frankfurter and cheese toasties.
Have you seen any of these seven on Khao San Road? Share your stories in the comments, and start planning your next Thailand adventure at Cheapflights.co.nz.
