Phrom Phong Area

Phrom Phong (BTS: Phrom Phong) is a great area of Bangkok to hang out.

Here are some of my picks in the area:

Food

Bourbon Street


Sukhumvit Soi 22, in Washington Square
The best home cookin' in Bangkok, hands down. Everything has been fantastic here: gumbo, crawfish, brisket, pizza, breakfast... Okay, so let me tell you about something called "Mexican Buffet Night." Every Tuesday you can go to Bourbon Street for an all-you-can-eat Mexican buffet (About 300 baht). The food isn't excessively authentic, but it hits the spot when you get your cravings for Mexican.

Coyote
Sukhumvit Road, near soi 33

This is a huge ex-pat hang out on Thursday nights for ladies night.

The Londoner
Sukhumvit Road, at soi 33

The Londoner is a place where you can eat some good hearty pies or pasta while watching a live football (soccer) match. It's actually in the basement of a building- don't miss it!

The Dubliner
Sukhumvit Road, between soi 24 and soi 22

The Dubliner serves a mean Irish breakfast all day long. They also have great Irish pies.

Attractions

Emporium Shopping Mall
BTS: Phrom Phong, sky walk to mall

Emporium is a collection of high-end stores, great eateries and a cutting-edge movie theatre.

Queen Sirikit Park

This small but beautiful park is home to picnickers, joggers, and families. There's a fountain show at night, but it's not much to write home about.


Flower Street Vendor
BTS Phrom Phong

On Sukhumvit Road, across the street from Emporium, is a great selection of fresh flowers. You can get a bouquet for as little as 25 baht (less than a dollar). It takes up a big portion of the block- it'll be hard to miss.

Thai Snack Vendors

Thailand is famous for snacking, which is why there are vendors lining every major road in Bangkok.

Diced fruit on the go?
Pork satay on the go?
Roasted bananas on the go?

It can ALL be located in this food-loving city. A word of advice: It's all cheap, so give everything a try!

Here are some of the snacks/vendors you might encounter...

Roasted Bananas


Fresh-Squeezed Orange Juice from Mr. Orange


Belgium Waffles


Spring Rolls

Thong Lor

The Thong Lor area (Thong Lor stop on the BTS) is considered "The Beverly Hills of Bangkok."

On this short street, there are three Starbucks, many of Bangkok's top restaurants and clubs, boutique dress and suit designers, two grocery markets, karaoke and bowling alleys.

Here are my top picks for Thonglor...

Food - Lunch and Dinner

Beccofino
Located on Thong Lor, at about soi 4

This is an up-scale restaurant serving fine Italian food, from pasta to pizza to steak. Dishes start at 300 baht ($10) and head northwards for dishes like steak.


Witch's Tavern
Located on Thong Lor between soi 8 and soi 10

This is a great restaurant that is frequented by young professionals in Bangkok. The meals (pasta, salad, pizza, appetizers) start at 200 baht ($6). They have live jazz on Wednesdays for ladies' night.


Woodstock
Located on Thong Lor soi 13 on the left, about a 5-minute walk from Thong Lor

This American-owned restaurant serves your favorite American food and has the best burgers in the city. Meals start at 250 baht ($7).


Ana's Garden
Located on Thong Lor, between soi 1 and soi 3

This Thai restaurant serves some of the best Thai food I've had- with a menu full of options. It's all very fresh and spicy.


Soi 38 Night Market
Located at the Thong Lor BTS stop, at Sukhumvit 38


This street, which opens every night around 6pm, serves the best street food in Bangkok.

Food- Breakfast

Little Home Bakery
Located on Thong Lor, between soi 23 and soi 25

This has a huge American breakfast and lunch menu, as well as several Thai dishes. The meals start at 100 baht ($3). They have great banana pancakes!


The Witch Pie Factory
Located on Thong Lor soi 1, between Thong Lor and Sukhumvit 53

Although they have traditional Irish pies, this restaurant serves a killer 99 baht breakfast breakfast on Saturday and Sunday mornings until 1pm. The breakfast comes with toast, eggs, potatoes, tomatoes, baked beans and bacon.

Food- Bakery/ Sweets

Sparkles
Located on Sukhumvit soi 53, about a block from Sukhumit Road

This cupcakery is the finest in Bangkok. The cupcakes are made with all-natural ingredients and come in unique flavors such as: lavender, Nutella, and chocolate-orange. This bakery sells cupcakes, cookies and cheesecake (the cheesecake flavor changes each week).

Places to Go, Things to See

J Avenue
Located on Thong Lor, at soi 15

This area has popular eateries (Greyhound Cafe, Au Bon Pan, iBerry... and even a McDonalds), a bowling alley on the top floor, a grocery market- Villa, and boutique shops.


Tops Market
Located on Thong Lor, at soi 4


This collection of shops is similar to J-Avenue- just a smaller version. They have a grocery market- Tops (that has a really good, and cheap, Mexican counter), ice -cream parlors, restaurants and boutique shops. On Sundays you'll see some ridiculous cars (Ferraris, Bentleys, Lamborghinis, Porsches, etc) parked in the lot.


Sorbet, Boutique Store
Located on Thong Lor soi 13 on the left, about a block from Thong Lor.


This dress and skirt shop makes one-of-a-kind dresses for about 3,000 baht ($100). They use the extra fabric to make matching shoes. Their dresses, skirts, and shoes are worth saving for- very high-quality!

Food

Soi Food
Almost every neighborhood has an area with soi (street) food.
How much:
Soi food- Can be as cheap as 20 baht (for chicken satay) or as expensive as 50 baht (for bigger dishes). Either way, street food will cost no more than 50 baht (about $1.50). Fresh fruit smoothies will cost about 20 baht (65 cents), and fresh fruit will cost about 10 baht (30 cents). Water, coke and tea from street vendors will cost about 10 baht (30 cents).

Thai restaurants
It's the same food you'll find on the street... just at higher prices.
How much:
Thai dishes will be anywhere from 90-200 baht at a moderately priced Thai restaurant, so up to $7.


Here are some of the staple dishes Thailand:

Mango Sticky Rice

Just as it sounds... fresh mango with sticky rice served with warm cream and crisped rice.

Som Tom

This is spicy papaya salad- very spicy and fresh.

Cow Pad

This is fried rice. If you want fried rice with chicken, you'd say "cow pad guy" (guy means chicken).

Pad Thai

This is probably the most famous Thai dish with noodles, peanut sauce, tofu and your choice of meat.

Pad Kra Preaw

This is a mix of pork and peppers with rice. It's a really, really spicy dish, so proceed with caution.

Tom Yum

This is lemon grass hot & sour soup, usually served with shrimp.