{{Short description|Street in Bangkok, Thailand}} {{Infobox street | name = Khaosan Road | native_name ={{native name|th|ถนนข้าวสาร}} | image = 2016 Bangkok, Dystrykt Phra Nakhon, Ulica Khaosan (08).jpg | caption = Khaosan Road in 2016 | mapframe = yes | mapframe-zoom = 14 | former_names = | postal_code = | addresses = | length = | width = | location =[[Khwaeng Talat Yot]], [[Khet Phra Nakhon]], [[Bangkok]], [[Thailand]] | client = | owner = | current_tenants = | sector = | category = | coordinates = {{coord|13|45|32|N|100|29|50|E|type:landmark_region:TH|display=inline,title}} | commissioning_date = | construction_start_date = | completion_date = | inauguration_date = | demolition_date = | main_contractor = | cost = }}
'''Khaosan Road''' or '''Khao San Road''' ({{langx|th|ถนนข้าวสาร}}, {{rtgs|''Thanon Khao San''}}, {{IPA|th|tʰā.nǒn kʰâ(ː)w sǎːn|pron}}) is a short street in central [[Bangkok]], [[Thailand]]. It is {{convert|410|m}} in length and was constructed in 1892 during the reign of [[Rama V]].<ref name="aecnews">{{Cite web|url=http://aecnews.net/khao-san-road/|title=Khao San Road|website=aecnews.net|publisher=Asia Pacific Daily|access-date=2016-12-11|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151124225127/http://aecnews.net/khao-san-road/|archive-date=2015-11-24|url-status=dead}}</ref> It is in the [[Bang Lamphu]] area of [[Phra Nakhon District]] about {{convert|1|km|mi|abbr=on}} north of the [[Grand Palace, Bangkok|Grand Palace]] and [[Wat Phra Kaew]].
==Background== [[File:2016 Bangkok, Dystrykt Phra Nakhon, Ulica Khaosan (10).jpg|thumb|Khaosan Road during the daytime (2016)]] "Khaosan" translates as 'milled rice', indicating that in former times the street was a major Bangkok rice market.<ref name="aecnews" /> However, historical records from when the road was first completed during the reign of Rama V indicate that none of the local residents were involved in the rice trade at that time. This suggests that rice trading in the area probably began earlier, in the early [[Rattanakosin period]] during the reigns of [[Rama I]] to [[Rama III]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/bangkokcitylibrary/videos/483138824759914|work=[[Facebook]]|accessdate=2024-11-13|date=2024-11-10|title=#liveสด งานเสวนาเขตคลองมองเมือง โดย ดร.รัชดา โชติพานิช #หอสมุดเมืองกรุงเทพมหานคร|author=[[Bangkok City Library]]|language=thai}}</ref> In the last 40 years, Khaosan Road has developed into a world-famous "[[backpacking (travel)|backpacker]] ghetto".<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|last=Sørensen|first=Anders|date=2003-10-01|title=Backpacker ethnography|journal=Annals of Tourism Research|volume=30|issue=4|pages=847–867|doi=10.1016/S0160-7383(03)00063-X}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iV2UDJNyGkYC|title=The Global Nomad: Backpacker Travel in Theory and Practice|last1=Richards|first1=Greg|last2=Wilson|first2=Julie|date=2004-01-01|publisher=Channel View Publications|isbn=9781873150764|language=en|chapter=15}}</ref> It offers cheap accommodation, ranging from "mattress in a box"-style hotels to reasonably priced three-star hotels. In an essay on the backpacker culture of Khaosan Road, [[Susan Orlean]] called it "the place to disappear".<ref>Susan Orlean, "The Place to Disappear", in ''The Best American Travel Writing 2001'', Jason Wilson and [[Paul Theroux]], eds. (Mariner Books, 2001), pp. 228–237.</ref> According to the Khao San Business Association, the road has 40,000–50,000 tourists per day in the high season, and 20,000 per day in the low season.<ref name="BP-20190804">{{cite news |last1=Pongsupradit |first1=Chayanit |last2=Kasemsuk |first2=Narumon |last3=Wancharoen |first3=Supoj |date=4 August 2019 |title=Cleaning up Khao San |url=https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/special-reports/1724247/cleaning-up-khao-san |access-date=4 August 2019 |work=Bangkok Post}}</ref>
Visitors to Khao San Road are diverse:<ref name=":0" />
{{Blockquote|text=In this small area one can observe the interactions and groupings of disparate characters such as un-educated young Westerners on extended leave from affluent society, high school graduates on gap year travels, Israelis fresh out of military service, university students on holiday or sabbatical leave, young Japanese in rite-of-passage attire, ordinary holidaymakers, (ex-) volunteers from various organizations, and the like.|sign=Anders Sørensen|source=''Annals of Tourism Research''}}
It is also a base for travel: coaches leave daily for all major [[tourist destination]]s in Thailand, from [[Chiang Mai]] in the north to [[Ko Pha-ngan]] in the south. There are many relatively inexpensive [[travel agent]]s who can arrange [[Visa (document)|visas]] and transportation to the neighbouring countries of [[Cambodia]], [[Laos]], [[Malaysia]], and [[Vietnam]].<ref name="CNN-20210129">{{cite news |last1=Cummings |first1=Joe |title=How Bangkok's Khao San Road evolved from a rice market into the world's most famous travel hub |url=https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/bangkok-khao-san-road-evolution/index.html |access-date=31 January 2021 |work=CNN |date=29 January 2021}}</ref>
{{multiple image|perrow=1/1|total_width=200|caption_align=center | title = | image1 =Khao_san.jpg|caption1= | image2 = Bangkok Khaosan1.jpg|caption2=Khaosan Road at night }}
Khaosan shops sell handicrafts, paintings, clothes, local fruits, unlicensed [[Compact disk|CDs]], DVDs, a wide range of fake IDs, used books, and other useful backpacker items.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.bangkok.com/area-khao-san-road/shopping.htm|title=Khao San Road Shopping - Where to Shop and What to Buy in Khao San Road|newspaper=bangkok.com|access-date=2016-12-11}}</ref> After dark, bars open, music is played, food hawkers sell barbecued insects and other exotic snacks for tourists,<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.bangkokpost.com/vdo/travel/441361/khao-san-road-backpackers-haven|title=Khao San Road - Backpackers' haven|work=Bangkok Post|access-date=2016-12-11|type=Video}}</ref> and touts promote [[ping pong show]]s.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://foodfuntravel.com/can-see-ping-pong-shows-bangkok-update/|title=Where Can I See Ping Pong Shows in Bangkok? - Update|date=2017-03-18|website=Food Fun Travel Blog|language=en-US|access-date=2019-05-24}}</ref> There are also [[Cannabis in Thailand|cannabis shops]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Haze of confusion in Thailand as government flips on cannabis law|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jul/10/thailand-recreational-cannabis-ban-new-laws|newspaper=The Guardian|location=UK|first=Rebecca|last=Ratcliffe|date=10 July 2025}}</ref>
The area is known internationally as a center of dancing, partying, and just prior to the traditional [[Thai New Year]] ([[Songkran (Thailand)|Songkran]] festival) of 13–15 April, water splashing that usually turns into a huge water fight.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://bangkok.coconuts.co/2016/04/08/khao-san-songkran-shortened-2-days-save-water|title=Khao San Songkran shortened to 2 days to save water|date=8 April 2016|website=Coconuts Bangkok|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161104203006/http://bangkok.coconuts.co/2016/04/08/khao-san-songkran-shortened-2-days-save-water|archive-date=4 November 2016}}</ref> One Thai writer has described Khaosan as "...a short road that has the longest dream in the world".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.th4u.com/khaosan_road.htm |title=Literal Backpacker's Mecca in Bangkok Khao San Road|website=Thailand for You|access-date=2015-09-07}}</ref> Khaosan Road has become a model for other modern Songkran celebration venues. As a result, many roads in provincial areas across Thailand have been named with the prefix "Khao" such as Khaolam Road ("[[sticky rice in bamboo]] road") in [[Chonburi province|Chonburi]], Khaosuk Road ("cooked rice road") in [[Ang Thong province|Ang Thong]], and Khaopun Road ("[[khanom chin]] road") in [[Nakhon Phanom|Nakhon Phanom]]. Nationwide, there are more than 50 such roads.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sanook.com/news/9880482/|work=Sanook.com|date=2026-03-26|accessdate=2026-04-14|title=เปิดรายชื่อ "ถนนตระกูลข้าว" มีมากกว่า 50 แห่ง อยู่ที่ไหนบ้าง ไม่ได้มีแค่ที่ ถ.ข้าวสาร กทม.|language=thai}}</ref>
A Buddhist temple under royal patronage, the centuries-old [[Wat Chana Songkram]], is directly opposite Khaosan Road to the west, while the area to the northwest contains an [[Islam in Thailand|Islamic community]] and several small mosques.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.bangkokpost.com/print/744768/|title=Bangkok's Islamic quarters|last=Mahavongtrakul|first=Melalin|date=2015-10-27|work=Bangkok Post|access-date=2016-12-11}}</ref>
==History== According to those who had lived in Bang Lamphu for many years, the first guesthouse on Khaosan Road opened around 1982 in a narrow ''[[soi]]'' (alley) connecting to [[Ratchadamnoen Avenue]]. At that time, Khaosan Road was very quiet. There were small [[shophouse]]s on both sides of the street, including [[beef noodle]] shops, [[grocery store]]s, [[Thai fabrics|Thai fabric]] stores, and 3–4 illegal [[snooker club]]s frequented mostly by teenagers. There were also a few old houses belonging to the local gentry.<ref>{{cite web|language=thai|accessdate=2024-09-12|date=2024-09-09|title=#2มุมข่าว (9 ก.ย.67)|url=https://www.facebook.com/mcotfm100.5/videos/1302353327403858|work=[[Facebook]]|author=[[MCOT|MCOT News FM 100.5]]}}</ref>
In July 2018, the [[Bangkok Metropolitan Administration]] (BMA), in an attempt to clean up Khaosan Road, announced that street vendors would be removed from the thoroughfare from 1 August 2018. The BMA intended to move them to a nearby area and restrict their trading hours to 18:00 to midnight.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Ellis-Petersen |first1=Hannah |title='It's a shocking idea': outcry over Bangkok street vendor ban |url=https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2018/aug/04/bangkok-street-vendor-ban-prompts-outcry-thailand |access-date=5 August 2018 |work=The Guardian |date=4 August 2018}}</ref> The Khaosan Street Vendors Association, representing some 300 vendors, rejected the move, citing financial ruin for vendors.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Panyasuppakun |first1=Kornrawdee |title=Khaosan vendors call on BMA to scrap ban on pavement stalls |url=https://www.nationthailand.com/detail/national/30351079 |access-date=31 July 2018 |work=The Nation |date=31 July 2018}}</ref> Last-minute negotiations between the BMA and vendors proved fruitless as neither side was willing to compromise.<ref>{{cite news |title=City Hall to enforce footpath vending ban on Khao San Rd |url=https://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general/1513278/city-hall-to-enforce-footpath-vending-ban-on-khao-san-rd |access-date=31 July 2018 |work=Bangkok Post |date=31 July 2018}}</ref> Khaosan vendors announced that, in defiance of BMA order, they would be open as usual on 1 August.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Saksornchai |first1=Jintamas |title=Khaosan Vendors to Defy City Hall's New Rules |url=http://www.khaosodenglish.com/featured/2018/07/31/khaosan-vendors-to-defy-city-halls-new-rules/ |access-date=31 July 2018 |work=Khaosod English |date=31 July 2018}}</ref> On the first day of the ban on stalls, roughly 70 percent of the vendors opened as usual in defiance of the police.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Panyasuppakun |first1=Kornrawee |title=Khaosan vendors brazenly defy BMA's ban on pavement trading |url=https://www.nationthailand.com/detail/national/30351251 |access-date=2 August 2018 |work=The Nation |date=2 August 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Vendors ignore ban on road stalls on Khao San |url=https://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general/1513922/vendors-ignore-ban-on-road-stalls-on-khao-san |access-date=2 August 2018 |work=Bangkok Post |agency=Reuters |date=2 August 2018}}</ref>
===2019 facelift=== [[File:Khaosanroad-beforemakeover-2018-8-11.webm|thumb|left|Before redevelopment in 2018]] In 2019, the [[Bangkok Metropolitan Administration|BMA]] announced that it would commit 48.8 million [[baht]] to transform Khaosan Road into an “international walking street".<ref name="BP-20190804" /> The works were completed in 2020, accelerated in-part thanks to a sharp decline in tourism during the [[COVID-19 pandemic]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Wancharoen |first=Supoj |date=2020-10-21 |title=Khao San Road to reopen with special fair |url=https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2005431/khao-san-road-to-reopen-with-special-fair |access-date=2025-08-08 |work=Bangkok Post |language=en}}</ref> Gutters connected to the main drainage system were installed on both sides of the road, and a designated space for emergency vehicles to park was constructed.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news |last=Wancharoen |first=Supoj |date=2020-08-18 |title=Khao San Road to reopen fully after B48m facelift |url=https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/1969843/khao-san-road-to-reopen-fully-after-b48m-facelift |access-date=2025-08-08 |work=Bangkok Post |language=en}}</ref> A space management plan was put in place, with hundreds of vendors allocated designated stalls and scheduled shifts.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Nation |first=The |date=2020-05-15 |title=Khaosan Road renovation 91 per cent complete, well ahead of schedule |url=https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/30387903 |access-date=2025-08-08 |website=nationthailand |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":1" /> The road reopened on the same year.
==See also== * [[Banana Pancake Trail]]
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== {{Commons}} {{Wikivoyage|Bangkok/Khao San Road|Khao San Road}} * {{OSM way|23610119}}
{{Visitor attractions in Bangkok}}
[[Category:Streets in Bangkok|Khaosan]] [[Category:Neighbourhoods of Bangkok]] [[Category:Tourist attractions in Bangkok]] [[Category:Shopping districts and streets in Thailand]] [[Category:Phra Nakhon district]] [[Category:1892 establishments in Siam]]