Sukhumvit Bangkok: an area guide to the long road east

Sukhumvit Bangkok is less a neighbourhood than a spine. Sukhumvit Road runs east from the city centre for mile after mile, and the BTS Skytrain runs above it, so most visitors experience the area as a string of stations: Nana, Asok, Phrom Phong, Thong Lo, Ekkamai, Phra Khanong, On Nut. Each stop has its own character, and the odd-numbered sois (side streets) branch north while the even ones go south. This guide is the overview; the stop-by-stop detail lives in the linked posts.

How Sukhumvit is laid out

The road is numbered from the Phloen Chit end. Low sois (1 to 23) are the Nana and Asok stretch, the busiest and most tourist-facing part. Sois 24 to 39 belong to Phrom Phong and its malls. Soi 55 is Thonglor and Soi 63 is Ekkamai, the two streets most associated with bars and restaurants. Beyond that the road becomes more local and more residential through Phra Khanong and On Nut.

The practical consequence is that nothing on Sukhumvit is really walkable from anything else. Pick the station nearest your target and go from there. The BTS is quick and cheap; taxis on Sukhumvit Road itself are slow at almost any hour.

Sukhumvit stop by stop

• Nana (Soi 3 to Soi 11). Middle Eastern restaurants on Soi 3 and Soi 3/1, the Nana Plaza red-light complex on Soi 4, and a long run of bars and rooftop hotels on [Soi 11](/?q=Sukhumvit 11). See the Asok and Nana guide.
• Asok (Soi 21 to Soi 23). The interchange with the MRT, [Terminal 21](/?q=Terminal 21) mall, Soi Cowboy, and the entrance to Benjakitti Park. Also covered in the Asok and Nana guide.
• Phrom Phong (Soi 24 to Soi 39). EmQuartier, Emporium and EmSphere, with Benjasiri Park in the middle and a strong Japanese presence on Sois 33/1 and 39. See the Phrom Phong guide.
• Thong Lo (Soi 55). Bangkok's best-known street for cocktail bars, restaurants and Japanese dining. See the Thonglor guide.
• Ekkamai (Soi 63). Quieter than Thonglor, with the Eastern Bus Terminal, Gateway mall and a good run of bars. See the Ekkamai guide.
• Phra Khanong and On Nut. More local, cheaper and increasingly interesting. See On Nut and Phra Khanong.

What to eat along Sukhumvit

Sukhumvit has every price point, often within the same block. The street carts along the main road near Nana and Asok sell grilled pork skewers, fruit and noodles through the evening. The Middle Eastern restaurants on Soi 3/1 do shawarma, hummus and grilled meats late into the night. Phrom Phong is the place for Japanese food: ramen, sushi and izakaya on Soi 33/1 and Soi 39. Thonglor and Ekkamai cover the upper end, from tasting menus to natural wine bars.

For cheap and local, walk a few minutes off the main road into any residential soi and look for the shophouse restaurants with plastic stools. They are generally better than anything at street level by the BTS.

Green space and daytime

Sukhumvit is not short of parks. Benjakitti Park near Asok has a lake, a running loop and a newer forest section with raised walkways. Benjasiri Park at Phrom Phong is smaller but has a lake, a skate area and sculptures. Both are free and best in the early morning or after four in the afternoon, when the heat eases.

For rain or heat, the malls work as shelter: Terminal 21 for its themed floors and cheap food court, EmQuartier for its rooftop garden and restaurant spiral, and Gateway Ekkamai for Japanese food. The rainy season guide has more indoor options.

Nightlife

The short version: Soi 11 for a loud, international night; Thonglor for cocktails and a dressed-up crowd; Ekkamai for craft beer and a looser scene; Soi Cowboy and Nana Plaza for the go-go bar strips that give Sukhumvit its reputation. The rooftop bars by area post lists the high-rise options along the road, and craft beer bars covers the Ekkamai cluster.

Getting there

The BTS Sukhumvit line is the way to move along the road. From the city centre, Siam is the interchange; from the airport, the Airport Rail Link connects to the BTS at Phaya Thai. Asok is the one interchange with the MRT Blue Line (the MRT station is called Sukhumvit). Khlong Saen Saep canal boats stop at Nana Nua and Asok piers on the canal a few hundred metres north of the main road, which is a useful back route to Pratunam and the Old Town. At night, after the trains stop, taxis and ride-hailing apps are the only option, and the main road is slow; walk to a soi entrance before hailing one.