Bangkok neighbourhoods
Ekkamai, Thonglor, Phrom Phong: Bangkok's trendiest neighbourhoods
Along Sukhumvit there are three skytrain stations that form Bangkok at its most fashionable: Phrom Phong, Thong Lo and Ekkamai. Three neighbouring districts, three moods, one shared art of living made of good tables, polished cafés, perched bars and designer boutiques. A tour of the capital's trendy heart.
The chic heart of Sukhumvit
Phrom Phong, Thong Lo, Ekkamai: three consecutive stations on the BTS Sukhumvit line, east of the centre. This is where the upmarket residential and nightlife pulse of Bangkok beats, far from the tourist bustle of Nana or Asok.
These neighbourhoods owe a great deal to their residents: affluent expats, a large Japanese community, creative young Bangkokians. This demanding crowd has given rise to a dining and lifestyle scene that has nothing to envy of Asia's great capitals.
You go from one to the next in two minutes by metro, yet each has its own personality. That is what makes the trio so interesting: three complementary facets of the same elegant Bangkok, to be explored on foot, one soi after another.
Thonglor, the hip epicentre
Thong Lo, Sukhumvit's Soi 55, is THE hip neighbourhood of Bangkok. Over a few kilometres come one after another cutting-edge restaurants, cocktail bars, Japanese izakayas, specialty cafés and private clubs. It is the address of chic nights and creative dining.
Here you will find modern Thai tables as readily as excellent Japanese counters — the Japanese community is very present — along with a new generation of mixology bars that built the area's nighttime reputation.
Thong Lo comes alive above all in the evening and at the weekend. It is the neighbourhood where you go out, dine late and follow dinner with a cocktail. Several of the confidential addresses in our Journal are tucked away precisely in its sois.
Ekkamai, the creative neighbour
Ekkamai, Soi 63 right next to Thong Lo, is its calmer and more creative extension. Less flashy, more residential, the neighbourhood appeals to Bangkokians in search of authenticity: gallery cafés, human-scale community malls, microbreweries and neighbourhood tables.
Here you will find a few much-loved community malls — a mix of independent boutiques, restaurants and coworking spaces — as well as a particularly lively café scene. Ekkamai is the creative Bangkok that takes its time.
The neighbourhood is also home to a large bus terminal serving the east of the country, but it is really its leafy, peaceful side sois that give it its charm. A gentler version of Thong Lo, for anyone seeking the atmosphere without the tumult.
Phrom Phong, residential elegance
Phrom Phong, one station further west, is the most laid-back and family-friendly of the trio. It is the neighbourhood of the EM District — the Emporium, EmQuartier and EmSphere cluster — and of Benjasiri Park, a green lung prized by families and joggers.
Much loved by the Japanese community, Phrom Phong lines up good tables, refined pastry shops and elegant boutiques. The atmosphere is more residential and quieter than in Thong Lo, ideal for a comfortable, central stay.
It is also the luxury shopping neighbourhood par excellence, thanks to the golden triangle of the EM centres. Phrom Phong thus brings together, in one place, residential calm and immediate access to the chicest of what Bangkok has to offer.
What to do in these neighbourhoods
When it comes to dining, the Phrom Phong–Thong Lo–Ekkamai trio concentrates a sizeable share of Bangkok's best addresses: top-flight Japanese cuisine, serious Italian restaurants, contemporary Thai tables and specialty cafés. It is an ideal playground for anyone who loves to eat well.
On the wellness side, the area is home to some of the finest independent spas in the city, away from the hotel chains. For an evening out, the neighbourhood's rooftops and cocktail bars offer fine alternatives to the great rooftops of Sathorn.
It is precisely in these neighbourhoods that we love to search: several of our selections — spas, Japanese tables, hidden addresses — are found here. The Journal guides you, neighbourhood by neighbourhood, towards what truly deserves a stop.
Getting around
It all comes down to the BTS Sukhumvit line: the Phrom Phong, Thong Lo and Ekkamai stations follow one another and serve each neighbourhood directly. It is by far the simplest and quickest way to avoid the traffic jams of Sukhumvit.
A word of caution, though: the sois of these neighbourhoods are long. An address "in Thong Lo" may lie far from the station, at the top of Soi 55. Motorbike taxis, tuk-tuks or a ride-hailing app remain useful for the last few hundred metres.
The best advice is still to choose one neighbourhood as a base and discover it on foot, soi by soi. It is this way, by wandering, that these neighbourhoods reveal their best addresses — often the most discreet ones.
Frequently asked questions
Which is the trendiest neighbourhood in Bangkok? Thong Lo (Sukhumvit's Soi 55) is generally regarded as the city's hip epicentre, for its cutting-edge restaurants, its cocktail bars and its nightlife. Ekkamai and Phrom Phong, its neighbours, are the quieter variations on the theme.
What is the difference between Thonglor and Ekkamai? Thong Lo is busier, more about nightlife and more of a "shop window"; Ekkamai, right next door, is more residential, more creative and quieter, with its cafés, its community malls and its neighbourhood tables.
Where to stay for a chic trip to Bangkok? Phrom Phong is often the best choice: central, elegant, family-friendly, served by the BTS and bordered by the shopping of the EM District. Thong Lo will suit those who put nightlife and dining first.