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The most famous street in the world for young backpackers from
all points of the compass and all walks of life, the road is a multicultural
experience for shopping and people-watching.
It also attracts a lot of trendy young Thais who flock here to shop
and party at night or on the weekend.
In the past few years, the area has undergone a massive facelift
and now features a cobblestone-like walking street that is closed
to traffic after 5pm. Street vendors are omnipotent, selling everything
from cheap CDs, sunglasses, T-shirts and backpacks to wooden-beaded
necklaces and plenty of Bohemian chic. Many young Thai artists come
down to hawk their paintings, photographs and cool clothing creations.
There are also oodles of travel agents and restaurants:
Thai, Italian, Japanese, Indian and Israeli.
 As
many shops tend to sell the same types of merchandise it’s
worth your while to shop around in order to get the best deal. Telling
the vendor that you’ve seen the item elsewhere at a lower price
will usually bring the price down.
Tailors with made-to-measure deals on suits and dresses are also
in abundance, as well as Internet cafes with overseas calling services.
Buddy Village is worth a peek as it’s an all-in-one
shopping complex of sorts. It
features nearly everything found on Khaosan,
packed into its own little world. The basement offers some sterling
opportunities to pick up some of the precious metal at the Silver
Trade Centre. (Around the corner on Thanao Street, there are also
a number of silver shops that deal in bulk sales of rings, necklaces
and other assorted jewellery items. The quality is high and the
prices are low.)
Would you like a permanent souvenir of your trip? A number of tattoo
parlours have set up shop on the strip, like the one at the back
of the Chart Guesthouse. Whether it’s a Chinese dragon, an
Angkor Wat deity, a butterfly, or one of the many Thai designs that
have become increasingly popular, you can get a new ‘beauty
mark’ for very affordable prices.
 Not
to be missed is Soi Rambutri, which runs parallel to Khaosan
Road. Lined with leafy green trees, the lane has been enriched by
quite a few cool bars and restaurants
that offer outdoor seating. Ladies, take note, much of the clothing
found on Khaosan can be
had on this street for a fraction of the price. For funky jewellery,
suede handbags and brand-name clothing, visit Or2K located at 106/4
Rambutri Road. Another unique clothing shop on the strip, T&K
Collections (72/2 Rambutri Road), sells vivid retro prints in shocking
pinks and azure blues on tank tops, T-shirts, dresses, handbags
or anything you want.
Shops in and around Khaosan
Road open in the morning and close around midnight or 1am.
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