The best known Bangkok’s district among young and budget travelers,Khao San Road is a short street located a kilometer north of the Grand Palace. Described by Alex Garland in his best selling book The Beach as “the centre of the backpacking universe,” Khao San Road certainly has everything a single backpacker would need: a wide range of budget accommodations, an array of restaurants and bars offering international foods and drinks, an army of food trucks offering Pad Thai (and other Thai street dishes), money exchange counters, tour operators preparing packages to elsewhere in Thailand and neighboring countries. Before turning into a travelers’ hub, Khao San was one of Bangkok’s main rice (khao san in Thai) trading port, and that’s where its name came from.

During the annual Songkran (Thai New Year, every April 13-15) Festival, the street of Khao San turns into one of Thailand’s main celebrating spots you can expect extravagant parades, entertainment showcases and big water splashing event.