Twenty years ago, Phrakanong was the outskirts of what most people thought of as Bangkok. It was a cheap place to live, inhabited heavily by working people. And in many ways, it still is. But where 20 years ago, there were very few buildings that were more than 4-6 stories high, today there are a lot and more are going up.  And these are nice condos!

If you want nightlife, Phrakanong probably isn't for you. Yes, there are a few snooker halls and karaoke bars, and if you speak Thai, you can enjoy yourself in them. But this is an area where working people live and it shows in pretty much every aspect of the streets in the area. There are lots of street food vendors and reasonably priced cafes. At night, the street food vendors triple as they cater to the people coming home from work and looking to relax and have a bite to eat with their friends. The massage parlors here give real strong massages, and the prices are cheap. 

Phrakanong is also home to a large portion of Bangkok's Muslim population. There are multiple mosques off of Sukhumvit 71 and call to prayer rings out every day multiple times.  A number of the apartment complexes in the area cater specifically to Muslims (they won't turn you away if you are not Muslim).

Phrakanong is home to a number of decent private schools (not International Schools) and for those who want a good Thai or bilingual school, this is a good place to look.

Phrakanong market is well known to most Thais, and for good reason. When it comes to food, it's hard to beat the deals in the market. Only recently has MaxValue moved into the area and provided a new, modern shopping outlet. The Carson that appears in the photo has been there at least 20 years, and MaxValue just replaced the Jusco that had been in Phrakanong for 20 years. 

Living in Bangkok - Asoke Road area

There is probably no BTS stop that has more variety of things to do around it than the Asoke BTS station.  With Terminal 21 and Robinson’s right there at the station, obviously there are massive choices for shopping, but there is also lots of street stalls along Sukhumvit walking towards Nana, local hardware stores and an Asia Books plus a variety of Asian groceries. From the Korean restaurants, Sunrise Tacos, El Gaucho, Neil’s Tavern, Hemingways, Cabbage and Condoms, numerous top hotel restaurants plus many, many more, there is no shortage of places to eat in the Asoke area.  The Asoke intersection has both a True Fitness and a Crossfit Gym for those who want to work out and both Queen’s Park and Queen’s Sirikit Park/Center a short walk away. Sirikit Center hosts lots of events, and art exhibitions are often found in local office buildings (and the Kamthieng Museum is also in the area).  Nightlife ranges from Soi Cowboy to sports pubs (Sportsman, Breakers, Sports Academy and Hustlers are all in the area), to live music venues (Busch Gardens) to clubs (Insanity, the Tunnel, Barsu, Narz and Glow) and it is a short walk to venues on soi 11. In terms of living space, the Asoke area boasts a wide variety of condos and apartments, from the high-rise Millennium condos to the Asoke Towers – lots of great buildings.

So, it’s a great area to live with a lot of things to do around it. But is there anything to know about it that you can’t pick up by just walking around a bit?

Well, there probably isn’t anything you couldn’t learn over time and very well at the cost of some money, but here are a few basic tips that can assist with life in the Asoke area.

First, if you like the scene on Soi Cowboy, stay out of the “Arab’s” bars. They are usually easily identifiable by the Coyote dancers hanging out front in all the same color on the whole street.  The last list I know of for his bars was: Kiss, Sahara, Rawhide, Spice Girls, Deja Vu, Midnight and Rio but he may have added to that group by now.  Suzi Wong, Baccara and Tilac are pretty safe bets for places to go on Cowboy and see what it’s all about without being ripped off and threatened.

If you prefer a pub scene, take a look at Black Swan (across Sukhumvit from Terminal 21) or Breakers and Sportsman on soi 13. There are plenty of coffee shops in the area as well.