Bangkok/Ramkhamhaeng
Understand
Eastern Bangkok almost stands synonymous to Ramkhamhaeng Road, a major traffic artery that gets jammed every morning and evening with daily commuters working in downtown. Rising property values in Sukhumvit has made this area more interesting to foreign expatriates in recent years, although seeing a farang is still a rare occurrence. With a total length of 18 kilometers, Ramkhamhaeng Road starts at Phetchaburi Road near Sukhumvit and ends far in the northeast at the junction with Suwinthawong Road (in the neighborhood Min Buri).
The lower southwestern part is known as Hua Mark, a neighborhood completely dominated by Ramkhamhaeng University. "RU", as it is commonly known, was opened in 1971 as Thailand's first open-admission university. It has an astonishing amount of students — official statistics state about half a million, almost all of them undergraduates. The university gave the neighborhood its lively appearance, with many students shopping and dining at The Mall Ramkhamhaeng. Rajamangala Stadium can also be found here. Completed in 1998, it played an important role in the 1998 Asian Games and the 2007 AFC Asian Cup. It is also used as the current stadium of Thailand's national football team.
The junction with Srinagarindra Road is known as Lam Sali intersection. Go north from here and you'll stumble at Lat Phrao Road, which marks the beginning of a neighborhood known as Bang Kapi. It is actually quite similar to Hua Mark, as everything still looks like a big grey mass of concrete, but students are outrun here by daily commuters. The Mall Bangkapi stole the hearts of the locals, and Thais flock to it in big numbers. For foreigners, there is actually not that much to do. Attractions are few and far off, and the shopping malls are lacking compared to those in other districts. It can easily be skipped on any Bangkok itinerary, but then you miss out on seeing where and how most of the locals live.
You would almost forget that nearly all foreign visitors to Thailand land here at Suvarnabhumi Airport in the far east of the district. Development in eastern Bangkok has been relatively slow, and it is expected that the recent construction of the airport will be the motor for more urban development in the area. Until now, this has at least been true for the hotel business, with many new hotels constructed at Lat Krabang Road trying to make a buck out of transferring passengers.
The lower southwestern part is known as Hua Mark, a neighborhood completely dominated by Ramkhamhaeng University. "RU", as it is commonly known, was opened in 1971 as Thailand's first open-admission university. It has an astonishing amount of students — official statistics state about half a million, almost all of them undergraduates. The university gave the neighborhood its lively appearance, with many students shopping and dining at The Mall Ramkhamhaeng. Rajamangala Stadium can also be found here. Completed in 1998, it played an important role in the 1998 Asian Games and the 2007 AFC Asian Cup. It is also used as the current stadium of Thailand's national football team.
The junction with Srinagarindra Road is known as Lam Sali intersection. Go north from here and you'll stumble at Lat Phrao Road, which marks the beginning of a neighborhood known as Bang Kapi. It is actually quite similar to Hua Mark, as everything still looks like a big grey mass of concrete, but students are outrun here by daily commuters. The Mall Bangkapi stole the hearts of the locals, and Thais flock to it in big numbers. For foreigners, there is actually not that much to do. Attractions are few and far off, and the shopping malls are lacking compared to those in other districts. It can easily be skipped on any Bangkok itinerary, but then you miss out on seeing where and how most of the locals live.
You would almost forget that nearly all foreign visitors to Thailand land here at Suvarnabhumi Airport in the far east of the district. Development in eastern Bangkok has been relatively slow, and it is expected that the recent construction of the airport will be the motor for more urban development in the area. Until now, this has at least been true for the hotel business, with many new hotels constructed at Lat Krabang Road trying to make a buck out of transferring passengers.
Get in
By boat
Bangkok and its traffic-congested commercial districts, including Ramkhamhaeng Road, are hard to navigate by car. Thus, the best way to get into the area is by boat. The Saen Saep Express Boat service runs on the canal of the same name, and you don't have to worry about getting stuck in traffic! The service runs about every 5 to 10 minutes and as the canal is exactly parallel to Ramkhamhaeng Road wit many stops along that road.It is a fast and inexpensive way of transport as a single trip costs about 9 to 19 baht, depending on the distance travelled. The most important stops are The Mall Ram (in Hua Mark) and The Mall Bangkapi, both of which are served by the NIDA Line (that starts in Pratunam and goes all the way northeast to Wat Sriboonreung). The route is served by 100 boats of 40-50 seats, and operates from 5:30AM to 8:30PM daily. Most piers have English signs up, but be wary, as The Mall Ram does not have any sign at all, and from the boat it is not clear that you have reached the mall!
Be wary of sitting at the outer sides of the boat as polluted water from the canal sometimes spills over on-board. Also be careful when entering and exiting the boats as "safety first" does not seem to apply for the crew here. During rush hour, you might have to fight your way in the boat as too many people are trying to get on. Another minor annoyance is the noisy atmosphere during the ride, don't expect a sensual experience.
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