Khaosan road or Khao San road ( Thai : ถนนข้าวสาร) is a short road in central Bangkok , Thailand . It is located in the Banglamphu neighborhood ( Phra Nakhon district) about 1 km north from the Grand Palace with Wat Phra Kaew . It has developed over the years into probably the most profound worldwide example of a "backpackers' ghetto", with relatively cheap accommodation compared to other areas of central Bangkok. The accommodation varies from 'mattress in a box' style hostels, to full Western-standard luxury. Many tourists use Khaosan road as their base for exploring the rest of Thailand as there are many direct coaches from the street to virtually all major tourist destinations in Thailand, from Chiang Mai in the North to Ko Pha Ngan in the South. Many visitors will also take advantage of the abundance of relatively cheap travel agents to arrange visas and transport to surrounding countries such as Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Malaysia, though many (if not m...