Sukhumvit and Bangkok Old Town are popular areas to stay in Bangkok for both first-timers and return travelers. These two areas have totally different atmospheres.
Sukhumvit is the modern heart of the city that has an international atmosphere with lots of skyscrapers, shopping malls, nightlife areas, and diverse food scene.
Bangkok Old Town is the historic heart of Bangkok where you can find iconic attractions like the Grand Palace, Wat Pho, or Wat Arun. This area offers a more local atmosphere and authentic food.
In this article, I will compare Bangkok Old Town and Sukhumvit, focusing on their location, accommodations, shopping, nightlife, food, and attractions. If you are looking for which area is better, Sukhumvit and Old Town, keep reading.
I stayed in both areas and I traveled all around Bangkok and Thailand, so I hope to give you some good recommendations based on firsthand experience.
Is it better to stay in Sukhumvit or Bangkok Old Town?
I enjoyed my stay in both Sukhumvit and Bangkok Old Town. I used Sukhumvit to explore the modern part of Bangkok. It is a great base to explore the famous shopping malls, nightlife, and international food scene in Sukhumvit, Siam, Silom, and Pratunam.
I used Bangkok Old Town to explore the historical part of Bangkok. It is a great base to explore famous cultural and historical attractions in the old town, the riverside, and Chinatown.
Bangkok’s most famous malls and parties are located in Sukhumvit. They are Terminal 21, CentralWorld, Siam Paragon, MBK malls, as well as Nana Plaza, Soy Cowboy, or Patpong Night Market.
Bangkok’s most famous sights like the Grand Palace, Wat Pho, Wat Arun, Icon Siam, or Chinatown are located in and near Bangkok Old Town (also known as Rattanakosin Island).
Generally speaking, Sukhumvit is a better location if you enjoy modern infrastructure, shopping, nightlife, food, and cosmopolitan atmosphere. The Old Town is a better place to stay if you prefer a historical charm, local atmosphere, and sightseeing.
Each area has its own disadvantages. Sukhumvit lacks cultural and historical attractions. Bangkok Old Town is further away from Bangkok airport and not very well connected to the BTS skytrain system.
If you have lots of time in Bangkok, you can stay in both Sukhumvit and the Old Town. This is a great way to explore both the historic and modern sides of the city without having to travel far between them.
Best Hotels stay in Sukhumvit:
- luxury: Grande Centre Point Hotel Terminal21
- mid-range: Mercure Bangkok Sukhumvit 24
- budget: ibis Styles Bangkok Sukhumvit 4
My recommended places in Bangkok Old Town:
- luxury: Chakrabongse Villas
- mid-range: Sala Rattanakosin Bangkok
- budget: Feung Nakorn Balcony Rooms and Cafe
Location
Sukhumvit is located in the heart of Downtown Bangkok, right next to Siam/ Pratunam and Silom. This is the area around Sukhumvit Road. The most popular areas along Sukhumvit Road are around Nana and Asok Station.
Bangkok Old Town is located along the east bank of Chao Phraya River and is bordered by Chinatown. The Old Town is home to popular attractions such as the Grand Place, Wat Pho, and Khao San Road.
Sukhumvit and the Old Town are located quite distance from each other. It takes around 1 hour on a public train to travel between central Sukhumvit to central old town.
Sukhumvit is closer to Suvarnabhumi Airport than in Bangkok Old Town. It is also easier to reach by public train system. If you want close proximity to Bangkok’s main airport, Sukhumvit is the better choice.
Public transportation
Sukhumvit has better connection to the train systems. This area is well-served by both MRT subway train and BTS skytrain. The BTS Sukhumvit line runs though most popular parts of Sukhumvit Road, while MRT line has the stop in the central area of Sukhumvit near Asok.
You can use the BTS train to explore malls and nightlife areas within Sukhumvit and visit other neighborhoods like Siam, Pratunam, and Silom. Famous points of interest along this line are Termial 21, Emporium, Central World, Siam Square, MBK, Chatukchak Weekend Market.
The MRT subway train can take you directly to Silom, Chinatown, Riverside, and Bangkok Old Town. You can easily visit major sights like Yaowarat Night Market, Khao San Road, Grand Palace, and Wat Pho.
Bangkok Old Town is not very well connected to the public train system. There are no skytrain in this area. The MRT underground train has two stations in this area including Sam Yot and Sanam Chai Stations.
Despite the lack of a BTS system, the old town is very well-connected to the boat system along Chao Phraya River and the surrounding canals. You can take a boat ride to visit major attractions and shopping malls along the river. The canal boat can take you to Siam, Pratunam, and Sukhumvit.
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Accommodations
Both Sukhumvit and the old town have a wide range of accommodations for all budgets. From my experience, I believe the old town offers more budget-friendly accommodations than in Sukhumvit.
Bangkok Old Town has more boutique hotels, and small family-run guest houses, which offer historical charm and cozy local atmosphere.
Sukhumvit has more highrise, big brand hotels and service apartments, so if you are looking for something more luxurious, Sukhumvit is a better place to go.
Whether you choose to stay, Sukhumvit or the old town, make sure to book your accommodations well in advance. These are popular areas to stay in Bangkok, so their accommodations are often in high demand, especially in the high season from November to May.
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Nightlife
Both Sukhumvit and Bangkok Old Town have a vibrant nightlife scene. Sukhumvit is a better area to go for a trendy and diverse nightlife scene.
Sukhumvit has a variety of nightlife options including go go bars, night clubs, rooftop bars, red light districts, and lots of international food to explore.
Two famous adult entertainment areas in Sukhumvit are around Nana and Soy Cowboy. For trendy bars and clubs, you can check out Soi 11, the area around Phrom Phong, Thong Lor, and Ekamai.
The nightlife in Bangkok Old Town is quieter than in Sukhumvit. You can enjoy the romantic diner river cruise, explore the bars and restaurants near Khao San Road, and Soi Ram Butri. You can take a short Grab Ride to Chinatown to enjoy its vibrant street food scene.
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Shopping
Sukhumvit has more modern shopping malls than in Bangkok Old Town. Its location close to Siam and Pratunam shopping districts offers more shopping opportunities.
Within Sukhumvit, you can explore mid-range and luxury shopping malls like Terminal 21, Emporium, and Emquartier. You can take a short train ride to its neighbor Siam to shop at CentralWorld, MBK, Siam Square, or Siam Paragon.
Bangkok Old Town has enough shops, local markets, and small malls to enjoy shopping. You can explore the local Flower Market (Pak Khlong Talat), as well as the night market on Khao San Road, or several markets in Chinatown like Sampeng Lane.
Food
As a cosmopolitan part of Bangkok, Sukhumvit has a wider range of international cuisine. You can easily find local Thai food, Korean, Japanese, Arab, Indian, and European dishes.
There are many areas that are delicate to one kind of community and food in Sukhumvit. You will find Arab restaurants in Sukhumvit Soi 3, Korean Town near Nana, as well as lots of Korean BBQ restaurants and Japanese sushi in Thong Lor and Ekamai.
The food scene in Bangkok Old Town is more about local Thai food. It is also generally cheaper than Sukhumvit, especially in the area outside of Khao San Road. Lots of restaurants in this area are family run and offer menus written in Thai only.
Attractions
Bangkok Old Town is the winner if you want sightseeing and close proximity to the city’s major cultural attractions. The Old Town is packed with historical temples, palaces, museums, moats, fortress, and local markets.
At the heart of the old town, you can find the Grand Palace and Wat Pho dating back to the foundation of the city. There are dozens of beautiful temples scattered around the old town.
If you want to learn about the history of the city, you can check out several museums such as National Museum Bangkok, The National Gallery, or Museum Siam.
From the old town, you can easily take the hop on hop off boats to visit major attractions along the river like ICON Siam, Asiatique, or Wat Arun. This boat system also takes you to Chinatown and attractions like Jim Thompson House Museum in Siam and Pratunam Market in Pratunam.
Sukhumvit lacks cultural and historical attractions. Its main popular points of interest are shopping malls, nightlife, restaurants, and cafes. To reach the city’s famous cultural sights, you’ll need to take about an hour on public transport to get to the Old Town.
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So you have my comparison between Sukhumvit and Bangkok Old Town. Overall, Sukhumvit is the better choice if you want to stay in the modern heart of the city that has a cosmopolitan atmosphere with a mix of shopping, nightlife, and food. The Old Town is the better location for those who want to be closer to the iconic historical and cultural attractions of Bangkok.