T
his description, though simple
and accurate, gives barely
a hint of the culture shock
that awaits first-time visitors
to one of Bangkok’s most
celebrated streets. Khao San is a stretch of
concrete unlike any other. This you’ll learn
at first glance.
Upon arriving, it might be the massive
jumble of signboards and neon lights that
first catches your attention. Or maybe the
omnipresent crowd of
farangs
(foreigners),
their oversized backpacks proclaiming
their status as tourists. That or the
ubiquitous hostels, food stalls and curio
LEADEROF
THE PACK
These days, Bangkok’s
Khao San Road looks
flashier, its merchants
savvier and its crowds more
diverse than ever. No longer
just a backpacking pit stop,
the area has become an
attraction in itself
63
STORY AND PHOTOS BY
LESTER V. LEDESMA
“Khao San Road was backpacker land...
The main function of the street was as a
decompression chamber for all those about
to leave Thailand; a halfway house between
the East and theWest” –
Alex Garland,
excerpt from
The Beach
