Skip to content

Stay

Where to Stay in Bangkok (2026): Five Areas and 12 Hotels, Compared

By Casey, Gently Yonder editor

Sukhumvit from Nana to Phrom Phong for a first trip, Siam for the centre of the Skytrain, the Riverside for the grand hotels and boats to the temples, Silom and Sathorn for Lumphini Park, the Old Town for the Grand Palace. Five areas and 12 hotels.

Last updated · 12 min read

Build My Trip Checklist All guides

No one pays to be recommended here, and we say when a free or cheaper option wins. Our promise →

In this guide10 sections
  1. The short answer
  2. Sukhumvit: the first-trip base
  3. Siam and Ratchaprasong: the centre of the Skytrain
  4. The Riverside: grand hotels and boats to the temples
  5. Silom and Sathorn: Lumphini Park and the business district
  6. The Old Town: the Grand Palace on foot
  7. All 12 at a glance
  8. Before you book
  9. Getting around from your hotel
  10. Frequently asked questions

Bangkok was the world’s most visited city in 2025, with 30.3 million international arrivals by Euromonitor International’s count, and it is a city of traffic. Where you sleep decides how much of the trip you spend in it. A hotel a few minutes’ walk from a Skytrain station, or one with its own boat across the river, keeps you out of most of it.

This guide compares five areas, then names twelve hotels across them, with the reason to pick each and, where there is one, the catch. They are researched picks, chosen for location, what each property publishes and consistent guest feedback, and each was checked as operating at the start of October 2026. One of them, the Dusit Thani, is a new building under an old name, and booking sites still list the old one too; we say which is which. No hotel pays to appear here.

The short answer

If you… Stay in Why
are on a first trip Sukhumvit, from Nana to Phrom Phong The Skytrain to Siam and the river, the MRT at Asok, and a wide choice of hotels and food
want shopping at the centre of the network Siam and Ratchaprasong The Skytrain’s two lines meet at Siam, and skybridges link the malls
want the grand hotels and the river The Riverside Hotel boats to Sathorn Pier and Saphan Taksin station, and river boats up to the temples
want Lumphini Park and a business-district base Silom and Sathorn The Skytrain’s Silom Line and the MRT meet at Sala Daeng and Si Lom
want the Grand Palace and Wat Pho on foot The Old Town Rattanakosin and Banglamphu, with river piers and the MRT at Sanam Chai, but no Skytrain
The spires of a temple silhouetted against an orange sunset sky, with a river in front
Wat Arun at sunset, across the Chao Phraya River. Photo: Margarita K / Pexels

Sukhumvit: the first-trip base

A Skytrain train on an elevated track between tall buildings at dusk
A Skytrain at dusk. Along Sukhumvit, check a hotel's walk to the nearest station before anything else. Photo: min Thway / Pexels

Sukhumvit Road runs east from the centre under the Skytrain’s Sukhumvit Line, and the stretch from Nana through Asok to Phrom Phong is where most first-time visitors end up, for good reason. Asok is where the Skytrain meets the MRT Blue Line, at Sukhumvit station, and its exits lead into the Terminal 21 mall. Phrom Phong, one stop east, has Benjasiri Park and the EmQuartier and Emporium malls. Nana, one stop west of Asok, is known for its nightlife. The hotels and restaurants line the sois, the side streets numbered off the main road, with odd numbers on one side and even numbers on the other.

Where to stay on Sukhumvit

How the hotel links work: a hotel’s name goes to its own website. “Check rates” opens it on Booking.com through our partner Stay22, which pays us a commission if you book, at no extra cost to you.

Siam and Ratchaprasong: the centre of the Skytrain

A wet street at night in front of a lit building signed Erawan, with cars, scooters and towers behind
The Ratchaprasong junction at night, by the Erawan Bangkok mall, one Skytrain stop from Siam. Photo: Dale Mohagan / Pexels

Siam is where the Skytrain’s two lines cross, at a cross-platform interchange, and skybridges link the station to Siam Paragon, Siam Center, Siam Square One and Centerpoint of Siam Square. An elevated walkway, the Sky Walk, runs on to CentralWorld at Ratchaprasong, one stop east at Chit Lom. If the trip is about shopping, or you want every ride to be short, this is the middle of the map.

Where to stay in Siam and Ratchaprasong

The Riverside: grand hotels and boats to the temples

A wide brown river in front of a skyline of high-rise towers under a grey sky
The Chao Phraya River and the towers along its banks. Photo: mm pure gold / Pexels

Bangkok’s oldest grand hotel is on the Chao Phraya, and the river is still the easiest way to the Grand Palace, Wat Pho and Wat Arun. From Sathorn Pier, beside Saphan Taksin station, the Chao Phraya Express Boat runs upriver to Tha Tien (N8) for Wat Pho and the ferry to Wat Arun, and to Tha Chang (N9) for the Grand Palace. Several riverside hotels run their own free boats to Sathorn Pier, which makes a hotel on the far bank more practical than it looks on a map. The trade-off is distance from the shopping districts, and evenings that run to the boat timetable.

Where to stay on the Riverside

Silom and Sathorn: Lumphini Park and the business district

A lake edged with trees in a city park, with a small white pavilion on the shore and high-rise towers behind
The lake in Lumphini Park, on the edge of Silom. Photo: Markus Winkler / Pexels

Silom and Sathorn are Bangkok’s business district: two parallel roads of offices and hotels running south-west from Lumphini Park. The Skytrain’s Silom Line and the MRT Blue Line meet at Sala Daeng and Si Lom stations, joined by a skywalk, and the bars of Patpong and Thaniya are a short walk away. It suits a base with the park for a morning walk, or a trip split between work and sightseeing.

Where to stay in Silom and Sathorn

The Old Town: the Grand Palace on foot

A white palace hall with tiered Thai roofs and golden spires, behind a lawn with clipped topiary trees
The Chakri Maha Prasat Hall in the Grand Palace. Photo: Kirandeep Singh Walia / Pexels

The Old Town is Rattanakosin, the island of temples and palaces around the Grand Palace and Wat Pho, and Banglamphu just to the north, home of Khao San Road. Staying here puts you at the palace gates when they open, and Wat Arun is a short ferry ride from Tha Tien. There is no Skytrain: the MRT Blue Line reaches Sanam Chai, near Wat Pho, and the river boats stop at Tha Chang, Tha Tien and Phra Arthit (N13) for Khao San Road. How your evenings feel depends on how close you are to Khao San.

Where to stay in the Old Town

All 12 at a glance

Hotel Area Tier Best for Watch out for
Hyatt Regency Bangkok Sukhumvit Sukhumvit (Nana) Comfortable to splurge The Skytrain at your door The busy Nana end
Bangkok Marriott Marquis Queen’s Park Sukhumvit (Phrom Phong) Comfortable Full service and two pools Its size, and the walk to the station
Holiday Inn Express Bangkok Sukhumvit 11 Sukhumvit (Nana) Good value A central base, breakfast included No pool; a lively soi
Siam Kempinski Hotel Bangkok Siam Splurge Luxury at the centre of the network Price
Pathumwan Princess Hotel Siam (MBK) Comfortable The malls on your doorstep A busy shopping complex
Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok Riverside Splurge History and service on the water Price
Capella Bangkok Riverside Splurge A smaller, newer river hotel Price
Avani+ Riverside Bangkok Hotel Riverside (Thonburi bank) Comfortable River views for less Every trip starts with the boat
The Sukhothai Bangkok Sathorn Splurge Gardens and calm Price
Dusit Thani Bangkok Silom (Lumphini Park) Splurge The park view Old listings of the old hotel
Riva Surya Bangkok Old Town Comfortable The Old Town on the water No Skytrain
Lamphu Tree House Old Town (Banglamphu) Good value Character on a budget A walk to the piers

Before you book

Getting around from your hotel

Frequently asked questions

What is the best area to stay in Bangkok for a first trip?

Sukhumvit, between Nana and Phrom Phong stations: the Skytrain runs to Siam and to the river at Saphan Taksin, the MRT Blue Line meets it at Asok, and the choice of hotels and food is wide. Choose Siam instead if the trip is mostly shopping.

Is it better to stay in Sukhumvit or Siam?

Sukhumvit for a wider choice of hotels and restaurants and the MRT at Asok; Siam for shopping, since the Skytrain's two lines meet there and skybridges link the station to Siam Paragon, Siam Center and, by the Sky Walk, CentralWorld.

Is the Riverside a good place to stay in Bangkok?

Yes, for the grand hotels and for the temples, which are a boat ride upriver: the Chao Phraya Express Boat runs from Sathorn Pier, beside Saphan Taksin station, to Tha Tien for Wat Pho and Tha Chang for the Grand Palace. The trade-off is distance from the shopping districts.

Where should I stay near the Grand Palace?

In the Old Town: Rattanakosin, around the Grand Palace and Wat Pho, or Banglamphu, around Khao San Road. There is no Skytrain there; the MRT Blue Line stops at Sanam Chai near Wat Pho, and the river boats stop at Tha Chang, Tha Tien and Phra Arthit.

How do I get from Suvarnabhumi Airport to central Bangkok?

The Airport Rail Link's City Line runs to Phaya Thai, where it meets the Skytrain, in about 27 minutes, for 15 to 45 baht depending on distance, from 05:30 to midnight. Change at Makkasan for the MRT.

What does "++" mean on hotel prices in Thailand?

A 10% service charge, then 7% VAT on top, about 17.7% in all. Booking sites differ in whether the first price you see includes them, so compare totals.

Sources & further reading

Hotels rename, renovate and reprice. Every detail here was checked at the start of October 2026; confirm rates and room types with the hotel before booking. These are researched picks, not reviews. This article contains affiliate links: hotel rates on Booking.com and other booking sites through Stay22; if you book through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. No hotel pays to be included.

← Back to Gently Yonder

Keep reading on Gently Yonder