Thonglor & Ekkamai

If lower Sukhumvit is where tourists stay, Thonglor (Soi 55) and Ekkamai (Soi 63) are where stylish Bangkok actually goes out. These two parallel sois, a few BTS stops east of Asok, form the city’s trendiest district — a dense, ever-changing landscape of speakeasy cocktail bars, Japanese izakayas, design-led cafes, contemporary Thai restaurants, craft-beer taprooms and lifestyle malls. This is the heart of Bangkok’s affluent young creative scene and its large Japanese expat community, and while there are few “sights” in the tourist sense, the food and drink here are genuinely world-class. Come hungry, come thirsty, and come in the evening.

Where	Sukhumvit Soi 55 (Thonglor) and Soi 63 (Ekkamai)
Character	Bangkok’s trendiest bar, cafe and dining district
Time needed	An evening; a full day if you cafe-hop too
Getting there	BTS Thong Lo or Ekkamai, then Grab or motorbike taxi up the soi
Best time	Evening (Thu–Sat) for bars; weekend morning for brunch

Thonglor — the cool soi

Thonglor (Sukhumvit Soi 55) is a long, leafy artery running north off Sukhumvit, lined end to end with the kind of places that get written up in design and food magazines. The bar scene is the headline: hidden speakeasies behind unmarked doors, rooftop lounges, natural-wine bars and slick cocktail dens, many among the best in Asia. Interspersed are upscale Thai and fusion restaurants, sleek cafes and lifestyle complexes like The Commons — an open-air, community-focused food-and-drink hub that’s a great first stop for the uninitiated. The honest caveat: Thonglor is long, and the soi’s traffic is bad, so you’ll hop between venues by Grab or motorbike taxi rather than walking the whole strip. See the Thonglor and Ekkamai guide and Thonglor nightlife guide.

Ekkamai — Japan-meets-Bangkok and craft beer

One soi east, Ekkamai (Soi 63) is Thonglor’s slightly more laid-back sibling, with a strong Japanese flavour — izakayas, ramen shops, sushi counters and Japanese bars cluster here, reflecting the area’s large Japanese community. Ekkamai is also a hub of Bangkok’s craft-beer movement, with taprooms and beer bars pouring local and imported brews. The Donki Mall (a Japanese discount-store complex) and various lifestyle malls add daytime appeal. It feels a touch more relaxed and less see-and-be-seen than Thonglor, which many people prefer. A guided rooftop and speakeasy nightlife tour is a good way to sample the area’s hidden bars without hunting for unmarked doors.

The dining scene — Bangkok at its best

For food, Thonglor and Ekkamai are among the best neighbourhoods in the city. The range is enormous: refined contemporary Thai restaurants reinventing regional cooking, top-tier Japanese of every kind, Korean, Italian, brunch spots, dessert cafes and street food on the side sois. This is where you eat if you want to understand where modern Bangkok dining is heading. Several Michelin-listed and Bib Gourmand spots sit in the area. For pointers see the best Thai restaurants guide and the rooftop restaurants guide. To cook Thai food yourself, the nearby Sukhumvit cooking class with market visit is an easy add.

The bar and nightlife scene

Nightlife is Thonglor-Ekkamai’s defining feature. Beyond the speakeasies, there are clubs, live-music venues, rooftop bars and late-night spots that draw a stylish local-and-expat crowd, busiest Thursday to Saturday. It is more sophisticated and less raucous than the Khao San or Nana scenes — think cocktails and DJ sets rather than buckets and go-go bars. The speakeasy and rooftop pub crawl and the bar and club crawl are good entry points. For the full picture see the nightlife guide and best rooftop bars guide.

Cafes, brunch and wellness

By day, the area is cafe central. Thonglor and Ekkamai have some of Bangkok’s most beautiful design-led cafes and the city’s best brunch scene — perfect for a slow weekend morning. The area is also home to upscale spas and wellness studios; the Divana Divine Spa in Thonglor is one of the city’s most lauded luxury-spa experiences, ideal after a heavy night out. For more wellness options see the best spas guide and the wellness guide.

Thonglor vs Ekkamai — which soi for what

	Thonglor	Ekkamai
Vibe	Polished, see-and-be-seen, design-magazine cool	Slightly more relaxed and local, less dressed-up
Drinks	Speakeasies, natural wine, cocktail dens	Craft-beer taprooms, Japanese bars, izakayas
Food focus	Contemporary Thai, fusion, fine dining	Japanese ramen and sushi, casual eats
Shopping	The Commons, boutique concept stores	Gateway Ekkamai, Donki Mall
Prices	Higher — the pricier of the two sois	Slightly gentler, though still above the city average
Best for	A dressed-up night out, cocktails	A laid-back evening, beer and izakaya food

Neither is objectively “better” — most regulars hop between both by Grab in a single night. Choose Thonglor first if cocktails and see-and-be-seen dining matter most; choose Ekkamai first for a lower-key evening of craft beer and Japanese food.

Shopping and lifestyle malls

Neither soi is a shopping destination in the way Siam or Pratunam are, but both have lifestyle complexes worth building an evening around. The Commons in Thonglor is the standout — an open-air, multi-storey food-and-retail hub with an artisan-market ground floor, a rooftop bar level, and a strong line-up of independent Thai food vendors alongside imported grocers; it’s a relaxed, air-conditioned-adjacent way to graze without committing to a sit-down restaurant. In Ekkamai, Gateway Ekkamai is a Japanese-flavoured mall with a large Japanese supermarket and food court, reflecting the area’s expat community, while Donki Mall is a 24-hour Japanese discount store good for snacks, cosmetics and late-night browsing after the bars. None of these compare to the mega-malls at Siam and Ratchaprasong for scale, but they suit the neighbourhood’s lifestyle-first character better.

What it actually feels like on the ground

By day, Thonglor and Ekkamai are quiet, almost sleepy — a handful of cafe regulars on laptops, delivery riders idling outside shophouses, joggers on the sois’ quieter side streets. The transformation happens after dark: taxis and motorbikes queue at the soi mouths, unmarked doors that were invisible at noon suddenly have doormen, and the crowd shifts to a mix of well-dressed Thai professionals, long-stay Japanese residents and design-conscious expats. It’s a noticeably more subdued energy than the tourist-strip chaos of Khao San — nobody is hawking anything, conversations are at normal volume, and the whole area feels curated rather than touted. The side sois off the main strips are where the neighbourhood’s best Instagram-worthy corners hide — mural walls, plant-filled cafe facades and narrow lantern-lit bar entrances that reward wandering a block or two off the main road; see the best photo spots guide for more locations across the city.

A great base for longer stays

Thonglor and Ekkamai are popular with digital nomads and longer-stay travellers who want to live like cool, local Bangkok rather than tourist Bangkok. There are serviced apartments, condos, co-working spaces, gyms and an endless food-and-drink scene, all on the BTS. The trade-off versus lower Sukhumvit is fewer big hotels and a bit more distance from the central malls and the airport link — but for atmosphere and quality of life, many prefer it. Neighbouring Phrom Phong (family-friendly malls) and up-and-coming On Nut and Phra Khanong are a stop or two away. See the Sukhumvit guide and where to stay.

Practical tips and honest caveats

The big practical reality: Thonglor and Ekkamai are long sois with bad traffic, and the best spots are scattered along their length, far from the BTS station at the mouth. Budget for Grab or motorbike-taxi hops between venues, especially in the evening. Prices here are well above Bangkok’s average — this is an affluent area — though still a bargain by Western standards. It is also more of a scene than a sightseeing destination, so come for the food, drink and atmosphere rather than monuments. For couples wanting a stylish night out, see Bangkok for couples.

Getting there and around

By BTS: Thong Lo and Ekkamai stations on the Sukhumvit Line sit at the mouths of their respective sois — a few stops east of Asok.

By Grab or motorbike taxi: Essential for getting up the long sois and between scattered venues; motorbike taxis are fastest in traffic. See the Grab, taxi and tuk-tuk guide.

On foot: Fine near the station mouths, but the sois are too long and traffic-choked to walk end to end comfortably.

For getting around the wider city, the BTS Skytrain guide covers the line that links these neighbourhoods to the rest of Bangkok.

Frequently asked questions about Thonglor & Ekkamai

What are Thonglor and Ekkamai known for?

They are Bangkok’s trendiest neighbourhoods — home to the city’s best speakeasy cocktail bars, design-led cafes, Japanese izakayas, craft-beer taprooms and contemporary Thai dining. This is where affluent young locals and the Japanese expat community go out, so the food and drink scene is genuinely world-class.

Is Thonglor or Ekkamai better?

Thonglor is the flashier, see-and-be-seen soi with more speakeasies and upscale dining; Ekkamai is slightly more laid-back, with a strong Japanese izakaya and craft-beer flavour. Many visitors enjoy both, hopping between them by Grab. If you want polished cocktail bars choose Thonglor; for relaxed izakayas and beer, Ekkamai.

Is Thonglor a good area to stay in Bangkok?

It is a great base for foodies, nightlife lovers and longer-stay travellers or digital nomads who want stylish, local-feeling Bangkok rather than the tourist core. It has serviced apartments, co-working spaces and an endless food-and-drink scene on the BTS. The trade-offs are fewer big hotels and a bit more distance from the central malls and airport link.

How do I get around Thonglor and Ekkamai?

Take the BTS to Thong Lo or Ekkamai station, but be aware the best venues are scattered far up the long sois, which have heavy traffic. You will hop between them by Grab or motorbike taxi rather than walking the whole strip. Motorbike taxis are fastest when the road is jammed.

Are Thonglor and Ekkamai expensive?

By Bangkok standards, yes — this is an affluent district and prices for cocktails, dining and accommodation run well above the city average. That said, the quality is high and it is still a bargain compared with bar and restaurant prices in most Western cities.

Is there anything to see in Thonglor besides bars and restaurants?

Not in the traditional sightseeing sense — there are no temples or monuments here. The draw is the lifestyle: design cafes and brunch by day, lifestyle malls like The Commons and Donki Mall, luxury spas, and an outstanding bar and dining scene by night. Come for the atmosphere and the food, not for sights.

How much should I budget for a night out in Thonglor or Ekkamai?

Expect to pay well above the Bangkok average: cocktails at a speakeasy typically run 350–550 THB, craft beers in Ekkamai a bit less, and a sit-down dinner at a mid-range restaurant 500–1,200 THB per person before drinks. A full evening of dinner, a couple of bars and Grab rides between them can easily reach 1,500–2,500 THB per person. It’s still cheaper than an equivalent night in a major Western city, but noticeably pricier than Khao San or a local neighbourhood market.