Ekkamai

Thonglor's calmer cousin — craft beer bars, community malls, and the Eastern Bus Terminal if you’re heading to Pattaya.

Ekkamai is BTS station E7 on the Sukhumvit line, one stop east of Thonglor. The two neighbourhoods share DNA — both grew out of what was once suburban Bangkok in the 1990s, both are now home to the city's creative and design class — but Ekkamai runs at about 70% of Thonglor's speed and 60% of its prices. Where Thonglor's Soi 55 is a wall of neon and $18 cocktails, Ekkamai's Soi 63 has independent coffee roasters, a few genuinely good restaurants, and quiet lanes of low-rise houses converted into design studios.

The traveller-relevant strip is Sukhumvit Soi 63 (Ekkamai) itself, plus the numbered sub-sois branching off (Soi Ekkamai 10, 12 and 21 are the ones to know), and the two community malls — Gateway Ekamai at the BTS station (mid-market, Japanese-themed) and Big C Extra a bit further. The famous Ekkamai Beer House does 40 taps of craft beer from $6 a pint, HOBS on Soi 21 is another good bet, and if you want proper Isaan food, Baan Ice on Soi 20 serves som tam and grilled river prawns for a fraction of Sukhumvit-strip prices.

The other significant Ekkamai fact: the Eastern Bus Terminal is right at the BTS station. This is where every bus to Pattaya, Rayong, Trat and the ferry ports for Koh Samet and Koh Chang leaves from. Roughly $4 to Pattaya, two hours, buses every 30 minutes 5am to 10pm. If your trip involves the eastern gulf coast, staying at Ekkamai saves you a fraction of a day at each end.

Suits: travellers who want Thonglor's food and design scene without Thonglor's prices, anyone heading onwards to Pattaya or Koh Samet, digital nomads on longer stays, couples over 30. Skip if: you need to be a five-minute walk from every dinner (Ekkamai is longer and more spread out than Thonglor) or you want a proper nightclub scene (there's one, Beam, and it's fine but not a destination).

Where to sleep

The cluster is along Soi 63 (Ekkamai) and the numbered sub-sois. Ekkamai itself is a long road stretching a full 3 km north, so location matters — anything past Soi Ekkamai 12 gets far from the BTS. In the walkable zone, Sofitel Sukhumvit Ekkamai and Well Hotel are the main international-branded options at $100-160. For boutique, Josh Hotel opened an Ekkamai property, and there are half a dozen design-focused $70-100 places on the numbered sois. Serviced apartments (Somerset Ekkamai, Fraser Suites) are strong for stays over a week, $80-140 a night with a kitchen and gym. Avoid the far end of Ekkamai (past Soi 30 heading north) — you’ll be reliant on Grab for everything, and the trip to the BTS is 15-20 minutes.

The essentials

Ekkamai food and design loop (3 km)

From BTS Ekkamai, walk north on Sukhumvit 63 to Soi Ekkamai 10, turn right to Mikkeller (good landmark). Continue north to Soi 12 for the design shops and a coffee at Casa Lapin. Loop back south via Soi Ekkamai 21 (dropping in at HOBS or Ekkamai Beer House for a lunch pint), then cut back to Soi 63 and finish at Gateway Ekamai mall for air-con recovery. Best done 10am-2pm to avoid heat.

Getting there & around

From Suvarnabhumi: Airport Rail Link to Makkasan ($1.30, 20 min), then MRT one stop to Phetchaburi, transfer to BTS Sukhumvit Line at Asok, three stops east to Ekkamai ($0.90 total on BTS). Total $3, 55 min. Metered taxi is often faster and only $10-13 including tolls — 30-45 min. From Don Mueang: taxi $12-15, 40-60 min. Inside Ekkamai the BTS is one stop from Thonglor and three stops from Asok (main Sukhumvit hub) — a $0.30 fare each way. Sukhumvit main road is walkable but the north-south direction of Ekkamai Road itself is not — grab motorbike taxis at $1 for any trip more than 500m along it. The BTS runs 6am-midnight. For late nights, Grab or bar taxis.