Sathorn

Located slightly to the southwest of Bangkok, Sathorn is a skyscraper-studded business district that is also home to major hotels and embassies. A number of tourists are attracted to the area due to its richly varied nightlife scene that comes complete with a large number of Western-style bars and restaurants. Sathorn is a popular neighbourhood with both Thai and Western business professionals and there is a good range of luxury condos for rent in Sathorn.

The neighbourhood also boasts several prominent international schools and universities, which means that Western teachers also choose to rent condos in Sathorn, especially on Sathorn soi 4, while budget condos for rent in Bangkok can be found on Soi Ngam Dupli.

One of the neighbourhood’s main landmarks is the Sukhothai Hotel, which is famous for its chocolate buffet. The hotel is situated opposite the large and lovely Lumpini Park, which features a large as well as several areas to enjoy a picnic. Free music concerts and other events are held in this park throughout the year aimed at uniting members of the Sathorn community.

Soi Narathiwat offers a distinctly different characteristic to most of the Sathorn neighbourhood and is lined with cheap restaurants as well as chic bars. This street is a good place to meet young expats and Thai students who gather to enjoy cheap drinks in the early evening.

Soi Convent is lined with Western-style bars and restaurants such as Irish pubs and tapas restaurants. This is a popular hangout among wealthier expats and Thai people, who head to Soi Convent to let off a little steam at the end of the day.

Sathorn boasts several large air-conditioned shopping malls such as the Viva City shopping mall where visitors can indulge in a spot of shopping. These malls feature chain stores as well as speciality stores, while Sathorn Road is lined with street stalls, especially in the evening. The popular Villa market sells food and drink products that have been imported from countries such as the UK, Australia and the USA and offers the area’s many expats a taste of home, while Robinson department store is another popular place to shop for groceries as well as clothes, electronics and a wide range of other types of products.

The western end of Sathorn is served by the Surasak BTS station, which provides convenient access to the rest of the city. Saphan Taksin is also just a short stroll away. This BTS station is located on the Chao Phraya River and from here visitors can take a river boat to Asiatique entertainment zone or one of the luxurious hotels on the other side of the river. An MRT station near Lumpini Park also provides an underground link to other parts of the city.

The beautiful district of Santhon, also known as Sathorn is among the liveliest of Bangkok’s 50 districts. The district, which was earlier part of Yan Nawa, stretches from Sathorn Road on the northern side to Sathorn canal. Blending modern and traditional buildings together, Santhon is partial to none. Along with lineup of modern hotels, upmarket café’s, roof top bars and shopping malls the district is also known for delightful street food and spice bazaars. The proximity of the district to the river keeps the area’s temperature pleasant making it an ideal place for tourists to visit Bangkok.  

Sathorn’s shopping district

The area is more of a business cum residential district and lacks shopping facilities. There are a few shopping boutiques inside the luxury hotels beside the river, but they may not fulfill your wish if you are tourist looking for souvenir or a family keen on shopping for clothes or household goods together. Locals can purchase their daily requirements of fresh vegetables, meat, fish and cleaning products from the Suan Plu Indoor Market located at Suan Plu. If you like munching on eatables after a tiring day of shopping then you can try food from the several street vendors selling wide variety of interesting local fare.

Transportation facilities

The district is liked by locals and expatriates of Bangkok as well as tourists due to its public transportation facility. While the Bangkok Skytrain covers a large section of the district’s main areas, for visiting remotely located temples you have to rely on taxi or a boat. The beautiful Grand Palace and top riverside restaurants can be visited by taking a ferry.

Places of tourist interest and relaxation

Sathorn is known for beautiful historical temples built by the Ayutthaya period. The best know is Wat Yan Nawa build during period of King Rama the III and Wat Don built in 1797 during period of King Rama I. An old Hindu temple Wat Khaek Silom is located on hillock in Silom area of the city. Sathorn is also home to an 19th century protestant church located in Convent Road, which was built in Gothic style. It still conducts sermons supported by Thailand’s oldest pipe organ.

Lumpini Park provides tranquility from city life with large shady trees and scented nooks with beautiful flowers ideal for meditation. The park also has a lake at its center allowing visitors to try out paddle boats for a closer view of the lake birds. Need a place to browse around with family? Visit the Q House Lumpini, which has a Life Center with fitness section, dance school, and shopping area for health-related products along with restaurant chains.

Entertainment and Nightlife

If you love pubs and bars with music and dancing, then Sathorn is the ideal place to be for you. With high end bars like Tawandang German Breweryand and traditional hotels like Banyan Tree for a quite meal, you will never run out of options in Sathorn. If you like  sports then a visit to Sathorn’s Lumpini Boxing Stadium is a must. The stadium regularly hosts boxing matches. If you are visiting Sathorn for a short period, then the Miracle Suvarnabhumi is an ideally located hotel within 10 minutes of the airport with comfortable stay and choicest of international cuisine for the traveling businessman and visiting tourist.

Since weather in this part of Thailand is relatively mild during the evening due to proximity to river and lakes, the area has several rooftop restaurants and rooftop bars. Sofitel So Bangkok and the Hilton Millennium are both popular choices among the district’s residents and tourists. The Vertigo Moon bar of Banyan Tree is another popular rooftop haunt for people of Sathorn to try out delectable cocktails while enjoying a bird’s eye view of Bangkok’s night sky.

Residential choices for business travelers at Sathorn

Whether you are on a long term official trip to Bangkok or are planning to settle down in the area, you will be offered a wide variety of choices like mid-sized apartments with beautiful view and villas with gardens for children to play. If your office is in Sathorn area and you are staying for a few months for official work then staying at Marrriot Executive serviced apartment of Sathorn Vista with 186 in-suite units is an ideal choice. These apartments provide guests with five star facilities of fitness gym, MoMo Café, fully-equipped kitchens, wash area with washing machines and several others.

Residential choices for families at Sathorn

Sathorn being the business district of Bangkok has more of high-rise apartments and condominiums than independent row houses with gardens. If you are looking for a high-end condominium with built-in facilities and fantastic view then Rajadamri’s freehold condominiums are the best in the area. The centrally located project provides home-owners a bird’s eye view of Royal Bangkok Sports Club and other nearby places. You can choose between 70 sqm one-bedroom apartment and large four and five bedroom units.

If the above condominiums are expensive for your budget you can try out three projects announced by Ananda Development in the area. Their site is just three stations away from Sathorn’s busy area and has a peaceful neighborhood. For people who dislike apartments and prefer row type homes, Raimon Land PCL provides The Lofts Sathorn with 25 houses in perfect serenity and underground parking facility. The BTS is an ideal mode of travel for residents who work in offices in the commercial center or expatriate project workers staying in serviced apartments.

With a number of restaurants and clubs located in the region, Sathorn may appear to be more of a business district ideal to people who are not familiar with the area’s layout. Sathorn’s quite residential neighborhoods are ideal for people who work in the business district and do not like to commute much. Though most of the region’s homes are a bit on the expensive side they are ideal for business owners and executives with offices in the region. Parks and lakes provide ideal places for families to relax during weekends when you just want to laze around.