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The Caravansary
Those who travelled in Southeast Asia will know Khaosan Road in Bangkok, the quintessential backpacker ghetto packed with hotels, travel agencies, street vendors, 24-hour bars, and people from around the globe.
While Bangkok has changed tremendously since I first visited sixteen years ago, the area around Khaosan Road has in many ways remained the same. There may be more travellers in their 40s and 50s now, more children, more caffe latte, wifi, and foot massage; but the hawkers selling wooden frogs that sound like frogs, the roasted scorpions for the brave, the hippie clothes, fried noodles and cut pineapples, the music, beer and cocktails have remained exactly the same.
Passing through Bangkok, I sometimes avoided Khaosan Road; sometimes I found it a convenient place to get things done. And sometimes, especially when arriving late at night, I enjoyed the surreal charm of its hustle.
Khaosan, I think, is the contemporary equivalent of a caravansary: a stable realm of perpetual transit, full of stories and things and promises for a meandering mind. Within 24 hours you can get a fake driving licence or a university diploma, a henna tattoo or a tailor-made suit, a ticket to the beach, a wedding dress, or whatever you may need for the next leg of your journey.
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This privacy policy has been updated on 30 December 2018.