Out of these three areas, what's the best place to stay in Bangkok?

I'd actually lean toward Ratchathewi, but not for the station area itself. The real draw is being a short walk from the Victory Monument area and all those little alleyways with street food stalls that run late. You've got the BTS skywalk connecting you straight to Siam for exploring, and the canal boats on Saen Saep are right there too, which is way cheaper than the BTS and gets you to places like the Golden Mountain and Banglamphu fast. The immediate station surrounds are a bit blah, but you're in walking distance of some solid local eateries on Soi Phra Ram 6 and the bars along Soi Rang Nam are more laid back than the club spots. Sutthisan is too far out for what you want, and while St Louis is nice and residential, you'll end up taking the BTS or a taxi to get anywhere interesting for food or drinks.

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honestly for walkability and food without the club vibe, St Louis is the move. it's right in that Sathon/Silom pocket but the residential side, tons of little soi restaurants and street food around the Sathon-Ngam road area. you can wander down to the river from there too, nice evening walk. Ratchathewi's fine for transit connections but the immediate area's a bit dead at night and mostly just shopping malls. Sutthisan's prob the cheapest of the three but it's way out there, feels more like a commute hub than somewhere you'd actually want to stroll around. St Louis station itself is also pretty quiet but you're one stop from Surasak where all the riverside bars are.

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Krua Dok Mai Kao is solid but I've always found their som tam a bit tame on the pla ra. If you want the real funky version, try the shophouse spots along Soi Udomsuk 26, near the night market end. They pound it fresh with fermented fish that'll clear your sinuses, and it's like 60 baht. Different style from the On Nut places, more Lao-leaning.

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for som tam specifically i'd say the Isaan spots in Chatuchak are underrated, weekdays only though since the weekend crowd ruins the vibe. there's a stall near gate 2 that does tam pa with fermented bamboo shoots, super sour and funky, not something you see much in On Nut. if you're already heading north for Or Tor Kor anyway its worth the detour.

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honestly the som tam at Krua Dok Mai Kao is good but what got me hooked is their nam prik pla raa dip with the raw veggies, that funk hits way harder than the papaya does. think most people sleep on it cuz they just order the som tam and gai yang. also pro tip, go before noon on weekdays, after that teh pla ra gets milder cuz they batch it for the lunch rush

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