Hotel + meet and drinks?

Both replies are spot on about not staying on Khao San. If you want something a bit different, try the area around Ari. It's got a cool local vibe with good cafes and bars, and you can take the BTS to get to Sukhumvit or a quick taxi to Khao San. For drinks, I'd suggest a spot like Tropic City near Asok for a fun tiki bar experience, way more laid back than the chaos of CB.

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yeah agree with the other comment, skip staying near khao san unless u want the full backpacker chaos experience lol. i'd say stay around silom or sathorn if u want something central but still chill, good food spots and easy to grab a taxi to both khao san and cb. plus the nightlife there is more local vibe if u get tired of tourist stuff

if u wanna grab drinks, check out a bar on silom soi 4 called the strip, it's fun and not too loud. cb on weekends is a zoo so prepare for that

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honestly skip staying near khao san unless you want chaos 24/7. sukhumvit around asok or thong lo is way more convenient for the bts and still easy to grab a taxi to khao san for an evening, takes like 15-20 mins. plus you get way better food and bars right outside your hotel

if you're down for drinks i'd pick a rooftop like above eleven at sukhumvit 11 or a chill bar on soi 55. just heads up, cb is a shitshow on weekends so brace yourself

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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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