Where is the downtown?

Your coworkers are using it as a verb more than a place. "Meet in downtown" just means the middle, the point that minimizes total travel time for the group, so the answer changes depending who's coming from where. If everyone's on the BTS it lands on Siam, if it's mostly office people it lands on Sala Daeng or Chong Nonsi, and if someone's driving from Nonthaburi they'll push for Asok because of the expressway access.

From Rama IV you've got an easy out. Just name your station first, Chong Nonsi or Sala Daeng, and let them negotiate from there. I've found that whoever names a station first usually wins the meetup, so use that.

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The word you're looking for is probably "muang" in Thai, and it maps more to the old city than to Sathorn. When Thai people say "nai muang" they often mean the Rattanakosin side, around Sao Chingcha and the river, which is why Khao San and Chinatown keep coming up in the same breath. But "downtown" as your coworkers use it in English is basically a meeting point, not a district, so it changes with who's driving and where they park. From Rama IV, if someone just says "downtown" to me, I'd counter with "Siam or Sala Daeng?" and let them pick, because those two cover the mall crowd and the office crowd respectively. Phrom Phong and Thonglor are their own thing, nobody calls those downtown unless they're being sarcastic about the rents.

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There isn't one downtown, that's the honest answer. When Thai coworkers say "downtown" they almost always mean the Sathorn-Silom corridor, roughly from Sala Daeng to Saphan Taksin, because that's where the office towers and the BTS interchange are. But if someone asks you to meet at "downtown" without naming a station, they usually mean Siam or Asok, since those are the two spots everyone can reach without arguing about traffic. From Rama IV you're actually closer to the Silom end than you think, so if it's a work meetup, assume Sala Daeng or Chong Nonsi first and ask for the exit number. Khao San and Chinatown are old town, not downtown, and Phrom Phong is Sukhumvit, which locals treat as a separate thing entirely.

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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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