Ekkamai (Sukhumvit 63)

Ekkamai (Sukhumvit Soi 63) is Thonglor's younger, scruffier sibling: indie music venues, craft-beer bars, unmarked-door clubs, and good cheap-to-mid restaurants, favored by Thai students and creatives over expat money. Come at night — daytime Ekkamai is mostly a long traffic-clogged soi, and the good spots are scattered, so budget for motorbike-taxi hops.

Key facts

Frequently asked questions

Where should I start a night out in Ekkamai?

Start with dinner mid-soi, then work between craft-beer bars and whatever live show is on. The area around Ekkamai sois 5-10 and the Thonglor border has the densest cluster. Things genuinely get going after 9-10pm; before that you'll wonder where everyone is.

Is Ekkamai worth visiting during the day?

Only mildly. There are good cafes and brunch spots scattered up the soi, plus Donki Mall, but no sights. The Eastern (Ekkamai) Bus Terminal by the BTS is mainly useful if you're catching a bus toward Pattaya or the eastern seaboard.

How expensive is a night out in Ekkamai?

Mid-range for Bangkok: craft beers around 200-300 baht, cocktails a bit more, live-venue covers modest or free. Meaningfully cheaper than Thonglor's high-end bars, pricier than Khao San. A solid dinner-plus-bars night runs comfortably under 2,000 baht.

Is Ekkamai good for live music?

It's one of Bangkok's best neighborhoods for it — the indie and underground scene clusters here, from listening bars to small club rooms. Lineups change constantly, so check venue socials the week you're in town rather than trusting older lists.

What's the difference between Ekkamai and Thonglor?

They run parallel and share a nightlife scene, but Thonglor is polished and pricey while Ekkamai skews younger, cheaper, and more indie — live music rooms, craft beer, and clubs behind unmarked doors rather than members-only lounges. If you're under 30 or on a budget, start in Ekkamai.

What is Donki Mall Thonglor?

A Japanese lifestyle mall on Soi 63 anchored by a 24-hour Don Don Donki supermarket — imported Japanese snacks, seafood, cosmetics, and general chaos. It's genuinely useful at 2am after the bars and weirdly fun to browse. It sits between Ekkamai and Thonglor, about a kilometer from BTS Thong Lo.

How do I get around Ekkamai?

BTS Ekkamai puts you at the bottom of the soi, but venues stretch a couple of kilometers north. Take a motorbike taxi from the station rank (agree the fare, usually well under 50 baht for in-soi hops) or a Grab. Walking the whole soi in the heat is a rookie mistake.

Is Ekkamai a good place to stay?

Decent if nightlife is your priority: BTS access, plenty of mid-range hotels and serviced apartments, and cheaper than Thonglor. It's residential once you're off the main soi. You'll be riding the BTS 20-30 minutes to reach temples and old town, though.

Nearby in Ask Bangkok

• Hands and HeartCafé0.69 km · 9 min walk
• Thonglor (Sukhumvit 55)Neighborhood1.02 km · 13 min walk
• Rabbit HoleBar1.22 km · 15 min walk
• Err Urban Rustic ThaiRestaurant1.32 km · 17 min walk
• Featherstone CafeCafé1.41 km · 18 min walk