Located on the outer edges of south-east Bangkok, Bang Na – with its big wide commercial strips, gated housing communities and mega-malls – is a neighbourhood that will feel eerily familiar to anyone who grew up in American suburbia.
With its inexpensive land, Bang Na is becoming an increasingly popular choice for older expats and expats with families who’d like to move out to somewhere with a little more living space than the cramped condos that dominate central Bangkok, but to still be able to get downtown in reasonable time, and as a result new housing communities are being developed at a head-spinning rate.
In this article, we’ll explore life in Bang Na – where to live, where to shop, where to eat and what to do if you don’t fancy taking the train into the city centre.
- Thai Name: Bang Na
- Transliteration variants: –
- Pronunciation: bāːŋ nāː
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Contents
- Location
- Pros and Cons of Living in Bang Na
- Accommodation in Bang Na
- Dining Out in Bang Na
- Drinking in Phra Khanong
- Groceries in Bang Na
- Transportation Options for Phra Khanong
- Healthcare in Bang Na
- International Schools in Phra Khanong
- Parks in Bang Na
- Other Standout Venues and Features
- Should You Live in Bang Na?
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Location
Bang Na is an enormous neighbourhood, stretching from the banks of the Chao Phraya river all the way to the border with neighbouring province Samut Prakan. Although the district of Bang Na includes popular expat haunts like Udom Suk Road, in this article we’re going to mostly focus on the area surrounding the Bang Na – Trat Road, as seen below.
Pros and Cons of Living in Bang Na
Let’s take a quick look at the pros and cons of living in Bang Na:
Pros
- More Space for Less – With its relative distance from the city centre and wide-open spaces, Bang Na is the place to go for inexpensive new-build homes. New developments are popping up all the time, and there are plenty of two-storey family homes out there in the 4 to 6 million baht range (about $110,000 to $180,000).
- Retail Paradise: Bang Na is home to some of Bangkok’s biggest shopping outlets, such as the enormous (and aptly-named) Mega Bang Na complex, and it’s not unusual for even central Bangkok folk to make the drive out there for a bit of retail therapy.
- Excellent Highway Access: It’s hard to beat Bang Na’s location if you have a car. The Bang Na – Trat elevated expressway runs right the way through the area, allowing you to zip into the city centre in just 30 minutes or so (traffic permitting).
- Great for Concerts and Events: In addition to conferences, mega-sales and motor shows, Bang Na’s BITEC arena is also a major concert venue, having hosted many big-name acts over the years.
Cons
- Not Great For Non-Drivers: Bang Na is a big, spread-out area, with many of its housing developments located well off the main road. Although the main drag of Bang Na – Trat is adequately served by buses, you may struggle to get around without a vehicle if you live in one of the area’s many moo baans.
- Prone to Flooding: With much of the area built on flat, marshy land near the Chao Phraya river, some areas of Bang Na can be susceptible to flooding at times. It might be worth checking a site like FloodMap first if you’re considering buying a house in the area.
- Lack of Parks: Although many gated communities (and even some condos) may have a little green space for the use of residents, there is a distinct lack of public parks in the Bang Na area and not many places in which you can truly get lost in nature.
Accommodation in Bang Na
While it’s the cheap housing that is the big draw, there is accommodation of every variety available in Bang Na. Here’s a list of options:
Modern but Small Condos
For many expats, the big draw of Bang Na is more space at a lower price, so unless you have a compelling reason to live in Bang Na itself (i.e you work there), it’s unlikely that you’ll want to move out all that way just to live in a pokey condo. Still, there are plenty of options there if you fall into the former category, the bulk of which are located close to Central Bang Na/Bang Na BTS station.
- THB 10,000 to THB 22,000 /month for a one-bedroom unit 30 – 58 sqm
- THB 22,000 to THB 75,000 /month for a two-bedroom unit 50 – 140 sqm
- THB 50,000 to THB 85,000 /month for a three-bedroom unit 85 – 150 sqm
- THB 11,000 to THB 22,000 /month for a one-bedroom unit 27 – 50 sqm
- THB 20,000 to THB 28,000 /month for a two-bedroom unit 46 – 58 sqm
Bigger, Older, Affordable Condos
- THB 8,000 to THB 10,000 /month for a one-bedroom unit 25 – 43 sqm
- THB 17,000 /month for a two-bedroom unit 58 sqm
- THB 10,000 /month for a one-bedroom unit 26 sqm
Townhouses and Gated Communities
Bang Na has a wide range of housing developments, ranging from basic townhouses to grand, luxurious villas – all generally priced at much less than a similar house would be in central Bangkok.
- THB 25,000 to THB 45,000 /month for a three-bedroom unit 120 – 168 sqm
- THB 50,000 to THB 95,000 /month for a three-bedroom unit 200 – 240 sqm
- THB 68,000 to THB 80,000 /month for a three-bedroom unit 164 sqm
- THB 70,000 to THB 250,000 /month for a four-bedroom unit 190 – 440 sqm
- THB 100,000 to THB 150,000 /month for a three-bedroom unit 350 sqm
Grand Bangkok Boulevard Sukhumvit – Srinakarin
- THB 350,000 /month for a four-bedroom unit 510 sqm
- THB 500,000 /month for a five-bedroom unit 780 sqm
Super Budget Condos
- The Parkland Bang Na – A 30 sqm unit can be found for THB6000 /month.
- Regent Home 7/2 Sukhumvit – A 31 sqm unit can be found for THB6000 / month.
Dining Out in Bang Na
Dining out in Bang Na frequently means eating at one of the area’s several mega-malls, where you are free to choose from just about every cuisine available. However, it’s not the be-all and end-all, and there are some very good independent restaurants scattered around, mostly serving a local clientele.
Street Food
Tonsai Market is a huge and highly-popular beer garden/night market, located on Sukhumvit Road near BTS Bearing (about a ten-minute walk from BTS Bang Na). All the usual local snacks like som tam are available, as well as a few international favourites like takoyaki. A nice place to sit down with a couple of beers after a long day at work.
If you prefer to eat your street food in a slightly more sterile – and much air-conditioned – environment, there’s a large food court on the basement floor of Central Bang Na, near Tops Supermarket. Street food vendors also appear regularly across the road, occupying the plaza surrounding Big C.
Popular Dining Spots
Mega Bang Na – Mega Bang Na is an enormous retail park a few kilometres down Bang Na-Trat from Central Bang Na. It boasts over 40 restaurants of just about every possible variety, including sushi, hotpot, Western and Chinese food. Popular chains such as Aka, Shabushi, Sizzler and Paul are present, as are plenty of independent restaurants.
Tora Sushi – Large premium sushi restaurant, located on Bang Na-Trat Road (near to Central Bang Na). A little expensive, but good quality and a nice, relaxed atmosphere.
Factory Buffet – Big Korean barbecue buffet joint, located opposite Central Bang Na. All-you-can-eat grilled pork and chicken, plus plenty of other Korean favourites like kimchi, pickles, crispy fried chicken etc. Buffet starts at THB329 per person.
Pa Nuek Khao Suan Kwang Grilled Chicken – North-eastern Thai (Isan) restaurant located on Soi Bang Na – Trat 23, around five minutes’ walk from Central. Very popular with locals. Regularly has live music. The laab moo tod (fried laab meatballs) are particularly delicious there, although the kai yang (grilled chicken) is what they specialise in.
Barbecue Resorts Bang Na – Enormous semi-outdoor barbecue buffet restaurant, also highly popular with locals. Very basic and no-frills, but you get a good selection of food for a low, low price (THB320 per person, no time limit). A great spot to hang out with some cheap Singhas and a group of friends after work.
Veganerie Lasalle – One of only a handful of vegan restaurants in this area. Serves bowls, tasty desserts and vegan burgers, amongst others. Nice sunlit atmosphere inside. Located on Lasalle Road, just off Bang Na – Trat 30 (a 20 minute walk or so from Central Bang Na).
Pink Tender – Fancy – and pricey – restaurant, located around two minutes’ walk from Central, also on Bang Na – Trat 23. Does pretty decent quality steaks, lobster rolls, surf-and-turf and other Western treats in a laid-back setting.
For coffee shops, Basecamp 66 serves a fine cup of coffee in an aesthetically rustic setting, as well as surprisingly delicious baguettes.
Drinking in Phra Khanong
Bang Na is not particularly renowned as a massive party area, and for good reason – there aren’t a whole lot of places to cut loose in the area. The clubbing scene is basically nonexistent – expect lots of cozy little local’s bars and big beer gardens of the ‘Chang beer tower and live cover band’ variety (not that there’s anything wrong with that!).
Popular Bars and Pubs
Wine Connection – Restaurant and bar branch of the popular wine retailer, located at Mega Bang Na. As the name might suggest, there’s an enormous variety of wines available for sampling, plus mostly European food of the pizza and pasta kind. Not cheap, but a pleasant enough place to sit with a bottle of vino after shopping at Ikea.
Devil’s Lounge – Fancy wine and craft-beer lounge, located just outside of Mega. Nice rustic interiors and a chilled-out atmosphere, plus shuffle board if you get tired of sitting around sampling the booze.
Samran Ruengjai – Large beer garden/restaurant located on Soi Bang Na – Trat 23 (about a five minute’s walk from Central). Live music, a big and varied menu and private karaoke rooms for hire. To party like a local, make sure you order a big bottle of Samsong and plenty of soda water mixers.
Good Mood Bar – By day this is a fairly standard Thai coffee shop/dessert place, but at night-time it’s a cozy bar with beer, cocktails and the ever-popular lao pan (alcoholic slushies) available, plus occasional live music. Located on Bang Na – Trat 21 (opposite Barbecue Resorts).
Rigel Skybar – One of the few rooftop bars in this area, located on top of the Orion Hotel and Residence on Bang Na – Trat 30. Has both indoor and outdoor seating and pretty wide, uninterrupted views over this mostly low-rise part of town.
Tree House Chill Bar – Subdued bar located on the second floor of the Bizzo Community Mall, just behind Big C Bang Na. Clientele seem to be mostly a mix of Central employees on their off-hours and tourists from the neighbouring hotel. Comfy seats and tasty bar snacks to accompany your beer towers.
Groceries in Bang Na
Once again the big malls (Central and Mega) have you covered for your weekly grocery shop. For odds and ends or fresher food, your options are a little more limited.
Fresh Markets
The Si Yaek Bang Na Market, located about a ten minutes’ walk from BTS Bang Na should cover you for all of your fresh market needs. There’s a wide range of good-quality fruit and veg available for extremely reasonable prices, plus food vendors if you want a little snack while you shop.
Supermarkets
Tops Food Hall Central Bang Na – A surprisingly excellent (and enormous) supermarket, located under Central. Boasts a wide range of both local and imported stuff, plus a sizable wine cellar. Definitely one to go to if you’re missing the tastes of home.
Big C Supercentre Bang Na – Massive branch of the popular value supermarket, located opposite Central. Great for stocking up on produce when on a tight budget, or for buying electronic odds-and-ends, plus a surprisingly wide range of decent imported goods due to Big C’s links with the French supermarket chain Carrefour.
Big C Extra Mega Bang Na – Another branch of the budget supermarket, this time located in the slightly-less budget-friendly Mega Bang Na. Not quite as well-stocked as the Supercentre, but fine for a weekly grocery shop if you’re in the area already.
Transportation Options for Phra Khanong
Although you’ll likely need a car if you move to one of Bang Na’s wide network of sois and moo baans, there are nevertheless a few ways of getting around without one, as follows:
Mass Transit
Bang Na is connected to the BTS skytrain by Bang Na station, which is located on Sukhumvit Road – a short walk from the Bang Na – Trat intersection. Bang Na station is connected to BITEC by a skybridge.
Bang Na – Trat is also served by the MRT Yellow Line at Si Iam Station, which is located at the point where Bang Na – Trat intersects with Srinakarin Road (a short walk from Central, about halfway down Bang Na – Trat Road).
Motorbike Taxis
There are a couple of small motorcycle taxi ranks just outside the exit of BTS Bang Na station. There are also win taxi ranks dotted all along Bang Na – Trat, mostly at busy intersections or outside popular landmarks such as Central. Occasionally you may also be able to simply flag one down if you see one passing, although in these instances be prepared to pay whatever you can negotiate.
Prices should be listed on the boards next to the ranks (look for the big lists of Thai words and numbers behind a bunch of guys in orange vests – you may need to use a translation app to find your destination). As Bang Na is far from most tourist areas, you can generally trust that you won’t be overcharged here.
Taxis and Ride Hailing
There are regular meter taxis running up and down Bang Na – Trat – be aware, however, that some destinations may require you to make a pretty significant U-turn to get to them. There are also regular meter taxis waiting near the bus stop opposite Central (near Factory Buffet).
Like the motorcycle taxis, Bang Na’s distance from big tourist sites means that your drivers are far more likely to follow the law and charge you the meter price, so if you are unlucky enough to flag down a taxi who tries to haggle with you politely refuse and wait for the next one.
The usual ride-sharing apps such as Grab and Bolt all serve Bang Na – they have their own clearly signposted pick-up spots outside Central and Mega.
Buses
Bus numbers 23, 38, 46 and 132 all run from Sukhumvit right the way down Bang Na – Trat Road and back again – there are regular stops dotted all along the road. Fares are between 10 to 14 THB depending on whether or not the bus is air-conditioned.
You can also get a comfortable air-conditioned shuttle bus directly to Central or Mega from Udom Suk BTS Station, but be warned – they are fairly infrequent.
Healthcare in Bang Na
The Bang Na neighbourhood is well-covered for medical facilities, with several large hospitals and plenty of smaller clinics.
Hospitals
Princ Hospital Suvarnabhumi – Big, clean and modern hospital, located a short drive from Mega Bang Na. A great choice if you live nearer to that end of Bang Na – Trat.
Thai Nakarin Hospital – Large private hospital, about a five minute’s walk from Central. A little dated, but generally good treatment and fine for inpatient care.
Clinics
C-Plus Clinic – Small but clean and friendly clinic, located right at the intersection between Sukhumvit and Bang Na – Trat (a brief walk from BTS Bang Na).
Dentists
BFC Dental Bang Na – Large, modern dental hospital, located near the BITEC end of Bang Na – Trat. Very professional, helpful, friendly staff.
Bangkok Smile Dental Clinic Bang Na – Small but modern dentist’s surgery, located close to Si Iam MRT Station. It’s a little hard to see from the road, but keep looking at the buildings between Design Square and Si Iam and you’ll soon find it.
TDH Dental – Slick, modern dental hospital, located at Princ Hospital (see above). Offers cosmetic treatments such as Invisalign, as well as the normal dental services.
Veterinarians
Phayathai 7 Dental Hospital – Clean, modern vets located a short walk from Si Iam station. Airy and spacious inside, with lots of places for your pets to play around while they wait (if they’re up to it!).
Ultravet Pet Wellness Clinic – Another nice, modern veterinary centre, located a short drive from Phayathai 7, just inside the Lakeside Villa area.
International Schools in Phra Khanong
Bang Na is home to some of Bangkok’s largest and most well-regarded international schools, which is a big part of its appeal to expat families. Some of the international schools in the neighbourhood include:
Bangkok Patana School – Consistently highly-rated British international school, located in the Lasalle area of Bang Na (around a fifteen-minute drive from Central Bang Na).
Berkeley International School – American-curriculum international school, located right on Bang Na – Trat Road near the Sukhumvit intersection. Its distinctive clock tower makes its campus a bit of a local landmark.
Montessori Academy Bangkok International School – Small international school, offering the Montessori curriculum. Programs are for Kindergarten-aged students up until lower secondary.
Wells International School – Bang Na Campus – Branch of the American-curriculum international school chain Wells, located on Sri Nakarin Road Soi 62.
Parks in Bang Na
As stated above, Bang Na is sorely lacking in public green spaces (even by Bangkok standards). The nearest green spaces are probably Rama IX Park and Nong Bon Lake (which is just next door), both of which are around a 15 to 20 minute drive from Central Bang Na. Rama IX Park is a well-maintained and spacious garden-style park, whilst Nong Bon is a bit wilder (but nevertheless beautiful).
In the same area there’s also the much smaller Chaloem Phra Kiat Mahat Thai Park, which is about a ten minute drive from Rama IX Park. This small park contains a children’s play area, sports facilities and a pleasant pond.
Other Standout Venues and Features
BITEC – As stated above, BITEC is a massive conference and events space, located at the intersection between Sukhumvit and Bang Na – Trat. In addition to the main halls, the complex also includes a fitness centre, lots of restaurants and coffee shops and the BITEC Live concert arena.
Pororo Aqua Park – Water-based theme park, bizarrely located on the roof of Central Bang Na. Lots of big twisty slides, a lazy river and all sorts of other aquatic attractions. A fantastic place to take the family for an afternoon out.
Mega Harborland Mega Bang Na – Massive branch of the popular indoor playground chain, advertised as being one of the largest of its kind in the world. With slides, ball-pits, bumper cars, arcade games and a whole lot more, it’s another top choice for expats with kids.
Should You Live in Bang Na?
Whether or not you’d be happy in Bang Na is likely to depend a lot on your circumstances. It’s an excellent choice for expat families, but not so much for younger expats.
To summarise – here are the positives of Bang Na:
- You can get a spacious home in a quiet area for a much more reasonable price than downtown Bangkok.
- Plenty to appeal to expat families (international schools, family/pet-friendly attractions etc).
- Shopping opportunities galore.
- Easy access to downtown via the expressway, or from the BTS/MRT.
- Excellent schools, hospitals and vets.
And here are the negatives:
- Very car-centric – you better get used to getting taxis if you don’t own your own vehicle.
- Not much nightlife – and what is there is very local (i.e not too many expat bars).
- Not much for younger expats to do
In short, Bang Na is a fantastic place to raise a family in comfort and still be able to get downtown easily. But if you’re a young, hip expat here for the bar or clubbing scene, or you enjoy sampling international cuisine and going to trendy coffee shops on your weekends, maybe Thong Lor or Ekkamai are better choices.
