Rambuttri is Khao San's more attractive, well behaved brother. The entire horse-shoe-shaped road takes around 30 minutes to walk along. This street has a great mix of guesthouses, restaurants, bars and street food stalls. Most of the shops are similar to those you find anywhere in the area selling the usual T-shirts, DVDs and other tourist trinkets. Part of Rambuttri runs parallel to Khao San, but despite being located so close by these two streets are different worlds. Rambuttri gives you a taste of how Bangkok used to look before all the skyscrapers arrived. Leafy banyan trees shade the pavements and the vibe sways more towards local than backpacker, despite a number of them now choosing to stay here rather than on the famous street itself.
The road curves around Wat Chana Songkhram and as you walk along, the golden roof of the temple pops up above a hotel and you can sneak a peek at the monk's quarters down the alleyways. If you follow the road all the way round you will end up at what looks like a dead end. Never fear, you can cut through the second floor of the restaurant at the end, the waiters are very happy to show you the way.
At night colourful paper lanterns light up Rambuttri and the bars come alive – in fact the further you get away from Khao San, the less commercial it feels. A whole section of Rambuttri is now dedicated to street bars once night falls.