A Relaxing Place at Soi Thonglor

Soi Sukhumvit 55, commonly referred to as ‘Soi Thonglor’ is part of the district of Watthana in Bangkok and a popular meeting place where restaurants in this part of the city are designed to woo the ‘high-end’ clientele. This is also a favorite spot with Bangkok’s expatriates as it is conveniently located in the heart of the city and served by public transport including cars and ‘sky trains’.

People who frequent Thonglor vary from students meeting on ‘unhurried days’, office workers passing their time reading books in coffee shops, and expats enjoying meals in plush restaurants.In the early hours of the morning, Soi Thonglor may revert to its more mundane pace with only a few fruit stalls that start arranging displays of stunning, imported fruits at the top of the Soi; a sight that is increasingly rare in Bangkok where neighborhood groceries have given way to superstores. Nevertheless, the very sight of people carefully choosing their purchases against a backdrop of flowing traffic serves to remind both commuters and pedestrians of the simplicity of early morning Soi Thonglor that has always been part of the Bangkokian lifestyle.

Soi Thonglor has more to offer than chic shops. Simple eateries offer such basic dishes as exquisite chicken risotto which is delicious beyond words and popular with customers of all genders and age.

However, even at night, Soi Thonglor is a world of lights with people thronging the street as they spend hours relaxing after a long day at work. Lovers enjoy one another’s company in the romantic ambiance of an Italian restaurant under a big canopy; friends hang out together once a month at the home-made ice cream joint. The street welcomes visitors from dusk to dawn, and never retires until the last visitor has departed. Only then will the lights dim on Soi Thonglor as it anxiously wait to greet the first visitors of a new day.