Best Area to Stay in Bangkok with Kids: Near Train Stations and Malls
Bangkok is a big, hot city with slow roads, and on a first visit the area you book decides how your days go. Get it right and the train, lunch and an air-conditioned afternoon are all a short walk from your room. Get it wrong and you’ll spend your trip in 50-minute taxi rides with a tired toddler on your lap, watching the Skytrain glide past overhead.
Our rule for first-timers with kids: stay where you can walk, ideally under cover, to a BTS or MRT station and a big mall. The mall handles the heat, the food and the nappy run; the train handles the traffic. Four areas pass that test: Siam, Asok, Rama 9 and Lat Phrao, all very close to the BTS or MRT. We have stayed in three of them: Novotel Bangkok on Siam Square at Siam, Avani Ratchada at Rama 9 and Centara Grand at Central Plaza Ladprao at Lat Phrao, so the walk-to-the-train details for those three are ours. Asok we describe on the facts only. This guide compares the four on train times, what each mall offers kids, both airports and price, and names the areas we’d skip on a first trip. If you’re combining Bangkok with Singapore, we did the same for where to stay in Singapore with families.
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What’s the best area to stay in Bangkok with kids on a first visit?
On the transport facts, Asok is the simplest base: the BTS and the MRT meet at one interchange, Terminal 21 is attached to the station, and every sight in this post is one train ride away. Of the three areas we have stayed in, Lat Phrao is the one we’d go back to: a 5-star mall hotel at the lowest price of the four, a sheltered walk to both train lines and Chatuchak one stop away. Pick Siam for the shortest walk to the BTS, the aquarium in the mall and the cheapest room that takes a family of 4 in one room. Pick Rama 9 for a big indoor playground above the MRT and more space for the money.
Getting around
| Area | Station(s) | To Grand Palace (MRT Sanam Chai) | To Chatuchak | To Siam | From the airports |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asok | BTS Asok + MRT Sukhumvit | ~20 min, direct | ~18 min, direct | ~8 min, direct | BKK: taxi 30 to 60 min. DMK: taxi |
| Siam | BTS Siam (no MRT) | ~25 min, 1 change | ~15 min, direct | you are there | BKK: rail link + 2 BTS stops, ~40 min. DMK: taxi |
| Rama 9 | MRT Phra Ram 9 (no BTS) | ~23 min, direct | ~15 min, direct | ~20 min, 1 change | BKK: rail link + MRT, 1 change. DMK: taxi |
| Lat Phrao | MRT Phahon Yothin / Lat Phrao, BTS Ha Yaek Lat Phrao | ~35 min, direct | ~3 min, 1 stop | ~18 min, direct | DMK: Red Line + 3 MRT stops. BKK: longest ride |
Rooms and malls
| Area | Main mall(s) | Example hotel to station / mall | Best for kids in the mall | Room for 4, USD/night (January) | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asok | Terminal 21 | ~3 min to BTS; attached to mall | cheap food court, themed floors | ~$305 | Soi Cowboy next door |
| Siam | Siam Paragon, Siam Square One, CentralWorld, MBK | ~3 min to BTS Siam; 1 street with no cover | aquarium, play area | ~$155 (room only) to $170 (with breakfast) | no MRT, one uncovered street |
| Rama 9 | Central Rama 9, Fortune Town | by MRT exit; 1 street to the mall, temporary shelter | big indoor playground | ~$205 (2 connecting rooms) to $405 (suite) | business district, no BTS |
| Lat Phrao | Central Ladprao, Union Mall | ~10 min to BTS / MRT, sheltered all the way via car park and mall | play area, Chatuchak close | ~$250 (2 connecting rooms) to $270 (suite) | far from the old town |
Train times are minutes on the train, station to station, from the BTS and MRT timetables; add waiting time, and more for a change. Prices checked October 2026 for a January weekday, family of 4, at the example hotel in each area. January is high season: outside December to February the same rooms often run 30 to 50 percent lower.
Asok and Terminal 21: both train lines under one roof
Station and line: BTS Asok (Sukhumvit line) and MRT Sukhumvit (Blue Line), linked at one interchange. Price band: at Grande Centre Point Terminal 21, a room for 4 (Quadruple Room or One-Bedroom Suite) from about $305 a night, or a Superior room for 2 adults and 1 child from about $140.
Terminal 21 connects to BTS Asok by walkway, with MRT Sukhumvit below, so you can go from hotel to train to lunch without crossing Sukhumvit Road.
For the kids: each floor of Terminal 21 is themed as a different city. The Pier 21 food court is on the 5th floor, and there is a Gourmet Market supermarket. For a playground, ride one BTS stop east to Phrom Phong: HarborLand has an indoor playground in EmQuartier (1st floor, Building C), and Benjasiri Park is beside Emporium. Benjakitti Forest Park, with its raised walkway over wetland, is a 10 to 15 minute walk from BTS Asok.
Getting to the sights: the MRT runs direct to Sanam Chai for the Grand Palace and to Chatuchak Park, and Siam is 4 BTS stops west.
From the airports: from Suvarnabhumi (BKK), a taxi takes 30 to 60 minutes and costs roughly 300 to 450 baht plus tolls, depending on traffic. The Airport Rail Link to Makkasan, then a 400 m walk to MRT Phetchaburi and one stop to Sukhumvit, is cheaper but means the walk with luggage. From Don Mueang (DMK), take a taxi.
Example hotel: Grande Centre Point Terminal 21. Attached to the mall, about 3 minutes’ walk from BTS Asok, with a Deluxe Family Connecting Room that sleeps 5. We have not stayed here.
One honest note: Soi Cowboy, a short strip of go-go bars, runs between Soi 21 (Asok Montri Road) and Soi 23, right by BTS Asok, and this hotel is a few minutes from it. It is easy to avoid: odd-numbered sois are on the north side of Sukhumvit, even numbers on the south, so don’t book on Soi 23.
Check availability and latest prices at Grande Centre Point Terminal 21 →
Siam: the shortest walk to the BTS, and cheaper than you’d think
Station and line: BTS Siam, the only interchange between the BTS Sukhumvit and Silom lines, with BTS Chit Lom and National Stadium either side. There is no MRT at Siam, so the Grand Palace means a change. Price band: Siam’s big mall hotels are the priciest of the four, but the hotel we stayed at undercuts them. At Novotel Bangkok on Siam Square a Superior Twin or Queen room takes 2 adults and 2 children (under-16s stay free, and the hotel’s own site adds free breakfast for them) from about $155 a night room only, or about $170 with breakfast. For comparison, the Family Premium room at Centara Grand at CentralWorld, on top of the mall, was about $365 on the same night.
Siam Paragon and Siam Center connect to BTS Siam by elevated walkway, Siam Square One is attached to the station on the Siam Square side of Rama I Road, CentralWorld is along the Ratchaprasong Skywalk (the R-Walk) towards Chit Lom, and MBK connects to BTS National Stadium. The R-Walk is roofed but open at the sides.
For the kids: Siam Paragon holds SEA LIFE Bangkok Ocean World in its basement. KidZania Bangkok, once on Paragon’s 5th floor, closed permanently in 2021. CentralWorld has a Playmondo indoor playground on the 2nd floor, and Paragon’s food hall and Gourmet Market cover lunch and supplies. Teens will happily disappear into MBK’s cheap stalls for an afternoon.
Check prices for SEA LIFE Bangkok tickets at Klook →
Getting to the sights: Chatuchak is direct on the BTS to Mo Chit. For the Grand Palace, take the BTS to Sala Daeng and change to the MRT at Si Lom for Sanam Chai.
From the airports: the Airport Rail Link from Suvarnabhumi ends at Phaya Thai (about 26 to 30 minutes, 45 baht), 2 BTS stops from Siam. From Don Mueang, take a taxi.
Who it suits: a short first trip of 3 nights or fewer, kids who want the aquarium, and teens, who can use the BTS on their own and came for the malls.
Where we stayed: Novotel Bangkok on Siam Square. It sits inside Siam Square itself (Siam Square Soi 6), about 3 minutes’ walk from BTS Siam, with an outdoor pool that has a wading section for small children. The service was good, and the buffet breakfast changed often, which is rarer in a big city hotel than it sounds. If you’d rather be on top of a mall, Centara Grand at CentralWorld is the alternative, at more than double the price.
One honest note: the walk is short but not fully covered. Between the hotel and the mall that links to BTS Siam there is one street with no shelter, and on our stay we crossed it in the open. We have not been back to see whether a covered link has been built since, so keep a small umbrella in the day bag. Rooms are standard Novotel, 30 m².
Check availability and latest prices at Novotel Bangkok on Siam Square →
Rama 9: more space for the money, right on the MRT
Station and line: MRT Phra Ram 9 (Blue Line), 2 stops north of MRT Sukhumvit. No BTS. Price band: standard rooms at Avani Ratchada sleep 2 adults and 1 child only, from about $100 a night, so a family of 4 needs two connecting rooms (about $205) or the Two Bedroom Suite (about $405).
Central Rama 9 connects to MRT Phra Ram 9 underground (exit 2), so you can reach the mall without going up to the street. Fortune Town is across the road.
For the kids: HarborLand, an indoor playground of more than 2,200 m² for ages 5 months to 15 years, is on the 7th floor of Central Rama 9, open daily 10:00 to 20:00. The mall also has a cinema, a food court and a Tops supermarket. Fortune Town is an IT and electronics mall: useful for a phone charger or a SIM, not a family afternoon.
Night market: Jodd Fairs at Rama 9, behind Central Rama 9, has closed. It now runs as Jodd Fairs Ratchada at 129 Ratchadaphisek Road, beside Big C, 2 to 3 minutes from exit 4 of MRT Thailand Cultural Centre, one stop from Phra Ram 9, listed daily from 17:00 to 01:00.
Getting to the sights: the MRT runs direct to Sanam Chai for the Grand Palace and to Chatuchak Park. Siam needs a change: MRT to Sukhumvit, then BTS from Asok.
From the airports: from Suvarnabhumi, the Airport Rail Link to Makkasan, the 400 m walk to MRT Phetchaburi, then one stop to Phra Ram 9. A taxi is 30 to 45 minutes outside rush hour, with a metered fare of roughly 250 to 400 baht plus the 50 baht airport surcharge and tolls. Allow an hour in the evening peak. From Don Mueang, take a taxi.
Who it suits: value-minded families staying 4 nights or more who want a big mall downstairs and the MRT straight to the Grand Palace.
Where we stayed: Avani Ratchada Bangkok (formerly the Grand Mercure Fortune, then Grand Fortune). MRT Phra Ram 9 is at the hotel’s front door and it’s connected to Fortune Town, with Central Rama 9 a short walk away. That walk crosses one street with no built-in shelter, but when the mall is open a temporary scaffold shelter is usually put up across it, so you only get wet if you’re out before the mall opens or after it closes. Every standard room is 30 m² and sleeps a maximum of 2 adults and 1 child, with connecting rooms available on all room types; there is no family room. For 4, book two connecting Deluxe rooms or the Two Bedroom Suite, and get the connection confirmed in writing.
One honest note: the rooms are OK for the price if you’re not a fussy stayer; you’re paying for the MRT at the door and the playground upstairs, not the decor. Rama 9 is also a business district, and with no BTS, Siam always means a change of train.
Check availability and latest prices at Avani Ratchada Bangkok →
Lat Phrao: our favourite, on the Don Mueang and Chatuchak side of town
Station and line: MRT Phahon Yothin and MRT Lat Phrao (Blue Line; Lat Phrao is also the interchange for the Yellow Line), and BTS Ha Yaek Lat Phrao (Sukhumvit line) by Central Ladprao. Price band: the lowest of the four for a 5-star mall hotel. At Centara Grand at Central Plaza Ladprao a Deluxe room (2 adults and 1 child) was about $125 a night, so a family of 4 needs two connecting rooms (about $250) or a club suite that sleeps 2 adults and 2 children from about $270.
For the kids: Central Ladprao has Cubs by Playmondo, a food court and a Tops supermarket, and Union Mall nearby is cheap fashion for teens. The old Jodd Fairs DanNeramit castle market by BTS Ha Yaek Lat Phrao closed in 2025 and the site now trades as Liabduan DanNeramit Night Market. The real draw is what’s 1 to 2 MRT stops south: Chatuchak Weekend Market, the Children’s Discovery Museum in Queen Sirikit Park (Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00 to 16:00, closed Mondays) and three parks for a run-around (Chatuchak, Queen Sirikit and Rot Fai).
Getting to the sights: Chatuchak is one stop. Siam is direct on the BTS from Ha Yaek Lat Phrao. The Grand Palace is direct on the MRT to Sanam Chai, but it’s the longest ride of the four, around 35 minutes.
From the airports: this is the natural base for Don Mueang. The SRT Red Line runs from the airport to Krung Thep Aphiwat in about 15 to 17 minutes, with fares by distance and under 45 baht, then it’s 3 MRT stops to Phahon Yothin. Suvarnabhumi is the longest transfer of the four.
Who it suits: families flying low-cost carriers into Don Mueang, anyone with Chatuchak weekend plans, and longer stays.
Where we stayed: Centara Grand at Central Plaza Ladprao. This is the hotel we love most of the four. It’s further from the city centre, which is the point: Chatuchak and Union Mall are close, the mall downstairs has more food options than you’ll get through in a week, and you get a 5-star mall hotel for less than a 4-star in Siam. The walk to the trains is sheltered the whole way: out of the hotel, through a car park, into Central Ladprao and on to the BTS, with the MRT beyond it.
One honest note: BTS Ha Yaek Lat Phrao is close to the hotel, less than 5mins. MRT Phahon Yothin at 700 m, which means about 10 minutes with kids, covered but not short. The hotel sits on the Lat Phrao five-way junction, a big road intersection rather than a walking neighbourhood, and the old town is the longest train ride of the four.
Check availability and latest prices at Centara Grand at Central Plaza Ladprao →
Our advice
If this is your first time in Bangkok, stay at Siam or around Terminal 21 at Asok. Both put you on the BTS with a big mall at the door, so the first few days run themselves.
Once you know the city, move out to Rama 9 or Lat Phrao with the family. You get more room for the money, the malls are just as good for the kids, and Lat Phrao puts Chatuchak and Union Mall on your doorstep.
