Sukhumvit

Bangkok's expat hub and cosmopolitan centre
Noteworthy for: For better or worse, two prominent red-light districts filled with go-go bars and prostitutes are just off Sukhumvit: Nana Plaza and Soi Cowboy.

Word to the wise: Elephant handlers along Sukhumvit sell sugar cane that you can feed them, but don't: the elephants are cruelly treated and often hit by motorcycles.
Running almost all the way to the Cambodian border, at 400 kilometres long Sukhumvit Road is one of the longest streets in Thailand and also one of the busiest. Expats and affluent Thais pack into luxury high-rise condos, whilst locals stick to their roots in traditional Thai apartments in the higher numbered sois.

Shops, malls, day spas, restaurants and bars all line Sukhumvit but the best places are hidden away on the small sois that are numbered odd on one side and even on the other (but don't expect them to match up). Try Soi 11 for a comfy restaurant or grab some street food at the Soi 38 night market.

If you're adventurous and decide to venture further down Sukhumvit Road to neighbourhoods like Thong Lo and Ekkamai, you'll be rewarded with charmingly modern eateries and bars.