Overlooked Inthamara-Sutthisan neighborhood has more going on than you think

Once known as a bustling entertainment district as far back as the 1960s, Inthamara-Sutthisan is now brimming with old-school shophouses and street eats, alongside a mix of new establishments. Here’s what it’s like to live in the neighborhood.

9 November, 2020 Bangkok time

Coffee & Breakfast

For a caffeine fix and sick Instagram snaps, grab a yuzu espresso (B120) or an Ethiopia Uraga pour over (B190) with a bacon cheese croissant (B120) at uber hip Laze, or chill out with an iced mocha (B75) while checking out awesome shots by emerging photographers at Window Gallery and Cafe. For a palate-refresher, try Tsuru Cafe’s fruity Oolong tea topped with orange, lemon, apple, and lime with rainbow waffles (B79), or a cold-pressed juice like the Red Beet at Slow Jam (B79; red and green apple, carrot, and beetroot). Don’t miss 4x6 Coffee’s banana nutella roti (B45) or honey toast (B125), best paired with a frothy caramel macchiato (B60 hot/B70).

Konchong Konprung; credit: fb.com/KonchongKonprung

Lunch & Dinner

Eat like a local at Ped Yang Hiso, where you’ll get generous servings of roasted duck over rice (B50), or hit up Chef Sun Kuay Tiew Reua Ayutthaya for tasty slurps of authentic boat noodles (from B15). Check out the egg noodles with juicy shrimp wontons and barbecued crispy pork (B40) at Ung Sew Ha and savory southern curries (from B40) from aptly named Palek Southern Rice Curry. For tasty Thai-Chinese fare, photogenic Konchong Konprung doles out egg fried rice with Chinese sausages (B130) and crispy chicken in red Shaoxing sauce (B180). If you’re big on seafood or Japanese, stop by Baan Phanchad for the signature catfish tom yum (B150/B250) or Oba San 168 for big bowls of salmon donburi (B148).

Nude, Coffee and Tonic Bar; credit: fb.com/nudecafeandbar

Dumbo Jazz & Vinyl Bar

Drinks

Sure, Inthamara isn’t known for its cool nightlife, but look beyond the seedy karaoke bars and questionable nightclubs and you’ll find a few hidden gems. Grab a cold beer (B80 for a large Chang) and vibe to live music at low-key Sip Bar or turn it up a notch at Nude, Coffee & Tonic Bar over reasonably priced cocktails. Head toward neighboring Saphan Kwai junction, and you can enjoy a night of bar hopping, too—start with grungy ’90s-esque Helter Skelter for a vinyl-only soundtrack, followed by a visit to rooftop bars Dumbo Jazz & Vinyl Bar and Cat on the Roof, before capping off the night at hip speakeasy The Grey Area.

Transport

BTS Saphan Kwai or MRT Sutthisan.

Lumpini Selected Sutthisan

Accommodation

Lumpini Selected Sutthisan’s 389 units run from B11,000/month for a studio apartment, while the leafy 128-unit Haven Phaholyothin offers one bedroom apartments from B13,000/month. Metro Luxe Phaholyothin-Sutthisan comprises two buildings with 300 units from B15,000/month. Nearby, Baxtor Phaholyothin 14 will set you back at B23,000/month for a one bedroom apartment.

Ari

Chatuchak Weekend Market

Visit

This neighborhood may not be a hotbed for all things hip, but it’s so close to Saphan Kwai and Ari—two of Bangkok’s “it” ’hoods and home to a slew of delicious street eats, cafes, bars, and restaurants—that you can’t really complain. You're also not far from Suan Rod Fai, the Or Tor Kor market, and the Chatuchak Weekend Market, either.

BK ASKS

What do you love most about Inthamara?

Guy Sanohlam, Inthamara resident
“It’s exciting to see cafes like Laze popping up to cater new condo residents and locals. I’ll be looking forward to seeing more businesses like these in the community.”

Kittikorn Koomsiripithuck, owner of Laze
“I love the balance between old and new here. You get to live the modern lifestyle with all the specialty coffee shops and fusion restaurants, but also get to appreciate the fading charms of Saphan Kwai-Inthamara.”

Kritspon Phlaphon, owner of Konchong Konprung
“You’ll find everything from local markets and old-school barbers to new generation-owned coffee shops and restaurants. The combination of young and old is what makes the community so charming.”