Soi 16 certainly isn’t your typical Sukhumvit soi.
Firstly, it doesn’t connect to the Sukhumvit Road at all; rather, it breaks off from and runs parallel with Thanon Ratchadaphisek for around a kilometre before paring away into Soi Setthi Thawi Sap and connecting Sois 22 through 26.
And you’d be forgiven for thinking that it’s nothing more than a just a lunchtime jaunt for office workers; with its entrance hidden behind the looming Exchange Tower at the Asok intersection, and the Lake Rajada Office Complex, Column Tower and CTI Tower also found down here, there’s certainly a lot of white-collar expat workers milling around.
But thanks to its location right in the heart of Sukhumvit, near Asok BTS Station and Terminal 21, it’s also something of a tourist hub with a clutch of hotels and a number of notable eateries.
Let’s take a look around…
Hotels
There’s a surprising number of hotels, serviced apartments and even a hostel packed into Soi 16.
Perhaps the most notable is the Column Bangkok, found in the imposing Column Tower at the top of the soi. The Maduzi and the Citadines are also clustered at the top while Aspira D Andora is found a little further down.
Serviced apartments and suites are in abundance on Soi 16. There’s the Gardengrove Suites, Mayfair Garden Apartment, Vacio Suite and the ever-popular Somerset Lake Point.
The hostel comes in the form of The Hostel Sixteen, located in a peaceful townhouse about halfway down the Soi. Private and dorm rooms are available!
Food
Soi 16 is pretty cosmopolitan when it comes to restaurants with a whole host of cuisines represented.
Thai is inevitably well represented with the much-treasured Long Table on the 25th floor of the Column Tower sporting amazing views across the city. There’s also Baan Thai, Clik and a number of street food carts. For Isaan cuisine, check out Balee Laos toward the end of the soi.
If you’re looking for more choice and an international flavour, the ever so quaint 32 December Patisserie and Bistro should be on your radar, together with The Green Parrot Grand Cafe, and Cool Chilli in the Somerset Lake Point.
For Italian and Mediterranean delights, check out Garibaldis, Pizzazo, It’s Thyme and La Cantina – the latter looks like it’s currently undergoing renovations, however.
Japanese comes in the form of Teppanya Kiraku, Sumi Grand Yakiniku and the upscale Tensui while you’ll find Korean at the Gangnam Korean BBQ and imaginatively named Korean Restaurant.
For steak, check out the tourist-friendly US Steakhouse while cafes are well served by the always popular Kuppa, Zeno, Pantry All Day Eatery, Coffeöl and Coffee Alley.
Drinking
Watering holes take something of a backseat on Soi 16 – aside from hotel bars, it’s just the intensely colourful 16 Bites and Wine Bar.
Massage, Salons and Spas
Unlike a few other corners of Sukhumvit, Soi 16’s numerous massage parlours and spas don’t appear to have a sleazy edge to them and were generally attracting female office workers looking for some pampering in their lunch hour when we were lurking around.
For massage and spas, try out Just Jenny Massage & Spa, Iyala in the Garden Grove Suites, Kuppa Spa and Yen Sbai.
Mik’s Classy Cut and the Arena Beauty Salon will assist you with any hair and beauty woes while the strangely named Rice Force is a Japanese beauty treatment centre.
What Else?
The rest of the street is a bit of a mixed bag with a combination of tailors, spas, dental surgeries and more. Here are some of the more notable establishments:
- Convenience stores: Foodland and 7-Eleven
- Space 16 – seemingly an events space above Foodland
- Dental clinics: S Dental, 22 Dental Clinic, Ocean Dental Clinic and Future Dent
- Siri’s Planet for dry cleaning
- Tailoring at Tailor Pro
- SC Johnson – the multinational company
- Breezezilla – a ladies’ formal wear shop
Go on then… what have we missed? What’s your top spot on Soi 16?
The imposing Column Tower
