The Khao San Rd area (Banglamphu) is far from (almost) everything. Bangkok has a great rail transit system, which comes nowhere near Banglamphu. For anyone who is planning on going shopping, seeing a movie, going downtown near Sukhumvit, likely to markets outside of Khao San, be well prepared for a goal. My first time there, I was taking taxis either to my destination or to the nearest rail statio