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Neighborhood · Watthana

Ekkamai

伊卡邁

Known for its cafés and restaurants, with the bus terminal for the eastern coast beside the station

Local guide

01First impressions

Ekkamai is known for its cafes, nightlife, and restaurants, and Time Out once ranked it 27th on its list of the world's coolest neighborhoods. BTS Ekkamai Station connects directly to the Major Cineplex, which also has a bowling alley and karaoke rooms inside. The same station also connects to the Japanese-style Gateway Ekkamai, home to a number of Japanese restaurants. The Ekkamai Bus Terminal sits right next to the station and has not moved since it opened in 1960; long-distance buses to the eastern seaboard depart from here. Right next to the bus terminal is the Science Center for Education, home to the country's oldest planetarium.

02What works

The center also has an aquarium and workshops for kids. There's a dinosaur exhibit too, and the most popular spots for younger children are the interactive pirate ship, the pretend-play supermarket, and Insect World. Ekamai International School, located on Sukhumvit Soi 63, was Thailand's first English-language educational institution. The school runs from preschool through grade 12, follows the American curriculum, offers AP courses, and accepts students of all nationalities and religions. The school is affiliated with the Seventh-day Adventist Church, so students take religion classes and hold worship services every week.

03Heads-up

Based on our street photos, Ekkamai ranks 6th out of Bangkok's 16 neighborhoods for street cleanliness—its highest ranking in any category. Traffic, on the other hand, only ranks 11th, and this stretch of Sukhumvit Road is often congested even late at night or early in the morning, so give yourself extra time when heading out. The future of the bus terminal next to the station is still up in the air. The transport company announced back in 2022 that it planned to relocate it to the Bang Na area, outside the neighborhood. Then in 2025, the Ministry of Transport began considering merging all three major long-distance bus terminals into the Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal.

04A bit of history

In 1957, the predecessor of Ekamai International School moved to its current location on Soi 63. Ekkamai Bus Terminal opened on New Year's Day, 1960. The Bangkok Planetarium, founded in 1964, merged with the Museum Center for Education in 1992 to become what is now the Science Center for Education. On December 5, 1999, BTS Ekkamai Station opened as part of the first phase of the Sukhumvit Line.

Compiled by TidyMap with AI from public sources · updated 2026-10-12 · 5 sources

Compared with the 16 Bangkok neighborhoods in this guide (scores 0–10)

Street Environment6.3No. 8
Cleanliness8.1No. 6
Buildings6.8No. 9
Sidewalks3.4No. 9
Greenery6.8No. 11
Convenience6.5No. 12
Transit5.5No. 11
Everyday shopping7.5No. 11
Healthcare6.7No. 12

What's here

What's here
  • Science Center for EducationPlanetarium, aquarium and children's workshops.
  • Ekamai International SchoolUS-curriculum international school, at this site since 1957.
  • Gateway EkkamaiJapanese-concept mall linked directly to the station.
  • Wat That Thong School
  • Ekamai International School
  • St. Andrews International School
  • Bangkok Adventist International School
  • Kasem Phithaya SchoolNearby
  • Pra Mae Mary Prakhanong SchoolNearby
  • Kluaynamthai Hospital
  • Sukhumvit Hospital
  • BTS EkkamaiLong-distance bus terminal for the eastern coast, open since 1960.

HA-accredited hospitals (excluding specialist institutes such as psychiatric and infectious-disease hospitals), schools and universities within 1 km (only those with an English name on OpenStreetMap; Bangkok publishes no school catchments), stations, and parks of 1 ha or more.

Nearby neighborhoods
The closest neighborhoods in the same city.

234 blocks · Curated boundary · Data version 2026-10-12

How are these measured?

Compared against the Bangkok neighborhoods in this guide; metrics without enough data are not ranked. Shopping counts convenience stores plus the nearer of a supermarket or a traditional market (public and private retail markets); night markets, vendor zones and shopping-street shops are not counted. Transit is rail-first with a lower weight for buses.

TidyMap rates the street environment and everyday convenience. It does not assess the home itself, safety, noise or actual living experience. About data limits

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