Sukhumvit: a beehive on a human scale

Sukhumvit is not only the longest avenue in the Thai capital. It is also said to be the longest in the world. However, when Sukhumvit is mentioned in Bangkok, everyone understands that it is in fact a whole district, the epicentre of the local bohemia, where Nordic cafés, foodie addresses, eco-design boutiques, cocktail bars and coworking spaces flourish, all among pretty houses with lush gardens. To find your way around, use the Soi, the little numbered streets running perpendicular to the avenue. But to be honest, while Sukhumvit Road may seem endless, this district is still very much contained.

Around Soi 50 and the Soi Thonglor Skytrain station, a whole population of young expatriates in search of tranquillity and a certain conception of beauty are buzzing. In fact, one of the most popular coworking spaces - certainly one of the city's most sublime - is called the Hive. The Hive.

This is the place to be for freelance creatives in search of emulation and a state of mind that is both relaxed and conducive to concentration. There are no high-rise offices or businessmen and women in suits here, just young start-ups working in new technologies and the Internet. In between meetings, they eat at The Commons, a sort of gastronomic coloc', a playground for demanding gourmets where, under the same roof, there is a Vietnamese table, another Thai one, an Italian one, as well as a French bakery and a counter selling local organic and fair trade products...

On the other side of the street, coffee and design lovers can meet at Thinkin' out of the Fox, playing on the expression "thinking out of the box". This pretty, bright café is spread over two floors, overgrown with plants and decorative objects made by the eponymous brand. Another alternative is the Rocket Coffee Bar, a Nordic-inspired café where you can enjoy bagels with smoked salmon and scrambled eggs, putting the sometimes very spicy flavours of Thai cuisine on hold for the duration of a meal. A little further on, in a neo-rustic decor, Karmakamet Diner is also one of those restaurants where people flock to, as much for the atmosphere as for the crab pasta.

This confluence of active and recreational creativity makes Sukhumvit a fertile ground for innovation. More and more hotels are banking on the district. First there was the Radisson Blu, installed in spring 2014, then this year the Novotel and Mövenpick, all riding the wave of business 2.0. Business travellers now have the opportunity to opt for a hipster version of Bangkok.

The gentrification of this district began some time ago, in the mid-90s, with the construction of the Emporium, the first of a series of luxury malls to open a stone's throw from Sukhumvit. These developments have gradually contributed to the development of the area. Since the opening in May 2015 of EMQuartier, one of the country's most innovative malls, things have only accelerated. Now, on hot days, people sometimes abandon the little cafés in the Soi to live for a while in an air-conditioned bubble. Because EMQuartier is not just a must for shoppers, it's also a place to live and stroll, to have fun, dine out or make appointments. With the mall linked to the Emporium on the other side of the avenue, the whole complex forms a sort of futuristic, luxurious extension of the Sukhumvit district and its trendy boutiques...

Notepad

THE HIVE BANGKOK46/9 Soi Sukhumvit 49 - Tel : +66 2 662 6062 - Email : contact@thehive.co.th - Internet : thehive.co.th THE COMMONS BANGKOKTel. 55 - Soi Thong Lo 17, Khlong Tan Nuea, Watthana - Tel: +66 2 712 5400 - Email : info@thecommonsbkk.com - Internet : thecommonsbkk.com THINKIN' OUTSIDE THE FOX416/3 Soi Thonglor 14, Sukhumvit 55 Road - Tel: +66 2 390 2847 - Internet: www.thinkinoutsidethefox.com ROCKET COFFEE BARSukhumvit Soi 49 - Tel: +66 2 6626 638 - Internet: www.rocketcoffeebar.com KARMAKAMET DINER30/1 Soi Metheenivet, Klongton, Klongtoey - Tel: +66 2 262 0700-1 - Internet : www.karmakamet.co.th RADISSON BLU PLAZA489 Sukhumvit Road, Klongtoey Nua, Wattana - Tel : +66 2302 3333 - Email : info.bangkok.blu@radisson.com - Internet: www.radissonblu.com NOVOTEL BANGKOK SUKHUMVIT566 Ploenchit Road, Lumpini, Patumwan - Tel: +66 2 305 6000 - Email : H7176@accor.com - Internet : www.novotelbangkokploenchit.com MÖVENPICK SUKHUMVITWattana, 47 Sukhumvit 15, Sukhumvit Road Klongtoey Nua, Wattana - Tel : +66 2 119 3100 - Email : hotel.sukhumvit15.reservations@moevenpick.com - Internet : www.movenpick.com EMQUARTIERInternet: www.theemdistrict.com