Originally Posted by
yosithezet
I strongly disagree. The various red-light districts are not going to color a stay at the SGS. Someone with young kids is going to be heading out to the BTS or across the bridge to Robinsons and Terminal 21. While they may be out during the day it will be typical street vendors on the sidewalks. Their kids will be going to bed early so they'll be hanging out in the hotel in the evening, not dodging the sidewalk pubs at 2AM. My kids were 11 and 8 when they stayed at the WGS and they weren't exposed to anything that wasn't kid friendly.
Yes, perhaps.... I considered that in my reply; but there is more to "kid friendly" than you mention. There is "the river"... "the boat" ... "the real Bangkok life" ... all of which come from the river and the river life.
There is nothing really interesting for kids or first time tourists on Sukumvit compared to a day on the river, time at the temples, maybe the Grand Palace, the Temple of the Dawn or the Emerald Buddha, or even Wat Po.. all of which are on the river.
Of course, you can respectfully and kindly disagree as strongly as you want (that's what forums are for, right?); yet, I also stand behind my view that two pools at the ROS and the river life there is much better (fun and educational) for kids than Sukhumvit. There are plenty of street vendors in the Sapan Taksin area so there is nothing that unique on Sukhumvit that cannot be found in any major city.
Thailand is a country rich in history and culture and anyone would be very hard pressed to find a Thai who would say "the Sukhumvit area is the real Bangkok"... true heart of Bangkok is the river; and the heart of Thailand are her busy rivers, the mountains, the jungle, the beaches and sea, the people of Issan, the people of the North, the temples, the royal projects, etc.
Kids should see the real Thailand as an education, some maybe once in a lifetime, to see the heart and soul of a great nation of people and their culture, not an overly commercial and touristy area like Sukhumvit/Asok where myriad stands selling porn DVDs, fake viagra and other sex-related drugs, and sex toys are now common place. (Should I take video and post next month when in Bangkok at all the porn, sex toys and faux sex meds within two blocks of Suk/Asok?)
Then again, maybe we simply disagree in our view of "kid friendly" that's OK right? .... To each his own, let the original poster decide as it is their vacation and their small children.