Picking a Bangkok hostel before picking the district is backwards — the area decides your commute, your evenings and how much traffic you sit in.
The route is well trodden, but the border crossings are where trips go wrong — and each of the main ones has a specific trick to it.
Bangkok hostels compete on rooftop pools and free breakfasts, but four unglamorous features decide whether you sleep and whether you meet anyone.
The banana pancake trail still works, but the visa rules and border crossings decide your route far more than the sights do.
Thailand splits into two trips with a long journey between them. Most two-week itineraries try to include everything and spend a third of the time in transit.