The short version
Lat Phrao is a large northern Bangkok district, and the name covers several different lives. The roads around Lat Phrao and Ratchada are dense and commercially useful. Further along the sois, gated housing, schools, low rise apartments and traffic islands make the area feel suburban, even though the city is never far away.
The daily calculation
The Yellow Line improves the western side around Lat Phrao 71 and connects with the wider rail network. The old Lat Phrao Road corridor remains busier and less pleasant to cross. Near a station, errands can be simple. In the deep sois, a motorbike taxi, car or local bus is part of the address, not an occasional convenience.
What to inspect
The choice is usually between a modern apartment near transport and more space in a lane with a longer feeder trip. Wang Thonglang and Bang Kapi edges feel different again. Visit during school traffic and rain. A quiet interior road can empty into a very slow arterial at exactly the hour you need it.
My verdict
Lat Phrao suits people who want room and ordinary Bangkok services rather than a central expat stage. I would choose it for a home based routine, not for spontaneous nights in the old centre. Rail access is meaningful, but the district is too broad for the station name alone to settle the decision.