Historic building - Temples - Museum - Top sights
Chinatown
Lying south of Dusit and Banglamphu, the Chinatown district is one of the oldest areas of Bangkok as Chinese merchants were originally moved to this area in the early 1780's when Bangkok was founded.
One of the main streets of this area, Charoen Krung (New Road), was actually Bangkok's first paved road.
The area has got a somewhat seedy historical reputation for large numbers of opium dens, brothels (which hung green lanterns outside, giving it the name of the Green Light district), pawnshops and a fondness for gambling.
Today, gold shops and pawnshops are still very popular in Chinatown and can be found almost anywhere. Drug dealing, prostitution and gambling (all now illegal in Thailand) are also still thought to be widespread in this area, though they are not likely to be very noticeable to the average visitor.
Nevertheless, Chinatown remains a pretty interesting area to visit. With the exception of Wat Traimit, it's almost completely untouristy, though this has the downside that most people round here speak very little English. Though the main roads are not very dissimilar to those of other parts of Bangkok, the genuine Chinatown lies down the busy numerous smaller roads, narrow alleys and backstreets.
The Chinese in Chinatown have been living in Thailand for generations, and generally consider themselves very much as Thais - most can no longer speak any Chinese.
Very close to the intersection of Charoen Krung and Yaowarat road is perhaps the only real top attraction in Chinatown, Wat Traimit (วัดไตรมิตร), the Temple of the Golden Buddha. At first glance, the 3m high Buddha image in here looks distinctly average and undeserving of the busloads of tourists that visit every day.
is the remarkable fact that it's made of 5.5 tonnes of solid gold. The story behind the image is that in 1957 a large stucco Buddha image was being moved by crane during development of a port. To the horror of all concerned, the crane operator accidentally dropped the image, sending it crashing towards the ground. Instead of smashing however, the stucco covering merely cracked and in the process revealed the solid gold image hidden underneath. It is thought to have been covered like this during the early Ayuthaya or Sukhothai period, apparently to protect the image from the invading Burmese, and remained that way for several hundred years. Just north of here is Hualamphong (หัวลำโพง), Bangkok's main train station.
Though other attractions as such are thin on the ground,
Chinatown is an interesting place to
just wander around. A couple of
Chinatown's most interesting roads are Yaowarat road (ถนนเยาวราช),
leading westwards from near Wat Traimit, and Sampeng Lane (ถนนสำเพ็ง,
also sometimes known as Soi Wanit), running parallel south of Yaowarat.
Busy Yaowarat road is Chinatown's main street, and has surely one of greatest concentrations of gold shops anywhere, reflecting the love of gold the Thai-Chinese are often thought to have. There's dozens of them, all dazzlingly brightly colored, and with mainly very good prices. There's also plenty of restaurants round here also, where you can get birds-nest soup, dim sum, shark fin soup and other traditional Chinese delicacies.
The narrow, crammed Sampeng Lane was previously infamous for the gang fighting and high numbers of murders that took place here. Nowadays, it's a very busy predominately pedestrian street, with the main danger being the odd motorbike that tries to get past. The street is a hive of constant commercial activity, mostly in textiles and cloth, and while it's not really a great place for buying anything, it's an interesting authentic experience that doesn't seem to have really changed in decades.
The Thieves Market, or Nakhon Kasem is slightly north of the western end of Sampeng Lane. Though legitimate today, it was so named because this was where goods stolen from houses inevitably turned up. It's now a good area for looking or buying Thai or Chinese antiques. There's quite a number of shops and reasonable range of supposedly antique and second hand goods.
Wat Traimit
Witthayaram
(Temple of the Golden Buddha)
This temple is one of the highlights of Chinatown, but it is not part of China's cultural heritage. It's an impressive white structure with a golden spire and can even be seen above some of the higher buildings in the area. The is yet another temple, noted for its 5 tonne, three meter tall solid gold Buddha which curiously lay hidden beneath a stucco cover for centuries, saving it from marauding Burmese. The gold was accidentally discovered 40 years ago while it was being moved and became damaged. Gets busy with tourists. Near Hua Lampong station (Metro station).
Open: Daily 8.00 am - 5.00 pm
Admission: free
Sampeng markets
Sampeng Market in Chinatown is one of Bangkok's center for gold jewelry and gems. If you are not an jewelry or gem expert, give it a good thought before you purchase anything.
Chinatown food market
Markets, food and all kind of businesses is what you will find in
Bangkok's Chinatown. Chinatown is one of the oldest areas in Bangkok and
the Chinese settled down here about 1780. Yaowarat road is one of the
streets that we recommend you to visit.
Thian Fah Foundation
This atmosmpherique complex incorporates a hospital and another, more elegent, shire dedicated to Kuan Yim.
Actually being a small clinic that uses traditional Chinese as well as common practices, most interesting to foreign visitors is the courtyard. It has a giant typical Chinese-style building with an impressive roof. It is dedicated to the goddess Ming.
San Chao Poy Sien
Looks like a souvenir shop, but it's actually a funky little shrine. Pop upstairs to the weird plastic cave-room to see the statue of the Chinese god Kuan Yim.
Thieves' market (Woong Nakhon Kasem)
The Thieves Market, or Nakhon Kasem, has good prices on antiques, second hand, electronics and many other products and goods. Go there by taxi, tuk-tuk or boat on Chao Praya river.
Wat Mankorn Kamalawat
Fight your way throught the vendors in the entranceway and head straigt to the temple at the back for a truly memorable expérience.
India Emporium
Large Indian shopping mall, mostly interesting for fabrics and Indian-style clothing.
Merry King
Department store with multiple floors for food and clothes.
Old Siam Plaza
Big shopping mall in colonial European-style. Strange combination of products for sale, like branded clothes, gadgets and other electronics and gold futures (if interested).
King's Birthday Celebration Arch
This Chinese-style ceremonial gate is located at the Odeon Circle. Passing it makes you feel like you really entered Chinatown.
Wat Chakrawat
The temple is actually not that remarkable, but travellers like to visit this place for it's animals. Crocodiles live in the small pond beside the temple, and there are plenty of dogs, birds and even monkeys around.
King Rama I the Great Memorial
Built in commemoration of Bangkok’s 150th anniversary celebrations in 1932, the monument is situated at the foot of Pathom Boromrachanuson or Rama I the Great Memorial Bridge on the Bangkok side. King Rama I was the first king in the Royal House of Chakri and founder of Bangkok as the capital of the Kingdom of Siam, as Thailand was formerly known. He was born in Ayutthaya, one of Thailand’s former capitals, on 20 March, 1736, accessed to the throne on 6 April, 1782, and passed away 27 years later., Open: Daily, Admission: Free
Wat Ga Buang Kim
Definitely an off-the-beaten-path temple, it shows how local residents practice their religion. Most interesting is the Vegetarian Hall with miniature gold characters reappearing several times in different moods and positions.
Wat Kanikapon
Created by a woman who used to own a brothel.
Wat Mangkon Kamalawat (Dragon Flower Temple)
Take the entrance from Thanon Charoen Krung and you will be amazed by the impressive multi-tiered gateway. It is a Mahayana Buddhist temple, the school of Buddhism that most Chinese follow, therefore it has mixed with other Chinese practices like Confusianism and and Taoism. There are plenty of statues and shrines inside, most interesting is the part right after the second entrance. Four golden statues will greet you, each with a symbolic object: a parasol, a pagoda, a a snake's head and a mandolin.
Wat Ratchaburana
This temple is located at the foot of the Rama I Memorial Bridge on the Bangkok side. Built in the late Ayutthaya period by a Chinese merchant, it is otherwise known as Wat Liap and is one of the 3 principal temples of the capital which include Wat Ratchaburana, Wat Ratchapradit and Wat Mahathat. It had been regularly restored since the reign of King Rama I through to the reign of King Rama VII, except in the sixth reign. Some of the temple’s principal buildings, especially Phra Ubosot – the ordination hall – which houses mural paintings by Khrua In Khong, were badly damaged by bombing during World War II. The buildings were later restored to their good condition as they appear today.
Open: Daily from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Admission: Free
River city complex
River City Shopping Complex is a shopping mall located alongside the Chao Phraya River on the Si Phraya Pier.
Developed by the Italthai Group and The Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group it opened on December 1, 1984 and it has a floor area of 47,567 m².
When it was completed in 1984 the complex was awarded the Gold Medal for the “Best Commercial Complex” by the Association of Siamese Architects under the Royal Patronage of Thailand.
The complex is very much an art and antique centre that showcases Thai art and culture. On the third and fourth floors are over 100 art and antique shops with antiques such as Buddha images, gold ornaments, large blue and white vases, porcelains, silver boxes and betel nut sets, art deco clocks and sculptures, intricate wood carvings and other artwork also from China, Thailand, Burma, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. Monthly auctions held at the River City auditorium on the fourth floor every first Saturday of each month organized by the Riverside Auction House Ltd.
Location: Chinatown
Pak Khlong Talat Flower Market
This 24-hour flower market is a great stroll through, especially after dusk (as it's at it busiest) or right before sunrise (when the new flowers come in).
Noi Market
Off the beaten path, this is mostly a market for locals buying fruit. Nearby is the Sieng Kong Zone, an area with large piles of car parts. It's the oldest spare parts center of Bangkok and you will see plenty of locals working with them.
Pahurat Fabrics Market
An indoor market near India Emporium, but it is hard to find, as you need to walk through other stores to get into it. You will find hundreds of shops inside, selling fabrics in every color, shape and pattern you could possibly imagine. It's the most typical market the Indian neighborhood has to offer.
Night Bazaar
located right under the Memorial Bridge near Pak Khlong Talat Flower Market, this cramped night bazaar is a nice walk. It mostly sells clothes and accessories for teenagers. Plenty of colorful lights bright up the place.
Wanit 2 Market
Officially a nameless market, it's located on Wanit 2, in front of the Holy Rosary Church. It's nice to sit down on a plastic seat and eat Chinese snacks.
Rare Stone Museum
Located on Charoenkrung Road between Soi 26 and Soi 28 in Bang Rak area, the museum features a fascinating display of over ten thousand rare stones from Thailand and all over the world. Exhibits include precious stones, fossils, crystals, stalactites and more. Collections of ashtrays and cigarette labels are also on display.
Open: Daily from 9.30 a.m. to 5.30 p.m.,
Admission: 20 baht
Tang To Kang Gold Shop
Chinatown is one of the oldest districts of Bangkok and about 14 percent of the buildings have been designated as historical landmarks. Tang To Kang is one of them, and it's colonial European-style makes it stand out from other buildings in the area.
Rattanakosin - Riverside - Chinatown - Sukhumvit - Silom & Sathorn - Pathumwan - Ratchadaphisek - Phahonyothin - Around Bangkok