Bangkok Info Guide : Chinatown Area

The Golden Buddha 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 or Temple of the Golden Buddha houses one of the most prized relics in Bangkok, one of the largest sitting solid gold Buddha in the world.
Today it rests in a brand new temple just completed in February 2010 all for devout Buddhists to worship and tourists to awe at. It is a solid gold statue weighing 5 tons after all. How often do we get to see that? The Golden Buddha's unique history is shrouded in mystique worthy of a blockbuster Hollywood movie and certainly one of the must see sights on the touring itinerary in Bangkok.

For nearly 200 hundreds the Buddha had been covered in plaster, hidden away from an invading Burmese army. And for 200 years, as time past by the Buddha had been rediscovered by shear fortune or fate as the Thais would believe.

Visiting Wat Traimit is a great place to start exploring Bangkok's China Town community because it is located right where Yaowarat road begins and runs up along where you will find plenty of Chinese businesses selling gold and dim sum restaurants.

There is a museum on the ground level of Wat Traimit where for 100 Baht a ticket you can explore a small museum depicting ethnic Chinese and Thailand's close relationship through history which continues on today.
The ticket includes admission to the 2nd level museum where you can find further history on the the temples famous Buddha as well as the plaster that hid and protected the Buddha for two centuries.

The third level is where the Buddha sits in it's new place where hundreds of devout Buddhists journey to make their offerings of incense and lotus flowers as well as their prayers.

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.

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.

This atmospheric 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.

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.

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.

Fight your way throught the vendors in the entranceway and head straigt to the temple at the back for a truly memorable exp�rience.

Large Indian shopping mall, mostly interesting for fabrics and Indian-style clothing.

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).

This Chinese-style ceremonial gate is located at the Odeon Circle. Passing it makes you feel like you really entered Chinatown.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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 m�.

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.

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).

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.



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.		Bar at Millenium Hilton at Sofitel Silom
The Golden Buddha 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 (Temple of the Golden Buddha) & Museum Wat Traimit Witthayaram or Temple of the Golden Buddha houses one of the most prized relics in Bangkok, one of the largest sitting solid gold Buddha in the world. Today it rests in a brand new temple just completed in February 2010 all for devout Buddhists to worship and tourists to awe at. It is a solid gold statue weighing 5 tons after all. How often do we get to see that? The Golden Buddha's unique history is shrouded in mystique worthy of a blockbuster Hollywood movie and certainly one of the must see sights on the touring itinerary in Bangkok. For nearly 200 hundreds the Buddha had been covered in plaster, hidden away from an invading Burmese army. And for 200 years, as time past by the Buddha had been rediscovered by shear fortune or fate as the Thais would believe. Visiting Wat Traimit is a great place to start exploring Bangkok's China Town community because it is located right where Yaowarat road begins and runs up along where you will find plenty of Chinese businesses selling gold and dim sum restaurants. There is a museum on the ground level of Wat Traimit where for 100 Baht a ticket you can explore a small museum depicting ethnic Chinese and Thailand's close relationship through history which continues on today. The ticket includes admission to the 2nd level museum where you can find further history on the the temples famous Buddha as well as the plaster that hid and protected the Buddha for two centuries. The third level is where the Buddha sits in it's new place where hundreds of devout Buddhists journey to make their offerings of incense and lotus flowers as well as their prayers. Open: Daily 8.00 am - 5.00 pm Admission Fee (Golden Buddha): 40 Baht Admission Fee (Museum exposition): 100 Baht Chinatown History Museum in Wat Tramit 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 atmospheric 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 exp�rience. 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. Klong Thom Market Best known for secondhand goods and assorted knick-knacks, Klong Thom Market sees action every Saturday from 17:00 onwards, and continues going until Sunday's early evening. Formerly known as 'Flashlight Market' due to the fact that buyers will need a flashlight to see the goods, this market is especially crowded on late Saturday night. Covering areas of Luang, Worachak and Charoenkrung, Suar Pa Roads, Klong Thom has everything from car spare parts, DVDs and CDs, electronic devices to clothing items and toys. Besides the roadside stalls, there's also a three-storey Klong Thom Centre (close to Worachak Road) where car accessories and toys are on sale. If you want to avoid the crowd, best time to go is Sunday morning from 8:00 until 11.00. Location: Chinatown 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 m�. 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. Chinatown 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
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