Where is bangkok chinatown

It might be worth it to go through here with a Thai guide, just to be able to know what all the strange products and foods are available for sale.

Every type of crispy pork skin seems to have made its way to this spot, and there are plenty of other stalls and shops besides just food. The lane is very atmospheric, and a real ode to what Chinatown is all about. Dave's expert tip : The best way to find this tiny lane is to come from Wat Mangkon Kamalawat Temple, cross the street Charoen Krung , and take the next right into the hidden alleyway. The Guan Yin Shrine, despite not being listed in most guidebooks, is actually one of Chinatown's most colorful attractions.

Guan Yin is the Chinese Goddess of Mercy, and her year old statue stands on the altar inside the shrine. Thousands of locals come to pray here, and especially at holiday times, the shrine is a riot of incense and smoke and the atmosphere is extremely otherworldly. The shrine is part of the Thien Fah Foundation, which is Bangkok's oldest charity group, and the buildings surrounding the Guan Yin Shrine are actually hospital facilities, as the organization provides free medical care to the poor and homeless.

The temple contains Buddhist, Taoist, and Confucian deities, and is absolutely thronged with worshipers during major holidays such as Chinese New Year and the Vegetarian Festival. Devotees float flowers in small pools, wave joss sticks and incense in the air, and stand in long lines to enter the temple's inner sanctum to be blessed by the attending monks.

From the entrance on busy Charoen Krung Road, the temple doesn't look like much, as it is set back through a driveway, but it reveals itself once inside. Visitors are welcome here and there is no charge, but make sure to respect local sensibilities and don't interfere with the merit making activities and people's personal worship.

Dave's expert tip : You can get here most easily from Yaowarat Road in Chinatown by walking up either Padungdao or Pleng Nam roads to Charoen Krung, which parallels Yaowarat on its northern side, and turning left here. The temple is on the right hand side of Charoen Krung, but you may need to ask a local to point it out as it does not look like a temple from the outside.

Sampeng Lane is a very narrow alleyway running parallel to Yaowarat Road and is famed for hosting a cheap accessories and clothing market attracting hordes of young people. The alleyway, whose proper name is Soi Wanit 1, was actually full of opium dens and brothels way back when, and it is easy to imagine why, as you feel like you're in a rabbit warren when wandering through here. The narrow lane can barely fit two people abreast, and if you add some motorcycles making deliveries through here, combined with people, well, you get the picture.

Despite the chaos, the market actually is divided into sections, with its eastern end concentrating on accessories like jewelery, shoes, and watches. The middle section of Sampeng Lane has ceramic toys, lanterns, and all sorts of Chinese goods, while the eastern end of the market features Indian run stalls selling silk and other fabrics.

Dave's expert tip : Try to walk through here earlier in the morning when it is not as crowded. Nearby Wat Chakrawat is known as the Crocodile Wat for good reason — the monks at this temple have been raising the reptiles for more than years.

Shrines for the ancestor-worshipping Chinese pop up in unexpected corners — havens of reflective peace in the middle of chaotic streets. A favourite is located in the year-old — and inappropriately named — Talat Mai New Market. It is at night that walking around Chinatown can really feel like travelling through time.

While a large number of patrons still frequent the famed restaurants on Soi Texas located a few hundred metres into Yaowarat Road , the crowds start to fade and eventually disappear the further you get from the main thoroughfares. The streets get narrower until their names get downgraded from soi street to trok alley , where the canopies from the buildings on one side almost touch the windows on the other. Yesterday's tea rooms.

Gong Wu Guan Yu Shrine. Luang Kocha Itsahak Mosque. Krung Thai Art Gallery. Holy Rosary Church. Wat Chakrawatrachawat Woramahawihan. Wat Phra Chetuphon.

Wat Mangkon Kamalawat. Lhong Temple of the Golden Buddha Wat Traimit. Temple Of Dawn Wat Arun. Write a review Upload a photo. Most Recent. Very good. Norm G Geelong Australia 60 contributions. Sampeng Lane market in Chinatown Bangkok. Although the market is known as Sampeng Lane, it is actually on Soi Wanit 1.

The market runs the length of this Soi in the heart of Chinatown, with many lanes running off from both sides. It is a unique experience, crowded, hot and bustling with activity. The narrow lane is not for the claustrophobic. The shops deal mainly with bulk sales and usually offer real discounts for persons buying several items. This is the place to buy the 20 pairs of earrings you need for presents. Prices are half of that in the shopping malls. This is also a good place to buy sarongs and lots of different textiles.

Along the way there are many food stalls and if you want the comfort of air-conditioning, there are several restaurants along Yaowarat Road which runs parallel to Soi Wanit. You can walk into Chinatown in 15 minutes from Hua Lampong station which is on the underground train system. If you are into markets this is well worth the detour, if only for the experience. For anyone with a sense of adventure, a day lost among the many market alleys and street food vendors can be the most memorable of any spent in Bangkok.

Bangkok's Chinatown is an orgasm of the senses. The sights, sounds, tastes, smells - the feel of the place - are of that intensity.

If you are looking for that quintessential image of the Orient, that totally Eastern experience, you will find it here amidst this writhing tangle of streets in this most gloriously frenetic of citys. Not for the faint of heart perhaps, but for the intrepid traveller Chinatown provides a richly rewarding experience.

Most visitors simply dip in and out of the area to glimpse one of the great wonders of the world, the golden Budha. And a glimpse or a hurried photo is all you are likely to steal amid the crowds of tourists that pour off their airconditioned coaches and into the compound housing this priceless treasure. Fascinating yes, but not as fascinating as the gems to be found in the surrounding streets. Some guide books suggest you walk a particular route through Chinatown.

Forget it. Even armed with a Global Positioning System from the nose cone of a Cruise missile and the highest definition map you can lay your hands on you will inevitably lose your way. The problem is that while the bricks and mortar are fixed, everything else moves - the market stalls, makeshift restaurants, shoe menders, beauticians and the myriad itinerant tradesmen and retailers that ply their skills and wares on these seething streets.

Everything is in a constant state of flux, everything that is with the exception of the traffic. To see movement here requires the sort of time-lapse photography used to observe grass growing. We - my wife and I - grabbed a tuk tuk, one of the three-wheeled motorcycles that weave in and out of the traffic on Bangkok's congested and often gridlocked streets, and asked to be taken to Chinatown.

Agree a fare before you go. Haggling's a must; a way of life in Thailand. Then simply squeeze in, hold on, and enjoy the rollercoaster ride.

Our driver dropped us off on a quiet street on the edge of Chinatown. As we walked along, glancing through the windows and doorways, it became obvious that this was where Bangkok came to buy its string. Huge rolls of cord covered the floors and shelves of building after building. Soon the string became rope and then tangentially was knitted into sacks and bags. Ahead of us we spotted the reflection of the Chao Phraya River and guessed it was time to take a right turn.

Here the tradesmen were turning out every conceivable type of cooking utensil and container. Shinny new silver spoons, woks, strainers and baskets hung out for sale. Another right turn and suddenly we were in the middle of it all; engulfed in people and funneled into the narrowest of streets. As we were carried along on a tide of humanity the stalls on either side crept towards each other until there was only room for one or two people to squeeze past.

We were overtaken by a couple of men on motorcycles, edging their way between mountains of plastic shoes in every size and colour. Awnings formed a roof above our heads and the street became a tunnel. We moved towards the faint light at the end, past hawkers selling everything from clothes to crockery, toys to doormats. We bought a year-old oil lamp from a canny Chinaman who did not speak English but was fully conversant in cash.

And through the midst of all this came men pushing steaming and smoking mobile kitchens, whisking up meals and dishing them out in clear plastic bags to stall holder and shopper alike.

My wife likened the place to the souks of Marrakesh, only with motorcycles instead of goats. I was sure we were not in Morocco but of little else. We spotted a gap to the right and took it. We show you the best attractions , most beautiful Chinese temples and the coolest markets around. Also, we will tell you the best time to visit, and how to get to Chinatown.

A great experience is to take the passenger ferry across the Chao Phraya River to Chinatown. You should best get off at the Ratchawong Pier. From there you can quickly get to the famous Yaowarat Road. Chinatown in Bangkok is a cool neighborhood to spend the night. You can also find some really good and cheap places for where to stay in Bangkok! Backpackers, on the other hand, love the Fun Cafe and Hostel. But beware, many food stalls only open early in the morning and then again in the evening.

Walking through Chinatown you will discover some of the most beautiful temples in Bangkok. One of the best attractions is Wat Traimit , where a million dollar Buddha made of pure gold is located.

Chinatown in Bangkok is unique. Just arriving in the hustle and bustle, many visitors cannot be stopped from being amazed. Here, we have summarized the absolute highlights of Chinatown, which you should not miss.

This rather new attraction, which only opened in , is a sign of the ascending Chinese Quarter. Interestingly, Chinatown in Bangkok is home to one of the largest Chinese communities outside of China.

This approximately 1. Colorful decorated with neon signs and giant Chinese characters makes you feel more like being in Hong Kong than in Bangkok. If you want to buy gold in Thailand, you also should go to Yaowarat Road to Chinatown. More than gold traders have settled in this area and so you will find here gold jewellery in huge amounts.

Actually, you can visit the famous street all day long. At that time the mood is the best. On the other hand, in the evening, the billboards light up, which is also a very special scenery.

In addition, all food stalls are open at this time. Tip : If you are planning a tour through Chinatown, remember that many food stalls are closed on Mondays.