Bangkok neighbourhood: Chinatown

Welcome to our Bangkok neighbourhood series!

In the third installment of our Bangkok neighbourhood series, we’ll give you the lowdown on Chinatown, one of Bangkok’s oldest neighbourhoods.

Bangkok’s Chinatown was founded in 1782 and became home to the mainly Teochew immigrant Chinese population. Originally in the area around Sampeng market, the core of Chinatown now extends into Yaowarat Road, which serves as its main thoroughfare and why Chinatown is often referred to as Yaowarat.

Originally a swampy and inaccessible area outside the old city walls, Chinatown grew to become Bangkok's commercial hub throughout the late 19th to early 20th centuries. Following the city's expansion, commercial activity since then has moved elsewhere.

Today, Chinatown serves as a hub of Chinese culture, with numerous shops selling handicrafts and jewellery, and is especially known as a food destination.

Why visit Bangkok’s Chinatown

If you only have a few days in Bangkok, Chinatown is well-worth a visit. It’s a mix of everything – a little culture, a little history, a little shopping, and lots of local food thrown in for good measure.

Top five things to do in Chinatown

Have a slice of old Thai-Chinese life

Here’s the deal with Chinatown. It’s busy and a bit manic, owing to its roots as a trading hub a few centuries back. Chinese junk boats would arrive and settle here and over the centuries, they prospered.

Chinatown, by day, is still very much commercial, with numerous shophouses lining up its wide roads as well as narrow pedestrian alleys.

At night, colourful neon signs dotting the main commercial thoroughfare is part of its charm, a distinct nod to traditional Chinese family entrepreneurship.

Explore the markets

Sampeng Lane is a long, narrow street intersecting Chinatown, where you'll find a jumble of different products from home decor, religious items, to clothing. Sampeng Market here is the original high street of Chinatown when the Teochew Chinese community first moved to Bangkok.

Much like the rest of the area, it's cluttered, chaotic and a lot of fun. Imagine very busy and crowded streets during the day that often become even more chaotic as night time approaches. Face a barrage of pedestrian traffic, small carts, and the occasional truck bringing in fresh produce from the provinces all the way down to this part of Bangkok.

Sampeng Market is one of the cheapest places for clothes shopping in Bangkok – take advantage of large discounts when you buy in bulk (i.e 10 or more items). Women’s clothes are popular items here, including dresses, silk sarongs, shoes, jewellery, and other accessories.

Open hours

Daily, 8am–5pm

Phone number: +66958914442

Address: Chakkrawat, Samphanthawong, Bangkok 10100, Thailand

It’s a foodie paradise

Seafood

Check out one of the many seafood stalls in Chinatown. One seafood stall in particular is a crowd pleaser, shooting flames high into the air while bemused diners look on.

Chinese food

Safe to say, the best Chinese food in Thailand is in Chinatown.

Thai street food

Get your classic Thai street food staples.

Immerse yourself in its history

Sala Chalermkrung is a charming art deco building created in 1933 and still immaculately maintained with period fittings. Nowadays, the theatre is home to khon, a Thai masked dance showing a mixture of lavish costumes and interpretative dances presented as an epic story about a double-crossing demon.

Yaowarat Chinatown Heritage Center tells the history of the Thai-Chinese community and their settlement into Chinatown.

Appreciate the religion

Wat Traimit

Want to see the largest golden Buddha in the world?

Wat Chakawat Ratchawat (The Crocodile Temple)

Perhaps, a visit to a temple home to 3 giant crocodiles?

What did I miss? Anything else about Chinatown worth a shout? Let me know in the comments below.

Credit for images used:

https://uk.hotels.com/go/thailand/best-chinatown-things-to-do