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Yaowarat (Chinatown) and Pahurat (Little India) are neighborhoods of Bangkok, located around the roads of the same name to the west of Silom and the south of Rattanakosin. Their ethnic make-up is different from the other districts in Bangkok, which makes for an interesting multicultural experience.

Bangkok's Chinatown, centered on Th Yaowarat and Th Charoenkrung, is an easy walk from Hualamphong Station and the Si Phraya Express Boat pier (near River City shopping mall). By day it doesn't look that much different from any other part of Bangkok, though it is a great neighborhood for buying food and gold. At night the neon signs blazing with Chinese characters are turned on and crowds from the restaurants spill out onto the streets, turning the area into a miniature Hong Kong (minus the skyscrapers). The center of Chinatown is Yaowarat Road with the gigantic neon signs. Running parallel to it is Sampeng Lane, a pedestrian-only lane with great markets. Crossing Yaowarat Road is Soi Issaranuphap, a great lane for food and other Chinese products.

Pahurat is a great place for Indian food, as well as for buying fabrics. Shopping is a bit less rewarding for the average traveler though, unless you are into Bollywood VCDs, Binti cigarettes or Punjab sweets.

[edit] Understand

[edit] Get in

You can enter by train from Hualamphong station, as well as by bus from the royal palace. Other options include the Chao Phraya Express Boat.

[edit][add listing] See

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[edit] Museums

• Rare Stone Museum (พิพิธภัณฑ์หินแปลก) 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, Tel: 0 2236 5666, 0 2236 5655, 0 2236 5712.

• 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.

[edit] Temples and shrines

• Tien Fa Charity. 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.

• 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.

• 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 Pathum Khongkha (Sampheng Temple).

• Wat Ratchaburana (วัดราชบูรณะหรือวัดเลียบ). 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, Tel: +66 2 225 1595

• Wat Traimit (Temple of the Golden Buddha), ☎ +66 2 225 9775. daily 8AM-5PM. 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 compound next to it houses the world's largest solid-gold Buddha, which originates from the Sukhothai Period. It is over 3 meters in height and weighing five and a half tons. B20.  edit

[edit] European-style buildings

• Holy Rosary Church (Kalawar Church).

• Siam Commercial Bank. This building is the first commercial bank in Thailand run by Thais.

[edit] Monuments

• 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.

• King Rama I the Great Memorial (พระบรมราชานุสาวรีย์พระบาทสมเด็จพระพุทธยอดฟ้าจุฬาโลกมหาราช) 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

[edit][add listing] Do

• Take a walking tour through Yaowarat and Pahurat. See Four days in Bangkok

• Chalermkrung Theater.

[edit][add listing] Buy

[edit] Markets

• Khlong Ong Ang Market. Mostly for toys.

• Khlong Tom Market. Interesting for electronic appliances.

• Nakhon Kasem Market (Thieves' Market). Called the thieves' market, as in the past, many stolen goods were sold here. Now it's a combination of machinery, imitation antiques, old furniture and brassware. Not too interesting for most foreigners though.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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).

• Soi Issaranuphap (Soi 16). Visit this market, as it's a great way to experience the real Chinatown. Shopping is very rewarding here, especially for groceries, bird's nest and other Chinese products.

• Sampeng Lane. Must-visit market, though the products they sell are rather tacky. It's such a small pedestrian-only lane, much easier to explore on foot than Yaowarat Road.

• 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.

[edit] Malls

• 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).

• River City, 23 Trok Rongnamkhaeng (pier N3 Si Phaya), [1]. Easily accessible from its own pier for the River Express boat, this center has Bangkok's best collection of antique shops — but these are (for most part) the real thing and priced to match. Note that real antiques and any religious images will require export licenses, although the shops can arrange this for you (for a fee).

[edit] Stores

• Old Maps & Prints, River City, Shop 412, 4F. Has a fascinating collection of old maps with an emphasis on Thailand and South-East Asia, but anything over a century old will set you back several thousand baht.

[edit][add listing] Eat

Chinatown has the city's best selection of Chinese restaurants, many of which specialize in expensive delicacies like shark fin, bird nest or fresh seafood (often still swimming in tanks near the entrance). Gather the biggest group you can, preferably with a Chinese speaker or two, and head down for some ren'ao ("hot and noisy") banqueting.

[edit] Budget

Budget travellers might want to take a bite at one of the numerous carts and markets. The best places to go are Yaowarat Road and Soi Issaranuphap.

[edit] Mid-range

• Hua Seng Hong.

• Nam Sing, 39-47 Soi Texas, Th Phadung Dao (off Yaowarat Rd). A large and functional restaurant, best known for its bird nest but there's plenty of other fare on offer. Try the chilli crab and pork neck. English menu with pictures available, most (large) dishes B200-300. Unfortunately they only accept Visa, Mastercard or Cash.

• Royal India,392-1, Thanon Chakraphet. Located in the middle of the Indian neighborhood, it's curries won many awards. Plenty of foreign travelers know about it as well though. 250 baht.

• Shangri-La.

• Toi & Kid's Seafood.

[edit] Splurge

• White Orchid Hotel.

[edit][add listing] Drink

[edit][add listing] Sleep

• Road Way Hotel.  edit

• Shanghai Inn Bangkok, Chinatown Bangkok, ☎ +66 2 221 2121 (contact@shanghai-inn.com), [2]. Chinese Chic hotel  edit

• White Orchid Hotel.  edit

• TrainInn Guesthouse, 428 (Hua Lum Phong) Thanon Rong Mueang Pathumwan Bangkok 10330, ☎ (662)215-3055,(661)819-5544 (jana@thetraininn.com), [3]. 450-900 Baht.  edit

[edit] Contact

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