Considered the largest Chinatown in the world, it is undoubtedly one of Bangkok's densest and most vibrant neighborhoods. It is (too) often associated with its main avenue, Yaowarat, and more specifically with its neon signs and street food in the evening.
But Chinatown is not just one main street: it is a veritable maze of alleyways, where you go from a lively market to a more discreet street, from a hidden temple to a century-old shop.
In this article, I propose a simple and pleasant walking itinerary to discover the essentials of Chinatown in a few hours, without limiting yourself to the most obvious routes — and above all, during the day! And if you have more time, I also suggest some possible extensions to Song Wat or Talat Noi.
Chinatown corresponds administratively to Samphanthawong district, but the district extends well into neighboring areas, particularly around the What Mangkon, Pom Prap sub-district side.
Walking tour: the essentials of Chinatown
I'm assuming you're arriving from the platform of the Chao Phraya Express, because the visit to Chinatown flows well into the afternoon, after a morning visiting the Grand Palace and Wat Pho, from where you will have easy access to the famous waterbus.
From the Ratchawong pier, you can begin your walk along Ratchawong Road. You will pass a beautiful two-story building (now renovated) at the intersection with Song Wat Street.
Sampheng Lane (Sampheng Market)
After 350 m, you reach a small street, now called Soi Wanit 1, formerly known as Sampheng Lane, which gave its name to the original district and the market located there.
Along the way, you'll find a series of shops with one particular feature: the shops all have their air conditioning running at full blast, so the air is cooled right out into the street, due to the narrowness of the space and the fact that the street is largely covered by tarpaulins trapping this welcome fresh air!
It should be noted that this alley is frequented primarily by locals, as the shops that make up this atypical market offer wholesale.
Many come to find all sorts of things, from watches to hats, bags, shoes, electronic items, but also seasonal products like Halloween costumes, Christmas decorations or Valentine's Day hearts, to name just a few.
By going there regularly, I've noticed an evolution: as it also attracts tourists and passersby (including locals), the shops are adapting by adopting more welcoming and modern styles than the old, cluttered rooms with dim lighting that used to be characteristic of Sampheng Market.
But wholesale trade still prevails; many of these stores don't allow small individual purchases, but require a minimum of 10 items. Some clearly state this, but not all, so it's always good to know and ask beforehand if you see anything interesting (children often can't resist!).
After 120 m, you will reach an intersection with a street called " Mangkon Road"Admire the two building facades on either side: they give an idea of the "prestige" that Chinatown once exuded (today, the cables and the apparent mess hide a bit of all that).
At this intersection, continue straight ahead, always following the road along Soi Wanit 1 Continue for a few dozen meters. You will come to another intersection with a slightly wider street leading off to the left.
While there are several shoe shops nearby, a small eatery offers noodles. This is Thailand for you; you don't need to go far to find something to eat 🙂 (not to mention the carts you'll see in the alley, offering fruit, drinks, desserts, or grilled food).
As you exit the alley, you'll find a first section with costume jewelry, stickers, etc. Then, a few steps further on, you'll come across stalls selling dried goods, from mushrooms and small shrimp to fragrant dried fish. You'll know you're in the right place when you smell all the aromas of this street (Soi Yaowarat 11).
Yaowarat
At the end of the street, several fruit vendors are clustered together (cherries, apples, strawberries, mangoes, pineapples, a little bit of everything depending on the season), some of whom offer fresh juices that you can taste with delight.
Directly ahead, Yaowarat Road, the main avenue running east to west through Chinatown, stretches out before you. Looking to either side of the street, you're surrounded by a series of large signs on the fronts of various shops and hotels, all written in Chinese. No doubt about it, You are indeed in the heart of Bangkok's Chinatown!
This is the artery known for its vibrant night scene, with the installation on two lanes of numerous street restaurants specializing (but not exclusively) in fish and seafood.
During the day, there are also active restaurants along the way, as well as numerous shops offering gold jewelry, or even a few remaining traditional Chinese medicine shops, veritable modern-day apothecaries, with their wooden drawers, dried roots and the smells of medicinal plants emanating from them.
Obviously, along this major thoroughfare, traffic is usually heavy for a good part of the day. Be careful when crossing, but if you follow the locals, it's fine (a police officer is sometimes present to direct traffic).
For those not used to such a concentration of activity, it gives the place a bustling appearance, which can confuse more than one person.
I invite you to continue straight ahead from the Soi Yaowarat 11 : you thus arrive in the 6 Yaowarat Streetwhere you will be greeted by the scent of durian, the fruit with the "legendary" smell.
We leave the world of fabric and objects for an alley dedicated to food. It is here that you will come across all sorts of Chinese specialties, including Peking duck, fermented Chinese cabbage, steamed dumplings (dim sum), but also spices and a wide selection of tea leaves.
If you're curious, you can take a short detour into another perpendicular alley, after about 100 meters. There you'll find a small fish market.
Depending on the time of day and day, this alley can be quite lively: it's vibrant, full of smells, and very characteristic of Chinatown. Despite its width, it's a pedestrian street, and motorcycles do circulate there.
Mostly old Vespas, another icon of Chinatown since you see a lot of them, making deliveries and loading goods in this area dedicated to commerce.
Around Wat Mangkon
Continue for another 30 meters, and you'll see an alley opening up on your right. There, you can take a peek into a small, somewhat hidden Chinese shrine. San Chao Leng Buay Eia.
Tucked away amidst the houses, it's a small, tranquil temple with all the hallmarks of a Chinese shrine: incense burns constantly, and a predominant red color extends even into the renovated courtyard in front. The interior has also been completely renovated: in addition to red, yellow and gold are the dominant colors.
The site is still traditionally managed by the family that originally created this sanctuary, which, as is often the case, also served as a meeting place for newcomers from the same clan, to be briefed on information and opportunities to know about in their new host country.
Because these buildings have become hemmed in by more recent constructions, one can see, from the sanctuary courtyard, the ruins of old houses now reclaimed by vegetation. This contrast is always somewhat disconcerting and sad to see these ancient structures destined to disappear…
Back in the market alley, continue to the end. You will then come to a fairly wide street, Charoen Krung, a historical axis of Bangkok and not the least: it is the first “street” built with asphalt, when the country began its modernization under the reign of Rama V.
Note that you will be next to Wat Mangkon metro station, named after the nearby Chinese temple of the same name (Wat Mangkon Kamalawat).
If you've had enough, you can certainly end your visit here. Some people admit defeat at this point, feeling uncomfortable with the crowds combined with the potential heat. If you're still up for it, you can then continue on to Wat Mangkon.
It is located on the other side of the street from which you emerge: the entrance is guarded by two Chinese lions, and you have to go through a porch before reaching the courtyard in front of the temple itself.
It is the largest and most important Chinese temple in the city. However, it remains a Buddhist temple: the difference lies in the fact that its founder practiced Mahayana Buddhism, a different school of thought from Theravada Buddhism, which dominates religious practice in Thailand.
Founded in the early 1870s under the name of Wat Ling Noei Yiit will be renamed later Wat Mangkon Kamalawat, which means "temple of the lotus dragon", by King Rama V.
If you are not familiar with this type of temple, it is built in a typical Chinese architectural style, with its roofs decorated with floral and animal motifs, including the famous dragon, and covered with characteristic sinuous-shaped tiles.
Before entering the heart of the sanctuary, an entrance vestibule is flanked by four giant guardians. The main hall is often bustling with activity, with monks working before the three Buddha figures visible at the far end. Lanterns adorn the ceilings, and red and gold predominate in the decorations.
The other rooms are all dedicated to spaces for prayer and/or donations of various kinds and purposes. The first intermediate room on the right is generally the most popular. Many Thais go there every day to make an offering before a series of statues specific to Chinese mythology.
In a central space, a gallery of Buddha statues, this time in a Thai style, is displayed behind glass cases. The temple walls are mostly made of wood, and the entire place is superbly maintained, especially since they recently renovated the outer courtyard, which had hidden the beautiful stone facade for several years. A great opportunity to discover a religious site different from the classic Thai temples.
Charoen Krung and the alleyways around
To exit, you can either leave from the same porch leading to Charoen Krung AvenueYou can either head to the side, which leads onto Mangkon Road. If you want to take a coffee break, I recommend the small "Ti", a minimalist coffee shop that has good beans and tea too.
To continue the walk, retrace your steps to the crossroads and head into the small Soi Charoen Krung 21, on the same side as Wat Mangkon. At first, you will find a mix of Chinese pastries (you will see mooncakes, or mooncakes) and shops dedicated to Chinese worship.
After about twenty meters, turn right to follow the small street Charoen Chai 2In this alley, you will be surrounded by typical old Chinese houses (the "shophouses" — literally, store houses), almost all of which are dedicated to Chinese culture…
This translates into finding decorative objects for sale there, such as lanterns, elements for altars dedicated to ancestors, but also, the local specialty, cardboard effigies to be burned.
During anniversary events, and more systematically at the Chinese New Year, the belief is that to send a gift to the deceased, one burns symbols of real objects, such as bags, shoes, "brand name" clothes, up to chauffeur-driven cars and even villas.
Just before a crossroads, you should see the front of one of the houses open, with a staircase leading up to the right. No one to greet you, but that's normal: it's open to the public, it's the Charoen Chai Community Museum.
Besides having access to the inside of one of these historic houses, to see how it's put together, upstairs you have some posters, period furniture and photos, as well as costumes and masks specific to Chinese folk theatre.
There is also side access to a terrace overlooking the outside. The view is unobstructed over the row of shophouses, especially since one building was finally demolished after standing for years following a fire.
At the nearby intersection, a few small eateries offer noodle dishes prepared the old-fashioned way, over a charcoal fire. Perfect for a cheap snack!
If you continue to the end of Soi Charoen Chai 2, you'll reach Phlap Phla Chai Rd, and you can return to Charoen Krung nearby. Walking along the avenue, you'll pass another Chinese shrine marked with a sign for "Canton Shrine" (actually the Kwong Siew Association), then a shopping center, which stands out here with its golden dragon that seems to emerge from the facade.
You have a 7-Eleven in the basement, a food court upstairs, a few restaurants, massage parlors and air conditioning if you want to take a break.
Continuing along Charoen Krung Road, you will gradually head towards the Wat Traimit area. You will pass an area of vendors selling lottery tickets, amulets, trinkets of all kinds, and a few street food stalls.
At the traffic lights, you'll find a star-shaped intersection where you'll now see a large gate above one of the roads, which turns out to be the continuation of Charoen Krung. You can head directly from there towards Wat Traimit, famous for its golden Buddha, whose golden tip you can see in the distance, by taking the road that branches off slightly to the right.
Optional: The Mustang Blu
However, if you like architecture and the maze of alleyways, in short, if you like Chinatown, you can slightly extend the experience by following the route marked on the map at the beginning of the article.
In this case, from the crossroads at the traffic lights, follow the road that goes straight ahead (even if to cross, you have to go through the right, see my screenshot below).
You are then on Rama IV Avenue, another strategic axis of the city which starts here and stretches to reach Phra Khanong, along Sukhumvit Road, more than 10 km away.
About 200m after the traffic light, you can turn left onto a street called Soi Nana… so no, nothing to do with the iconic red-light district of Sukhumvit, but a quiet street, lined with typical 50s facades.
In the background, you can see a bell tower rising above it, because that's the Maitrichit Chinese Baptist Church (Mairichit Chinese Baptist Church), named after the street on which it is located.
In Soi Nana, continue to the second street on the right. On the corner, you'll find a café called Wallflowers, with an alleyway adjacent to it, beautifully decorated with plants. From there, you can either continue to Maitri Chit Road or return to the first alley, where you'll see a row of renovated shophouses.
In any case, not far away on Maitri Chit Road, you will come across a building with an imposing two-story facade: The Mustang Blu.
It is both a hotel and a restaurant since its recent renovation, housed in a triangular building (originally a bank), dating from the late 19th century. At its narrowest point, the width barely exceeds 3 meters.
I therefore want to emphasize that you need to appreciate architecture because, visually, it has a certain something, just like the buildings in general that line Chinatown. For everyone else, I recommend continuing directly towards Wat Traimit from the traffic light intersection.
To reach the Golden Buddha Temple, go to the end of Maitri Chit Road, where there's a major junction with several main roads, including Rama IV again. Look for the Starbucks on the corner of Mittaphap Thai-China Street to know which way to go.
Wat Traimit (Golden Buddha)
You will eventually arrive at Wat Traimit, temple famous for its 5-ton golden Buddha (yes, you read that right) and ideal end point for this walk.
The advantage is that by returning to the previous intersection (near Starbucks), you are next to a metro station (Hua Lamphong), located within the grounds of Bangkok's old Hua Lamphong train station.
The main structure of the temple, which houses the precious Buddha, includes a museum on the second floor if you're interested in its history. Otherwise, you can buy a ticket to see only the statue on the top floor.
As usual, you'll need to take off your shoes and cover up: sarongs are available for rent if needed. Don't take your photos from the outside entrance (the guard there might rough you up), but go inside and position yourself slightly to the side (you can face him to admire him, that's not a problem).
This building, covered in marble on the outside, is recent (2010), but it is up to the task in terms of ornamentation to showcase the treasure it protects.
To learn more about the rather crazy history of this statue, I discuss it in more detail in my article. Bangkok in 2 or 3 days: the essential sights.
Chinatown Gate
Right next to the temple, you will see the large gate of Chinatown, located in the middle of a roundabout called "Odeon Circle", in reference to the old cinema that was located in one of the buildings surrounding it.
This gate, which might lead one to believe that one is "officially" entering Chinatown, does not quite have this function, even if its location, not far from the old station and at the entrance to Yaowarat, is not random either.
It was presented by the Sino-Thai community to King Bhumibol (Rama IX) to celebrate his 72nd birthday in 1999. And if you're wondering why 72 years and not a round number like 70, it's because it marks the completion of the 6th cycle of the Chinese zodiac: each sign corresponding to a year, a complete cycle lasts 12 years (6 × 12 = 72 years).
In addition, two white jade lion statues were added in 2007 on either side of the gate, a gift from China to mark His Majesty's 80th birthday. Finally, in 2011, another white jade statue—a rabbit—was installed, as 2011 was the Year of the Rabbit in the Chinese calendar, the sign under which the sovereign was born.
Chinatown at night: street food and nighttime atmosphere
At the end of the day, Chinatown clearly changes its character. Where a daytime stroll allows you to discover the shopping streets, the bustle of the markets and the fervor in the more or less hidden temples, the evening focuses attention on a single axis: Yaowarat.
From late afternoon onwards, the sidewalks and two lanes of traffic are gradually filled with street food. Stainless steel tables are set up, woks are lit, and the smell of grilled seafood, the local specialty, takes over.
You can have a full dinner there, or just enjoy a dessert to end the day on a sweet note. Keep in mind that, depending on the day, there may be a queue outside a popular restaurant.
As it is a neighborhood that is on the move, you can now also find several stylish cocktail bars such as the Charoen Krung Bar & Bistro which I was able to try, or the Buph Phe Bar, but also rooftops like the Hannibal.
If you want a bit less crowd, you can always get lost in the side streets between Yaowarat and Charoen Krung, where there will always be stalls hanging around somewhere (it's still Thailand, you're never short of food!)
To complete the picture, the large illuminated signs in Chinese characters light up and the avenue almost becomes a spectacle in itself.
That's enough for many people, who consider they've "seen" Chinatown. So yes, it's still nice, but for me, not seeing Chinatown during the day means missing out on the energy of this part of the city and only seeing a limited aspect of it.
The ideal is to do the route described in this article in the late afternoon, even if it means lingering a bit to see this transformation take place, and also to enjoy Yaowarat in the evening; it's the perfect combo to see both sides.
Chinatown during Chinese New Year
I couldn't write a complete article about Chinatown without mentioning "The Event," which is inseparable from this unique culture. If you're in Bangkok during Chinese New Year, Chinatown naturally becomes one of the epicenters of the celebrations throughout the capital.
Decorations and red lanterns adorn Yaowarat and the surrounding streets for several weeks leading up to the festival, while the three days of festivities see the installation of stages, with performances throughout the day and evening. Street food stalls line the avenue, bringing traffic to a standstill.
The crowd is dense, but that's also what makes such an event so charming: coming to Chinatown during the New Year is to experience a major popular celebration, often with family, where a lot happens.
Musicians drum, lions “dance” and the dragon parades through the streets, while people take photos in the obligatory red outfits.
Some temples, like the What MangkonThese shrines are particularly crowded at this time of year. Many Thais, many of whom are of Chinese descent, come to make offerings and pray for the coming year. The atmosphere is both solemn and lively.
Outside of Yaowarat, during these three main days of celebrations, the itinerary suggested in this article remains perfectly feasible to follow as is, with the added bonus of the decorations. Since the zodiac sign changes each year, the structures and installations are renewed to correspond to the totem animal of that year.
To explore further in Chinatown
As indicated on the map at the beginning of this article, this itinerary focuses on the "central" part of Chinatown. However, since the neighborhood is vast, you can easily extend your experience if it's an area that appeals to you.
Prahutrat (Little India)
Going all the way west, for example, beyond the Ong Ang Canal, you will reach Prahurat, the Indian quarter of BangkokThe specialty here is textiles, but there are also a few restaurants and a notable Sikh temple, the Siri Guru Singh Sabha Gurdwara.
Once inside, you can take off your shoes. You'll need to cover your head, but everything is provided. It's free, and you can even try some vegetarian food. Of course, a donation is welcome.
Around the Ong Ang Canal
Moreover, the banks of the Ong Ang Canal, renovated a few years ago, are also pleasant to explore, both day and night. With its restaurants and colorful house facades adorned with street art, walking along it offers a different perspective on chaotic Bangkok.
Nearby, you have the most important temple (after Wat Traimit) in Chinatown, best known for its crocodile ponds: Wat Chakrawatrachawat WoramahawihanThe entire site stretches for nearly 300 meters and has over 200 years of history.
Song Wat
This is the entire area along the banks of the Chao Phraya River. Long neglected, this section of Chinatown is being revitalized and attracts people thanks to its culinary scene and its setting that blends old architecture with quaint cafes.
Talat Noi
In addition, if you want to be thorough, you can extend your visit to the part of Chinatown called "Talat Noi" (the "small market"), a corner that gives off its own unique atmosphere.
Practical FAQ: Visiting Chinatown
How much time should I allow for this walk?
Allow about 2 to 3 hours to follow the route at your own pace and according to the time spent in the main temples (Wat Mangkon or Wat Traimit).
When is the best time to explore Chinatown?
While Chinatown is very popular in the early evening, the area is also very worth visiting. during the day, when the markets and shopping streets are at their liveliest.
In the evening, street restaurants and neon signs offer a different perspective of Chinatown, but the experience is then mainly centered around Yaowarat.
How to get to Chinatown easily?
Chinatown is well served by public transport. The nicest thing is to arrive by boat trip via the Chao Phraya Express, as the trip follows well after a visit to the Grand Palace or Wat Pho.
Otherwise, the MRT (underground metro) runs through the district along Charoen Krung and also provides easy access to it, particularly via the stations What Mangkon ou hua lamphong.
Is there a specific dress code for visiting temples?
Yes, as everywhere in Thailand: shoulders must be covered, no shorts for women, and shoes must be removed before entering. Sarongs are sometimes available on site if needed.
Can you visit Chinatown with a stroller?
It's not the most practical place: some of the alleyways are crowded and unsuitable. With young children, it's best to stick to wider roads and take a shorter walk.
Where to stay to visit Chinatown?
Chinatown is easily accessible on day trips from other parts of Bangkok. Its location and available transportation also make it a good base for exploring the capital.
Rather than repeating myself, I detail the best options in my dedicated Bangkok guide:
→ Which neighborhood should I choose in Bangkok?
