Walking in Bangkok's Chinatown and surroundings
Hua Lamphong Train Station Santibhavank P / Shutterstock.com
An interesting area in Bangkok where many attractions are within walking distance is Chinatown and the surrounding area. Of course Chinatown itself is worth a visit, but also the old Hua Lamphong station, Wat Mangkon Kamalawat, Wat Trimitr or the Temple of the Golden Buddha, to name a few.
To start the hike, take the BTS skytrain from the nearest station to BTS Saphan Taksin. From this station you walk to the Chao Phraya Express boat at the Sathorn pier. Go to the pier on the left and buy a ticket for the boat to Ratchawong pier.
After arriving from the pier, walk north on Ratchawong road towards Chinatown. Walk through here until you see Yaowarat road on your right, this is the heart of the district and the place with the best street food in the city. Walk until you see a small alley called Soi Itsara Nuphap on your left. Walk into this small alley where there is a market and some nice shops. At the end of the market you will reach Charoen Krung Road.
Yaowarat road
Turn left and cross the street to visit Wat Leng Noei Yi or Wat Mangkon Kamalawat. This is the famous Buddhist temple in Bangkok. It is often crowded here and the temple is mostly visited by Chinese and Thai during the special holidays in the Chinese calendar.
From there you walk another 800 meters along Charoen Krung Road to Wat Trimitr or the Temple of the Golden Buddha, the largest solid gold Buddha in the world. Walk east about 600 meters to Hua Lamphong train station. This is the main station in Bangkok and was built in 1916 in Neo-Renaissance style. You can choose to take the metro to get back to your accommodation. When you take the escalator down to the metro, you first enter a long tunnel with pictures about the opening of the first metro line in Thailand. Take a look at the photos and you will also come across a photo of King Beatrix and the young Prince Willem-Alexander taking a ride on the newly opened metro.
AppleDK / Shutterstock.com
But do you still have enough energy? Then skip the subway and walk two kilometers along Khlong Phadung Kasem (canal), which is the official border of Bangkok's Old City, to visit the Bo Bae wholesale market. Continue your walk until you see the Bo Bae Tower on your left, then turn left to walk past the tower to Soi Damrong Rak and then turn left again on Chakkrapatpong road towards Wat Saket or Golden Mount Temple. To get to the top of this golden Chedi you have to climb 300 steps, but thanks to the impressive view over the city, the climb is worth it.
Continue walking along Bamrung Muang road for about one kilometer until you arrive at the iconic red Great Swing, in front of Bangkok City Hall and Wat Suthat. Continue on Dinso Road, where you can taste many local dishes, to the Democracy Monument on Ratchadamnoen Klang Road. This beautiful historic road is the heart of Bangkok's Old City and is home to many tourist attractions. From here you can take a metered taxi to take you back to your hotel.