Walking through Chinatown
It located in Bangkok Chinatown is an Eldorado for bargain hunters. When you see how many people shuffle through the narrow alleys here, you get the impression that the goods on display are almost impossible to buy. You are short of eyes to watch the activity.
Route there
In fact, there are many ways to get to Chinatown. In this story we use the boat and skytrain. Just on your own with time to yourself and all easy to do for the less experienced traveler. We go out in the morning and the reason will become clear in the rest of this story.
From any stop we take the skytrain (BTS) to Siam and go to platform 3 where we take the train to Wongwian Yai and then get off at the Saphan Taksin stop located on the Chao Phraya River. There we take the Express boat that sails to the right and get off at Rachawongse, the stop after Marine Dept. It just can't go wrong because there is only one road that takes us further to China Town.
After a few hundred meters we see a narrow street called Soi Wanit 1. We can enter that narrow street on both sides of the road. In this case we continue our journey through Soi Wanit on the left side of the road.
Busiest shopping street in Bangkok
It is always busy and you will regularly have to pull aside to let carts with new supplies of goods pass. If you are a bit nostalgic, you can also indulge yourself in the many old Vespas that fulfill the same transporter role. Unbelievable what is dragged in and offered here. You have to come from a good background if you want to leave this street without having bought anything. We keep following the street and cross a road every now and then to end up on a wider road called Thanon Chakkawat. There we walk to the left and leave the busy hustle and bustle of Soi Wanit.
Wat Chakrawat
We continue to walk on the left and after about two hundred meters we see a side street spanned by an arch. Pay close attention because you'll be over before you know it. Walk under the arch into the street and see the old temple Chakkrawat, from which the main road also owes its name. In ancient times this temple was called Wat Sam Pluem and was renovated under Rama III. During construction, a canal was even dug to the wide Chao Phraya River to supply the pond constructed at the temple with water.
After the hustle and bustle of Soi Wanit, you can enjoy the serenity of this piece of China Town. There is also a kind of rocky wall complete with a Buddha statue. Think that both Rama III and Buddha would raise an admonishing finger if they could observe the overdue maintenance and all the rubbish lying around. We go back to the main road and walk a few meters further to end up on the other side of the Thanon Chakkawat via the footbridge.
Royal Temple
Only a few meters further we are at the Wat Bophit Phimuk, dating from Ayuttaya period. During the reigns of Rama I, II, III and IV, these four kings contributed in one way or another to the maintenance, renovation and expansion of this temple respectively. This gave the temple a so-called royal status. The very first wooden structure was a private initiative and was initially known as Wat Lain or Wat Choeng Lain. During the reign (1782-1809) of Rama I, the temple was renovated and its name changed to Wat Bophit Phimuk. During the reign of King Rama II (1809-1824) a major cholera epidemic broke out and many people died. At that time they were buried in gardens located around the temple. During his reign (1824-1854), Rama III also made a considerable contribution and had a stone temple built on the place where the wooden temple used to be. The royal involvement in Wat Bophit Phimuk also affects Rama IV and expansions and restorations took place during his period (1851-1868). A temple in which no less than four reigning monarchs have interfered can rightly bear the predicate Royal.
In prayer
Every morning you can be present at this place when the monks say their prayers between 10.30 and 11.30 am in a building located on the same complex. A dozen of them sit in the front and say their prayers loudly and monotonously. The other monks sit at tables in the building and mutter along. There are also mere mortals on some of the seats in the middle. Some of them have brought flowers and gifts which they hand over to the monks. An elderly friendly gentleman with only one tooth in his mouth invites this farang - who watches the rituals outside - to take a seat inside with the others present.
When around half past eleven all prayers have been sent to Buddha and the monks have left with the offerings under their arms, I am offered tea. And all this for the fact that I listened devoutly for fifteen minutes to something that I did not understand or understand.
Continue shopping
Are you tired of shopping? From the temple you can walk back to the pier in a few minutes. The restaurant Wan Fah is located directly on the pier with a beautiful terrace and a beautiful view over the river. Still looking forward to China Town? Then walk back and continue along the many other major roads. Inhale the specific scent at a spice shop or sample specialties such as suckling pig and shark fin soup at the various restaurants. A lot better than looking is of course tasting. Not comparable to the fake 'protein shark soup' that we are used to, but also with a much higher price tag.
Do you make it a bit later and do you also want to experience China Town at night and therefore literally miss the boat; no worries. The Hualampong train station and the Metro located there is within walking distance.
1 day is not enough to shop and look around. There are different departments. Even a real car accessory shopping centre. Tools and lots of electronics. Of course gold, but also weapons (not for foreigners!) A maze of Indian fabrics. Mountains of imitation junk, be careful what you buy. Unfortunately also a lot of junk, costs nothing (provided you haven't been lifted), but it breaks within a day.
Disadvantage: you can no longer see the wood for the trees and before you know it you are lost. When it is busy you can hardly walk. Warm…. it can be hot, but it is rather the crowds that make you so stuffy.
Next Saturday we go again, buy a nice imitation watch. Here too, you need to know who you are buying this from. A quality, service, guarantee and the right price.
For me, Chinatown is the real BKK. Have fun!
Do you know where you can buy a good imitation watch
China town is a must do when we are in Bangkok. The atmosphere is unique and the crowds cozy.
Then coffee at the princess on Ywarat road and always the nicest and new things. I make jewelry myself and buy the most beautiful beads very cheaply here. Usually we don't stop at once but several times and every time something new.
If I walk around again, I enjoy articles written in this way, thank you.
But I emphatically endorse Monique's statement, of course you don't eat shark fin soup [or parts of other endangered species] remember that the shark has to die only for its fins.
NO I don't like goat wool sokker and eat game from managed hunting with relish.
Thanks again for the wonderful story, makes my day.
with Waitmann's regards,
Jan.
Nice story Ch Town / Bkk It's also fun on all sides, eating / drinking / watching / walking 2 days and you haven't seen everything yet and yes idd hand on your purse because you want to buy everything nice / cheap. And also your hand on your cut for……. but yes that is everywhere in busy cities. Greetings R / Pakkret.
We are always in the Grand China, in the middle of China Town, beautiful hotel, don't even want to stay in a hotel anywhere else, such an experience when you walk out of the hotel, the bustle of the streets with everything and anything, the inhuman bustle doesn't want it for anything miss so if you have the hands China Town just do it you will be amazed
We also go to china town every year, my husband never gets tired of the car parts and tools. (I do) and indeed always find something to buy and not just anything but also something that he desperately needs or is much too expensive here. also in May this year they cut down for his dodge bit of renovation and then you also had something and cheap. much too big to take with me, but my husband was of many, if I can carry 3 kilos of orchids, those hoods can also be taken along. And indeed it was not easy with a stopover because yes they had to go on the plane because they were not allowed to break we are going to have even less space, but for a happy man you give up some space, right? Dusseldorf landed and then took the train home 3 times and then finally home. only where were those hoods with us for 20 hours and gone. my husband thinks and yes, in the last train to our village, placed under the benches that no one was bothered by it, and in our village where we got out, we forgot to take it with us called if they might have been found, but no hoods were found, then we have to go back to my husband and I fully agreed with that.
ps tip it is always difficult to get a taxi on the meter there walk to the river and cross with the pound (3 bath) and there they just drive on the meter also there is one of the largest at the end of the street markets with fresh stuff they really sell everything there meat fish vegetables I went there with the cook of the hotel where we stayed to explain a few things to me about spices meat chicken etc very interesting.
You know that many orchid species are not allowed to be exported. Be careful next time, because the fines are not small and there is also a prison sentence.
True but always have them packed as they look in a box at the airport. I buy them for 1,50 at the flower market and I showed them myself at Dusseldorf once, they did find out what kind it was and whether they were certified, but after 20 minutes I was allowed to take them anyway.
You have a nice hotel there. The shanghai mansion. Very nicely decorated inside.
Klong Thom, the car parts market no longer exists. The government has closed it.
Since when was it closed, I bought a rear light Izuzu 6 weeks ago.
What a nice story to read again, thanks Joseph for this.
We probably would have walked there now but that aside. We immediately looked at the photos of our previous visits (again) and each time you see different things. Not only China Town is fascinating, also all the happenings around it attracted us. The activity, because who dares to drive between the stalls with a 2-stroke scooter in the Netherlands, for example. 2-stroke stinks, yes and.
Some things are amazing to watch, for example the policeman directing traffic with his annoying whistle. (or, in our view, disrupted traffic). So we can name about 10 things.
Whenever I'm in BKK I stay in Chinatown for at least 24 hours for the street food... from morning to evening almost constantly slurping on all kinds of small portions !!!
Klong Thom market closed, that is new, but the flea market is closed on Saturday and Sunday, unfortunately, you always got nice bargains there, we are at the end of the year, two months in Bangkok, and almost every day in Chinatown, great there, know the neighborhood like the back of my hand.
Been once, didn't like that small/narrow street around Yaowarat. We literally stayed in the center of downtown Chinatown, Yaowarath (spelling?) road. Walking through the narrow streets once a day is fun, a bike ride through them is more fun. But further…. personal…. no. Rather travel directly to the Isaan.
Bangkok and its Chinatown… been there, done that… NEXT
But as said purely an individual assessment. Then I still prefer to walk over the Chatuchak market. Of course not in the front, but a little deeper into the "crowds". Where the cockfights take place, the strangest animals for sale etc….