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Chinatown Bangkok was started when King Rama I
decided in 1782 to establish the new capital
Bangkok on the eastern bank of the Chao Phraya
River. The Chinese immigrants who were originally
settled in the area that is now the Grand Palace
had to move out to a strip of land a kilometre
down the river.
Over the years the settlement grew. Today,
Chinatown Bangkok or Yaowarat covers a square
bounded by Phadung Krung Kasem Canal to the east,
the Ong Ang Canal to the west, Luang Road to the
north and the Chao Phraya River to the south, an
area of about 2 sq km.
The casual visitor to Chinatown would probably
only have the time and energy to cover the main
street Yaowarat Road where most of the activities
are concentrated. The other road of interest is
Rachawong Road which is off Yaowarat Road.
If you are coming to Chinatown by road the most
convenient way to start your tour of this Bangkok
legacy is to take the subway to the Hua Lam Phong
station located on the eastern bank of the Phadung
Krung Kasem Canal. Nearby is the Hua Lam Phong
railway station from which trains travel to every
part of Thailand.
Across the road from the train station is
Traimit Road where the famous
Wat Traimit or Temple of the Golden Buddha
stands. This wat houses a 3 m high Buddha made of
more than 5 tonnes of gold!
Within the same compound as Wat Traimit, is the
Saphanthawong Museum a community museum dedicated
to the early Chinese immigrants in Bangkok.
Outside the main entrance of Wat Traimit is a
traffic island on which stands a huge Chinese
arched gate, the Odeon Gate, built in 1999 to mark
the 72nd birthday of King Bhumipol, the present
king. This gate marks the start of Yaowarat Road
and the walking tour of the rest of Chinatown.
Yaowarat Road, the main street in Chinatown
Bangkok, was built in the reign of King Rama V.
The crowded street winds through bustling heart of
Chinatown like a mythical dragon rearing its head
at the Odeon Gate. Shop signs in both Thai and
Chinese give the visitor a clear indication that
he's in Chinatown.
The street is lined with ubiquitous goldsmith
shops, sharks' fin and birds nest restaurants,
shops and vendors selling Chinese herbal medicine,
dried mushrooms, salted fish, roast duck, Chinese
calendars, almanacs and of course, lottery
tickets. The avid bargain hunter would have a ball
a time browsing through the shops and stalls.
Every year during the Chinese New Year,
Yaowarat Road is closed to traffic for street
festivities, lion dances and food fairs. A member
of the royal family attends the occasion every
year much to the joy and pride of the Yaowarat
community.
Most of the bigger hotels in Chinatown are
located along Yaowarat Road. The most prominent
however is the Grand China Princess at the
Ratchawong junction, right in the heart of
Chinatown, overlooking the old city and the Chao
Phraya.
About a kilometer down Yaowarat Road turn left
into Ratchawong Road another street full of
vendors selling everything from stickers,
deep-fried snacks to roasted chestnuts. Ratchawong
Road has two significant landmarks in Chinatown.
Fifty metres after turning into Rachawong Road
you'll encounter a tall Chinese arch to a narrow
soi on the left. During the Lunar New Year in
2004, this soi, Soi Phalittaphon, was renamed
Soi Sun Yat Sen, after the father of the
Chinese revolution who visited Chinatown Bangkok
in 1908, during his tour of South East Asia to
raise money from the overseas Chinese for the
revolution.
Walking through this narrow soi, the visitor
would have to cope with the crowds of shoppers and
the frequent passage of vehicles. The shops and
stalls along this packed soi sell a wide variety
of goods and even Christmas trees.
Further along Rachawong Road is an even
narrower soi to the right. The soi is so congested
that it's barely passable to human traffic. Packed
with stalls on either side, it would take a very
determined shopper to weave his way through.
It's difficult to imagine that this is the
famous
Soi Sampheng or Soi Wanit where the original
Chinese settlers first moved in and started
Chinatown in 1782.
At the end of Rachawong Road is the Rachawong
Pier on the Chao Phraya River. If you are coming
by boat, this is the pier to alight and start your
of Chinatown in reverse. If you have arrived by
road, you may wish to leave by boat for a change.
A tour of Chinatown Bangkok provides a
fascinating insight into a very different way of
life. The busy streets are a melting pot of
communities engaging in trade and commerce at
every level - a legacy of the early Chinese
immigrants and their enterprise.
About the Author
Chinatown Bangkok first appeared in
Tour Bangkok Legacies a historical travel site
on people, places and events that left their mark
in the landscape of Bangkok. The author, Eric Lim,
is a free-lance writer who lives in Bangkok
Thailand. |
