Chinatown was one of my favourite places in Bangkok. I could have spent much longer there, but with limited time, I tried to get as much of a feel for it as possible in one evening.
Earlier that day I visited Wat Pho. I caught the MRT to Wat Mangkon back out once the heat died down a bit – although to be honest, Thai heat never really dies down! The road outside the station is Chaoren Krung Road, a long (5.3 mi) road that goes much further than Chinatown. Fun facts: its name means ‘prosperous city’ and it was the first road in Bangkok to be built by modern methods, as well as being home to the city’s first tram line.
It was quiet compared to the main attraction of Chinatown, Yaoworat Road, which is easily reached by the many alleys between them. I met another tourist who said they had a quick look at Yaoworat Road and left again, but this is what the cities of my dreams looked like in my mind as a kid.
When the capital moved from Thonburi, the Chinese community around the Chao Phraya River relocated to the area that’s now Chinatown. Later, Yaoworat Road was built over eight years from 1892 and named in honour of the first crown prince of Thailand. It’s apparently shaped like a dragon’s rippling body, which I thought sounded far-fetched when I was there because it looks straight, but I can actually see it on Google Maps. This is lucky, apparently!
There are countless twists and turns to other roads and temples to explore, including the famous Wat Traimit Withayaram Worawihan. The one I found was Wat Samphanthawong, also known as Wat Ko, which means ‘island temple.’ It used to be surrounded by canals.
This is another royal temple. It was beautiful and very peaceful – impossible to imagine such a busy road is nearby. I only saw one person other than the monks. They were chanting when I arrived. I quietly took a photo and scurried away again.
I wanted to see Yaoworat Road at night as well, but it was still a while until sunset, so I walked around a bit more in search of food. I spotted matcha ice-cream on Yayoi’s menu and had to go for that. A Japanese chain is absolutely not what I should’ve gone for in Bangkok’s Chinatown, but the matcha ice-cream got me… and I ended up not even ordering dessert because the portions were so generous. They refilled my iced tea at least 10 times for free. I was very impressed.
The night views of Chinatown did not disappoint. All the signs lit up in a clash of colours and the streets came to life with food stalls, the scents mixing with the exhaust fumes of the crawling traffic. I could’ve walked up and down for hours, snapping photos and taking in the sights, sounds and smells, without getting bored.
The streets were also looking good when I took the MRT back to Sam Yan.
All in all, it was an exciting day that was also relaxing, despite the crowds once night fell in Chinatown. I was excited to go to Ayutthaya tomorrow… if I woke up in time, anyway.
Atlas and a Camera 