Bangkok Chinatown (Yaowarat)

Where it is & how to get there

• MRT: Wat Mangkon station is in the heart of Chinatown.
• By boat: Ratchawong pier on the Chao Phraya River.
• On foot: Yaowarat Road and its side lanes are best explored on foot.

The story of Chinatown

Chinese merchants moved to this area in 1782 when the Grand Palace was built on their former land. Over two centuries it became Bangkok's great trading district, famous for gold shops, herbal medicine and wholesale markets.

At night, Yaowarat Road glows with neon signs and fills with food stalls selling seafood, noodles, dumplings and mango sticky rice. Nearby, Wat Traimit houses a solid gold Buddha weighing about five tonnes.

Best time to visit

Tips before you go

• Come after 6 pm when the food stalls open.
• Look for queues at stalls; they usually mean the best food.
• Visit Wat Traimit's Golden Buddha before the street-food evening.

What's around Chinatown

• Wat TraimitTemple of the Golden Buddha.
• Sampeng LaneBusy wholesale market lane.
• Wat Mangkon KamalawatMain Chinese Buddhist temple.
• Talat NoiOld riverside neighbourhood with street art.

Questions travellers ask