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Chinatown, Bangkok

Chinatowns in AsiaChinese-Thai cultureNeighbourhoods of BangkokSamphanthawong districtShopping districts and streets in Bangkok
Yaowarat at night (32455695783)
Yaowarat at night (32455695783)

Bangkok's Chinatown is one of the largest Chinatowns in the world. It was founded in 1782 when the city was established as the capital of the Rattanakosin Kingdom, and served as the home of the mainly Teochew immigrant Chinese population, who soon became the city's dominant ethnic group. Originally centred around Sampheng, the core of Chinatown now lies along Yaowarat Road, which serves as its main artery and sometimes lends its name to the entire area, which is often referred to as Yaowarat (Thai: เยาวราช). Chinatown's entire area roughly coincides with Samphanthawong District, and includes neighbourhoods such as Song Wat and Talat Noi along the Chao Phraya River, and Charoen Chai, Khlong Thom and Nakhon Khasem along Charoen Krung Road. Originally a wilderness area outside the city walls, Chinatown grew to become Bangkok's commercial hub throughout the late 19th to early 20th centuries, but has since declined in prominence as commercial activity moved elsewhere following the city's expansion. It now serves as a hub of Chinese culture, with numerous shops selling traditional goods, and is especially known as a gastronomic destination.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Chinatown, Bangkok (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Chinatown, Bangkok
Yaowarat Road, Bangkok Samphanthawong District

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Wikipedia: Chinatown, BangkokContinue reading on Wikipedia

Geographical coordinates (GPS)

Latitude Longitude
N 13.74 ° E 100.51 °
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Yaowarat Road
10100 Bangkok, Samphanthawong District
Thailand
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Yaowarat at night (32455695783)
Yaowarat at night (32455695783)
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Nearby Places

Phadung Dao Road
Phadung Dao Road

Phadung Dao Road (Thai: ถนนผดุงด้าว, RTGS: Thanon Phadung Dao, pronounced [tʰā.nǒn pʰā.dūŋ dâːw]) is a road in the area of Bangkok's Chinatown, which can be considered a soi (alleyway). The road is made up of two short roads, the first part: from right side of Charoen Krung Road (New Road) toward to Yaowarat Road, the second part: that extended from Yaowarat up till Phat Sai Roads, its total length is about 200 m (0.12 mi). In the year 1932 during the reign of King Prajadhipok (Rama VII), the Ministry of Interior requested the names of some roads in Bangkok from the king, for celebrate the 150th anniversary of Rattanakosin (Bangkok). He offered that names of the new roads should be neutral names, like Bamrung Mueang or Fueang Nakhon Roads. The Krom Phra A-Lak (Royal Scribe Department) at that time thought of the name of roads that ran from Charoen Krung to Phat Sai Roads and it was divided into two parts. The Ministry of Interior suggested that they should actually be one road, so the Krom Phra A-Lak had thought of the names for the roads that started from Charoen Krung Road followed by Phadung Phao Road or Phadung Dao Road, Yaowarat Road, Phat Sai Road. Finally, the king had selected the name of the road to be Phadung Dao Road ("the road upholding the land"), and he also announced that it is appropriately to be the one road. However, it is still colloquially known as Trok Texas and Soi Texas (Texas lane), since in the past it was the location of a movie theater named Texas. In the past, it was a red-light district and was the first place in Thailand where pornographic magazines were sold.Phadung Dao Road is well-known as a centre of vibrantly various restaurants and street food vendors, especially at night, such as oyster omelet, sea food, barbecued red pork in sweet gravy with rice, Hainanese chicken rice, crocodile and chevon stewed with Chinese herb, suki, and traditional Chinese sweet dragon's beard candy.

Wat Samphanthawongsaram
Wat Samphanthawongsaram

Wat Samphanthawongsaram Worawiharn (Thai: วัดสัมพันธวงศาราม วรวิหาร), also known in short Wat Samphanthawongsaram is a third grade royal Buddhist temple of Worawihan in Dhammayuttika Nikaya sect. It is situated in the area of Sampheng, also known as Bangkok's Chinatown. The monastery is an ancient temple, which was built in Ayutthaya period. It was formerly surrounded by natural khlong (canal) bridging to Chao Phraya River which brought its local name Wat Ko (the island temple). In the beginning of Rattanakosin in 1796, King Rama I renovated the entire temple and made it a royal temple with the name Wat Ko Kaew Langkaram. Later on, in the reign of King Rama IV, the name was changed to Wat Samphanthawongsaram Worawiharn in present, to honour Prince Samphanthawong (Chui), King Rama I's nephew who was the head of major temple restoration (its name also became the name of the district later). The principal Buddha image inside the ordination hall is a seated Buddha in Maravijaya attitude, made of hollow log with lime covering. The image's arms are made of wood with gold application. Inside the image and under its base contain numbers of silver and lead votive tablets. The area of the temple was once the first lodging in Dan Beach Bradley's country of Siam (Thailand in those days), an American physician and Protestant missionary who came to Siam to evangelize. He was also the founder of the first printing house in Siam. For this reason, there were many printing houses around the temple in those days.In the reign of King Rama V, he presided over the Thot Kathin ceremony at this temple along with nearby temple Wat Pathum Khongkha. Moreover, in the 1932 Siamese revolution. The naval faction of Khana Ratsadon (People's Party), they have mobilised about 500 armed sailors occupying the Royal Plaza in the dawn of June 24, 1932, claiming to suppress the Chinese uprising at this temple.

Plaeng Nam
Plaeng Nam

Plaeng Nam (Thai: แปลงนาม, pronounced [plɛ̄ːŋ nāːm]) is a name of a road that intersects from Charoen Krung to Yaowarat Roads in the area of Bangkok's Chinatown, includes also eponymous four-way intersection where it meets Charoen Krung and Phlapphla Chai roads, which is regarded as the starting point of Phlappha Chai, while the next intersection on Charoen Krung side is Mo Mi. Plaeng Nam is about 100 m. (328 ft.) long. In the past, it was a place for garbage dumping of locals because it was close to the wet market. Therefore has a foul and dirty condition even the name was called Trok Pacha Ma Nao (ตรอกป่าช้าหมาเน่า; lit: "lane of rotten dog graveyard"). Until the reign of King Prajadhipok (Rama VII), he improved the conditions of the city, including various utilities. So, he gave the official name Plaeng Nam for auspiciousness, which can be literally translated that "renaming".Today, in this alley on both sides is a small two-story shophouse, which are eateries such as noodles, pork stomach and duck porridge, 24 hours à la carte, cafés, shark fin soup and bird's nest soup, shumai stall, Chinese pastry, Chinese sausage. And there is Vietnamese temple named "Wat Mongkol Samakhom (Vietnamese: Chùa Hội Khánh)", including an antique tin kerosene lamp and traditional Chinese musical instrument shops.At the entrance of the alley on Charoen Krung side is a Wat Mangkon Station (BL29) located, the extension MRT Blue Line. This station built with Sino-Portuguese in order to harmonize with the surrounding buildings which is a historic area.

Mo Mi
Mo Mi

Mo Mi (Thai: หมอมี, pronounced [mɔ̌ː mīː]) is a large intersection located in the centre of Bangkok's Chinatown quarter overlaps between Pom Prap of Pom Prap Sattru Phai district and Talat Noi with Samphanthawong of Samphanthawong district. This intersection consists of the following roads: Charoen Krung (toward Odeon Circle and Wat Traimit), Rama IV (toward Hua Lamphong), Song Sawat (from Wat Samphanthawong and Sampheng, via Song Wat road) and Mittraphan (toward July 22nd Circle). The boundaries of Mo Mi are considered to be where Rama IV and Mittraphan roads originate, and where Song Sawat road terminates. Mo Mi, formerly and still colloquially known as Sam Yaek (สามแยก), which means "Three-Way Junction," and Sam Yaek Charoen Krung (สามแยกเจริญกรุง), meaning "Three-Way Junction of Charoen Krung." The original name of Mo Mi came from the fact that during King Mongkut (Rama IV)'s reign, Mo Mi was only a three-way junction consisting of Charoen Krung and Thanon Trong roads which later became Rama IV road. Charoen Krung Road that runs through this area from Damrong Sathit bridge (Saphan Lek) to here also serves as an administrative boundary between Pom Prap Sattru Phai (left side) with Samphanthwawong (right side) districts, and also has one-way traffic as well.Under the past administration of Amphoe Samphanthawong, this area or tambon (ตำบล; sub-district) was called "Tambon Sam Yaek" in the province of Phra Nakhon (known today as Bangkok). In 1898, a fire occurred in this area, spreading rapidly across the neighborhood because of its contemporary design of wooden framing with thatched roofs combined with the high density of houses. Since then, the government in general banned the construction of wooden dwellings. The surviving Phlapphla Chai 2 Police Station site on Phlapphla Chai road was known as Sam Yaek Police Station at the time of the fire."Mo Mi" was named after Mo Mi or Boonmi Kasemsuvan, a pharmacist who specialized in herbal and medical chemistry, especially Snuff. His dispensary was located in the area.The area around Mo Mi in the past was well-known as a centre of chick and duckling stores, but at present there is only one left on Rama IV road. It was also home to many leading movie theaters, currently closed to the businessOne interesting thing about this intersection is the location of Tai Sia Huk Chou Shrine, a small old joss house on Rama IV road, the only one shrine dedicated to Sun Wukong in this area (Chinatown).

Wat Bamphen Chin Phrot
Wat Bamphen Chin Phrot

Wat Bamphen Chin Phrot (Thai: วัดบำเพ็ญจีนพรต; Chinese: 永福寺; pinyin: Yǒngfú Sì) or familiarly known in Teochew Yong Hok Yi (ย่งฮกยี่) is a Chinese temple of the Mahāyāna sect in Thailand, located on Soi Yaowarat 8 (Trok Tao), Samphanthawong Subdistrict, Samphanthawong District, Bangkok. This temple has many interesting features, because it is one of the oldest Chinese temples in Thailand (old than nearby Wat Mangkon Kamalawat), including the only temple located on Yaowarat Road and can be considered as the smallest temple in the country, because it is only five storey shophouse.The temple was originally Avalokiteśvara's place of worship founded by overseas Chinese who live in Siam (Thailand at that time) since 1795 (corresponding to the reign of Qianlong Emperor). Later abandoned, Chinese monk named Sok Heng was renovated in 1867 and received a Thai name from King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) that "Wat Bamphen Chin Phrot" (literally: Practice Chinese Buddhist Teaching Temple) until now. At present the temple name plaque, which was given by the king still hanging over the entrance of the main hall. The interesting thing of Wat Bamphen Chin Phrot, besides the main hall, is only a small room built with a width of 7.80 m and 10.20 m long with Teochew architectural style. The principle Buddha images are Trikāya and Eighteen Arhats that enshrined on the side all made from papier-mâché. Including idols of other Chinese gods to worship such as Guan Yu, Xuanwu, Caishen, Tai Sui, Kātyāyana etc.