Chinatown - Bangkok
Chinatown - Bangkok
4
About
As one of the largest Chinatowns in the world, this area in Bangkok is renowned for its incredible shopping options and tantalizing cuisine. This fast-paced district was founded over 200 years ago and went on to become the main hub for Bangkok’s large Chinese community. Venture down Yaowarat Road, bustling with activity and brimming with shops offering an array of souvenirs, jewelry, and trinkets. Then, stop at a family-run restaurant to grab an oyster omelet or dim sum. You can ride the metro to reach Chinatown. It's also within walking distance from landmarks like the Wat Traimit Temple. – Tripadvisor
Duration: 1-2 hours
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Top ways to experience Chinatown - Bangkok
The area
Address
Neighbourhood: Riverside
How to get there
- Hua Lamphong • 6 min walk
Best nearby
We rank these restaurants and attractions by balancing reviews from our members with how close they are to this location.
Restaurants
4,902 within 3 miles
Attractions
608 within 6 miles
See what travellers are saying
- BangkokSachseBangkok, Thailand51,688 contributionsDelicious Food!We (7) went to Chinatown to visit a friend who has a motorcycle part shop. He bought food from different restaurants in Chinatown for us to taste. The pork flat noodles and the beef soup were delicious. Food in Chinatown was delicious.Visited December 2023Travelled with friendsWritten 9 December 2023
- RosliSydney, Australia1,816 contributionsChaos PersonifiedNever again. It wasn’t my first time here but certainly will be my last. Masses of people and nightmare traffic. So many queues and long waiting times. We managed to obtain a seat without queueing which concerned me somewhat wondering if we had chosen a dud restaurant. But the seafood was fresh and nicely cooked and presented.Visited November 2023Travelled with familyWritten 15 December 2023
- Bobbi SLido Beach, New York5,516 contributionsYou Can Get Any & Everything Here...ALL Night!We took a night food tour as well as a 3 hour bike tour the next day through Yaowarat/Chinatown & absolutely loved it. So much busyness, so much color, food, lights, energy, movement, choices & personalities. We ate & drank our way through it: braised goose, duck with duck organs in broth, rice wine, caramel pudding, crackers topped with sesame seeds, cane sugar juice, coconut ice cream, BUGS, WORMS, freshly squeezed orange juice,Visited November 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten 18 December 2023
- alvera wAustralia13 contributionsExploring the Vibrant Tapestry of Chinatown in BangkokBangkok's Chinatown, known locally as Yaowarat, is a bustling and vibrant district that offers a sensory overload of sights, sounds, and flavors. This historic neighborhood is a captivating blend of Chinese culture and Thai charm, making it a must-visit destination for both locals and tourists. In this content review, we will delve into the rich tapestry of experiences that Chinatown has to offer.Visited September 2023Travelled with familyWritten 21 December 2023
- XingHui LAISingapore, Singapore95 contributionsPlease visit here if you like local street food.A visit here is a must when you come to Bangkok. This place is one of the largest Chinatown around Asia. Food are plentiful and I recommend all to be more adventurous in trying out various items. This place also have reputable shops that sells Gold products. It is good for beginners to get some as a step towards investment for the future.Visited January 2024Travelled with friendsWritten 27 January 2024
- Nene JPerth, Australia140 contributionsChina Town - Food Glorious Food.Food glorious food - along the roadside of the streets - tempting your taste buds every step along the markets. Fresh juices and shakes, and a large variety of cooked dishes. Beat the crowds before 7pm when it really gets busy and harder to find seats.Visited March 2024Travelled with friendsWritten 30 March 2024
- macedonboyGlasgow, United Kingdom186,621 contributionsOne For the FoodiesA place in Bangkok with heavy Chinese influences which you can see in the shops, signs and of course the food. There are probably dozens of streets that are packed with food stalls. Meat eaters will have no problems finding something excellent to eat. Vegetarians can still find lots of options, but vegans will have a hard time finding something. The place is pretty busy from morning until late evening, but definitely busiest at the weekends when it’s absolutely heaving with people.Visited April 2024Travelled with friendsWritten 12 April 2024
- Becca FMansfield, United Kingdom153 contributionsA must visit if in BangkokA must see in Bangkok. This place was crazy!!! Market and food stalls galore & loads of weird and wonderful delights. We enjoyed our time here but had a bit of a dodgy sit in restaurant that was awful (forgot its name) would recommend visiting!Visited April 2024Travelled with familyWritten 17 April 2024
- Michael PSydney, Australia174 contributionsGreat food in local ChinatownOutstanding street food but not for the feint hearted. Plenty of variety- fresh fish, seafood of all kinds, pork, chicken, veg etc. Great vibe and excellent prices. Run shoulders with locals and farung alike. Ice cold Changs beers to wash it all down with. We had a whole fried tamarind fish with morning glory and deep fried pork. Two large beers each. All up- less than $AU100. Not to be missed. It gets very busy so be prepared to wait. Food all fresh cooked. Great fun. Recommended.Visited May 2024Travelled as a coupleWritten 3 May 2024
- Jude MitchelLondon, United Kingdom2 contributionsThe culture was amazingChinatown Bangkok is simply amazing! From the vibrant atmosphere to the delicious street food, every corner is a feast for the senses. Despite the bustling crowds, the weather adds to the charm, with a warm breeze that envelops you as you wander through the narrow alleys. The rich culture and heritage are palpable, with intricate temples and traditional shops lining the streets. And the people, oh, the people! Their warmth and hospitality make every visit unforgettable. Chinatown Bangkok is a must-see for anyone looking to immerse themselves in the heart of Thai culture.Visited September 2023Travelled with familyWritten 13 May 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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203
Wanderlust
Nottinghamshire, UK449 contributions
Jan 2020 • Couples
We visited on a Thursday afternoon, and as expected was extremely busy when we eventually found it. Signage is poor do unless you can track on Google maps the streets are a maze. Lots of stalls selling the same products, I have never seen so many stalls selling shoes in one area in my life! Most of the stalls sell low end products as expected, lots of plastic gimmicky things and cheap jewellery to turn your ears green! Good to soak up the atmosphere and see the many small food vendors too but you have to constantly dodge scooters, mopeds, vehicles coming down the crowded alleyways do probably not the safest for young children. We didn't buy anything on our visit, not sure how anyone makes a living down there given the number of stalls selling the same things.
Written 9 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Pia Maria H
Espoo, Finland118 contributions
Jan 2020
It's worth a visit. You can still find the small alleys with stalls selling whatever you can think of. Also, gold is sold everywhere. As we're not for the shopping, it leaves us with very little to do in Chinatown. There are also good Chinese restaurants outside Chinatown, so you would not need to go there for a nice Chinese meal. But, obviously, it's nice to experience the atmosphere of this Chinatown. You can easily access it by the regular river boats (orange line) and it only costs you 15 Bath.
Written 2 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sloth82
Bristol5 contributions
Jan 2020
Very busy in the evenings when the food markets really open up. All the highly reviewed places had HUGE lines for take away and seating so don’t expect to get a look in unless you want to visit just one place in the night.
Pa Tong Go Savoey, is the only line I queued in for 40 minutes. It is the Michelin Starred Pa Tong Go (doughnut) stall. I was extremely disappointed. Although the doughnuts were very tasty, they used Ammonium Bicarbonate as their raising agent. It’s generally considered safe in food uses. However, it is usually used in things like cookies as they’re porous and allow the ammonia gas to escape. In these doughnuts the pockets of gas escape into your nose and mouth when you bite into them. It irritated my nose and throat and gave me a headache. I ended up throwing over half my bag away. The ammonia smell was really strong and acrid.
Other than that, I tried steamed fish dumplings and crispy pork belly from a couple of the less busier stands and they were delicious. 100baht for a large portion of dumplings. 120baht for 2 plates of pork and rice. Oh and a fried scorpion for 40baht. Lovely.
Over all it was more of a walking and senses experience. There’s plenty of stalls without ratings that you can visit to eat rather than spending all night queuing for the reviewed places. We stood and ate our dumplings next to a stall down at the end of a side street and loved it more than sitting and eating our pork on the Main Street. There’s something for everyone.
Pa Tong Go Savoey, is the only line I queued in for 40 minutes. It is the Michelin Starred Pa Tong Go (doughnut) stall. I was extremely disappointed. Although the doughnuts were very tasty, they used Ammonium Bicarbonate as their raising agent. It’s generally considered safe in food uses. However, it is usually used in things like cookies as they’re porous and allow the ammonia gas to escape. In these doughnuts the pockets of gas escape into your nose and mouth when you bite into them. It irritated my nose and throat and gave me a headache. I ended up throwing over half my bag away. The ammonia smell was really strong and acrid.
Other than that, I tried steamed fish dumplings and crispy pork belly from a couple of the less busier stands and they were delicious. 100baht for a large portion of dumplings. 120baht for 2 plates of pork and rice. Oh and a fried scorpion for 40baht. Lovely.
Over all it was more of a walking and senses experience. There’s plenty of stalls without ratings that you can visit to eat rather than spending all night queuing for the reviewed places. We stood and ate our dumplings next to a stall down at the end of a side street and loved it more than sitting and eating our pork on the Main Street. There’s something for everyone.
Written 2 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ontheroadmaryg
London, Canada173 contributions
Jan 2020
Extraordinary, vital, chaotic. It is sensory overload, shopping and food..the food!! everywhere delicious. So many people, motorcycles and vendors give this area a vitality that is unmatched. We were lucky and had guide through Chinatown who took us off the usual shopping/food stall track and we explored the back alleys and old Chinatown sections. Extraordinary. The older mansions in disrepair, alleys housing Bangkok's reuse and recycling breaking down all sorts of mechanical things. Beautiful massive trees, old fashioned tea houses. We walked for hours and saw a side of Chinatown and Bangkok that was certainly unique and off the beaten path.
Written 6 April 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Goh J
9 contributions
Dec 2019
Bangkok is closing the streets on Sunday nights at Yaowarat Road for the food stalls, only one lane of traffic is closed on Fridays and Saturdays for the food stalls. Many food stalls are available at Yaowarat, including some that came up on the Michelin guide. There are also some performances along the streets. It gets very crowded at about dinner time and long queues can been seen at those popular food stalls, like the kway chap, T & K seafood and the patonggo.
Written 8 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Håvard
Oslo, Norway304 contributions
Jan 2020 • Couples
China town, and Bangkok in general, is in our opinion busy but seldom stressful. China town is probably the most packed place we’d been to on our trips to Bangkok so far. Great food and alot of interesting exotic stuff to eat. We do miss the small shops that we at least think was there earlier. Large blocks and alleys are now deserted, and only locked booths and shops are found
Written 12 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Carl R
Portland, OR635 contributions
Jan 2020 • Couples
If you like crowds, photo ops, and great street food, this is the place for you. Steamed buns, roasted crickets, fake rolexes, real gold, yuk Turks... and a zillion people on the hustle. Put your wallet in your front pocket and wade in foe a fun, authentic, exotic, few hours of craziness
Written 7 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kolja
Bielefeld, Germany43 contributions
Dec 2021 • Family
I went on a weekday but it’s was busy anyways, maybe because it was shortly before Christmas. It’s a nice place to buy smal stuff or souvenirs also you can find good prices for gold there. Many Food Stalls around but some Food is truly Chinese and may not for everyone.
The Side streets are packed and many people are trying to make their way through them sometimes even a scooter appears in all the busyness.
In general it seem everything can be brought most of the stalls are no chains and therefore truly local so spending some money their supports the local economy.
I would recommend a visit and walk through China town for everyone who stays longer than 3 Days in Bangkok.
It’s good for souvenirs, every day items and also Chinese food and drinks as well as herbal medicine.
Fresh fruit and meat is also sold in some side streets which is quite interesting to get a touch of another culture.
There are also shops for gold and Jewellery around which I never brought something but seems to sell genuine and for fair prices.
COVID-19 Situation:
Everyone wears a mask or at least most people do nevertheless the side streets are very small so it gets crowded which increases the risk of infection means take care and do not try to touch your face without proper hand cleaning procedures before.
The Side streets are packed and many people are trying to make their way through them sometimes even a scooter appears in all the busyness.
In general it seem everything can be brought most of the stalls are no chains and therefore truly local so spending some money their supports the local economy.
I would recommend a visit and walk through China town for everyone who stays longer than 3 Days in Bangkok.
It’s good for souvenirs, every day items and also Chinese food and drinks as well as herbal medicine.
Fresh fruit and meat is also sold in some side streets which is quite interesting to get a touch of another culture.
There are also shops for gold and Jewellery around which I never brought something but seems to sell genuine and for fair prices.
COVID-19 Situation:
Everyone wears a mask or at least most people do nevertheless the side streets are very small so it gets crowded which increases the risk of infection means take care and do not try to touch your face without proper hand cleaning procedures before.
Written 9 January 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Joe
Bangkok, Thailand4,955 contributions
Sept 2022 • Friends
A thriving energetic place full of sights, sounds and smells. You really get a throwback to Cantonese life from days gone by.
Many of the street sellers and stores have been there for a long time, possibly even generational so you really get a good idea of the authenticity.
You can check the markets, buy the local products and of course eat the food. Chinatown is known for its heritage buildings, graffiti murals and advertising signs.
But it's at night that Chinatown transforms. The night market comes out and it is so busy. Tons of food stalls, pop-up seating, loud noises, selfie taking etc.
Check it out for yourself. You won't regret it
Many of the street sellers and stores have been there for a long time, possibly even generational so you really get a good idea of the authenticity.
You can check the markets, buy the local products and of course eat the food. Chinatown is known for its heritage buildings, graffiti murals and advertising signs.
But it's at night that Chinatown transforms. The night market comes out and it is so busy. Tons of food stalls, pop-up seating, loud noises, selfie taking etc.
Check it out for yourself. You won't regret it
Written 9 September 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
danae ts.
Athens, Greece1,986 contributions
Jan 2020 • Couples
Soooooo crowded. We barely could walk in the streets. There are many stalls to eat which are so cheap. Search for the Jek Pui Curry, in order to taste the most delicious panang curry for only 2€. Easy accessible by MRT
Written 14 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sounds like Chinatown is quiet on Monday evenings. Where else is go to go for similarly buzzing area, street vendors, street food etc? Got the kids so want to avoid Phat Phong
Written 20 July 2024
I walk around for over an hour and did not see any laundromat in Chinatown
Written 1 November 2022
Inspire68615773021
Mayville, Wisconsin
Hi, I was wondering if there is any where in China town to take classes ie. soap making, tai chi and the like. Also, I know they sell things from all over and there was something I used in Turkey many years ago, but, don't remember the name. When you went to someone's house they would hand you a tall bottle of a lemon scented liquid and it was used to freshen arms and hands. Does anyone know what it is called or where I can get it?
Written 25 February 2020
Hi, I'm not sure soap-making and Tai-chi are unique to Thailand. But there are many classes available such as muay thai, & Thai cooking. You can google Thai experiences or speak to your hotel concierge to find out details. I'm sorry, I've been to Thailand several times in the last 20-30 years, but I have no experience with the lemon scented liquid. Are they by any chance hand sanitizers?
Written 26 February 2020
Just wondering if chinatown is worth a visit if I am looking for western style cloths.
Written 19 October 2019
Definitely when you are looking for polo and T-shirts, shoes, etc.
Written 12 December 2019
I want to buy black hair maskara ANNASIA.From which shop can I buy ?
Im not a robot.
Written 16 July 2019
Nusayb B N
Dhaka City, Bangladesh
7,787 contributions
No idea coz I did not looked for black hair Maskara Annasia. Sorry dear
Written 16 July 2019
How to go to china town from sukmaviti soi 22 bangkok?
Written 5 June 2019
Forgotten to add that the cost should not exceed 100B by BTS or MTR then by Bike.
If you take the cab during off peak hours its less than 100B. Chinatown market and most food stalls opens from 6.30am onwards and tech shops starts to set up by 7.30am. Its a huge place to walk: Wet Market, children and household stuff such as soft toys, toiletries, bedding items etc. Another area has whole sale sunglasses and electronic items for phones, headphone, speaker, cables etc etc then there are industrial stuff and home appliances and lastly, anything you are looking for to decorate or add on to cars/bikes/trucks etc. It will be a good 6 hours walk, view, see, eat and rest! enjoy!
Written 6 June 2019
Hi, i am bring my parents to Bangkok for the first time and they are very keen to buy salted fish there.. Can i find it at Bangkok Chinatown? If so, is there any shops that you will recommend?
Written 12 May 2019
Sorry, you needed to be more specific of what kind of salted fish you are referring to.
Written 28 July 2019
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