Chinatown - Inside the Chinese Quarter

Chinatown is a major district in Bangkok. Dating back to the mainly Canton Chinese immigrants who settled here in the late 1800s.
This area has seen Bangkok change into what it is now. One notable area being called 'The Green Lantern' District by the river. The Chao Phraya River was the main way of moving about back then along with the canelways. The denizens of Chinatown started off as poor street vendors, river workers and rickshawmen. The wily chinafolk soon carefully took stock and over the consecutive generations they soon owned the very shops and places they worked outside of.

Chinatown Scene

The boundary's of Chinatown are open to some interpretation. A rough gauge is starting just west from Hua Lampong Station and running along Yaowarot Road for a few miles. This is the main artery of the district. Chinatown extends north and south of Yaorawrot area.

Traffic in Chinatown is constant and busy, as you can imagine, during rush hour it magnifies to jam-packed proportions. But the Chinatown businesses don't let that put them off. Neither do the thai police either. Just light up a smoke, suck in the fumes and carry on regardless. Plenty of water helps too.

The Chinese Quarter is now a major player in Bangkoks luxury items, crafts and a whole panoply of other goods available. Lesser known is the light-industry parts and fabrication opertations.
More vocally spoken of are the hundreds (some say over a thousand) of jewelers and goldsmiths that play a big part in the financial transactions of Chinatown.

There are more of these concentrated here than anywhere else in Bangkok...

The other aspects of Chinatown in Bangkok are interesting as well. The light-industry and parts for vehicles can be found in the eastern areas.

Light-industry fabrication also is ongoing on the very streets as you walk past. Mind your legs...

The main temple is here for Chinatown.

The various things that you can buy in Chinatown are staggering, the pictures obtained can do most of the talking:

A fine and expensive fine craftworks shop here.

Some kind of herbs and dried sea creatures? Maybe for making a potion of some kind.

Nothing like a good weapons stall on open display. This guy was a bit grumpy at us testing his sabre batons out though, but I guess that's the whole 'merchant of death' persona thing going on.

But we prefered finding this place. Just off the main road of Yaorawot, heading west. You make a turn off to the left then it should be on your left. Usually you have to head to Red Baron Bangkok or The Paddock for this kind of gear so having it in Chinatown is a bonus.

Speaking of Bikers, there's a bit of a Chinatown biker gang hanging out here with some half decent bikes:

That's it for Chinatown from us. But if you want to go for a walk there without leaving your room Johnny B went walkabout in the market and filmed it.