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Church of Santa Cruz

Dating back to 1913, this Catholic church (Map; 0 2466 0347; Th Kuti Jiin; Sat & Sun; cross-river ferry from Tha Pak Talat/Atsadang) holds relatively little interest unless you visit on a Sunday. But the surrounding neighbourhood, a former Portuguese concession dating back to the Ayuthaya period, is worth a wander for its old-school riverside atmosphere and Portuguese-inspired cakes, kà·nŏm fa·ràng.

Chinatown & Phahurat

Bangkok’s Chinatown (called Yaowarat after its main thoroughfare, Th Yaowarat) is the urban explorer’s equivalent of the Amazon Basin. Unlike neighbouring Ko Ratanakosin and Banglamphu, the highlights here aren’t tidy temples or museums, but rather a complicated web of tiny alleyways, crowded markets and delicious street stalls. And unlike other Chinatowns around the world, Bangkok’s is defiantly ungentrified, and getting lost in it is probably the best thing that could happen to you. However, if you do need a guide, you can always refer to our walking tour of the area (Click here).

The neighbourhood dates back to 1782 when Bangkok’s Chinese population, many of them labourers hired to build the new capital, were moved here from today’s Ko Ratanakosin area by the royal government. Relatively little has changed since then, and you can still catch conversations in various Chinese dialects, buy Chinese herbal cures or taste Chinese dishes not available elsewhere in Thailand. For those specifically interested in the latter, be sure to check out our food-based walking tour of the district (Click here).

Getting in and out of Chinatown is hindered by horrendous traffic, and the Chao Phraya Express stop at Ratchawong was previously the easiest way to reach the district. However, the advent of the Metro has put the area a brief walk from Hualamphong station.

At the western edge of Chinatown is a small but thriving Indian district, generally called Phahurat. Here, dozens of Indian-owned shops sell all kinds of fabric and clothes.

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THE CHINESE INFLUENCE

In many ways Bangkok is as much a Chinese city as it is Thai. The presence of the Chinese in Bangkok dates back to before the founding of the city, when Thonburi Si Mahasamut was little more than a Chinese trading outpost on the Chao Phraya River. In the 1780s, during the construction of the new capital under Rama I, Hokkien, Teochiew and Hakka Chinese were hired as coolies and labourers. The Chinese already living in the area were relocated to the districts of Yaowarat and Sampeng, today known as Bangkok’s Chinatown.

During the reign of King Rama I, many Chinese began to move up in status and wealth. They controlled many of Bangkok’s shops and businesses, and because of increased trading ties with China, were responsible for an immense expansion in Thailand’s market economy. Visiting Europeans during the 1820s were astonished by the number of Chinese trading ships in the Chao Phraya River, and some assumed that the Chinese formed the majority of Bangkok’s population.

The newfound wealth of certain Chinese trading families created one of Thailand’s first elite classes that was not directly related to royalty. Known as jôw sŏo·a, these ‘merchant lords’ eventually obtained additional status by accepting official posts and royal titles, as well as offering their daughters to the royal family. Today it is thought that more than half of the people in Bangkok can claim some Chinese ancestry.

During the reign of King Rama III, the Thai capital began to absorb many elements of Chinese food, design, fashion and literature. The growing ubiquity of Chinese culture, coupled with the tendency of the Chinese men to marry Thai women and assimilate into Thai culture, meant that by the beginning of the 20th century there was relatively little that distinguished many Chinese from their Siamese counterparts.

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TALAT MAI

With nearly two centuries of commerce under its belt, ‘New Market’ is no longer an entirely accurate name for this market (Map;