World Largest Chinatown
Bangkok's Chinatown was founded in the early 1780s when the Chinese traders settled at its current location. Today, it is home to many Chinese communities who carry on with their traditions and ceremonies here. Chinatown is famous for its markets and is one of the amusing areas of the city to explore. With narrow alleys for exploring filled with interesting shops or delicious food, you can get a bag load of things. Every angle you turn meets you with a tempting vendor. There are hundreds of gold shops, Chinese jewelry shop, cloth shops, and traditional medicine shops all which are very cheap. The throbbing energy here for shopping and food is just on another level. A stop at Yaowarat Chinatown Heritage Center is the best place to start your tour. This is a small museum but with an engaging exhibition of the history of Chinese people in Thailand. The presentation at the museum uses high tech and audiovisual displays which makes the whole historical Chinese journey an interesting one. The museum is located at Wat Traimit the temple that houses the largest golden Buddha image. Head to the fourth floor of this building and have a look at this enormous wonder. Once you have a clear understanding of how chine ended up in Thailand and the growth of the china town we have today, it's time to explore the city. Head to Yaowarat road the main artery of this town. This is the main street and vibrant markets hug the alley at every inch. Don't be in a hurry to leave Chinatown because at night this same street gets better as it transforms into one of the finest culinary hotspots in the world. Amazing and a variety of Thai cuisine, fresh seafood, and toxic fruits is what you get. This is an evening exploration to sample out what there is best to offer from the hundreds of vendors. If you love shopping, don't miss to visit the Sampeng Lane. Just located at the heart of Chinatown, it is a narrow alley famous for shopping for any kind of goodies at a very cheap price. With all that it has to offer, it is impossible to get out of here empty-handed. Other attraction at Chinatown includes its beautiful temples and a colorful shrine.