Visit Chinatown Street Food Area (Bangkok)

Every evening, a section of Yaowarat Road, the main artery of Bangkok's Chinatown, transforms into a huge open-air street food market. As soon as night falls, dozens of stalls take over the sidewalks, and one lane of the road becomes pedestrianized, making it Bangkok's largest street food area. And sampling street food is one of the things to do in Bangkok. Varied and delicious, it's one of the most popular in the world. So, head to Chinatown in the evening to enjoy authentic Thai-Chinese dishes, often prepared right before your eyes.

Where exactly is it?

The main street food area stretches along Yaowarat Road between the intersection with Phadung Dao Road (Soi Texas) and Ratchawong Road. If you need a reference point, it's roughly across the street from the Hotel Royal Bangkok Chinatown, which I often recommend for its rooftop pool and its proximity to this large nighttime street food area. This is the liveliest part of the neighborhood in the evening.

It's about a 20-minute walk from Wat Pho (or a few minutes by taxi/tuk-tuk). It's therefore easy to combine an afternoon temple tour with a gourmet evening in Chinatown.

What do you eat in Chinatown in the evening?

• Noodle soup (with pork, duck, or fish)
• Grilled or sautéed seafood
• Thai pancakes and Chinese desserts (such as chestnut in syrup or ginger soup with dumplings)
• Fresh fruit and freshly squeezed juices (pomegranate, orange, guava, etc.)
• Durian, mango sticky rice, and other local sweets