Sunday, October 19, 2014
Chainatown Insight Bangkok
Bangkok's Chinese and Indian communities have made Chinatown their own by building shrines and temples as well as thriving businesses that serve both their people and the Thais. Loud, boisterous and frenzied, this is Bangkok at its visceral best
Chainatown was settled by Chinese merchants in the 1780s, after being asked to relocate here so that the Grand Palace could be built. In 1863, King Mongkut built Thanon Charoen Krung (New Road), the first paved street in Bangkok, and Chinatown soon began mushrooming outwards from the original dirttrack of Sanpeng (now officially Soi Wanit 1). Other adjacent plots of land were given to the Indian and Muslim communities. Later, a third artery, Thanon Yaowarat, was built between Charoen Krung and Sampeng roads, in the process becoming the main artery of Chinatown and the Thai mane for the area.
Naturalised as Thai citizens, the Chinese still manage to retain a distinct character to this day, creating a multicultural mix that pervades all levels of society. The influence of the Chinese upon Bangkok's and indeed the country's economic development cannot be overstated. Their work ethic has taken them from pulling rickshaws and slaving as coolies to the highest ranks, with the nation now governes by Thai-Chinese telecommunications magnate, Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
With narrow roads and lanes teeming with commercial bustle this is one of the capital's most traffic clogged districts. Exploring on foot allows you to soak up the mercantile atmosphere. Away from downtown's plush mega-malls, Chinatown is a raw experience of Bangkok past and present: old shophouses, godowns (warehouses), temples and shrines, all swelling with activity.
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