Colourful Street Life in Bangkok

Experience the diverse lifestyle Bangkok, the City of Angels, is full of unique cultural heritage, beautiful canals and rivers, charming hospitality, and fascinating trends. Colourful events in the streets play an important role in Thai lifestyle and add vitality to the high-rise environment. Wherever you go, there are sidewalk vendors selling just about anything; such as, handmade products, fabrics and textiles, jewellery, and food. Street food is as delicious as that provided in restaurants, ranging from barbeque skewers to fresh seafood, and even international cuisine. One of the best ways to explore Bangkok is to take a stroll along the following roads as they reflect the everyday city life of the local people.



Hindu shrines Ratchaprasong and Siam Square Silom Ratchaprasong area is one of the most bustling areas in Bangkok. It is full of department stores, Silom is the major business district of Bangkok, where visitors restaurants, coffee shops, hotels, and sidewalk can see office workers taking their lunch break in the streets. vendors, as well as six Hindu shrines. Located not Numerous street food stalls, food courts, restaurants and small far from Ratchaprasong intersection is Siam Square, markets serve these office workers. Surawong, Charoen Krung where young adults of Thailand hang out. It is an and Mahesak, located near each other in the Silom area, are the enormous shopping square full of boutiques, shops, centres of the silver and gem worlds. As night falls, Silom trans- restaurants, and department stores.Those who want forms into a bustling shopping street and entertainment venue. to know what is in fashion in Thailand should come here and explore the stores, as well as taking a look Pratunam at what the local shoppers are wearing. Concerts, fashion shows, festivals, events, and activities are Pratunam is an open-air market consisting of many narrow often held around Ratchaprasong and Siam Square, walking lanes, offering a wide variety of clothing, accessories, creating an even more vibrant atmosphere to these and shoes. Pratunam is where shoppers can get lost in time areas. There are also many hairdressers, nail salons, while enjoying a shopping spree for fashionable products at and other beauty services available in these areas to reasonable prices. Bargaining is acceptable but, if buying in pamper your every need. bulk, you will get the wholesale price which is already very cheap. Khao San Road Sukhumvit Khao San Road offers an amusing street shopping experience. You can find restaurants and roadside Sukhumvit is the longest road in Thailand with many adjoining stalls selling delicious food, stores selling a wide ‘sois’ (small streets). It serves as the main commercial street array of products and accessories, nightclubs for of Bangkok and has a variety of social entertainment venues, entertainment, and all kinds of accommodation. It is being one of the most energetic and eclectic places at both the most popular tourist centre for budget travellers day and night. Along both sides of Sukhumvit are department and backpackers, and where people can socialise stores, Thai and international restaurants, coffee shops, with Thai locals and tourists from all over the world. hotels, galleries, parks, entertainment complexes, and One of the most enjoyable aspects of Khao San Road nightclubs, as well as street stalls. Amongst the most popular is the stalls selling food along both sides of the street. sois in Sukhumvit is Thonglo, where visitors can find cool and Phat Thai, Spring Rolls, and Khai Chiao (Thai-styled chic restaurants, stores, and nightclubs. The wide range of omelette) are amongst the most popular menus, entertainment and retail facilities coupled with the easily- whereas fine restaurants featuring Thai, Indian, accessible location make Sukhumvit the most popular expatriate and Western-style food can also be found. Known place in Bangkok. as the coolest hippie hangout, Khao San Road also offers fun-filled activities; such as, painting henna tattoos, and hair-braiding. Khao San Road is famous among the locals and tourists for being a place full of fun activities on special occasions. Whether it is Christmas, New Year or Songkran (Thai New Year), Khao San Road is always filled with people having a blast, especially at Songkran when you can see people having water fights. Silom Central World

Khao San Road Pratunam Yaowarat Road Yaowarat Road, known as Thailand’s Chinatown, is a heaven for those who enjoy eating. Chinese immigrants settled in this area during the reign of King Rama I, making it one of the oldest areas in Bangkok. Chinatown is also where you can find gold shops on almost every corner, and Chinese pharmacies along both sides of the streets. Running parallel to Yaowarat is ‘sampheng,’ an alley where you can find good quality fabrics, dress material, and accessories, as well as jewellery and toys at reasonable prices. Sampheng is considered to be one of the oldest wholesale markets in Thailand and not far away is Phahurat or Little India, a place where the population is mainly Muslim, Hindu, and Sikh. This is where you can find almost anything to do with fabrics and textiles, as well as an array of aromatic Indian cuisines. MBK Center

At night, apart from several Chinese restaurants lined up along both sides of the Yaowarat Road main road, Yaowarat also features countless roadside food stalls selling a variety Chatuchak Weekend Market of culinary delights, ranging from simple yet delicious noodles to scrumptious and fresh seafood menus and luxurious bird’s nest and shark fin soup. During Chinese New Year, Yaowarat Road organises a grand Chinese New Year Festival at which HRH Princess Sirindhorn presides every year. The festival includes the dragon parade and lion dance and cultural performances, as well as the selling of delicious Chinese cuisine along both sides of the street. Siam Paragon

Chatuchak Weekend Market and Chatuchak Flowerand PlantMarket Chatuchak Weekend Market sells virtually everything, from clothing, fashionable accessories, house wares, souvenirs, antiques, silk, street foods, and even pets. A bustling open-air market with over 8,000 stalls, it seems like spending one day at this market is not enough but if you have only one day available, then this is the best place to go. Make sure you negotiate on all items you intend to buy and you will surely get a good deal. Once tired from the shopping and negotiating, you can relax at countless restaurants or eateries that offer a variety of food at rea- sonable prices. Chatuchak Flower and Plant Market is situated in the same area as the Chatuchak Weekend Market but opens only on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Here you can enjoy shopping for all kinds of plants, from small fragrant flowers to exotic fruit trees and rare palm trees. Chatuchak Flower and Plant Market Tips l Bring enough cash as most of the vendors on the streets do not accept credit cards. l Beware of pickpockets as these places are often crowded with both shoppers and those who take advantage of the busy activities. l For roadside food stalls, choose ones where you see lots of people, as they are not only safe but you can tell that the food is delicious by the number of people in the crowd. For more information, visit www.tourismthailand.org

Bangkok City Printed in Thailand by Promotional Material Production Division, Marketing Services Department, Tourism Authority of Thailand for free distribution. www.tourismthailand.org E/MAR 2019 The contents of this publication are subject to change without notice.