During the three day King's Birthday weekend, we stayed in Chinatown close to the maze of tiny alleys and back streets that are jammed with stalls and customers at all hours; as the night shops close, the morning markets begin setting up well before dawn. In the evening, customers flow from one curb-side restaurant to the next, filling intersections with a buzz of gastronomic activity, mouth-watering dishes delivered steaming to your table. Of all the places in Bangkok I know, this is my favorite place to hang out at any time of day or night. Here are scenes from a 20 hour period, shown chronologically from our check in and first wander down a street near the hotel, to the fresh market the next morning.
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| Interior of Shanghai Mansion Hotel, Yaowarat Road |
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| A typical shop jammed with merchandise |
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| Ceramic jars filled with tea from China |
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| Sausage shop with good luck garland |
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| Monks' clothing drying at a small Chinese buddhist temple off Yaowarat Road |
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| Etched skull at Chinese temple |
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| You want it, they have it...somewhere in there. |
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| Examining amulet quality, New Road. |
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| New Road shop full of Chinese decorations |
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| Curb-side hair removal service, New Road. Does it hurt? One replied, "Not much." Another, "A lot!" |
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| Outside monk's dormitory on a temple's grounds |
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| Monks waiting for a taxi outside a temple. Yaowarat Road |
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| An outdoor Chinese buddhist shrine | | | | |
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| These workers piled the carts from a store behind me, moved it across the street, and unloaded into another shop. |
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| Pushcarts have the advantage of moving from one location to another if sales sag! |
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| Popular evening street-side noodle stand, Yaowarat Road |
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| After a soothing foot massage, we ate at a curb-side table and watched the passing scene |
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| Amazing...a walk/bike/drive-in reel to reel movie shown in the street near Yaowarat Road! |
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| The early morning markets bustle with activity |
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| A surprising scene: A Himalayan visitor strolls the market |
