Chinatown

Welcome to Bangkok  Yaowarat Road   Phahurat

> Yaowarat Road

Bangkok's Chinatown located on Yaowarat Road is an old business centre covering a large area around Yaowarat and Charoen Krung Road. There are many small streets and alleys full of shops and vendors selling all types of goods. It has been the main centre for trading by the Chinese community since they moved from their old site some 200 years ago. Nearby Phahurat or Indian market. Yaowarat Road is also famous for many varieties of delicious foods, and become foods street in the night.

The path of the road is said to be like the dragon's curvy body, making it an auspicious location for business. Visitors can find leading gold shops, garments, textiles, stationery, souvenirs, second-hand parts and equipment, electric goods, computer parts, antiques, imported musical instruments, and local delicacies at a bargain, often at wholesale prices. Year 2003 marked the 111th anniversary of this legendary road.

Land prices around Yaowarat Road have traditionally been the highest in all Thailand, but have become the second most expensive in Bangkok to Siam Square.

> Phahurat (Little India)

Phahurat often known as Thailand's Little India is an ethnic neighborhood surrounding Phahurat Road, Bangkok. The area that would become Phahurat was an enclave of Vietnamese immigrants who came to Siam during the reign of King Taksin (1768-1782). In 1898, a fire broke out and paved way for a road which was named "Phahurat" by King Chulalongkorn in remembrance of his daughter Princess Phahurat Manimai who had died at the age of 10.

Many of today's Phahurat residents are of South Asian descent. A Sikh community settled down in the area a century ago and established a textile trading center that is still thriving today. Their temple, the golden-domed Siri Guru Singh Sabha, is a landmark of Phahurat. In addition to the Sikh community, the neighborhood is also home to a number of South Asian Hindus and Muslims. Although the sprawling of Chinese shops from the nearby Chinatown is slowly spilling over into Phahurat, South Asian restaurants and businesses are still prevalent in the area.