Chinatown Bangkok or, as they call it, Yawarat
Stores stacked floor to ceiling with pungent herbal medicines share shophouse rows with restaurants showcasing precious sharkâs fin delicacies; The smells of freshly roasted chestnuts and grilled seafood from the corner food stalls compete with the stench of fish from the wet market around the corner and the delicate fragrance of incense waffling out from nearby temples. Gem traders, gold dealers and household appliance vendors labor beneath a chaotic jungle of signs that at night turn Yaowarat into a neon-splashed mini-Hong Kong, with all the friendliness of Thailand.
[Extract from Bangkok Inside Out by Daniel Ziv & Guy Sharett, Equinox Publishing]
