About Yaowarat (Chinatown)
The Chinese community settled in this area after giving up its earlier site to make way for the Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew. The avenue was opened between 1892 and 1900, by order of Rama V, and the name means something like “young king,” a tribute to the first crown prince of the reign.
By day, what stands out are the gold shops, one right next to the other, with windows that shine even under the awning. At night, the sidewalks turn into kitchens: carts, plastic tables, smoke from griddles and lines in front of the most popular stalls. The street is one-way, so cars travel in one direction and pedestrians in all of them.
