7 Best Nightlife in Bangkok Chinatown

At night, Yaowarat Road – the high street of Bangkok’s Chinatown – transforms into one of the greatest street food locations in the world. Locals and visitors can be seen all along the main thoroughfare sampling their way through all that there is on offer, turning dinner into an evening of exploration. It can be confusing at first but, with a sense of adventure and a healthy appetite, it can be a lot of fun.

Popular offerings include dim sum, oyster omelettes, flat noodles in a pepper broth, and lots of fresh seafood. There are also many exotic fruits on offer, as well as homemade ice cream (we love coconut, but for something truly Thai go for durian). Traffic is very bad in this area so we recommend taking the MRT Underground to Wat Mangkon Station in Chinatown.

Get a surprising panoramic view of Chinatown and beyond, all the way to the Chao Phraya River at Sky View 360˙Rooftop Bar and Restaurant. It's located on the revolving top floor of the Grand China Hotel and it takes about 2 hours to complete a full round; you barely notice any movement. The restaurant serves Thai, European, Japanese and Chinese food, with old-fashioned waiters and waitresses and live piano background music. This viewpoint is not very well known and is a great place to take an air-conditioned break after a tiring exploration of busy Chinatown.

Tep Bar is a cool bar presenting classic Thai drinks and entertainment in a fun and engaging way. This hip venue offers traditional live music and no shortage of cocktails. Tep Bar is located on Soi Nana off of Maitrijit Road, a 5-minute walk from the Hua Lamphong MRT Subway Station.

Bangkok Flower Market (Pak Klong Talad) is the biggest wholesale and retail fresh flower market in Bangkok. The market has all kinds of popular flowers and flora-related items, including roses, forget-me-nots, orchids, lilies and more. Bangkok Flower market is located on Chak Phet Road near Saphan Phut (Memorial Bridge).

Open 24 hours, the market is most lively after midnight. If you want to see the market in full action, though, the best time to go is pre-dawn or at 3am. This is when the roadside transforms into a kaleidoscope of bright, blooming colours, as vendors receive floral goods from each flower-growing area in the country. Wholesalers bring in truckloads of freshly cut flowers, while traders and retailers come to buy their stock in bulk. It can be quite a chaotic scene, and vendors may be less patient when dealing with visitors. If you go during this time, it’s best to just observe and absorb the surrounding atmosphere.

Talat Kao is one of the oldest markets in Bangkok and has acted as the central market and trading place in Chinatown for over a century. Famous for its Chinese delicacies including dried abalone, fried puffed-up fish stomachs (fish maw) and steamed bird’s nests, this is not a place for the faint-hearted. Come at night for an insightful look into the culinary culture of the Chinese. For those who prefer more simplicity in their meals, dumplings, noodles and freshly squeezed orange juice are all readily available.