Chinatown preserves its past

It became more convenient for local folks and tourists to travel to Bangkok’s Chinatown after the Wat Mangkorn MRT station opened in late 2019, giving Charoen Krung Road a sense of urban life.

The Charoen Chai Conservation and Rehabilitation group has transformed an old shophouse into the Baan Kao Lao Rueng museum to recount the history of the Charoen Chai community.

Some of the original shophouses have been replaced with a community mall and others were converted into chic Chinese-retro cafes, modern Chinese-style eateries and sleek hotels. While the neighbourhood is becoming contemporary, the century-old Charoen Chai community has managed to maintain the attractive Chinese-Thai traditions.

Tucked away in a narrow lane of the joss paper stores and street food…