Chinatown is one of the must-visit places in Bangkok. This area is known for its vibrant street life and delicious food scene. It is also home to several historical temples and attractions such as Wat Tramit, Sampeng Market, Yaowarat Night Market, and Talat Noi art district.
You are likely to visit one of those attractions, especially the Night Market, in Chinatown when visiting Bangkok. Once you are inside the neighborhood, you can easily get around on foot, tuk tuk, and motorbike taxi as most attractions are located within walking distance from each other.
In this article, I will show you how to get to Chinatown from various locations in Bangkok such as Suvarnabhumi Airport, Old Town, Khao San Road, Sukhumvit, and Siam. I also show you how to explore all attractions in Chinatown on foot within a half/ full day.
If you are planning to stay in Chinatown, I recommend checking this article on Where to Stay in Chinatown to know more the advantages, disadvantages, and the best hotels in this area.
5 Popular Ways to get to Chinatown Bangkok
If you are using public transportation, there are two popular ways to get to Bangkok’s Chinatown including the MRT underground train and the boat. There is no BTS skytran running through Chinatown. There are local buses, but it is more convenient using MRT trains and boats to reach this area.
If you are from nearby places like Khao San Road, Silom, Old Town, or Riverside area, you can consider taking a tuk tuk or motorbike taxi (Grab Bike) to get to Chinatown.
Additionally, you can use private taxis, including metered ones; if the taxi doesn’t have a meter, be sure to agree on the fare before getting in. You can use ride-sharing services such as Grab, Bolt, or InDriver to avoid bargaining and common scams associated with regular taxi drivers.
1. By MRT underground train
Chinatown is well-served by the MRT underground train, the blue line. There are two MRT train stations in this area including Wat Mangkon and Hua Lamphong. They are located on Rama IV Road, running parallel with Yaowarat Road, which is the main road of Chinatown.
You can use Wat Mangkon Station to visit major sights such as Yaowarat Night Market, Sampeng Market, and Wat Mangkon. Hua Lamphong is a short walk to Wat Tramit and Talat Noi art area. Wherever you are getting off, you can easily reach all other attractions on foot or short tuk tuk ride.
You can use the MRT train line to reach Chinatown directly from Bangkok Old Town, Silom, or Sukhumvit. In combination with other BTS skytrains, you can get to Siam and Pratunam shopping district.
This MRT line is also convenient to reach major sights like Wat Pho, Grand Palace, Patpong Night Market, Lumphini Park, Terminal 21, Jodd Fair Night Market, and Chatukchak Weekend Market.
2. By River Boat
Being located right next to Chao Phraya river, Bangkok’s Chinatown is well-connected to the city’s boat system. It is home to two piers, Ratchawong and Marine Dept. If you are somewhere along the bank of the river, you can use local boats or hop on hop off both to reach Chinatown.
Ratchawong Pier is more popular to tourists. This pier is close to Sampeng Market and Yaowarat road where you can find the night market, Wat Tramit temple, and lots of restaurants, herbs, and gold shops. It is around 10 mins walk from Ratchawong to Yaowarat Road.
Marine Dept Pier is a lesser known pier in Chinatown. It is right next to the Talat Noi historic district. This district has a vibrant street art scene, several boutique hotels, and ancient houses.
3. By Canal Boat
Chinatown is bordered by The Khlong Phadung Krung Kasem Canal on its eastern side. There is a canal boat system run along this canal connecting Chinatown with Phra Nakhon district.
The reroute starts from Hua Lamphong Railway Station Pier to Thewarat Market Pier near Chao Phraya River. You can walk from Thewarat Market Pier to Thewes Pier along the riverside to access the river boat systems.
From Yaek Lan Luang Pier, you have easy access to the boat system on the Khlong Saen Saep Canal for visit famous sights like Golden Mount, Jim Thompson House Museum, as well as all the famous markets and shopping malls in Pratunam and Siam.
4. By tuk tuk
If you are somewhere close to the Old Town like Bangkok Old Town or Khao San Road, you can take a short tuk tuk or motorbike taxi ride to Chinatown. Depending on your location and traffic, the ride is around 10-15 mins and the price is around 100 baht.
5. By Private Taxi, Grab, Bolt, or Indrive
There are plenty of taxi and riding share services in Bangkok. You can install Uber-like apps such as Grab, Bolt, or Indrive to order a ride. From my experience, InDrive has the best price. If you order the ride in the peak hour, expect that the driver will cancel the ride at some point.
From Suvarnabhumi Airport
From the Suvarnabhumi Airport, you can use the Airport Rail Link to Makkasan Station, then walk for a few minutes to Phetchaburi MRT Station to get the MRT train to Wat Mangkon Station in Chinatown. From Wat Mangkon, you can walk or take a short tuk tuk ride to your hotel.
The ride on Airport Road Link is around 30 minutes, and costs 35 baht. Airport trains operate daily from 5.30 am to midnight, with departures every 10–15 minutes. The ride on the MRT train is around 30 minutes. MRT trains run from 6am to midnight.
Another popular option is to take a public taxi from the airport. You can order metrest taxi at the airport. The distance is 30 km, and the travel time is around 40–50 minutes, depending on traffic. The cost is approximately 300–500 baht.
From Khao San Road
Khao San Road is around 4km away from Chinatown Night Market and Yaowarat Road, which are famous attractions in Chinatown. You can take a short motorbike taxi (Grab Bike) or tuk tuk ride for 10-15 minutes without much traffic.
Traffic is quite heavy around 6-7pm when the night market is at its peak. Ordering small vehicles like motorbike taxis can beat the traffic.
From Bangkok Old Town
Chinatown is located right next to Bangkok Old Town (Rattanakosin Island). Depending on your location in Old Town, you can walk to Chinatown. If you can’t stand the heat, you can take Grab Bike, Grab Taxi, or tuk tuk anytime.
I spent a day exploring Chinatown by walking all the way from the Flower market in Old Town to the Memorial Bridge along the Riverside area then headed to Chinatown. It was actually quite a nice walk.
From Sukhumvit
Sukhumvit is a famous area in Bangkok known for its international atmosphere, lots of shopping malls, and nightlife hubs like Terminal 21, Emporium, Nana, and Soi Cowboy. These are also well-connected to both MRT and BTS train lines.
Depending on your location on Sukhumvit, you can take direct MRT trains or the combination of MRT and BTS trains to Chinatown. If you stay within walking distance to Sukhumvit MRT station, you can take a direct train to Chinatown’s Wat Mangkok Station.
In other areas in Sukhumvit, like Phrom Phong, Thong Lor, or Ekkamai, you can take the BTS skytrain to Asok Station, then walk to Sukhumvit Station for the MRT train to Chinatown.
From Pratunam
Pratunam is known for its close proximity to the airport and wholesale shopping area of Bangkok. Famous sights in this area are the Pratunam Market and Platinum Fashion Mall.
If you stay in Pratunam, you can use a combination of BTS sky train and MRT train to get to Chinatown’s Wat Mangkon Station. Local buses are available but I found trains are more efficient and frequent. I recommend using Google Map for the best direction and transport options.
From Siam
Siam is the well-known shopping district in central Bangkok, known for its modern malls like Siam Paragon, CentralWorld, Siam Square, and MBK Center. It is well-connected to both BTS skytrain Silom and Sukhumvit lines.
To reach Chinatown from Siam, you can take the BTS Silom line to Sala Daeng BTS Station, then walk to Silom MRT Station for subway trains to Chinatown’s Wat Mangkon Station.
From Silom
Silom is known for its Patpong Night Market and gay friendly atmosphere. If you stay near Silom Station, you can use the MRT train direct to Wat Mangkon Station in Chinatown. It is just a 13 minute ride away.
Getting Around Chinatown on foot
Chinatown is quite small, you can explore most attractions in this neighborhood on foot. I recommend exploring temples, and some attractions like Samping Market, Talat Noi, Wat Traimit during daytime, and come back in the evening for the night market and street food on Yaowarat Road.
Here is my suggested route to explore Chinatown on foot from Bangkok Old Town. I started from Pak Khlong Talat (Flower Market). I walked along the Chao Phraya River to the Memorial Bridge area, then followed Google Maps to get to Sapeng Market.
I walked along the whole length of Sampeng Lane for around 1km then exited to Yaowarat Road. From this road, I checked out Wat Tramit and Chinatown Gate, Then headed to Talat Noi and Marin dept Pier. From here I used a Grab Bike to get back to Bangkok Old Town.
If you come from the central Bangkok area like Sukhimvit, Siam, and Silom, you can take the MRT and get off at Hua Lamphong Station. From here, you walked to Talat Noi, Wat Tramit, Sampeng Market, Yaowarat Road, and back to Wat Mangkong to get back to your hotel.
I hope my guide on transportation in Chinatown helps you navigate this area easier. It is a lovely neighborhood to explore with lots of traditional charm and delicious street food. See more: Best places to Stay in Bangkok.