//
วัดแม่พระลูกประคำ Wat Mae Phra Luk Prakham
Photo: This Photo was taken by Supanut Arunoprayote. Feel free to use any of my images, but please mention me as the author and may send me a message. (สามารถใช้ภาพไ, CC BY 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Portuguese descendants of the early traders in Ayutthaya first settled at the other bank of the river in Thonburi (at the site of the Santa Cruz Church), but gradually moved to the opposite bank of the river. As the Portuguese were one of the most important trading nations in Siam, this church was built with a land grant from King Rama I in 1786, about four years after Bangkok was established as Siam's capital. As Portugal's influence overseas diminished, the Portuguese community was dispersed and the church fell into disuse. Due to the Indochina Wars of the mid-20th century, many Catholic Vietnamese and Cambodians fled to Bangkok and adopted this church as their main house of worship. Throughout its history, it has been rebuilt twice, with the present church dating from the 1890s. The cream-coloured church has a towering spire, an interesting set of European-style stained-glass windows, as well as a statue of Christ that is carried through the streets at Easter.
The Holy Rosary Church, also known as Kalawar Church, is a Roman Catholic church in Bangkok. It is located in Samphanthawong District, on the eastern bank of the Chao Phraya River. The history of the church dates to 1769, when a group of Portuguese Catholics resettled in the area after the fall of Ayutthaya; the current church building, in Gothic Revival style, was built in 1891–97 on the site of two previous structures.
© OpenStreetMap contributors
อาคารธนาคารไทยพาณิชย์ สาขาตลาดน้อย
Instead of trying to find this Art Deco-style building on foot, it is actually best seen from the Chao Phraya Express Boat. It is the first commercial bank of Thailand run by Thais. It was designed by the Italian architect Annibale Rigotti and completed in 1904 in typical 19th century European style. Each gable is unique with delicate patterns of stucco.
ศาลเจ้าเซียงกง
In one of the small sois and particularly difficult to find, this 200-year old riverbank shrine is one of the oldest Chinese shrines in the city. It is guarded by a playful rooftop terracotta dragon. One of the former owners of the shrine made money by collecting taxes on birds nest delicacies. It gets lively during the Vegetarian Festival in October, when Chinese operas and fairground games are staged. It is in the middle of the Sieng Kong Zone, a car spare parts market named after the shrine, and thus could be combined with a visit to it.
วัดปทุมคงคา
This ancient monastery was founded in the Ayutthaya period. It was renovated during the reign of King Rama I by a rich Thai citizen, who gave the temple its current name. The main Buddhist image in the temple is in the subduing mara posture. The doors and windows are exquisitely decorated in with lacquered ornamentation in gold leaf patterns. Behind the temple is the Execution Stone, where King Rama III ordered the execution of Krommaluang Rak Ronnaret for planning a rebellion against him. The canal in front of the temple is a holy site as the ash of cremated members of the royal family and the royal elephants are scattered here. The temple has been completely restored, making the golden Buddha images look shinier than ever.
ประตูจีนที่วงเวียนโอเดียน
This Chinese-style ceremonial gate was built by Thais of Chinese descent to show their loyalty to King Bhumibol Adulyadej. It was officially inaugurated on his 72nd birthday on 5 December 1999. The four Chinese characters on the arch mean "Long Live The King" and are in the handwriting of HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn (who is fluent in Chinese).
พิพิธภัณฑ์ท้องถิ่นกรุงเทพมหานคร
This community museum is dedicated to the early Chinese immigrants in Bangkok. Pictures and text in Thai and English give the visitor an overview of the history of this ethnic group and their lives and contributions to Yaowarat (part of which is also called Samphanthawong District). There are pictures to see what Sampheng Lane was like about one hundred years ago. An interesting museum if you want to get a deeper understanding of the area.
วัดไตรมิตรวิทยารามวรวิหาร
This temple is one of the highlights of Yaowarat, but was built in a traditional Thai architectural style. It houses the Phra Phuttha Maha Suwan Patimakon (พระพุทธมหาสุวรรณปฏิมากร), the world's largest solid-gold Buddha image, which originates from the Sukhothai period. It is over 3 m tall and weighs 5.5 tonnes, with an interesting history. The image was only rediscovered about 50 years ago when it dropped from a crane while being moved. This cracked the plaster exterior that was (as it's said) applied to hide the image from the invading Burmese army. There is an impressive white structure with a golden spire next to the temple, that reaches higher than many other buildings in the district.