Song Wat Road

In the Ayutthaya period this temple bore the name "Wat Ko", which means "island temple", as it was surrounded by a canal flowing from the Chao Phraya River. King Rama I turned it into a royal temple in 1796. King Rama IV gave the temple its current name after Prince Samphanthawong. Inside is a statue of Mara, with rows of golden Buddhas at the back.

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.

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.

Chinatown is one of Bangkok's oldest districts and about 14% of the buildings have been designated as historical landmarks. Tang To Kang is one of them, an interesting colonial-style building and actually the oldest gold shop of Bangkok (which is difficult to believe now with so many gold shops scattered over the district). If you want to see the gold museum, you have to make an appointment two days ahead.

Opposite the Tang To Kang gold shop, and quite similar to it, the Bangkok Bank Building is one of Bangkok's oldest commercial buildings. The exterior is an example of classic early Rattanakosin-style with clear European influences. The interior is heavy with hardwood panelling.

This is the oldest charitable society of Bangkok, founded in 1902 by Chinese immigrants. The local clinics at the site provide free medical treatment for the poor using traditional Chinese as well as modern practices. Most interesting for foreign visitors is the courtyard which boasts the Guan Yin Shrine (ปูชนียสถานเจ้าแม่กวนอิม), commonly known as the "Shrine for the Goddess of Mercy". Local visitors of the shrine follow the Mahayana school of Buddhism, which is different from the Theravada school that is dominant in Thailand. The statue of the goddess Ming, to whom the shrine is dedicated, is the highlight of the temple. The statue was carved out from a single piece of solid teak and shows Ming in the attitude of giving blessings. It was carved in China in Tang Dynasty-style and is believed to be around 800 years old. The statue has been in possession of the foundation since 1958, when it was taken out of China and placed inside the temple. The exterior's architecture is typically Chinese with an impressive roof and beautiful teak carvings of dragons and other Chinese symbols. It is particularly lively during Chinese New Year.