Song Wat is one of Bangkok’s oldest trading quarters, established in the early 1900s after a massive fire that wiped out half of Chinatown. Its name, Song Wat, meaning “draw” in royal vocabulary, references a line drawn on an old map by King Rama V himself.
A row of shophouses boasting intricate Sino-Portuguese details line the neighborhood’s main street, while religious and education establishments find homes down its narrow alleys.
Many of the original shops still peddle what they’ve been selling for a century: spices and food ingredients. However, new entrepreneurial ventures—from craft cafes to art galleries—have started taking over vacant shophouses, and many, if not all, of them feature aesthetics that respect the original structure and blend in seamlessly with older establishments. Today, Song Wat sees an intriguing mix of past and present, not to mention a camaraderie among its old and new residents —exactly how we envision a cool neighborhood.