BANGKOK'S NEW BEAT

The latest places to eat, drink, and shop in Chinatown, the Thai metropolis's always-on neighborhood

- CHRIS SCHALKX

Piyapa Vichiansan and Pim Chalocha, owners of boutique

THE CITY'S CHINATOWN has long had a vibrant pulse, but for years the cool crowd clustered around Soi Nana, a lantern-strung side street packed with galleries and cocktail bars. Now the action has spilled onto its main drag, Yaowarat, and the waterfront lanes of Song Wat, where neon signs flicker above timeworn shophouses remade as boutiques, bars, and restaurants. Go soon to experience the neighborhood at its most authentic: With several big-brand hotels, including a Ritz-Carlton and an Inter-Continental, set to rise nearby, this appealingly gritty corner of town is sure to evolve in the years to come.

JUST THE BASICS

In 2021, Chef Pichaya "Pam" Soontornyanakij put Chinatown on the global gourmet map by transforming her great-grand-parents' herbal medicine dispensary into Potong, a Thai-Chinese fine dining spot that has received endless accolades. Her new Khao San Sek, set in a jumbled shophouse down the road, drops the haute polish to offer Thai cooking at its essence, with a menu revolving around the most characteristic local ingredients—rice, chile, coconut, fish sauce, and palm sugar—served in fiery curries, punchy relishes, and charcoal-grilled seafood.

REUSE AND RECYCLE