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Bangkok’s Chinatown Yaowarat is incredibly crowded with motor vehicles and people jostling for space to move. And everywhere there are hawkers at the roadside peddling their goods. It’s extremely busy day and night, but that is the charm of this unique district.

What is it like to be in the middle of Yaowarat? A mad house, perhaps, but it’s life at the its best. Stores stacked floor to ceiling with pungent herbal medicines share shophouse rows with restaurants showcasing precious shark’s fin delicacies. The smells of freshly roasted chestnuts and grilled seafood from the corner food stalls compete with the stench of fish from the wet market around the corner and the delicate fragrance of incense waffling out from nearby temples. Gem traders, gold dealers and household appliance vendors labor beneath a chaotic jungle of signs that at night turn Yaowarat into a neon-splashed mini-Hong Kong, with all the friendliness and smiles of Thailand

Yaowarat is situated in one of the oldest areas of Bangkok. Originally, it was gradually settled up by Chinese traders who came by junks to trade with Siam during the Sukhothai era. By the end of 1891, King Rama V had build several roads cutting through the area. Yaowarat Road is the center of the area. According to the Feng-Shui principle, the shape of this Road is curvy like the dragon's curvy body, making it an ideal location for business. Many prospering businesses in Thailand originated and are still thriving in this age-old downtown.