The Thai List - Bangkok: Secrets of Talat Noi & Chinatown

Vol. 01 - Sept 2025

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This week was all about the simple things. We ate too much in Chinatown (worth it), found a bar with cocktails we liked, and the next day slowed down in Talat Noi. Nothing fancy - just good food, long walks, and a few quiet moments by the river.

Here are the spots we can’t wait to share with you.

Happy reading,
Ploy & Jochem

🗺️ The journey: Chinatown

A travel story

We went to Yaowarat Road around 7 pm. It was already busy: neon signs lit up, cars stuck in traffic, and the smell of food everywhere.

First stop was a fried oyster stall. No English menu, just point at the pan. We got a plate, stood to the side, and finished it in a few bites. Greasy, hot, really good.

We walked further and grabbed tofu pudding with ginger syrup from another cart. Warm, sweet, and a nice break from the fried food. The vendor laughed when we tried to order in Thai and corrected us with a smile.

After that we cut into Chinatown’s Soi Nana. It’s quieter than Yaowarat Road and has a row of small bars in old shophouses. We went into Tep Bar. The cocktails are delicious and have Thai herbs in them. Here, live music comes alive on traditional Thai instruments, just as locals know it.

To end the night, we walked to the river. Wat Arun was lit up on the other side. No big crowd, just a few people hanging out. It felt good to stand there and let the noise fade.

💡 Go here: Tep Bar (Chinatown’s Soi Nana). Opens at 6 pm. Go for one drink and live Thai music.

📍 Tep Bar - 69, 71 Yi Sip Song Karakadakhom 4 Alley, Pom Prap, Pom Prap Sattru Phai, Bangkok 10100

🏘️ Local life

Thai life, up close.

The next day we went to Talat Noi, which is only a short walk from Chinatown, but it feels like another world. Small streets, laundry hanging overhead, scooters squeezing past. A mechanic had engine parts stacked outside like towers, and kids were kicking a ball into them.

We wandered without a plan and ended up in a quiet courtyard. Wooden balconies, a small pond with koi fish, incense burning somewhere. It was peaceful, and no one bothered us.

The highlight was Hong Sieng Kong, a café in a 200-year old riverside mansion. The building is falling apart in a charming way, but the coffee is strong and the view of the river is the reason to go. We sat inside, watched the long-tail boats go by as we sipped our Latté and Cortado coffees.

As evening settled, we hopped into a tuk-tuk and zipped to Madame K Bangkok in Chinatown. A place that feels easy, fun, and delicious: we started with their now-legendary Khao Soi Duck Confit. It’s the rich, creamy coconut curry broth with crispy duck confit that makes the dish feel familiar, like the best home cooked Thai dish. One bite and you’ll understand the buzz.

Then came the cocktails, crafted with precision - each one playful yet refined. These are the kind of drinks that make you want to slow down and stay a while.

Inside, low lights, dark wood, and soft chatter created a vibe that is both sophisticated and a bit cheeky. It’s the kind of night that starts with a meal and ends with new best friends and favorite memories.

Recap of our stops:

• Coffee stop: Hong Sieng Kong – that bright blue café in the riverside mansion. Open 10 am–7 pm, perfect for late-afternoon light and slow riverside moments. 📍 Hong Sieng Kong - 734, 736 Soi Wanit 2, Talat Noi, Samphanthawong, Bangkok 10100, Thailand

• Evening stop: Madame K Bangkok – famous for its Khao Soi Duck Confit and cocktails, open from around 5 pm. A perfect mix of bold flavors and playful vibes in Chinatown. 📍 Madame K Bangkok - 125 Soi Ram Maitri, subdistrict, Pom Prap Sattru Phai, Bangkok 10100, Thailand

🗣️ Say it like a local

“Aroi mak” (อร่อยมาก) — It’s very delicious!

Say it to the food stall or restaurant owner and watch their face light up.

📰 Thailand Now

• Free domestic flights for tourists: Thailand’s Tourism Ministry is testing a plan to offer up to 200,000 free domestic plane tickets to international visitors.

• Modern payments, easier spending: A new 18-month pilot lets foreign visitors convert crypto into baht via e-wallets, safe, no clutter, all QR-coded.

• Art on the rise: A Thai film called A Useful Ghost just won the Grand Prix at Cannes’s Critics’ Week. It hits theaters in Thailand later this month, worth seeing on the big screen.

📻 The Thai (Play) List

Songs for discovering Thailand: from scenic drives to hidden escapes. New vibes added every week .

Click on any of the tracks below to get in the travel mood.

The Thai List Insider

If you liked this week’s walk, here’s the exact plan we’d give a friend visiting. Special spots and hidden treasures, to make your visit a memorable one.

🏮 One Night in Chinatown

Here’s how we’d do a night to remember, step by step:

• 7:00 pm - Nai Mong Hoi Tod. Start with the oyster omelette. Crunchy, peppery, and one plate is enough for two.

• 7:45 pm - Yaowarat walk. Don’t overthink it. Stop for skewers, peppery noodles, or mango sticky rice when something smells right.

• 8:30 pm - Tep Bar (Chinatown’s Soi Nana). Small room, live Thai music, cocktails with herbs. Stay for a drink and a song.

• 9:30 pm – Madame K Bangkok. Fun dining in Chinatown. Order the Khao Soi Duck Confit, then stay for cocktails. Playful, stylish, and full of flavor.

• 11:30 pm - Wallflowers Café (Rooftop). End the night with a quiet drink on a hidden rooftop above China Town’s Soi Nana. Plants, soft lights, and sometimes live music. A secret spot just steps from Yaowarat.

🍲 Eat & Sip - Food Crawl

If you’re hungry for more than one stop, here are the stalls we keep going back to:

• Kuay Jub Uan Pochana. Rolled noodles in peppery broth. Good late at night when the steam hits your face.

• Pa Tong Go Savoey. Fried dough sticks with pandan custard. Order a small set to share.

• Duck rice stall (Yaowarat). Tender duck, fragrant rice. Nothing fancy, but the line moves fast.

• Herbal tea cart. Street tea with ice, light and sweet. A good way to finish the night. These carts can de found at multiple spots in China Town.

💡 Tip: Best after 8 pm - the crowd thins out and the mood is better.

💎 Local Treasures

A few extra spots we like to show friends when we have more time:

• Hong Sieng Kong. The café in the riverside mansion we mentioned earlier. Great in late afternoon.

• So Heng Tai Mansion. A 200-year-old courtyard house with a small diving pool. Not many tourists make it here.

• Ba Hao. Cocktails in a red-lit shophouse. Cozy, moody, open late.

• Chow Sue Kong Shrine. Small shrine tucked in Talat Noi. Incense and candles keep it alive.

📍 For Our Insiders

Every week we drop new pins onto our Local Secrets Map - special spots you won’t always find in the guidebooks. Street stalls tucked down alleys, rooftop bars only locals know, temples that feel like they belong to you alone.

This map is just for Insiders, and it grows with every edition - a living guide that keeps unlocking Thailand, piece by piece.

Tip: open the map on your smartphone and find your way easily!

🌦️ Seasonal Secret

Rain comes fast this time of year, and the streets clear just as quickly. If you get caught, grab a 20 THB poncho at 7-Eleven. It’s ugly but useful, and you’ll be dry enough to keep going.

💡 Tip: temples are quiet after a rain shower. Sometimes you can walk into Wat Pho and find it almost empty.

🙏 Thank you

That’s the full walk. Next week we’ll take you with us to Chiang Mai - local markets, slower mornings, and mountain air.

See you next week!

We hope you enjoyed this edition of The Thai List. If you did, please share the love by inviting your friends and family to join us. Each week we uncover local secrets, hidden escapes, and the best food and drinks Thailand has to offer. Don’t miss out on the journey.

Wishing you save travels,

The Thai List - Your weekly postcard from Thailand.