Nayara Batschke |
Bangkok, (EFE).- A few meters from the busy Chinatown of Bangkok, the historic street of Song Wat goes unnoticed. But in an attempt to escape the massive return of tourism, Thais are rediscovering the charms of this neighborhood, a “hidden gem” that has become the nerve center of ‘influencers’, artists and musicians.
Built in 1906, under the reign of the then King Rama V and after a fire devastated a large part of Chinatown, Song Wat has occupied a strategic position for the construction of ports and quickly became an important meeting point for those who dedicated themselves to to the exchange of goods.
Given the expansion of the city, however, the neighborhood has fallen into oblivion. Now, local merchants are also betting on recovering the once-so-characteristic urban scene that dominated the region a few decades ago.
Since 2016, Song Wat has experienced a veritable “boom” of new businesses and, since the end of the covid-19 pandemic, its environments have become the new trend among ‘influencers’, artists, musicians and the “older” population. alternative” from Thailand.
tourist attraction
“Especially since a year ago, the neighborhood has become very fashionable and has begun to open cafes, restaurants, hotels, hostels, bars. And the truth is that it has attracted many tourists, but above all the locals are rediscovering the neighborhood,” Spanish Myriam Rueda, a graphic designer who has lived in Bangkok for 14 years and has her studio in Song Wat, told EFE.
In a short tour of its narrow streets, which meander and merge with the banks of the Chao Phraya River, it is easy to discover dozens of art galleries, coffee shops with special grains -from Colombia or Brazil-, music venues, liquor stores or mysterious taverns.
Likewise, only on its sidewalks is it possible to find some of the most typical dishes of Thai, Chinese and Islamic gastronomy, since various peoples and cultures historically settled in Song Wat due to the region’s merchant past.
From the interiors of the restaurants, the flavors of the stews mix with the smells of spices and condiments that emanate from the windows of the small culinary products shops that line up side by side, so exploring the corners of Song Wat is Above all, a multisensory experience.
Landscapes play a central role
As it could not be, the landscapes play a central role in the wanderings through this traditional neighborhood, where the architecture of the old buildings contrasts with the modern air of the new shops.
The combination of colours, shapes and silhouettes offers a unique visual spectacle that, more and more, has put the neighborhood in the spotlight of advertisers, photographers and designers who opt to use it as a setting for their creations.
“The new businesses, with a more modern look, have attracted a lot of young people. And people also want new things, discovering incredible architecture, there are dishes that are very typical of the area and they are only made here… and that attracts Thais a lot,” says Rueda.
Thanks to the growing attention it has received, Rueda and several of the local merchants came together to launch a complete guide to all the services offered at Song Wat or, in the words of its authors, “a love letter to the neighborhood.”
In addition to listing the establishments that make up the area, the guide also gathers curiosities and information about the neighborhood, whose development is confused with the very history of modern Thailand. The locals of this iconic Bangkok neighborhood thus hope that visitors will “rediscover this lost jewel” and “fall in love once more” with Song Wat.