Bangkok's Chinatown: The Hipster Haven That's Thailand's Answer to Brooklyn

The travel blogger behind the Thailand-based design blog Rice Potato takes us on a visual tour of Bangkok's hippest neighborhood.

BANGKOK – The days of Bangkok's Chinatown being merely a haven for street food are long gone. Attracted by low rents and a slower pace of urban life, the city's hipsters have flocked to the area in recent years, snatching up dilapidated shophouses and turning them into homes and businesses. Already dubbed "Bangkok's answer to Brooklyn," Chinatown exudes sophistication while still retaining its old-world charm, and has slowly become my all-time favorite neighborhood. Where else can you slurp $1 soup noodles on the sidewalk and enjoy an excellent G&T?

Picture-perfect scenes are the norm in Chinatown.

To really experience Chinatown like an insider, you have to spend the night. Stay at Bā Hào, a Chinese-inspired cocktail bar and co-living space.

Hidden away in a small alley off Soi Nana, Oneday Wallflowers is quite possibly the city's most talented florist.

Unexpected color combinations make Chinatown an Instagram-friendly destination.

Pak Khlong Talat is Bangkok's biggest flower market. It's a bit outside Chinatown, but worth a visit nonetheless. I love strolling around in the early morning when fruit and flower vendors are peddling their wares.

Ask me about my favorite restaurant in Bangkok, and I'll probably point you towards Muslim Restaurant, an 80-year-old institution that serves incredible Muslim-Thai dishes. Find it just opposite the Lebua Hotel on Charoenkrung Road.

Forget Thonglor — the city's cool kids hang out in Chinatown these days. On a small street near Hua Lamphong Station, sophisticated cocktail bars are popping up like mushrooms, with Teens of Thailand being one of my favorites. Drop by for a killer G&T and good vibes.

Kittens, kittens everywhere. I found this little cutie asleep in a tiny alley.

The gorgeous Sol Heng Tai Mansion in Talad Noi is one of the area's best-kept secrets. If you're lucky enough to pass by on the odd day that they open their house for visitors, be sure to take a peek inside.

Explore any street in Bangkok's Chinatown and you'll find a wide array of old-style Thai-Chinese shops selling everything from rubber tires to Teochew biscuits.

BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE

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