Bangkok's New Chinatown bustling again as Chinese tourists return
Eateries, shops and street stalls in Bangkok’s New Chinatown area are once again bustling with customers after having been quiet for two years due to the pandemic.
The New Chinatown (not to be confused with the original Chinatown in Yaowarat area) stretches from Huai Khwang intersection to Pracha Uthit Road.
Most of the people spotted in the area this past week were Chinese nationals who had arrived to mark the Lunar New Year and decided to extend their vacation.
Chinese tourists have started returning to Thailand after Beijing lifted its stringent Covid-related travel restrictions on January 8. Thanks to this, the Tourism Authority of Thailand expects some 300,000 arrivals from China in the first quarter and at least 5 million for the whole year. This should push up the number of arrivals this year to at least 25 million.
Scholar Chada Triamvithaya, who has studied the settlement of modern Chinese in Thailand, believes that New Chinatown is mostly populated by immigrants from China’s Guangxi and Yunnan provinces, in the far south and southwest of the mainland, respectively.
According to Chada, Chinese nationals living in New Chinatown are temporary settlers, who are in Thailand for travel or education purposes. She said they prefer to stay in this neighbourhood because of the authentic cuisine on offer at eateries run by people from their country.
New Chinatown is also a haven for shoppers, and the most popular products among Chinese tourists are dried fruit, milk tablets, herbal liniments, honey and rubber pillows.
