As the designated area for Bangkok’s main access to water transports on the famed Chao Phraya River, Song Wat is widely considered a melting pot of diversity. Steamboats that passed by paved the way for heavy Chinese and Muslim influences, which eventually evolved into a prime trading post for goods across Thailand and beyond. Until today, its historical remnants remain.

Some 130 years later, this small but bustling community is rejuvenating from both local and foreign intervention once more. But this time, it’s tourism. 

Song Wat has become Bangkok’s latest lifestyle hotspot, complete with specialty coffee shops, hostels and galleries. And with organisations such as Made In Song Wat – a collective of 13 businesses – stumping for sustainable growth, its authentic charm could shine for years to come.
It’s a remarkable evolution for one of the city’s oldest trading quarters.

A brief history of Song Wat Road

After a fire devastated Sampheng in 1906, King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) suggested a new road be built by the nearby river port. Stretching a little over 1km from the Ratchawong Pier to Charoenkrung Road, Song Wat means ‘he drew’ in reference to Rama V’s pencil drawing of how he envisioned the community ought to look like.

The merchants who moved here would find some of Bangkok’s most enduring businesses, including commercial giants Bangkok Bank and the Charoen Pokphand Group (CP). But the street’s historic wealth still resonates.

At the western end of Song Wat, the ‘Tuek Kaek’ building offers a faded look into the past. Now in a state of disrepair, the once-ornate warehouse built by Indian textile merchant Abdul Tyeb Maskati features Gothic-style doors and gingerbread-style wooden frames – popular architectural styles of the era that reflect its standing.

Song Wat has become Bangkok’s latest lifestyle hotspot, complete with specialty coffee shops, hostels and galleries.

Song Wat rises

With its rich heritage and proximity to Yaowarat Road, Song Wat was always primed for growth. As more businesses have opened, yielding a unique mix of new and old, its popularity has soared.

For Bukruk – a street art festival in 2016 that produced photo-worthy murals citywide – Belgian artist ROA painted two upside-down elephants on the wall of a riverside building. This iconic mural helped bring attention to the underrated street. Since then, a spate of new businesses have followed.

In 2018, two local designers opened Baan Songwat, a gorgeous Airbnb in a family-owned property by the Peiing School. Across the street, Hostel Urby and its river-facing café Barbon added another place to stay (and enjoy sundowners).

The area also boasts some excellent coffee shops and restaurants.

FV –  an eclectic cafe filled with random knick-knacks and plants, including a tree growing in the middle of the space, and e-ga – a red-hot restaurant that feels a bit like dining in a friend’s home, offers drinks and Thai dishes in funky, design-forward settings.  Rong Klan Nuea has turned a crumbling shophouse into a can’t-miss destination for slow-cooked beef noodles. Bad Poutine serves the Canadian dish of gravy-topped fries and cheese curds in a poster-covered stall. Above it, eclectic Bukowski & Co. draws in creative crowds with wine and cocktails.

Coffee lovers have their own landmark destination with Song Wat Coffee Roasters (SWC), too. And shoppers have flocked to Road of Cinnamon, a boutique set in a 100-year-old building that sells curated crafts and antiques from Thailand’s 77 provinces.

Song Wat, Bangkok’s next creative capital?

In 2023, Time Out Magazine named Song Wat one of the 50 coolest neighbourhoods in the world – and not just because of the new wave of businesses.

Long-standing institutions abound, like Lim Lao San – a fish ball noodle vendor that has operated in the area for 80-plus years, Urai Braised Goose and its preserved generations-old recipes, Gu Long Bao Artisan Bun Shop – a steamed bun shop serving artisan buns for more than 100 years and Noori Chestnut Ice-cream –  a coconut ice cream topped with frozen roasted chestnut in a tiny shophouse. 

Even heritage sites like the Lao Pun Tao Kong shrine have served as workshop space for events organised by the Made in Song Wat group.

Venues like MESA 312 – a mixed-use art and design space run by Spanish graphic designer Myriam Rueda – and art galleries TARS Unlimited and PLAY highlight the creative potential of the community.

As Song Wat moves forward, it does so without sacrificing its past. The community isn’t so much enjoying a second life as it is growing and ageing gracefully.

How to get there

• MRT – From MRT Wat Mangkhon, take Exit 1 and walk about 500m south via Soi Yaowa Panich.

• Chao Phraya Express Boat – Get off at Ratchawong Pier and walk 50m north. Turn right at the ‘Tuek Kaek’ building on the corner of Song Wat Road. 
   

In 2023, Time Out Magazine named Song Wat
one of the 50 coolest neighbourhoods in the world –
and not just because of the new wave of businesses.