Talat Noi in Bangkok: lanes, street art, Chinese shrines and the riverfront

Updated on October 5, 2026

Talat Noi ("the little market") is a former merchants' and boatmen's quarter on the bank of the Chao Phraya, just south of Chinatown, in Samphanthawong district. It took shape in the late 18th century, after the fall of Ayutthaya in 1767: Portuguese Catholics, Hokkien, Hakka and Teochew Chinese and Vietnamese refugees settled there. In the 19th century it was a junk-trading port; after the Second World War it became the capital of second-hand car parts and engines. The lanes are open to all, every day; allow 1.5 to 2 hours to wander between murals, shrines and workshops. Our article on Chinatown and Yaowarat places Talat Noi within the wider Chinese quarter.

Highlights

The street art

Since the 2016 Bukruk Urban Arts festival, murals cover facades and walls in the district, among tangled electric cables and workshops. The works change: look for them by getting lost in the small sois that run down to the river.

The lanes and workshops

Between Sino-Thai houses, garages sell used parts and engines, as they have since the post-war years. The shutters and old posters tell the story of the neighbourhood.

The Chinese shrines

The Chow Sue Kong shrine (1804) is the oldest in the district and the centre of the vegetarian festivals. The Hakka Rong Kueak shrine keeps a stone tablet from 1889 by the water.

So Heng Tai and the Holy Rosary Church

So Heng Tai is a Chinese courtyard house, now also a diving club. The Gothic Revival Holy Rosary Church (Wat Kalawar) dates from the 1890s; the first church on the site goes back to 1787.

Infos pratiques

Tips

The streets are open to all; the shrines are places of worship, so dress respectfully and be discreet, and do not photograph worshippers without permission. The lanes are narrow, with motorbikes and carts: stay alert and avoid blocking the way for a photo. Wear good shoes and bring water. Cafés in the district have multiplied in recent years; opening hours vary from one to another.

How to get there

Talat Noi, Samphanthawong, Bangkok, between Charoen Krung Road and the river. MRT Hua Lamphong station (Blue Line) is about 900 m away. On the Chao Phraya River, the Marine Department and Si Phraya piers are close. From there you can walk on to Charoen Krung: see our guide to Charoen Krung and Bang Rak and the article on contemporary art in Bangkok.