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The Soi Journal.

The history, the food and the doors worth knocking on — written by the guides who live here.

Neon-lit street in Bangkok's Chinatown at night
№ 01 — Culture · Chinatown

The other Nana: how a Chinatown dead end became Bangkok's best bar street

Two streets in Bangkok share the name. One is world-famous for the wrong reasons. The other hides the city's best cocktail bars behind crumbling shophouse doors.

By [Guide name], Chinatown guide · 8 min read Read the story →
02 Food · 7 min read Yaowarat after dark: what to eat on Bangkok’s Chinatown road Rolled noodles in pepper broth, a curry you eat standing up — and the one night a week the whole road stays home. Tuk-tuk on a Chinatown street 03 Luxury · 6 min read The speakeasies of Thonglor and how to find the doors Behind a row of gym lockers, an unmarked wooden door and a barbershop: Thonglor’s hidden second nightlife. Upscale bar interior in Thonglor 04 Night · 6 min read Is the Nana area safe at night? An honest answer Yes — with open eyes. What the area actually is, the real risks, and the rules locals follow without thinking. Neon street in Nana 05 Luxury · 6 min read Thonglor dress code: what to wear to Bangkok’s rooftops and clubs Smart casual, closed shoes, no beachwear. What that actually means in 33 degrees. Upscale bar interior in Thonglor 06 Night · 5 min read Thai drinking etiquette: cheers, buckets and the 20+ rule Ice in the beer, whisky by the bottle and a toast that sounds like “chon!” — the rules nobody writes down. Neon bar street 07 Culture · 4 min read Temple dress code in Bangkok: the simple version Shoulders, knees, shoes. Everything you need to know so nobody sends you back at the gate. Street near a Bangkok temple 08 Guides · 5 min read How to ride a tuk-tuk without paying the tourist price What a ride should cost, how the negotiation works and the two famous detours to refuse with a smile. Tuk-tuk in Chinatown 09 Faces · 6 min read Soi Cowboy: the 200-meter street that put Asok on the nightlife map A cowboy hat gave it the name, neon made it famous. The real story of Bangkok’s most photographed lane. Neon nightlife lane in Bangkok 10 Faces · 7 min read Phrom Phong: how a Japanese community shaped Sukhumvit Look past the malls and you find Bangkok as a place to live — built around the routines that make a foreign city feel like home. Evening on Sukhumvit 11 Faces · 7 min read Ekkamai and Phra Khanong: Bangkok’s eastward story A bus terminal toward the sea, a planetarium toward the stars, and a canal that keeps the legend of Mae Nak alive. Night in Ekkamai 12 Faces · 7 min read Charoen Krung: the road that taught Bangkok to move on land Bangkok’s first modern road, built in the 1860s — and how a city of canals began to turn toward the street. Shophouse street in old Bangkok 13 Faces · 6 min read Pak Khlong Talat: Bangkok’s night shift in flowers At midnight the city’s oldest flower market isn’t winding down — it’s beginning. Chao Phraya River 14 Faces · 6 min read The Face of Silom: Patpong beyond the night market A banana plantation, a Hainanese fortune, a private road and a Cold War bar — the strange history behind Bangkok’s most notorious lanes. Neon lane in Silom 15 Faces · 6 min read The Face of the River: Talat Noi, Bangkok’s time capsule Two-hundred-year-old mansions, a Gothic church, alleys of engine parts and murals on every wall. Chao Phraya River at Talat Noi 16 Faces · 6 min read Is Khao San Road still worth it? An honest look The world’s most famous backpacker street, thirty years on. What’s left, what’s changed and how to enjoy one good night. Neon street in old Bangkok 17 Culture · 6 min read Chinatown by day vs. by night: which one is worth it? Gold shops and the Golden Buddha by day, a kilometer of woks by night. The smartest plan is to catch the handover. Chinatown street
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