Talat Noi or Talad Noi (, ) is a historic neighbourhood in

Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in Thai language, Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estim ...

. It roughly occupies the area of the subdistrict of the same name in

Samphanthawong District Samphanthawong (, )) is one of the Districts of Bangkok, 50 districts (khet) of Bangkok, Thailand. Regarded as Bangkok's Chinatown, it is the smallest district by area in Thailand. Neighbouring districts are (from north clockwise) Pom Prap Sattru ...

. Located on the periphery of

Bangkok's Chinatown Bangkok's Chinatown is one of the largest Chinatowns in the world. It was founded in 1782 when the city was established as the capital of the Rattanakosin Kingdom, and served as the home of the mainly Teochew immigrant Chinese population, wh ...

, Talat Noi has been home to various ethnic Chinese communities since soon after the foundation of Bangkok. Several historic buildings are found in the area, including the Holy Rosary Church, the Talat Noi Branch of Siam Commercial Bank, and the So Heng Tai Mansion. Talat Noi has a long history predating the founding of Bangkok. The first ethnic group to settle here were the Portuguese from

Ayutthaya Ayutthaya, Ayudhya, or Ayuthia may refer to: * Ayutthaya Kingdom, a Thai kingdom that existed from 1350 to 1767 ** Ayutthaya Historical Park, the ruins of the old capital city of the Ayutthaya Kingdom * Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya province (locall ...

. They built a Portuguese church in 1786, today known as the Holy Rosary Church or, in Thai, ''Wat Kalawa''. Later, other ethnic groups came to live in Talat Noi, not only Chinese but also Vietnamese and Khmer. The area was Bangkok's first port, and was where immigrants landed. Talat Noi was the birthplace of Dr.

Puey Ungphakorn Puey Ungphakorn, MBE (; ; IPA:; ; 9 March 1916 – 28 July 1999), was a Thai economist who served as Governor of the Bank of Thailand and Rector of Thammasat University. He was the author of ''From Womb to Tomb: The Quality of Life of a Sout ...

, former Governor of the

Bank of Thailand The Bank of Thailand (BOT; Abbreviation, abbr. ธปท.; , ) is the central bank of Thailand. History The Bank of Thailand (BOT) was first set up as the Thai National Banking Bureau. The Bank of Thailand Act was promulgated on 28 April 1942 ...

. He was influential in Thai society in the 1970s. The name ''Talat Noi'' means 'little market'. It comes from the name of the daughter of Jao Sua Niam or Jay Sua Niam (เจ้าสัวเนียม, เจ๊สัวเนียม), a landowner in the past. So, Chinese who living here are often referred to in Thai term in

Teochew dialect Teochew, also known as Swatow or Teo-Swa, is a Southern Min language spoken by the Teochew people in the Chaoshan region of eastern Guangdong and by their diaspora around the world. It is sometimes referred to as ''Chiuchow'', its Cantonese ...

''Tuk Luk Kia'' (ตั๊กลักเกี้ย; zh, 噠叻仔) Today, Talat Noi is a cultural attraction. Locals retain their form of speech,

food Food is any substance consumed by an organism for Nutrient, nutritional support. Food is usually of plant, animal, or Fungus, fungal origin and contains essential nutrients such as carbohydrates, fats, protein (nutrient), proteins, vitamins, ...

, and

folk beliefs In folkloristics, folk belief or folk-belief is a broad genre of folklore that is often expressed in narratives, customs, rituals, foodways, proverbs, and rhymes. It also includes a wide variety of behaviors, expressions, and beliefs. Examples of ...

as in the past. Houses and lanes are lathered with graffiti that makes the place popular with teenagers, hipsters, and foreign tourists who want to experience a traditional Chinese quarter. It is convenient to other attractions in the adjacent historic Bang Rak neighbourhood on

Charoen Krung Road Shophouses along Charoen Krung road with the Sathorn Unique Tower in the vicinity (2021) Charoen Krung Road (, ) is a major road in Bangkok and the first in Thailand to be built using modern construction methods. Built during 1862–1864 in the ...

: Captain Bush Lane and House No.1, the Old Customs House, Bangkok General Post Office, and Assumption Cathedral. Talat Noi is origin of the '' kuaitiao khua kai'' (ก๋วยเตี๋ยวคั่วไก่), a popular stir-fried noodle dish. It was adapted from dried chicken

congee Congee ( , derived from Tamil language, Tamil ), is a form of savoury rice porridge made by boiling rice in a large amount of water until the rice softens. Depending on rice–water ratio, the thickness of congee varies from a Western oatmeal ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. In February 2025, an

Optimus Prime Optimus Prime, also known in Japan as is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the ''Transformers'' franchise. Generally depicted as a brave and noble leader, Optimus Prime is the supreme commander of the Autobots in their fight ag ...

figure in the area went viral.

References

{{coord, 13, 44, 0, N, 100, 30, 50, E, type:adm3rd_region:TH-10, display=title Neighbourhoods of Bangkok Samphanthawong district category:Chinese-Thai culture category:Tourist attractions in Bangkok Subdistricts of Bangkok Populated places on the Chao Phraya River Historic districts in Thailand

See also

References