Northern Thailand - Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Northern Thailand - page 792

DRESS FOR THE OCCASION

Thai temples, especially those with a royal connection, are sacred places, and visitors should dress and
behave appropriately. Wear shirts with sleeves, long pants or skirts past the knees, and closed-toed
shoes. Sarongs and baggy pants are available on loan at the entry area for Wat Phra Kaew & Grand
Palace. Shoes should be removed before entering buildings. When sitting in front of a Buddha image,
tuck your feet behind you in the 'mermaid' position to avoid the offence of pointing your feet towards
a revered figure.

Chinatown & Phahurat

Gold shops, towering neon signs and shopfronts spilling out onto the sidewalk - welcome
to Chinatown (also known as Yaowarat). The neighbourhood's energy is at once exhilarat-
ing and exhausting, and it's fun to explore at night when it's lit up like a Christmas tree
and there's lots of street food.
At the western edge of Chinatown is a small but thriving Indian district, generally
called Phahurat. Dozens of Indian-owned shops sell all kinds of fabric and clothes.

Wat Traimit
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BUDDHIST TEMPLE

(Temple of the Golden Buddha; Th Mitthaphap (Th Traimit); admission 40B; 8am-5pm; Tha
Ratchawong, Hua Lamphong exit 1) The attraction at Wat Traimit is undoubtedly the im-
pressive 3m-tall, 5.5-tonne, solid-gold Buddha image, which was 'discovered' some 40
years ago beneath a stucco or plaster exterior, when it fell from a crane while being moved
to a new building.

Talat Mai
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MARKET

(Soi 6 (Trok Itsaranuphap), Th Yaowarat; 6am-6pm; Tha Ratchawong, Hua Lamphong exit 1 &
taxi) Essentially a narrow covered market squeezed between tall buildings. Even if you're
not interested in food the hectic atmosphere and exotic sights and smells here culminate in
something of a surreal sensory experience.

Wat Mangkon Kamalawat
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BUDDHIST TEMPLE