No one would ever describe Yaowarat, Bangkok’s Chinatown, as quiet. From day till night, the road is frequented by commuters and visitors on the hunt for inexpensive goods and amazing food. But if you’re after a more peaceful Chinatown experience, venture further down the river to Songwat. Oftentimes called the area’s backstreet, Songwat was a former happening hub for the Chinese community in Bangkok, mainly because it sits close to the Chao Phraya River, the main transportation channel in the old days. Hidden within and behind the charming Songwat shophouses are old-school eateries, hostels, goldsmiths and Pei Ing, one of Thailand’s longestrunning Chinese-language schools.
Established in 1920 by a group of Teochew Chinese merchants, it has survived wars and political instability, producing an impressive list of alumni that includes some of the wealthiest Thai-Chinese businessmen in the country.
Though the school isn’t a tourist attraction, one part of the structure is dedicated to the sacred Lao Pun Thao Kong Shrine, where people can come and offer a prayer to a 200-year-old statue of Lao Pun Thao Kong,the god of prosperity.