250px, The gate of the Woeng Nakhon Khasem on Charoen Krung side in 2016. Woeng Nakhon Khasem (, ) is a market in the

Samphanthawong Samphanthawong (, )) is one of the 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 Phai, Bang Rak, ...

District,

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 ...

Thailand Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...

. It is popularly known as the "Thieves Market" as formerly mostly stolen goods were sold there. The market is surrounded by Charoen Krung, Chakkrawat, Boriphat, and

Yaowarat Road Yaowarat Road (, , ; ) in Samphanthawong District is the main artery of Bangkok's Chinatown. Modern Chinatown now covers a large area around Yaowarat and Charoen Krung Road. It has been the main centre for trading by the Chinese community si ...

s in the area near the foot of

Damrong Sathit Bridge 250px, Saphan Lek or Damrong Sathit Bridge in 2014 Saphan Lek (, , ) is the name of a bridge and a now-extinct makeshift market near the bridge in Bangkok. Now officially known as Damrong Sathit Bridge (, ), the bridge was originally built to carr ...

(Saphan Lek), close to Wang Burapha and Khlong Thom. Its name is literally translated as "delightful townspeople alcove". Woeng Nakhon Khasem is regarded as the first full-service

shopping district A shopping street or shopping district is a designated road or quarter of a municipality that is composed of retail establishments (such as stores, boutiques, restaurants, and shopping complexes). Such areas may be pedestrian-oriented, with ...

in Bangkok. It was constructed during the reign of King

Chulalongkorn Chulalongkorn (20 September 1853 – 23 October 1910), posthumously honoured as King Chulalongkorn the Great, was the fifth king of Siam from the Chakri dynasty, titled Rama V. Chulalongkorn's reign from 1868 until his death in 1910 was cha ...

(Rama V). HM the King bestowed this land to Prince

Paribatra Sukhumbandhu Marshal-Admiral Paribatra Sukhumbandhu, Prince of Nakhon Sawan (; Thai: สมเด็จพระเจ้าบรมวงศ์เธอ เจ้าฟ้าบริพัตรสุขุมพันธุ์ กรมพระนค ...

. In the year 1905, it was the site of the first cinema in Siam (now Thailand) in the name of a Japanese Cinema, due to being operated by

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

, although it was just a temporary cinema that was roofed with zinc only. Later on, Woeng Nakhon Khasem became a market for imitation antiques, old furniture, brass ware, records, and musical instruments. Talat Pi Raka (ตลาดปีระกา, "year of the rooster market") was another daily sub-market located within the area. It sells both fresh and dried foods and also used to be the location of renowned

beef noodles Beef noodle soup is a Chinese noodle soup made of stewed or braised beef, beef broth, vegetables and noodles. One of the oldest beef noodle soups is the Lanzhou niuroumian (蘭州牛肉麵), or Lanzhou beef noodle soup, which was created by t ...

shop. Since 2012, the estate of the Paribatra family announced its plans to sell Woeng Nakhon Khasem, and ownership now lies with the Thai Charoen Corporation (

TCC Group TCC Group may refer to: * TCC Group (Thailand) The Sirivadhanabhakdi family () is a Sino-Thai business family and one of the wealthiest in Thailand. The family is headed by Charoen Sirivadhanabhakdi, who made his fortune in the alcoholic beverages ...

) by

Charoen Sirivadhanabhakdi Charoen Sirivadhanabhakdi (; zh, c=, p=Sū Xùmíng, s=苏旭明, t=蘇旭明; : ; ; born 2 May 1944) is a Thai business magnate and investor. He is the founder of ThaiBev, Thai Beverage, and the chairman of conglomerates TCC Group (Thailand) ...

, which seeks to renovate it for commercialisation. The tenants of 440 units in the area will have to relocate to make room for development. Many shops have already closed down, and their front doors now bear signs detailing their new locations. In addition, Woeng Nakhon Khasem in every Tuesday to Sunday night at front of buildings of Sang Thong Machinery Limited Partnership near

Wat Tuek Intersection Wat Tuek (, ) is an intersection in the area of Samphanthawong and Chakkrawat Subdistricts, Bangkok's Samphanthawong District, where Yaowarat meets Chakkrawat Roads, considered to be the tip phase of Yaowarat Road, or better known as Bangkok's ...

, it is also the location

street food Street food is food sold by a Hawker (trade), hawker or vendor on a street or at another public place, such as a market, fair, or park. It is often sold from a portable food booth, food cart, or food truck and is meant for immediate consumption ...

stall, named "Khao Phad Pu Chang Phueak" or "Weng" that serves tasty crab

fried rice Fried rice is a dish of cooked rice that has been stir-fried in a wok or a frying pan and is usually mixed with other ingredients such as eggs, vegetables, seafood, or meat. It is often eaten by itself or as an accompaniment to another dis ...

, Hong Kong fried noodles and stir-fried fish maw with

shark fin soup Shark's fin soup is a soup or stewed dish served in parts of China, Taiwan, and Southeast Asia. The shark fins provide texture, while the taste comes from the other ingredients. It is commonly served at special occasions such as weddings and ba ...

. The stall was chosen as one of the 2019 and 2020 Bangkok

Bib Gourmand The ''Michelin Guides'' ( ; ) are a series of guide books that have been published by the French tyre company Michelin since 1900. The ''Guide'' awards up to three Michelin stars for excellence to a select few restaurants in certain geographic ...

from Michelin Guide.

References

Retail markets in Bangkok Samphanthawong district {{Thailand-struct-stub