"Thai"na Town

Now that you've heard my sister's perspectives, here are a bit of my own:

My Bangkok hotel accommodations were located just blocks from Chinatown. And to be honest, I think the Thai do it better than the Chinese! Compared with the manicured almost Disney-esque feel you get from Singapore's Chinatown (the only person cooking on the street is an Austrian guy selling brats and pretzels!), Thai-na town is exactly how I imagine it should be: bustling streets, roadside food vendors, chaos but little crime, and curiosities at every turn.

Anything from noodles, to chicken on a stick, to shark fin and fish head is easily found on the streets and in restaurants. My "peking" duck and shrimp dumpling lunch rivaled those I've tasted in, well, "Peking." Green onions stood erect in beer mugs for "whole" eating alongside dim sum dishes. Kitchens were conveniently located in front of restaurants but behind their to-go stand counterparts servicing customers inside and out. Yes, this is the Chinatown I imagined.

But beware of relying too much on landmarks as you navigate Chinatown's serpentine streets. Things tend to transform at a seconds notice, metamorphose throughout the day, or simply relocate...shop, merchandise, and all!

But regardless of the location or mis-location of a particular "shop," rest assure you can find what you need in Bangkok's ethnic backyard. From cookware, to dried fruits, to glasses and dentures, all your trash and treasures can be found here. And when the shoppers start to drop, there are food vendors at every turn selling anything that can be grilled, boiled, fried, roasted, or dried.

With no hard and fast rules for what belongs on sidewalks and what belongs on streets, cars, people, and vending carts all vie dangerously close for positions on both. Yes, Bangkok's "Thai"na Town is my quintessential Chinatown.