Klong San District
Where shopping meets spirituality and street food
The Klong San district, located in the colourful Thonburi district of Bangkok, is seldom visited but presents a unique allure comprising cheap shopping, intriguing spirituality and delectable cuisine that must be sampled when you’re next in the city. Klong San is accessible via ferry along the bustling banks of the Chayo Phraya River, in itself an exciting attraction on account of the various Bangkok cruises one can embark on to acquire a true taste of Thai culture. If you want to explore the riverscape via your own Bangkok cruise tour, consider taking up a cruise package or two offered by Anantara Cruises Thailand – your gateway to the Chao Phraya River. Take a cross-river ferry from the Sriphraya Pier and head on down to the Khlong San Pier, where a world of sights awaits your pleasure. The shopping options are perfect for the younger set, 18-25 year old fashionistas looking for spicy new additions to glam up their wardrobe. Here you’ll discover narrow aisles bursting with colour in the form of stylish shoes, rhinestone dresses and t-shirts, funky handbags and purses, studded accessories and more treasures designed to evoke delighted squeals from tweens, teens and early twentiers. Venture a little past the young shopper’s mecca and you’ll discover a large number of food stalls selling everything from fresh fruit and smoothies to hearty local fare such as satay sizzling on a stick. Dotting the area are also a couple of intriguing temples that are worth a look. Wat Thong Noppakhun features both shrines and some unusual features such as a Chinese Junk that has been fashioned from concrete. Chee Chin Khor is a new temple that boasts an exquisite towering pagoda visible from the river, and a quick climb to the top unveils a marvelous panorama of the cityscape. Klong San doesn’t draw a lot of international crowds, which means it’s perfect to explore at your own pace.
Angela Fernando is an impassioned travel writer who composes pieces under the pen name Sumaira Narayan. She loves writing about new and exciting places around the world and intends to visit them all someday.
