Charoenkrung Creative District

Charoen Krung was built in 1864 as Bangkok's first paved road, running from the old city south along the river through the quarter where foreign trading houses, embassies and missions established themselves - which is why the street still carries the old Customs House, the East Asiatic Company building, Assumption Cathedral, the Portuguese and French embassies, mosques, Chinese shrines and warehouses within a short walk of each other. In the 2010s a creative district project grew up here, led by the Thailand Creative and Design Centre, which moved its headquarters into the former Grand Postal Building in 2017: galleries, design studios, cafes and small shops opened in old shophouses and godowns, with an annual Bangkok Design Week centred here. The result is genuinely mixed - working shophouses, mechanics and food stalls alongside contemporary galleries - and the balance is contested, since rising rents have pushed out some of the older businesses.

The main sights

• The 1864 road - Bangkok's first paved street and its trading-era buildings.
• The old Customs House - the derelict landmark on the riverbank.
• The galleries and studios - contemporary spaces in former shophouses and godowns.
• The mixed street - mechanics and food stalls alongside design businesses.

When to go

November to February; Bangkok Design Week falls in February and the district is at its busiest then. Galleries mostly close Mondays. Half a day to walk it.

What to expect

Galleries keep irregular hours and many close Mondays. The old Customs House is derelict and not open. Gentrification has displaced older businesses and the district's character is changing. Long walks in heat between points.

Nearby

Talad Noi and Chinatown are north; Saphan Taksin and the river boats are south.

Key facts