Portuguese Village Tour: A Historical Walk in Bangkok

Sky, The Bear Traveler 5 min read

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This is a walk back in time and is one of my favorite walks through Krung Thep Maha Nakhon (Bangkok). This self-guided walking route will take you through some unique places, including inside a Chedi.

In addition, the site showcases the peaceful coexistence of individuals from diverse religions, as evidenced by the mosque's proximity to both a church and a temple. 

• Starting location: Itsaraphap MRT Station
• Ending location: Sanam Chai MRT Station 

  Check this Route!

• https://goo.gl/maps/TeioJREXHX5JZntVA

  Highlights

• King Taksin’s Shrine
  
• สระน้ำมนตศ์ กดั สิ์ ทธิ ิ์(Sacred Pool of Holy Water)
  
• Wat Hong Rattanaram
  
• Ton Son Mosque
  
• Kien An Keng Shrine
  
• Baan Kudichin Museum
  
• Santa Cruz Church
  
• Prayu Phantakhan Museum
  
• Khao Mo Mountain Replica
  
• Chao Phraya Sky Park
  
• Pak Khlong Talat (Flower Market)

  Feeling Hungry?

• Option 1: Thanu Singha (SNACK) offers a unique Kanom Farang 
• Option 2: Helo Nomsod must try the Kanom Jeen (Rice vermicelli in chicken curry sauce)
• Option 3: Sakulthong’s House - Homemade sets of Portuguese-Thai food

  Feeling Thirsty?

• Option 1: Achcha Cafe and room 
• Option 2: Helo Nomsod 
• Option 3: Floral Cafe at Napasorn 

  Important to Note

This trail can take 3-5 hours, depending on how often you stop to take in the sights and sounds. Also, this would depend on how long you choose to eat, drink and shop at each of the locations.

A Trail Starting from Itsaraphap MRT Station

Our starting point is Itsaraphap MRT station across the river to the Thonburi side of Krung Thep Maha Nakhon (Bangkok). Exit the MRT station and turn right. You will need to cross the street by the overpass ahead. 

First, you will come across a Shia Mosque known as Kudi Charoenphat, which is not open to the public. The small street you will be going down will also illustrate the Muslim community that lives there. 

Keep going down the street until you see the 300-year-old Sa Tue Tree in front of King Taksin’s Shrine. In addition, there is also a Shrine devoted to Chinese gods of luck and prosperity. 

Who is King Taksin the Great? 

King Taksin the Great freed and saved Thailand from the Burmese invasion. He had stopped in Rayong to rally his army to liberate the Kingdom of Ayutthaya from the ancient Burmese army in 1767. 

Our next stop is the sacred pool containing what the locals believe to be holy water. King Taksin often came to bathe in this water before preparing for battle. In this serene garden, you may pour water over the Buddha that represents the day that you were born (e.g., Monday, Tuesday, etc.)

In addition, there is also a sacred wishing stone beside the garden in a room of its own. Hold the stone on each side with your head and bow until it touches the rock to make a wish. 

After you make a wish, walk straight into the Buddhist temple you see in front of you. Wat Hong, built in the late Ayutthaya Period, houses Luang Phoo Saen, an ancient solid gold Buddha image. 

Walking Past the Stunning Shrines

Next, we will walk past Ton Son Mosque which is generally not open to the public, but the people were very friendly and pleasant, and we were invited inside (please see the pictures provided). 

Our next attraction is Kian An Keng Shrine. This is one of the oldest Hokkienese shrines in Krung Thep Maha Nakhon (Bangkok) and was constructed by King Taksin himself.

This Shrine is unique as it contains a rare image of the Chinese goddess Guanyin. Another impressive feature is the beautiful murals and Romance of the Three Kingdoms paintings, a classical Chinese novel. 

From the Shrine, walk through slightly twisting and turning alleys of the Kudicheen community to get to Baan Kudichin Museum. This small museum was constructed to preserve the history of the Portuguese in Thai history, language, and food—a unique museum run by a Portuguese descendant. 

Exit through the twisting and turning alleys once more to get to the Santa Cruz (Holy Cross) church. Don’t forget to pick up a Kanom Farang on the way. Santa Cruz church was built in 1770 after the fall of Ayutthaya. It now stands as a unique neo-classical and renaissance style church by the river. 

Ending the Trail at Sanam Chai MRT Station

As you walk ahead, take another exit through the pier and continue your walk to the end of the pier. Walk out of the pier to our next attraction, the Prayu Phantakhan Museum.

This historical Wat was built over 190 years ago and displayed various antiques, including Buddhist images and relics inside the Chedi.

This museum also offers an exciting look inside of a stupa. You can also feed giant turtles inside the temple grounds at Khao Mo Mountain Replica. 

Then walk to Chaloem Phra Kiat Forest Park, and you will find the entrance to the Chao Phraya Sky Park, a walkway for pedestrians over the highway.

This unique skywalk has a cyberpunk vibe as you stroll across a skywalk garden overlooking the river and the bypass below.

After you come across the other side, walk to Pak Khlong Talat, Bangkok’s official flower market, where you can buy a bunch of flowers for only 20 baht. The route ends at the MRT Station Sanam Chai at the very end of the Flower Market. 

I hope you like my self-guided Historical Walk Through the Portuguese Village in Krung Thep Maha Nakhon (Bangkok). Please leave a comment to tell me how you found the trail.

This initiative was born from the desire for expats and locals alike to enjoy Bangkok’s hidden gems. Furthermore, I hope walking these trails; will help you build a relationship with the spaces and locals around you. 

Thank you for reading! Till my next trail around Thailand ✌️