Thanon Maharat

Lonely Planet review

The northern stretch of this street is one of Bangkok's most interesting. On the opposite side of Wat Mahathat's whitewashed walls, the street is monopolised by ancient Thai industries. In the cool season, medicinal bowls of ginger-infused broth are sold from steaming cauldrons to stave off winter colds. Outdoor displays of pill bottles are lined up and dusted daily like prized antiques. Each remedy bears a picture of a stoic healer, a marketing pitch that puts a human face on medicine.

Further along, the amulet market ( talàat phrá khrêuang ) spills out of its medieval warren into the street, forcing pedestrians to run zigzag patterns through the spread blankets on which the tiny images are displayed.

This is a great place to just wander and watch men (because it's rarely women) looking through magnifying glasses at the tiny amulets, seeking hidden meaning (and value). The market stretches all the way to the riverside, where a narrow alley leads north to wooden kitchens overhanging the water. Each humble kitchen garners a view of the river; students from nearby Thammasat University congregate here for cheap eats before heading off to class. The food reflects Bangkok's peculiar student menu: a motley mix of Thai comforts and Western adaptations.

The municipal government has grand plans for this area to be demolished and redeveloped as a cultural theme park with more river vistas and shops catering to tourists. The proposal has met with fierce resistance from residents, and many hope that this is one of the many Bangkok pipe dreams that ultimately gets smoked. But with Bangkok's love of reinvention, it is better to savour its few remaining medieval corners while they last.