Yaowarat Road's wok fires and the paddled canals of Khlong Lat Mayom turn one Bangkok morning into a masterclass in Thai street cooking.
Start before the sun gets serious, when the floating market at Khlong Lat Mayom is really just a handful of long-tail boats loaded with mangosteen, grilled river prawns and bowls of steaming boat noodles, paddled between customers seated at plank tables over the water.
By midmorning move into Chinatown, where Yaowarat Road's wok fires are already roaring and vendors who have manned the same corner for decades toss pad see ew and stir-fried crab in clouds of smoke and star anise.
Go hungry and order little — a few skewers here, a bowl of noodles there — and keep small baht notes on hand, since most stalls don't take cards and the good ones move fast enough that you'll want to queue for at least three.
