Yaowarat before sunset is one neighborhood; after sunset it is another. This itinerary walks through the shift.
Arrive at MRT Wat Mangkon around 17:00 and drop into the golden-buddha temple (Wat Traimit) first — the 5.5-ton Sukhothai-era Buddha is worth the ticket, and the cool hall is a mercy before the heat of the street. Double back north to Wat Mangkon Kamalawat, the Chinese temple that gives the station its name — the smell of sandalwood will stay in your hair.
By 18:30 the stall cooks have lit their woks. Walk Yaowarat's main strip slowly. Order small, share, move on — charcoal-grilled seafood at Lek & Rut, hor mok at Nai Ek, fresh oyster omelettes on the curb. When you're full, detour into Sampeng Lane, the narrow market alley that runs parallel; it's half closed by this hour but gives you air and a straight line home.
End the night north of the river in Banglamphu at Thip Samai, the Michelin-noted pad thai shop that has been cooking the same dish since 1966. Order the one wrapped in egg. It is a better dessert than any dessert.
