The sights that most tourists don’t get to see when they come to Bangkok are the day-to-day lives of the people who reside there and the history behind where they live. The Half Day Diversity Walking Tour from BeMyGuest.com.sg brings you on a 3.5km tour through the back streets and alleys of Bangkok while showing you the historical and cultural diversity of the locals.

Our guides, Natt and Esso, started our trek by taking us on the Chao Phraya River Express Boat up from our meeting point over to the Thonburi district of Bangkok. They showed us an exact route on the map of where we would be going and what to expect. On the first leg of the walking tour, we journeyed down Thanon Tha Din Daeng Street to pick up some snacks and treats from the various food stalls to get a taste of the local fare. Our favorite delicacy was the Luk Chup candies meticulously crafted from mung beans to resemble bite-sized fruits and vegetables.

As we ventured through the neighborhoods with Natt and Esso, we were able to chat with some of the locals. They explained some of the history of the area to us and even showed us some of the goods and spices that are currently shipped and processed in a few of the old warehouses still being used today. It was interesting to see some of the ruins of old warehouses that were no longer standing but still had some identifying markers of days gone by.

After weaving through the back streets and maze-like alleys, we came upon the Princess Mother’s Memorial Park to take a short break and eat some of our snacks and rest our feet. The park has a recreation of the Princess Mother’s childhood home and a museum explaining her history and more background information about the local area.

Because of Thonburi’s location along the Chao Praya River, the area was traditionally a port town for traders to bring their goods to different warehouses to be distributed in old Siam. This brought about a very diverse group of inhabitants from different areas all living within a very small area. These people brought not only their goods and services, but also their various religions and traditions along with them. It was fascinating to see the Chinese Gong Wu Shrine, the Goowatin Islamic Mosque, the Portuguese Santa Cruz Church, and the magnificent Thai Temple, Wat Kalayanmit (and its 15 meter tall Buddha!) all within such a close proximity of one another. Thonburi was truly a melting pot of very diverse cultures!

Coming to the end of the tour, we found ourselves back at the waterfront dock to wait for the boat to bring us back across the river. After walking around in the Bangkok heat, we were treated to a vendor selling refreshing home made Thai popsicles to cool us down. Reflecting back on the journey we took, it was great to really explore the every day life the local people and the history of where they live. I would highly recommend this tour for anyone wanting to go off the beaten path and try something different than all the regular tourist spots to learn about Bangkok’s culturally diverse background. Thanks to our guides, Natt and Esso as well as BeMyGuest.com.sg for the wonderful tour! We had a great time!