Cafés in Thonburi & Khlong San

Talat Phlu and Thoet Thai Road

Thoet Thai Road is the quarter's main street, with an old railway station, a fresh market and shophouses, about a 10-minute walk from Talat Phlu BTS station.³ In the 1950s and 1960s the district was compared to Yaowarat and was known for its cinemas.¹

Suriya Coffee (สุริยากาแฟ) began here in 1918, when the Teochew immigrant Ngow Sae-lim sold coffee on the street. Around 1942 he took a shophouse at Wat Klang Market, and a 1965 market renovation moved the shop under the Ratchadaphisek bridge.² The branch at 344 Thoet Thai Road keeps a breakfast schedule, Tuesday to Sunday 06:00–11:00, and another is at 188–190 Charoen Rat Road.

Masonia Cafe, at 1114 Thoet Thai 26, started as a plant shop; in 2021 it had a slow bar upstairs among the plants and an espresso bar with a small roastery below.⁷ It opens 09:00–17:00 and closes on Wednesdays. Chalaxy Cafe is on the same soi at 1124, LYNX Coffee at 1020 Thoet Thai Road and Laluna Cafe at 1613.

Khlong San, the Gold Line and Charoen Nakhon

Khlong San takes its name from a canal off the Chao Phraya, and the district was once orchard land known for longkong fruit. Lat Ya and Prajadhipok roads were canals until they were filled in about 70 to 80 years ago.⁴ The Gold Line, a 1.8 km people mover that opened on 16 December 2020, runs from Krung Thon Buri BTS station to Charoen Nakhon and Khlong San; the company behind the ICONSIAM mall paid for it.⁵

Walden Home Cafe, at 451 Somdet Chao Phraya Road near Khlong San station, fills a preserved two-story house with its original walls and floors. It runs slow-bar and espresso service, and the upper floor has power outlets.⁸ It closes on Tuesdays. Along Charoen Nakhon, AMPLE Coffee & Bakery is at number 158, anatta Coffee and Undefined space and Holiday Pastry are on Soi 10, and Ballad Coffee Bar is at 1337.

Lhong 1919, at the foot of Chiang Mai Road, was built in 1850 as a port for ships from British Malaya, China and Hong Kong. The Wanglee family acquired it in 1919 and reopened it in 2017, with cafés and craft shops around a shrine to the sea goddess Mazu.⁶

Bakeries and slow bars around Wongwian Yai

Wang Doem Road has two bakeries a short walk apart: Shebakes at number 148 and DoughMily at 277, open daily 09:00–17:00. Near Wongwian Yai, 12 PARSECS Coffee and Bakery is at 649/1 Lat Ya Road, Saturday Bird at 83 on the same road, and BURR at 155 Krung Thon Buri Road. Gu Slow Bar Coffee, at 561 Prajadhipok Road, opens at 08:00 and takes Tuesdays off.

Elsewhere on this bank, Calico Roastery pours its house blends and beans from other roasters, with cats as the shop's mascots.⁷ Tea or Coffee keeps its slow bar to a few tools, moka pot and cold brew, with cold drip only at weekends.⁷

Arun Amarin, Charan Sanit Wong and Sirindhorn

North of Wang Doem, Arun Amarin Road passes Siriraj Hospital, where FLAIR serves in the basement of the Nawamin Building and Chu Coffee is at number 3. Adapt Coffee Bar is at 799 and Bryter Layter Cafe further up the road.

Further inland, HODL. Coffee Roaster is at 634 Charan Sanit Wong Road, and Koff 'N House Specialty Coffee on Charan Sanitwong 33. In Bang Phlat, Cross Roast occupies a unit at The Pulse on Sirindhorn Road, Mouthfeel Coffee is at number 433, and Onni's Coffee, at 1836, opens daily 09:00–18:00.