diff --git a/python/pyarrow/parquet.pyx b/python/pyarrow/parquet.pyx
index 1dcfd60bee67e..39f5b229884bf 100644
--- a/python/pyarrow/parquet.pyx
+++ b/python/pyarrow/parquet.pyx
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ from pyarrow.includes.libarrow cimport *
 cimport pyarrow.includes.pyarrow as pyarrow
 from pyarrow.includes.parquet cimport *
 
+from pyarrow.compat import tobytes
 from pyarrow.error cimport check_cstatus
 from pyarrow.table cimport Table
 
@@ -40,7 +41,7 @@ def read_table(filename, columns=None):
     # Must be in one expression to avoid calling std::move which is not possible
     # in Cython (due to missing rvalue support)
     reader = unique_ptr[FileReader](new FileReader(default_memory_pool(),
-        ParquetFileReader.OpenFile(filename)))
+        ParquetFileReader.OpenFile(tobytes(filename))))
     check_cstatus(reader.get().ReadFlatTable(&ctable))
     table.init(ctable)
     return table
@@ -58,7 +59,8 @@ def write_table(table, filename, chunk_size=None):
     """
     cdef Table table_ = table
     cdef CTable* ctable_ = table_.table
-    cdef shared_ptr[OutputStream] sink = shared_ptr[OutputStream](new LocalFileOutputStream(filename))
+    cdef shared_ptr[OutputStream] sink = shared_ptr[OutputStream](
+        new LocalFileOutputStream(tobytes(filename)))
     cdef int64_t chunk_size_ = 0
     if chunk_size is None:
         chunk_size_ = min(ctable_.num_rows(), int(2**16))