Beauty and Bargains: The colorful markets of Bangkok

Visitors find the colors, fragrances, and selection of Thailand’s markets to be one of the joys of the country, and there are dozens of decent-sized markets in Bangkok alone. Food stalls are abundant in all of them, allowing you to take a break for tired feet. Three markets in particular are the most popular, and you’ll want to visit at least one of them.

Chatuchak Weekend Market

The large weekend market at Chatuchak Park is a magnet for virtually every visitor to Bangkok. Here you’ll find antiquities, crafts, books, flip-flops, pot and pans, and aquariums. The place is so large (an estimated 10,000 stalls), that you’ll need a map to navigate, but there are billboard maps in front of every entrance, and it’s laid out so like businesses are generally congregated around each other. There is also a bank, and ATM machines. Chatuchak opens at 7am and closes officially at 6 pm. We advise you to get there early, when it’s cooler and there are fewer people, as an estimated 200,000 people attend each weekend. To get there, take the BTS skytrain to the Mo Chit station, and exit southwest. Chatuchak is a five minute walk.

Suan Lum Night Bazaar

We like Suan Lum because, although extensive (3,700 stalls), it’s less crowded than Chatuchak, and better laid-out. Prices will be slightly higher here, but there are airy restaurants, and the atmosphere is relaxed. Many Chatuchak dealers have shops here as well, and goods offered are commensurate in selection, price, and quality. We recommend taking in a traditional Thai puppet show at the Joe Louis Theatre while you’re here. The Night Bazaar is located at the corner of Wireless Road and Rama IV, and directly across the street (to the west) of the new Lumphini MRT subway station.

Phak Khlong Talad Flower Market

The river taxi pier known as Tha Sapan Phut (Memorial Bridge) is adjacent to Phak Khlong Talad, a market famous for colorful flower stalls, which opens at dawn. Locals feel the best time to see the market is late at night, from 10pm to midnight, well after the river taxi has stopped, which means you’ll take a taxi or tuk-tuk. The colors are magnificent, the scents and colors extraordinary, and you can buy a bundle of 50 roses wrapped in newspaper that will cost you 30 baht (under $1 USD).