Markets in Bangkok (Part 4)
(Part 1)

These pages are about markets in Bangkok. I try to give you a -far from complete- impression. A complete survey would not be possible!

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Chatuchak Market

Here we are at last with the markets of markets or should we say the mother of all markets? Whatever of this, Chatuchak market is without doubt the largest market in Bangkok, if not the largest market in Thailand.
This is the place where they have the things you were not able to find elsewhere. If they don't have here what you are looking for, it does not exist!
Chatuchak market is only opened in week-ends. Go there by skytrain ("Mo Chit" Station). Take a whole day to look around but beware of pickpockets.

As soon as you arrive, the massiveness of this market will strike you. In principle the market has been divided in sections for different kinds of goods. Also some directories have been placed to help you find your way, but I do not find them very helpful. The best way to explore Chatuchak market is to walk, walk and walk. There is so much to see, that you really should take you time. If you just have one hour, forget about Chatuchak market. Go somewhere else.
As you see on the right hand picture above, as you could expect in Thailand, on strategic placed restaurants have been founded. The Thais are always hungry and thirsty. This being a tourist area, the owners of these places will speak some English.

The choice of items -as said above- goes beyond your imagination. This page can only give some randomly chosen examples.
Handicraft is dominantly present here, like everywhere else in Thailand. But also porcelain, sometimes in surprisingly good quality (see the two pictures above). On Chatuchak market bargaining is "compulsory", even if the shop owner says his prices are fixed. In that case go to the competition, present all over the place, because on no market in Thailand fixed prices are a known phenomenon.
An exception is food. The Thais do not like to bargain about food prices and they simply walk on when they think the price of -for instance- fruit is too high. That should be your attitude too. If you want to buy fruit, ask for the price and buy or walk on.

Musical instruments -that is if you want to use them seriously- do not belong on a market, and the ones displayed here will probably not be of the best thinkable quality. If you want to buy a Thai musical instrument just as a souvenir, buy it here. If you want to learn play it, go to some specialized shop.
Clothing can be found in a large selection here too. My advice would be to buy things like T-shirts here, but for your more permanent clothing I would go to Pratunam market (click here).

The last department I want to give you a glimpse of is the livestock department. I am not very fond of the livestock trade in general. But luckily I have not seen animals like monkeys or other protected animals here. So, if you want to buy an animal, you can do so here. Think about how to take it home before you buy, however!

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Related Page:
The Floating Market

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