© WikiMedia (Wikimedia) Chatuchak weekend market Source Flickr. com (http://flickr. com/pho
© WikiMedia (Wikimedia)
Bangkok’s street markets are lively, cheap and fun places to shop. There are some great deals to be made, but be prepared to bargain hard. The biggest and the best is the massive Chatuchak Weekend Market.
Over 15 000 Market Stalls
With more than 15 000 stalls and around 200 000 shoppers in a day, the Chatuchak Market is so big that many visitors get a map to make it easier to find their way around the market area. The stalls and shops sell clothes, handicrafts from different parts of Thailand, shoes, bags, gifts, souvenirs, CD:s and DVD:s, flowers and plants and even live animals. Food and drinks are available from the many food stalls and coffee shops.
How to Shop at the Market
The market area is divided into sections according to the goods that are sold. Some of the most serious shoppers use their maps to find the items they are looking for, others happily wander around the narrow alleyways between the stalls. Haggling is a part of the business and if you persist, it is possible to make good bargains. If a bargain sounds too good to be true, it probably is: fake goods are often sold as “art”.
Tips for Visiting the Chatuchak Market
Make sure you have a few hours to explore the market and wear comfortable walking shoes. It can get pretty hot especially in the midday sun, so drink enough fluids and stop for a cold drink in between shopping. Watch out for pickpockets in the market crowd. The Chatuchak Market is open on Saturdays and Sundays (Friday is a day for wholesalers) between 9.00 in the morning and 18.00 in the evening. The market is easy to find: take the Skytrain to the Mo Chit station and simply follow the crowds of shoppers.