Chatuchak Weekend Market – Shop ‘til you Drop

The Lonely Planet describes it as being amongst the largest markets in the world and that once you’re deep in the bowels of Chatuchak, it will seem like there is no order and no escape…. Sounds like a great place for a Sunday stroll.

Suitably armed with a wallet full of Thai Baht, an empty backpack and covered in sunscreen we head out of our hotel early in an effort to beat the crowds and the heat. Transportation sorted, thanks to our nifty metro card, suitably prepared I tell Rachelle we’re not getting off at the Chatuchak MRT station as that’s too logical but the Kamphaeng Phet Station which gives a clear assault path into these unknown markets.

Quick Fact No. 1 : the markets span over 16 hectares (the largest flea market in the world), with over 15,000 individual stalls. It has over 200,000 visitors per day, with 70% of them locals. Thai people from near and far come here to buy in bulk and resell them in the local shops – so technically this is where the best bargains in Bangkok are to be found.

In saying that it’s literally impossible to visit every stall in these markets because there are just way too many of them, and it’s a virtual maze to navigate. To avoid getting lost, I took pictures along the way to set up a “picture trail”. So that when it’s time to leave, we could just follow the pictures and backtrack – well that was the theory.

For now I would just let the pictures do the talking.

Quick Fact No. 2 : Sellers believe that the first sale of the day is good luck, which also means they should be more willing to lower the prices…

The labyrinth of alleyways contain every imaginable kind of product, and some you haven’t thought of, from clothing, fashion accessories, shoes, souvenirs, jewelry, books, antiques, artworks, essential oil or even Buddha, feng shui rocks or amulets …

Quick Fact No. 3 : Hydrate, the heat at Chatuchak can be pretty unbearable so don’t forget to keep a bottle of water with you at all times and drink it. There is however always someone with a stack of bottled water on ice in an esky if your supplies evaporate otherwise, grab a fresh coconut from the vendors along the street.

Quick Fact No. 4 : Haggle – now if you are like me you’ll bring along a skilled negotiator, like Chelle, who you just thrust in front of every shopkeeper and then hand over the cash when she’s finished the transaction. That way you might even be able to purchase some of your wanted items for half the initial quoted price. Otherwise like me you are always going to end up paying too much.

Quick Fact No. 5 : If you see something that you love – buy it! Don’t ever make the mistake of deciding that you can probably find a better and cheaper version of it at another stall. As you’ll probably spend the rest of the day searching in vain, then you’ll be unable to retrace your steps and find the original stall, which even if you do it will have been purchased by another shopper with the same keen eye as yourself.

Quick Fact No. 6 : Don’t necessarily come to the markets with a preconceived idea of what that perfect item is that you want to buy here as you’ll spend the whole day searching and never find it. Then you’ll be frustrated and upset and probably take it out on your significant other, who by the way is just as tired and fed up wandering the markets as you are.

Seriously you do not want to be lost in this oversized retail maze as you’ll find yourself walking around in endless circles. Despite the market being divided into sections, with one main walkway circling the market and branching off into numbered alleyways (Soi 1, Soi 2, etc) and the alleyways are then grouped into 27 sections. Whilst each section might hold a variety of different goods, it is fair to say the system is fairly useless for finding, say, the vendors that sell pet crocodiles, though it may help you locate where you are when you really need to use the bathroom. On top of that you’ll probably notice that some stalls look identical and sell almost the exact same product, what’s more they can be located at completely different ends of the market! So much for each section being set aside for different specific merchandise.

If you’re feeling hungry you won’t be able to miss the Aor Tor Gor Farmer’s Market, with the hawkers trying to solicit you to attend their specific patch in the massive tented food court. The smell of sizzling deep fried delicacies wafting through the still hot air will either make you ill or in seventh heaven. For once I remember my earlier lesson from Yangon don’t partake in the iced fruit drinks always grab a sealed bottle – a Singha or a Coke – believe me your stomach and the hotel toilet will appreciate you in the foreseeable future.

Quick Fact No. 8 : There are numerous small hole in the wall massage parlours dotted throughout the markets. Make sure that you prevail upon their services – a 30 minute foot massage for 300 Baht will be a godsend to your weary tootsies – trust me on this one. Just make sure you ensconce yourself in a sealed glass room that it is fully air conditioned with free wifi.

Now if my description fills you with trepidation don’t let it put you off the Chatuchak Markets are one of the must see adventures in Bangkok. There is a reason why most of the locals shop here on the weekend – it is chock full of bargains most of which you never knew you possibly needed.

If you found this guide helpful you may want to check out my guides to some of the other sights in Bangkok:

• Grand Palace & the Temple of the Emerald Buddha
• Wat Pho (Temple of the Reclining Buddha)
• Wat Arun (Temple of Dawn)