I am not very fond of shopping, even in a place like Bangkok. Or perhaps, particularly in a place like Bangkok – all the malls seem the same after a while – all glass and steel and selling characterless branded (whether genuine or spurious) clothes and electronics.
It was on my second trip to Bangkok that I discovered the Chatuchak weekend market, thanks to a friend who lives there. Chatuchak is popular among both tourists and locals and prices are very reasonable, with bargaining not just acceptable but actually expected from buyers.
Chatuchak (pronounced Jatujak) is the largest market in Thailand, and for a nation known for it shopping, that is saying a lot. I am told that the market has over 15000 stalls – divided into sections – and if you are the ‘shopping types’ that means you could spend the entire day there and not have covered all of it. I spent a few hours on a Saturday morning and was exhausted at the end of the first thirty minutes.
Like all self-respecting markets, there are street performers all along the lanes of Chatuchak – from a group of children in school uniform playing classical Western music to lone musicians on traditional instruments, this market has it all…
Not to mention the other kinds of street artists – jugglers, magicians, painters…
Chatuchak is a great place to buy local, Thai handicraft and souvenirs. Tourists are however advised to be cautious before buying expensive antiques; some of them are brand-new antiques, made specially for this market!
This is one of my favourite cluster of shops – selling wooden toys and musical instruments – I picked up a lampshade shaped like a small elephant and several pretty candle holders in dark wood.
Thankfully, there is plenty to eat and drink in the market – again, try the local fare – I was there in summer and had sticky rice with mango every chance I got, washing it down with coconut water or these cooling agents…
This is what these little dots of colour are… and this is how I want to be when I grow old (not all grey and wrinkled but young-at-heart and enjoying the simple pleasures of life)…
Tip : Take a sky-train or metro to the nearest station, grab a couple of bottles of water and a map of the market and find the zone that has the stalls that are of interest to you – that way, you get to spend time and energy where you really want to, avoiding the other zones (says, pets and live animals, for instance!).
