BANGKOK
ALL-PURPOSE MARKETS
Chatuchak Weekend Market MARKET
(Talat Nat Jatujak; location on Map p 118 , plan of
market p 141 ; h9am-6pm Sat & Sun; BTS Mo Chit,
MRT Chatuchak Park & Kamphaeng Phet) Among
the largest markets in the world, Chatuchak
seems to unite everything buyable, from
used vintage sneakers to baby squirrels. Plan
to spend a full day, as there’s plenty to see,
do and buy. But come early, ideally around
9am to 10am, to beat the crowds and the
heat.
There is an information centre and a
bank with ATMs and foreign-exchange
booths at the Chatuchak Park offices,
near the northern end of the market’s Soi 1,
Soi 2 and Soi 3. Schematic maps and toilets
are located throughout the market.
There are a few vendors on weekday
mornings, and a daily vegetable, plant and
fl ower market opposite the market’s south-
ern side. One section of the latter, known
as the Or Tor Kor Market (Map p 118 ; Th Kam-
phaeng Phet; h8am-6pm; MRT Kamphaeng Phet
1), sells fantastically gargantuan fruit and
seafood, and has a decent food court as well.
Once you’re deep in the bowels of
Chatuchack, it will seem like there is no
order and no escape, but the market is ar-
ranged into relatively coherent sections. Use
the clocktower as a handy landmark.Antiques, Handicrafts & Souvenirs
Section 1 is the place to go for Buddha stat-
ues, old LPs and other random antiques.
More secular arts and crafts, such as mu-
sical instruments and hill-tribe items can
be found in Sections 25 and 26. Baan Sin
Thai (Map p 141 ; Section 24, Stall 130, Soi 1) sells a
mixture of kŏhn masks and old-school Thai
toys, all of which make fun souvenirs, and
Kitcharoen Dountri (Map p 141 ; Section 8, Stall
464, Soi 15) specialises in Thai musical instru-
ments, including fl utes, whistles, drums and
CDs of classical Thai music.
Other quirky gifts include the life-like
plastic Thai fruit and vegetables at Marché
(Map p 141 ; Section 17, Stall 254, Soi 1), or their
scaled-down miniature counterparts nearby
at Papachu (Map p 141 ; Section 17, Stall 23, Soi 1).Clothing & Accessories
Clothing dominates most of Chatuchak,
starting in Section 8 and continuing through
the even-numbered sections to 24. Sections
5 and 6 deal in used clothing for every Thai
youth subculture, from punks to cowboys,
while Soi 7, where it transects Sections 12and 14 is heavy on the more underground
hip-hop and skate fashions. Tourist-sized
clothes and textiles are found in sections 10
and 8.
For accessories, several shops in Sections
24 and 26, such as Orange Karen Silver
(Map p 141 ; Section 26, Stall 246, Soi 8) specialise
in chunky silver jewellery and semiprecious
uncut stones.Eating & Drinking
Lots of Thai-style eating and snacking will
stave off Chatuchak rage (cranky behaviour
brought on by dehydration or hunger), and
numerous food stalls set up shop between
Sections 6 and 8. Longstanding standouts
include Foon Talop (Map p 141 ; Section 26, Stall
319, Soi 8), an incredibly popular Isan res-
taurant, Café Ice (Map p 141 ; Section 7, Stall 267,
Soi 3), a Western-Thai fusion joint that does
good pàt tai and tasty fruit shakes, and Sa-
man Islam (Map p 141 ; Section 16, Stall 34, Soi 24),
a Thai-Muslim restaurant that serves a tasty
chicken biryani.
If you need air-con, pop into Toh - Plue
(Map p 141 ; Th Kamphaengphet 2; h11am-8pm;
MRT Kamphaeng Phet; a) for all the Thai
standards. And as evening draws near, down
a beer at Viva’s (Map p 141 ; Section 26, Stall 149,
Soi 6), a cafe-bar that features live music or,
if it's dark, cross to Th Kamphaeng Phet 2 to
the cozy whisky bars near Fake Club (p 130 ).Housewares & Decor
The northern and northwestern edge of the
market, particularly sections 8 to 26, special-
ises in all manner of housewares, from cheap
plastic buckets to expensive brass woks. This
area is a particularly good place to stock up
on inexpensive Thai ceramics, ranging from
celadon to the traditional rooster-themed
bowls from Lampang.
N & D Tablewares (Map p 141 ; Section 25,
Stall 185, Soi 4) has a huge variety of stainless-
steel fl atware, and Tan -Ta- No d (Map p 141 ;
Section 22, Stall 061, Soi 5) deals in coconut and
sugar palm–derived plates, bowls and other
utensils.
Those looking to spice up the house
should stop by Spice Boom (Map p 141 ; Sec-
tion 26, Stall 246, Soi 8), were you can fi nd dried
herbs and spices for both consumption and
decoration. Other notable olfactory indul-
gences include the hand-made soaps, lo-
tions, salts and scrubs at D-narn (Map p 141 ;
Section 19, Stall 204, Soi 1) and the fragrant
perfumes and essential oils at Karmakamet
(Map p 141 ; Section 2, Soi 3).