Chatuchak Weekend Market: A Bangkok staple for a reason
You don’t have to do the slightest amount of research to have heard about Chatuchak Weekend Market; housing an impressive 15,000 stalls and 11,505 vendors, the market is renowned for being the go-to tourist attraction in Bangkok—certainly the talk of the town.
Because of this, I had a preconceived expectation of a larger selection of clothes and souvenirs. Instead, waiting for me at the infamous Thai market were multitudes of clothing stores stocking identical to similar designs, at around 100 to 200 baht.
“If you're keen on shopping at Chatuchak, it's worth scouting around to ensure you get the best price.”
This might be an urban oasis for some, but I personally found it underwhelming. I pondered to myself: What am I missing here? Where is the disconnect? There has to be a reason for the hype at Chatuchak Weekend Market. I’m not leaving without the amazing experience I was promised by past Bangkok visitors, YouTubers and travel bloggers!
Then, it hit me: it’s the experience. And the street food.
Hear me out: as mundane as it sounds to eat phad thai for the 1000th time, the market is a great opportunity to sample more snacks and street food—and believe me, there’s no shortage of it. So while I didn’t quite enjoy shopping ‘til dropping as much as I’d hoped, I did appreciate the array of midday snack options available.
And sure, once you’ve had a taste of local phad thai, it’s painful to look back. Nevertheless, a comforting plate of phad thai (100 baht) makes for the cherry topping long shopping hours.
The usual offerings are on sale at low prices: coconut ice cream, mango sticky rice, and all the works. After a few days of eating wet phad thai in a row, I settled for the dry version (pictured) for a change.
It might sound like sugar overload, but hey, getting a bottle of freshly squeezed orange juice (30 baht) isn’t such a bad idea if you’re not a fan of frozen delights—even if it’s to pair with tomorrow’s breakfast.
“Call it vacation euphoria, but the OJ was everything I've ever wanted in a fruit juice: refreshing, naturally sweet, and just the right amount of zesty.”
My family enjoyed the orange juice so much they finished it on the spot and bought two more bottles. And I’m not complaining. Ah, cheap thrills.
Getting to Chatuchak Weekend Market
Address: 587/10 Kamphaeng Phet 2 Rd, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900
Directions: Take the train to Mo Chit BTS station or Chatuchak Park MRT station.
The market is only a couple minutes’ walk away from the station(s). All you really have to do is follow the crowd.
