Many avid shoppers swore that pratunam wholesale market offers the best deals in the whole of Thailand and it's a shame that i have never really stepped in to explore its inner workings.
Since Lemontea hotel was located mere minutes from the market, we walked over just to immerse ourselves in that supposed bustle of continuous, never-ending activity! Yes, you are right, it's said to be opened throughout the day!
As usual, i was too busy taking photographs and didn't realise the prices were unbelievably better than other places! And this was before any serious bargaining!
No safety harness?!?!?
Frankly, i have no idea where the entrance is; there isn't any official one and so long somewhere leads to a lane / alley filled with shops, it's worth a try to check them out. You never know; you could just find that pretty skirt that looks totally awesome on you!
We were at a loss on where to go as we were too accustomed to seeing official signage! Thank god one appeared a while later, leading to this new fashion arena known as Baiyoke Gallery.
Since most of us (including myself) were first timers, we figured we might as well stepped in for a better look; mostly clothes by the way and i am not keen to buy more to overburden my wardrobe.
Very narrow by the way. Unlike the rest of the shops we saw along our way, this was enclosed and sheltered from the weather elements. Not sure if there are others of a similar concept but anyhow hantam might not be a bad idea after all.
Toys for the kids. Strolling in Pratunam Market reminded me of Sampeng Lane at Bangkok's Chinatown although the latter was much easier to navigate with just one direct line that cuts across a few roads.
Mountains and mountains of clothes..... A colleague just shared with me recently that a friend's daughter managed to haul back 80 pieces of tee shirts from Bangkok in her recent trip!
Notice something unusual?
A store exclusively for our Muslim friends! For those who are unaware, Muslims make up 4.6% of Thailand's population and most of them are concentrated in South Thailand, near to the Malaysia border.
Nice hats for the ladies!
Street food vendors that traversed the streets for business. In my mind, food sold in such ways are usually of a less-than-favourable hygiene condition and would refrain from buying any.
See how close the food was to the foot and ground! You need only an uncaring kick and god knows what shit / dust / pebble would be sprinkled on the food.
To catch your attention, showcasing the novel items would be a plus. If not for the crowd pushing me from my back, i might have purchased the cute caterpillar for the kids.
Escaping from the space-restricted gallery and out to the great outdoors where the polluted exhaust and the hot, humid air welcomed me. :(
Is my eyes playing trick one me?! The Hello Kitty tee shirts were 55 Thai baht a piece?!?! Ms Wong (a Thai-Chinese mix); can translate for me please?!!!?
Not knowing how long they had been out there did put jitters in my mind and to safeguard my bowel, i would not buy any unless i can see a charcoal grill / heated griddle. However, some of the vendors would still pass you the cold ones!
Do bring along a gigantic bag if you know you are unable to resist good deals! One with wheels would benefit you greatly; many people would automatically give way to it.
=====
Location
Not sure but it's right opposite Platinum Mall; just follow the crowd! I would have loved to check out the offerings at night (since it's said to be operating 24 hours) and i guess i have to leave it for my next visit!
For the summarised itinerary of the four days,
three nights trip to Bangkok, click here.
No comments:
Post a Comment