It's very hard to resist a visit to the largest market in Thailand even though i was all ready to give it a miss in my recent August trip. My travel mates eventually managed to persuade me with statements like "things might be different", "a travel to Bangkok is never complete without chatuchak" etc.
And here i was, stuck at the overhead pedestrian bridge from exit 1 at Mo Chit BTS station on a Saturday morning! One word of advice: notice that empty overhead bridge in front of me? It's linked to exit 3!!
As usual, many stalls lined the walkway leading to chatuchak market! I always regretted not spending more time at these stalls as there were so much to see and things appeared to be priced lower than those in the market.
Pedestrians taking over the road although it wasn't closed to traffic and motor vehicles continued to have the right of way! One thing for sure, the whole place seemed to be filled with Singaporeans as the period i went coincided with the long national day weekend.
Tees with adorable animal pictures selling for less than S$4 a piece for the small to medium sized. Even the XXL-sized t-shirts were going for less than S$10 each!
Flip flops for less than S$3 a pair! If you have been following the travelogue closely, you would have read that i was wearing a new pair of shoes that was giving me blisters! :(
You would never catch me wearing the above tee! If i really need to show people my abs, i would do so in the most natural way instead of hoodwinking my way through. However, i would wear it if someone offers me a substantial offer.
The way to Jatujak market wasn't far from the BTS station yet many people would be happy to fork out some cash for a drink to cool themselves in the hot and humid bangkok weather.
I am no exception but i would make a beeline towards the stall that sells orange juice! The chrysanthemum tea was even better as a thirst quencher although the sugar level might be a bit too high for your comfort. Dilute it with mineral water if you wish!
Traditional wooden games - till now, i have no idea how dominoes work as a game! By the way, this is likely going to be a photo entry as i have covered the market on quite a number of occasions. Do forgive me (and my limited vocabulary) if the content appears to be similar!
Entering the Chatuchak via the side entrance; the authority should consider demarcating this spot as an official entry point since many people come by the BTS station.
Internal street - compared to a few years ago, there were more massage parlours which made total sense as you could literally spend the whole day wearing down your shoe soles! Having the occasional massage to relax your tired feet would in fact be essential!
One reason why i refrain from drinking coconut juice (unless i am on a beach / having a seafood lunch); the lack of a proper utensil to scoop out the coconut meat!
I mentioned earlier that "a travel to Bangkok is never complete without chatuchak". At the weekend market, a visit is never complete without digging into a serving of the coconut ice cream!
At 50 Thai baht (about S$2), it was a generous scoop and you are free to add as many toppings as you want! Selections include corn, red beans, jellies, peanuts and even glutinous rice.
Shirts, tote bags, pants - gone were the days when you could find hardly any unique designs across the stalls! I would have purchased a lot more shirts if not for the fact that i am lacking wardrobe space.
Had to step out to a picture of this - the above is the official entrance which i thought would be as appropriate for the barely noticeable side entrance i shared earlier.
Sofa So Good- i am not sure if i would treat the products as sofas. Thought the word "bench" to wear / remove my shoes would be a better way to term them.
No idea what these were; designs wise, i think they were pufferfish.
The narrow, sheltered inner walkways with stalls that comprised the majority of the 8,000 said to operate at Chatuchak Weekend Market.
Art gallery section for an item (be it sculpture, painting etc) to adorn your plain looking walls at home! Some can gaudy and might not be suitable for small dwellings like most HDB flats.
Maybe i should consider artistic buffalo skulls? One was crusted in gold crystals that would look absolutely stunning in a luxurious bungalow.
Loving the vibrant spread of colours!
Fruit shaped soap with fruity fragrances! Do be assured that a durian shaped soap doesn't translate directly into a pungent aroma! It could be mango scented.
100% grape juice! I bought a bottle at 40 baht and switched back to having my orange juice a short while later. Honestly, it didn't taste great.
These intricately designed bowls are actually wash basins!
Bet the business for the above isn't as roaring as a few decades ago when family members who traveled to Bangkok then would always bring a few back as souvenirs!
I would prefer the doggies though! Problem is how to bring them back in one piece without having to engage a forwarder.
Embroidered products - not my cup of tea obviously.
An hour into our walk and our feet were already suffering! We were not keen to be massaged outdoors where we would likely sweat like nobody's business and jumped at the sight of an air-conditioned parlour!
Ahhhhhhh - shiokness to the max, especially with the air conditioning unit blasting its cold air!
Price as attached for your reference; as with any shops in Jatujak Weekend Market, i didn't take down the address as it would be another chore to navigate your way through the numerous sections and lanes. See an air-conditioned massage parlour? Just enter!
Magnets with funny quotes and 50s, 60s images! For example: "marriage, the end of a perfectly good sex life", "Mothers! Even when they are wrong, they are right".
Shop selling crocodile skin products.
Kind of funny to have the taxidermied crocodiles, with their front paws pressed against each other, seeking for sales and donations.
Another outdoor massage parlour - as you have maybe noted by now, the services were limited to only foot, head, shoulder and / or neck massages.
Using images of Korean pop stars to showcase the products.
The crowd - if you ask me, i like to shop along the main internal walkway as it is much more spacious. Alex hates it as it requires exposing yourself to the sun and heat!
Why are so many people obsessed with the bananas design!? They may be a fashion statement but the first thing that unfortunately came to my mind was "are they trying to attract the monkeys"!? Try wearing it to the Macritchie Reservoir.
Don't you just love the image of the guilty looking pug with the following statement: urination on a tree?! With the proliferation of cheap and good design-your-own tees services, you could have designs to call your own before others start to copy!
Ultra adorable animal themed t-shirts in natural, earthy tones!
Enough said on what the shop sells; I love to watch movies but i don't really get obsessed with it, at least not to the extent of buying movie memorabilia. Not yet.
See!!! The craze over the bananas attire!
Can't they just buy something normal like the above tees?! Alright, not with that design of a marijuana field or the evil looking skull.
Eco friendly wallets made from the leaves of a tree known as Tong Tung or Dong Deng. Used mainly by the Northern Thais for packing food, the older leaves were quite commonly used for the roof which can last about 5 years!
Scarves i think? Sorry, i got trigger happy. We have to thank the Singapore government for their foresight to outlaw guns!
Cute tee shirt.
Samurai swords! Please keep in mind that such products would require clearance from the immigration office before you can bring them into Singapore.
Aside from the fruit scented soaps that i shared earlier, the soaps sold in this shop were way more expensive and some came attached with luffah for that therapeutic scrub! The scent was strong yet without wasn't overwhelming!
New building by the side which would mean more shopping to be done in the future. Maybe i should stay near Jatujak market in the future.
A student performance for donations to a hospital.
Couldn't quite remember why these coconuts had their tops burnt.
Multiple food options at the market even though it might still be quite challenging to get an air-conditioned dining establishment!
Our last stop as the weather was too warm for our comfort. Actually, we were about to leave when we saw a lot of people crowding around the stall and i guess correctly that there must be some freebies!
Just nice; a free bottle herbal drink to cool us down!
Taking a cab would be the most comfortable mode to get back to your hotel. However, the jams can be a torture especially if you are staying near Pratunam, Siam Square area. Be adventurous and take the tuk tuk!
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For my summarised itinerary on the four days, three nights trip to Bangkok in 2015, click here!
