Welcome:
Login/Register
|
|
|
|
Chatuchak Weekend Market Review
Read our Bangkok shopping reviews. Or post your own.
Chatuchak Weekend Market 
- Address: Phaholyothin Rd., Chatuchak, North Bangkok, Bangkok
- Category: Outdoor/Flea/Green Markets
- Location: Chatuchak, North Bangkok
Fodor's Review:
You can purchase virtually anything at the sprawling Chatuchak Weekend Market, including silk items in a mudmee (tie-dyed before weaving) design that would sell for five times the price in the United States. Strategically placed food vendors mean you don't have to stop shopping to grab a bite. It's open on weekends from 9 AM to 7 PM, and the city's (some say the world's) largest market is best in the morning. It's easy to reach, across the street from the northern terminus of the Skytrain and near the Northern Bus Terminal. Whatever you do, don't take a taxi here; it will literally add hours to your journey compared with the Skytrain trip.
An afternoon at JJ, as it is known by locals ("ch" is pronounced "jha" in Thai, so phonetically Chatuchak is Jatujak), is not for the faint of heart: up to 200,000 people visit each day and there are more than 8,000 vendors. But what's a little discomfort when there are such fantastic bargains to be had? Go prepared with bottles of water, comfortable shoes, and, if you can get a copy, Nancy Chandler's Map of Bangkok, which has a helpful, color-coded, stall-by-stall rendering of the market. You can order the map online at www.nancychandler.net or call 02/266-6579.
The borders between the market's many sections can be a bit hazy (for example, the animal section spills into the silverware section), but you can keep your bearings by remembering that the outer ring of stalls has mainly new clothing and shoes, with some plants, garden supplies, and home decor thrown in for good measure. The next ring of stalls is primarily used clothing and shoes, as well as new clothing, shoes, and accessories. Farther in are pottery, antiques, furniture, dried goods, and live animals. Even with a map, it's easy to get turned around in the mind-boggling array of goods, but this is also part of the joy that Chatuchak has to offer -- wandering through the maze of vendors and suddenly stumbling upon the beautiful teak table, handmade skirt, or colorful paper lamp you'd been seeking.
- Subway: Chatuchak Park; Skytrain: Mo Chit
Member Reviews & Ratings:
serendipity.....trust it
Posted by greekrabbit from athens greece on 7/24/08
stumble on something unexpected and take home as much as you can carry. My last visit led me to a shop with semiprecious stones...acres of them. I got two strings and had them made into one of a kind necklaces later..wish I had bought a dozen, and at those prices I could have, for a song.
Get Advice From Other Travelers
- Cheap flights Bangkok/Hong Kong
1 responses; most recent on 09/18/2008, 08:40 pm - Cheap Flifgrts Bangkok/Hong Kong
-1 responses; most recent on 09/18/2008, 06:57 pm - Tours and Hotels in Siem Reap and Bangkok
8 responses; most recent on 09/16/2008, 03:08 pm - Movie-Bangkok
2 responses; most recent on 09/16/2008, 10:50 am
Visit the Travel Talk forums for help on planning your trip >>
- Adventure Travel from
-
Indochina
$2,995
The three jewels of Indochina - Laos, Vietnam... -
Thailand
$2,095
Thailand is a rush for your senses: a bustling,... -
Thailand & Cambodia
$2,995
Thailand and Cambodia is a rush for your senses:...
Buy the Guidebook
-
$22.95
-
$11.95
Get the Fodor's Newsletter
Read the current issue
For more travel ideas, tips, and deals, sign up for the Fodor's newsletter here. Browse previous issues.
