East of Eden - The Best of Thailand's Markets
- Walk away
- Mar 30, 2016
- 3 min read
The best night markets in Bangkok offer a carnival like atmosphere with a huge array of goods to browse, and snacks, bars and live music to keep everyone in good spirits. They are the perfect antidote to the ever expanding shopping mall culture that is spreading across the city. Instead of international brands and franchise restaurants, Bangkok’s night markets are the best places to find local items – some crafted by skilled artisans, some pumped out by factory workers, others sourced from second-hand stalls in Europe or Japan – yet you’ll still be able to find stuff on sale that Thais like to buy and not souvenir clutter, for the most anyway. The most surprising thing about the best night markets is how popular they are with the hipster crowd who now think modern is blasé and retro is cool.
Rot Fai Market, Srinakarin Famous for its retro memorabilia and gigantic size, our favourite night market in Bangkok has to be the huge Rot Fai Market in Srinakarin. This is located in the eastern suburbs (having moved from the north of the city in 2013) and is split into three sections. Everyday clothes and fashion, rare collectibles sourced from all over the world, and cheap, delicious snacks can all be found in abundance here.
JJ Green
Part vintage flea market, part local drinking hangout, JJ Green provides a great night out whether you go there to shop or simply hang out. Located around the corner from the giant Chattuchak Weekend Market (and its 15,000 stalls), the loveable JJ Green proves to be popular with university students looking for a more laidback, cooler shopping experience compared to its bigger, more tourist-oriented neighbour.
Asiatique
For a family evening out, this market is hard to beat: wide avenues, river breezes, lots of regional cuisine and clean bathrooms are all unique to Asiatique. Market stall prices are higher than elsewhere, and it loses the authenticity of some of the others in this list, but if you are a young family with a pushchair you would be a fool to go elsewhere. Plus, there are two theatrical shows to enjoy and plenty of statues for posing for a photo with.
Rot Fai Market, Ratchada If you liked the sound of Rot Fai Srinakarin above but don’t fancy the trek out of town, then you should hit up this vintage wonderland’s little bother, located in the far more central district of Ratchada. Although it is a lot more compact, you will still find a modest selection of retro and second-hand collectibles, although the vibe here is more on bargain fashion, and a cool drinking and snacking area can be found at the back of the market with live music and cheap whisky.
Patpong Patpong is famous for its fake brands on sale, especially bags, trainers and watches. It is not cool like the rest in this list, but it is very popular and very downtown, hence, it is still packed with tourists every night of the week. Take the BTS to Sala Daeng and find Patpong almost at the foot of the skytrain steps, right in the centre of Silom. Be aware that on either side of the market there are go-go bars with dancing girls which can be seen when the curtains get pulled back (which might be a nice bonus or a reason to avoid Patpong).
