Chatuchak Market, Thailand

Chatuchak Market, Bangkok - Thailand

It is located in northern Bangkok is one of the largest and the most spectacular markets of the world. Chatuchak is a must see for any tourist visiting Bangkok. One can find almost anything over here, right from the smallest nails, foods, trendy fashions, antiques intricate wooden carvings, household accessories, handicrafts, religious artifacts, art, antiques, masks from far-off lands to live animals like dogs, colorful fish of every hue and singing birds, all at a cheap price. The Chatuchak Market is a weekend market, open only on Saturdays and Sundays from 7 am until late. Chatuchak market consists of more than 10,000 stalls stretching as far as your eyes can see and receives more than 100,000 visitors every Saturday and Sunday. The market is like an Aladdin's cave, packed with a variety of treasures. Chatuchak market is vaguely divided into sections depending upon the goods sold and there are maps available with information on various sections.

Chatuchak is a particularly good place to buy all sorts of Thai handicrafts, as there's a huge range, the quality is high and the intense competition keeps the prices low. However, bargaining is very popular here, therefore bargain as much as you can in order to get the best prices. Also be careful while buying antiques since, there are a lot of fake ones out there and it is very difficult to tell the difference between the genuine and the fake one. The most recommended items to buy are tribal crafts and clothing.

However, if you're particularly sensitive to animal cruelty be warned, you may be appalled by the squalid conditions in which some of the animals are kept in the many pet shops in the market. The best thing to do would be avoid going to the animal section of the Chatuchak market.

At the edge of the Chatuchak market there are two more markets, one of them is a food market selling all kinds of food products from fresh fish and shellfish to fruits, vegetables, spices, rice, flour etc. The other market is Bangkok's largest plant and flower market. Both these markets are open on weekdays as well.
Getting to Chatuchak has become a lot easier since the Skytrain system opened and now you can simply take the Skytrain to the end terminal called Morchit which is exactly where the market is located. The market opens at 9am and it is always recommended to reach as early as possible since the market gets very busy in the later part of the day. Also, in the summer months of April and May it gets unbearably hot during the day, therefore it is better come early in the morning or late in the evening when the sun goes down. Because of the heat, it is important to wear light clothing and to drink lots of fluids as you walk about in Chatuchak market. During peak hours from one to three in the afternoon, the narrow lanes become very crowded and hot, especially in the popular areas of pottery and trinkets on the west side, and during the peak tourist months of December through February.

The Weekend Market at Chatuchak is a shoppers paradise that appeals to people from all over the world. The authenticity of the place, the selection of merchandise available and fascinating things to see make it a never to be forgotten experience for the majority of people who visit it. If you are into shopping then Chatuchak Market will probably be one of the best shopping experiences you have ever had.