Wanderlust: Expat Life & Style in Thailand Oct / Nov 2017: The Travel Issue | Page 22

BANGKOK’S
BEST MARKETS
Anyone who has spent even a few days exploring the endless
maze of Bangkok’s back alleys will know that the city is home
to a myriad of markets. Here are some of the best you’ll find.
by Alastair Newport
A
n attempt to catalogue every local pop-up, arcade
and bazaar in Bangkok would be an exercise in
futility. With an ever-changing landscape fueled
by the ravenous appetite of the real estate industry, new
markets are opening up as fast as old favorites are shut-
ting down.
But there are some hardy perennials which can — for
now at least — cater to all your market wants and needs.
Whether it’s some objet d’art to brighten up your home,
a beautiful bouquet of flowers, or just a cool night spot to
rub shoulders with Thai hipsters, Bangkok’s markets have
you covered.
The Biggest
CHATUCHAK
WEEKEND MARKET
Chatuchak Weekend Market is probably
the best-known market in Thailand, if not
all of Southeast Asia. Comprised of over
8,000 booths and shops, with new addi-
tions opening almost weekly, it is a bewil-
dering mix of just about everything under
the sun.
Your best tactic in navigating the 30-acre
site is to just lose yourself in the rhythm of
the place. Drift from one section to anoth-
er, enjoying the cornucopia of antiques in
Section One, full of Buddhist iconography,
old toys, vinyl, and musical instruments, be-
fore meandering through areas devoted to
plants, pets, home and garden ware. Fuel
up at the decent food section and then,
when you have completed a circuit, retrace
your steps for some more purposeful bar-
gain hunting.
Chatuchak is stocked with almost any-
thing you can imagine, but its real specialty is
the clothes. Along with the extensive num-
ber of secondhand haberdashers selling all
manner of trendy gear from the 1950s up to
the 2000s, there are many stalls displaying
new fashions from Bangkok’s talented young
designers.
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