Phahonyothin

 

Northern Bangkok's biggest draw is the Chatuchak Weekend Market จตุจักร, also "Jatujak" or even "JJ", Sa-Su 09:00-18:00, +66 2 272-4441, an incredibly vast, 35-acre indoor and outdoor market that has more than 8,000 vendors selling anything and everything under the sun. To put that number in perspective, if you browsed every stall one minute each, non-stop for eight hours on every Saturday and Sunday, it would take you around two months to visit them all! A good rule of thumb is to buy immediately if you spot something interesting, as you will never find that same stall again.

After World War II, the market was established around Sanam Luang in Rattanakosin, but when it got out of hand, it was moved to the north of Bangkok in 1978. Now it has 200,000 visitors a day who together spend around 30 million baht! Chatuchak has a fairly good mix of local residents and foreign tourists. It started out as a market for cheap bargains, but over the years has also become a haven for specialist shops that charge a little more.

Getting there is easy, just go to Mo Chit station by Skytrain or get off at Kamphaeng Phet station by metro Chatuchak Park MRT station is also an option, but Kamphaeng Phet station immediately drops you off at the southwestern most interesting part of the market. The market is only opened on Saturdays and Sundays, and opens at 09:00, so get there early to beat the crowds and the heat. The market officially closes at 18:00, but slowly becomes less interesting after 16:00. Keep an eye on your belongings here as pickpockets work in the crowds, and avoid Chatuchak on rainy days as the roofs and drains here aren't quite up to a tropical downpour.

You can imagine that orientation here is a world of it its own; the only recognisable landmark is the Clock Tower in the middle of the complex, so you might want to meet there in case you get lost. In theory, the market is divided into 26 numbered sections depending on types of goods sold, but in practice you'll quickly get lost in its maze of 69 sois and dozens of other roads. For an extra detailed map of Chatuchak you can buy Nancy Chandler's Map of Bangkok at Teak House Art in section 2 to help you better navigate around the area.

Just describing what's on sale could fill a whole page. Giving an extensive description of all sections is nearly impossible, but a rough grouping into 10 categories can be made. These groupings should only be used as a rough guideline, as the goods sold overlap between sections and some sections are hard to even characterise at all; especially section 2 is a mixed bag with products as diverse as home decoration, used clothing, furniture, handicrafts and plants. The following grouping can be made:

Antiques section 26

Arts section 7

Books section 1 and 27

Ceramics section 17 and 19

Clothing section 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 21 and 23

Handicrafts section 8, 22, 24 and 25

Home decoration section 2

Pets section 9, 11, 13 and 15

Plants section 3 and 4

Used clothing sections 5 and 6

The pets section has a cute appearance with lots of puppies and bunnies on sale, but is particularly controversial, as many of these shops are a front for the trade of protected and even endangered animals under the counter. Most of these animals are smuggled in from other countries in the region, and Chatuchak serves as a hub for private animal collectors and others interested in exotic hornbills, snakes, turtles or anything else you could think of. These practices are not as visible as they used to be, following a number of crackdowns. A single crackdown in 2003 found 5,000 illegal exotic animals on sale at the market, though often only the deal is negotiated here with the handover done elsewhere. If you don't want to see crocodiles on sale in small cages or see live cockfights take place, you might want to skip the pets section.

Chatuchak is especially a good place for buying all kinds of traditional Thai handicrafts, silk and antiques. A lot of these stores are congregated in the southwestern part with prices are much lower than in Silom. Haggling is expected for every small item you buy, but generally you won't get more than 150 baht off the price. Antiques shopping is fun, but pretty much all on sale are fakes, as genuine antiques require a permit to be taken out of the country.

The area around section 27 is good for daily necessities. There are toilets, a smoking area, several ATMs and you can change money there. Food stalls are abound, they are lined up along the western, southern and eastern side of the main road. Expect the usual Thai dishes such as pad thai and Isaan food.

Meanwhile, other entrepreneurs have tried to cash in on the hype and opened their own markets surrounding the Chatuchak Weekend Market: