Mae Klong Railway market
We drove about 40 miles west of Bangkok to
Samut Songkram to experience the unique Mae Klong (name of
the local river) market situated on the railway tracks. The market is sheltered by low-hanging awnings
and the crowd weave their way down the centre
of the railway track in between the vendors.
Four times a day, a siren sounds and in a
flash the market transforms – the stall holders scurry to move their wares,
roll back their stalls and hold back the poles supporting their awnings whilst the shoppers disappear into the sides.
The market comes to a standstill to make
way for the train to pass. It is such a tight
squeeze that the train travelling at about
15mph almost touches the produce as it passes
through. Once the train is gone, the vendors
push back the stalls and awnings into position
and everything goes back to normal as if
nothing has happened. The cost to rent a plot is 100baht per day.
Khoa San Road – old city of Bangkok
Bangkok's 1km long Khaosan Road, located in the old city area, is a thriving
community that caters to the every need of
the budget traveller, from cut-priced airfares
and accommodation, to shopping, bars, clubs,
tattoo shops and massage parlours. You can
even buy a false ID card!
Tha Kha floating market
This is a genuine, interesting local market
unlike the touristy Damnoen Saduak (described as “a floating market on tourist steroids”.
The locals are very friendly. We took a paddle
boat trip to see the local farmer and his
family making coconut sugar from the sap
of the coconut tree.
Amphawa Floating Market is opened on weekends only from about 3pm
to 9pm. There are plenty of food stalls and
shops selling quality handicrafts, many of
which are unique and not found elsewhere.
King Rama II Memorial Park, Amphawa - The park was developed to honour the birthplace
of King Rama II. There are four traditional
Thai style buildings & botanical gardens.
Chatuchak Weekend Market
Once only popular among wholesalers and traders,
Chatuchak Weekend Market is now firmly on
the tourist map. On a typical weekend, more
than 200,000 visitors go there to sift through
the goods on offer on more than 8,000 market
stalls. If you have a weekend in Bangkok it’s
worth a visit.
Asiatique, Riverfront Night Market
This shopping and lifestyle complex incorporates
a night market of small shops unlike the
more typical night markets of stalls. The main shopping area is located in the
old warehouses of the East Asiatic Company
and this is complimented two theatres, street
performers and over 40 restaurants.
Patpong District
Patpong is an entertainment and red
light district between the parallel streets
of Sois and Silom. It’s a relic of
the Vietnam War where the nightlife and go-go
bars (ideal for picking up women) developed
for the GIs who were on leave from South
Vietnam and other American bases in the region.
Some of the streets are blocked for the night
market – which has a reputation for
supplying counterfeit goods.
