Chatuchak Weekend Market (also known as Jatujak by the locals) is a large outdoor market in northern Bangkok, Thailand. I’ve heard differing numbers of stalls from many sources but let’s just say this…….if you want to see between 8,500 and 14,000 stalls, Chatuchak is for you! I live about 10 minutes from it, so I go every weekend without fail. I also run a business and purchase a lot of my wholesale orders from Chatuchak as the prices are great and the stall owners are extremely friendly.
The market is located next to the Mo Chit sky train station so is very easy to get to. The relatively new underground system also has two stops that service Chatuchak – Chatuchak Park, which brings you into the park next to the market and Kamphaeng Phet, which opens up right into the market itself. The market is open on Friday evenings, and all day Saturday and Sunday. Some people will tell you it opens at 7am on the weekends but really, other than food stalls, there’s not much open until 9am. The sellers begin to close at 6pm and everything is pretty much over by 7pm. There are however a couple of bars and restaurants that will stay open until 9pm.
Survival at Chatuchak Market is an art and here are 10 points to help you learn that art:
1) Arrive early. Best arrival time is about 9:30 am on a weekend. That will give you time to grab a quick breakfast and a drink before you hit the stalls. It starts to become crowded by noon and by 2pm is pretty much unbearable. Sunday is even busier than Saturday, so if you can’t get there till the afternoon try to make it a Saturday afternoon.
2) Don’t bring a purse and be careful of your wallet. Thailand is the safest country I have ever been to. However, like anywhere, there are sometimes problems with pick pockets and Chatuchak is notorious for it. I personally know one Westerner who lost almost $2,000, taken out of his wallet while he was trying to decide on which diamond ring to purchase for his girlfriend. You don’t need a purse, only money, which you should put into your front pocket or in a money pouch. Preferably split it into two sections so, if you have the unfortunate experience of having your pocket picked, all of your money doesn’t disappear in one fell swoop. Men, don’t put your money in your back pocket. Seriously, only idiots do that! Front pocket, split into two lots. Got it?
3) Stay hydrated but no need to bring water. Out of the 12,000-plus stalls, about 8,000 of them sell water. No joke! So if you’re dying of thirst, which you will be, you can grab a bottle for 10 baht (about 25 cents). You can also get shakes, fruit juices, coke, Pepsi, iced coffees and teas, beer, wine and pretty much anything else you could want. There are also bathrooms so drink as much as you like!
4) Get a map. There are free maps available at the information counter at the main gate. Take one. Chatuchak is a maze and difficult to find things if you don’t know where you’re going. Each section has specific things eg: clothing, silks, shoes etc. so it’s easier to find things if you know what each section sells.
5) If you like something, buy it. If you see something you like, buy it. Don’t wait to see if you’ll find a better price because you might, you might not. But you will never find the first stall again!
6) Bargain. Part of the fun is bargaining. Don’t be insulting but do try to knock them down. Some stalls do have a fixed price and will not bargain, but most will. A good place to start is to offer about 70% of the original price. The seller will counter offer but you can usually get them down by 15-20% and, if you buy more than 1 of an item, you will get an even better price. I buy in bulk as part of my business, and usually end up paying 90 baht each for a shirt that will be 180 baht to another Westerner. This also though is because I speak Thai so you’re not likely to get quite as cheap a price if you don’t live here and don’t speak the language, but you can get close.
7) Food. Chatuchak is known by the Thais to have some of the best food in Bangkok. There are little stalls and restaurants everywhere that sell anything from squid on a stick to green curries, traditional Thai somtam (spicy papaya salad), cut fruit, noodles, spring rolls, French fries, fried chicken, soups, desserts, doughnuts, ice cream (both regular and traditional Thai ice cream on a stick) and any number of other yummy things. The food is safe, I don’t know of anyone who has gotten sick from it, it’s dirt cheap and really good.
8) Bars. There are several bars at the market, usually populated by mostly Westerners although some of them have a Thai flare and are favorites of the locals. Beer is cheap, wine and mixed drinks are reasonable, and they’ll often have a guy walking around with a basket of ‘bar snacks’ (nuts, beans, spicy seeds etc.) Very good and only 15 baht (around 40 cents).
9) Toilets. There are several around the market. They charge 2 baht entrance and don’t forget to also buy tissue paper (usually 4 baht) as there will not be any once you get in the stalls. Thai girls also take forever in the bathrooms so be prepared for a long wait if you’re female.
10) The market is a circular shape. So it’s easy to walk the whole way around it. There is a street that runs in a circle from one side of the market all the way around and back. Stalls and alleys then run off this street in all directions. If you head into the middle bit and keep going, you’ll eventually arrive straight through it and back onto the circular street on the other side. There are also policemen everywhere who speak enough English usually that you can ask for directions if you get lost.
Now we’ve gone through the survival points, what do they sell at Chatuchak?
Fruit, vegetables, plants, clothes, shoes, artwork, jewelry, watches, silks, Thai crafts, wooden furniture, household items, electronics, young fashion, candles, dogs, cats, rabbits, snakes, exotic animals, bags, purses, wood carvings, toys, fake designer wear, fake bags, fake DVDs, baskets, antiques, sheets and pillowcases, ceramics, glassware, jewelry boxes, photograph frames, fabrics, silk flowers, gifts, towels,…….pretty much anything you have ever seen in your life is at Chatuchak and certainly anything you’ve seen in Thailand. It’s also a lot cheaper here than almost anywhere else in Bangkok.
For instance, if I buy a t shirt in downtown Bangkok I would normally pay from 150 baht to 200 baht (between $4.42 and $5.90). At Chatuchak, the same shirt costs me between 50 baht and 100 baht ($1.47 and $2.94)……much cheaper and a lot more choice!
A final note – if it is raining, avoid Chatuchak completely. The narrow alleys and sois flood, the corregated iron roofs leak like a collander, and everybody skuttles for cover like drowning cockroaches. Pedestrian traffic grinds to a halt and you’ll find yourself stuck sheltering in a little alcove crammed between 50 other people. No fun and there are many air-conditioned, indoor malls in Bangkok that are better places to spend a rainy day.
So, remember, on a normal sunny, hot Bangkok day here’s how to enjoy, and survive, Chatuchak – Go early, get a free map, don’t bring a purse, hydrate often, bargain, get snacks, ask a policeman or stall owner to help you if you get lost, and most importantly, buy it if you like it because you’ll never find it again.
At least 4 hours is required, I think, to get a good feel for the place and to find what you’re looking for. Get breakfast first, then shop. Stop for a break and a drink after a couple of hours. Shop again. Have another snack or lunch when you’re done, then head back to the skytrain or underground and go back to your hotel to drop off your hundreds of bags. Mostly though, have fun, talk to the locals and take lots of photos!
