Night markets in Bangkok are among the easiest and most enjoyable ways of getting up close and personal with local life in Thailand's capital. Markets are spread out in most areas of the city and offer an incredibly diverse range of goods and products, snacks and entertainment – after dark shopping opportunities mean incredible bargains in the moonlight. Newer and larger night markets are opening in Bangkok every year, but there's none bigger than the original Rot Fai Market in the east of the city, although the old classics still prove popular, such as Patpong Night Market.
A handful of local night markets have been popping up around the city too – great for vintage fashion fanatics or anyone looking to mix in some cheap eats or some evening drinks with their after-dark retail therapy. See our list of Bangkok's best night markets below to decide which suits your interests.
Asiatique
Asiatique successfully combines 2 of the most popular shopping experiences in the city: a night bazaar and a mall. Around 10 minutes downriver from Saphan Taksin BTS station, this once-bustling international trade port transformed into a huge replica warehouse complex with over 1,500 boutiques and 40 restaurants.
It's open from 5pm and spending an evening here is no problem: you’ll have good fun browsing the boutiques, picking up gifts or something for yourself. You’re also guaranteed to find something you’d like to eat and if this isn’t enough entertainment, nightly highlights range from Calypso ladyboy cabarets to classic Thai puppet shows.
Getting to Asiatique The Riverfront
The easiest and fastest way to get there is via boat. Take the BTS to Saphan Taksin and jump on the free shuttle at the end of the pier. It only takes 10 minutes, and the boat runs until 11pm. Taxis are not recommended as the traffic can be terrible in this area.
From the boat, you step off onto a long boardwalk which runs for 300 metres which looks romantic once the sun has set. Wide streets run between each warehouse and Asiatique provides retro props for photo opportunities: a reproduction tram car, anchors and a pushcart. The decor does feel a little overdone on occasion and not quite in keeping with the designers’ plans to evoke nostalgia for the 1900s. Even so, it’s so well planned, clean and spacious that the lack of history doesn’t really matter.
Asiatique highlights and features
Once you enter the hangars, you can appreciate the design even more. This is probably the only market in Bangkok where you can find a stall by looking at a map. Asiatique is split into 4 categories to help you find what you’re looking for without too much hassle.
The Chareonkrung District is where you’ll find the majority of the small boutiques (over 1,000 in 4 warehouses) selling souvenirs, handicrafts, jewellery, and clothing. The little storefronts are attractive, the displays are interesting and there is a wide range on offer too, from fashionable Thai brands to affordable stores selling merchandise similar to those on offer in places like Chatuchak and MBK.
The focus at Asiatique is more on cutting-edge fashion and gadgets in the Factory District, including an Apple store. You can find upscale dining in the Waterfront District, with smart Italian, Thai and seafood restaurants. The Town Square district has bars and outdoor spaces for events. Some independent cafes are dotted around selling strong drinks and decently priced Thai food. Asiatique also has branches of KFC, Pizza Company, Au Bon Pain and MK.
As well as all this food and shopping, the 2 biggest entertainment draws are the Thai puppets by Joe Louis Theatre and Calypso Cabaret, one of Bangkok’s celebrated ladyboy shows. Both these shows have been attracting large audiences for years, and Asiatique is the perfect new surrounding for them, offering so much more than just a performance.
The selection of shops is interesting, with a good range of unusual brands rather than row upon row of tourist trinkets. This bazaar is busy but isn’t overrun by tourists – crowds of locals enjoy coming here too. Asiatique is definitely worth dedicating an evening to.
Chang Chui Bangkok Plane Night Market
Chang Chui Bangkok Plane Night Market has a nice selection of shopping and dining, combined with modern, urban and often wacky art installations. For those staying close to the Old Town and Khao San, this market is quite easy to reach by taxi. If you’re travelling from Bangkok’s downtown areas of Sukhumvit or Silom, it’s best to visit early in the day.
Highlights of Chang Chui Bangkok Plane Market
Chang Chui Bangkok Plane Market has 18 separate buildings made from recycled materials. Besides the generally cool, artistic vibe, you can enjoy a wide selection of food and craft beer, as well as shop for boutique fashion pieces.
The market’s main attraction is the shell of a Lockheed L-1011 Tristar aeroplane. There are plenty of unique art sculptures that make for excellent photos. Families can enjoy slides, treehouses and swings scattered throughout the market.
A food pavilion serves Asian and international street food such as fresh oysters, sushi, pizza, ramen, and som tum (papaya salad). Towards the back of the market is a row of bars serving cold beers and cocktails.
Chang Chui Bangkok Plane Market has 2 spaces for live performances, usually acoustic and jazz music playing throughout the night. The entire area is pet-friendly, so you’ll see many people with their dogs in the early evenings.
Chatuchak Friday Night Market
Chatuchak Weekend Market in Bangkok (locally known as JJ Market) was once only popular among wholesalers and traders, but it has now reached landmark status as a must-visit place for visitors to the Thai capital. The market’s sheer size and diverse collections of merchandise will bring any seasoned shoppers to their knees – it’s where you can literally ‘shop till you drop’.
Chatuchak is home to more than 8,000 market stalls that are spread over more than 14 hectares. On a typical weekend, more than 200,000 visitors come here to sift through the goods on offer. Veteran shoppers would agree that just about everything is on sale here, although not all at the best bargain rates. But if you have one weekend in Bangkok, squeeze in a day trip to Chatuchak Weekend Market and you won’t be disappointed.
Navigating your way around Chatuchak Weekend Market
For first-timers, ‘conquering’ Chatuchak may seem like an impossible task. But worry not – there's a system to help you navigate your way through Chatuchak. Inside, there’s a main walkway that encircles the entire market, and it branches off into a series of numbered alleyways called Soi 1, Soi 2, Soi 3, and so on.
These alleyways are grouped into sections, with 27 sections in all. You’ll find more than one category of goods contained in one section, and the same category of goods will appear again in the other sections. In terms of locating your category of goods, this system is rather useless; but it will come in handy when you try to locate your particular stall or where your exact location is on the Chatuchak map.
Another way to find your way around Chatuchak is to find points of reference as you go along. The BTS and MRT stations, as well as banks and numbered entrance gates, are good points of references, as you’ll come across them as you turn corners. Use the map to locate these references to find your correct orientation.
What’s for sale at Chatuchak?
If you can dream it up, Chatuchak probably has it. Here, you'll be amazed at the sheer variety of merchandise, whether it's a Moroccan lamp, an antique wooden chest, a pair of vintage Levi’s jeans, or – on the exotic side – a live python.
Although it’s impossible to name all, the selection of goods being offered at Chatuchak can be roughly divided into 11 categories:
Clothing & Accessories (sections 2-6, 10-26)
Handicrafts (sections 8-11)
Ceramics (sections 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 25)
Furniture and Home Decoration (sections 1,3,4,7,8)
Food and Beverage (sections 2, 3, 4, 23, 24, 26, 27)
Plants and Gardening tools (sections 3, 4)
Art and Gallery (section 7)
Pets and Pet Accessories (sections 8, 9, 11, 13)
Books (sections 1, 27)
Antiques and Collectibles (sections 1, 26)
Miscellaneous and Used Clothing (sections 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 22, 25, 26)
When buying goods at Chatuchak, particularly ‘antiques’, it's wise to exercise a few precautions. Check your goods thoroughly to see whether there's any damage, as many vendors sell factory rejects. For ‘antiques’, don’t trust the vendor when he tells you it's genuine. It’s better to bring along an expert, unless you're happy with what you're paying for.
Khaosan Road
Khaosan is the centre of the backpackers' universe – it’s bursting with fun, tacky and useful things to blow your baht on. Its ubiquitous travel shops can arrange your outward journey, whether it be flights, trains or bus tickets. The many tailors will happily whip you up a sharp suit ready for when you arrive back from the islands.
A must for the beach is a gripping read, and fortunately several of the city's best secondhand book shops are here. Modern essentials aren't neglected either: internet cafés, chemists, convenience stores, banks and monetary exchanges abound.
Khlong Thom Market
Khlong Thom Market, formerly known as 'Flashlight Market' due to the fact that shoppers need a torch to view the goods (when shopping at night), is especially crowded late on Saturday evenings. Jam-packed with motley vendor stalls and displays, the market is best known for its secondhand goods and assorted knick-knacks.
Covering areas of Luang, Worachak, Charoenkrung and Suar Pa Roads, Khlong Thom has everything from spare car parts, DVDs and CDs and electronic devices to clothing and toys. Besides the roadside stalls, there's also the 3-storey Khlong Thom Centre (close to Worachak Road) where car accessories and toys are for sale.
Patpong Night Market
Patpong's become one of the 'must' night shopping destinations in Bangkok. Found in the built-up area of Silom, the place is always busy and chaotic with all the commotion from the go-go bars nearby and lots of foreign tourists. This market in Bangkok's notorious nightlife district is often the first and easiest stop for many tourists just arriving in Bangkok, while lodging at one of several mid-to-high-end hotels in Silom.
Be warned though: the quality and prices of most items sold here aren't to be trusted. Remember not to be fooled by first impressions, and to bargain hard.
Rod Fai Market 1 (Srinakarin Road)
At Rod Fai Market, a huge open-air bazaar in the eastern suburbs of Bangkok, the vintage look never goes out of style. Spread on the ground are all kinds of collectables and memorabilia from yesteryear, from antique furniture to hippy fashion to Mao kitsch.
Rod Fai Market definitely stands out from the hordes of outdoor markets across Bangkok but it could be hard to find as it’s spread out on a huge plot of land behind Seacon Square on Srinakarin Road.
Rod Fai Market 2 (Ratchada)
The newer Rod Fai Market, in the Ratchada area of Bangkok, brings the same convivial night bazaar feel, antique curios, and street-food snacks and treats from its original location into an area of the city that's much easier to access thanks to the nearby Cultural Centre MRT Underground Station.
This new Bangkok train market is more central and compact, meaning it’s easier to pop in for a spot of browsing anytime from 6pm to midnight, Thursday to Sunday.
Suan Lum Night Bazaar Ratchada
Suan Lum Night Bazaar Ratchada is a night market on Ratchada Road, close to Lad Phrao MRT Underground Station. With 1,800 stalls, shops, restaurants and plenty of entertainment options, it's looking to recreate the experience of the original Sun Lum Night Bazaar, which was a mainstay on tourists’ itineraries until it closed some years ago.
The location is slightly more out-of-town and it has a more modern vibe than its predecessor. The night market is complemented by an 800-room hotel called The Bazaar Hotel.
Artbox Bangkok
Artbox Bangkok, also called Artboxthailand, is a trendy outdoor market in Chuvit Garden. Located between the Asok and Nana BTS Skytrain stations, most stalls occupy giant metal shipping containers, while picnic tables and benches are scattered throughout the park. You won’t find tacky tourist souvenirs at this open-air market, but youthful fashion and handmade accessories by local designers. Artbox Bangkok often hosts live music in the evenings, resulting in a rather laidback atmosphere.
Sukhumvit Street Market (Nana)
A lot of Nana shopping exists on the street, with the vendors that make up the roadside market fringing the main road. This part of Bangkok is also known as the Middle Eastern quarter – 'Little Arabia’, where many Arab businesses set up shop.
Street stalls selling counterfeit T-shirts, bags, trinkets, DVDs, CDs and eastern-influenced apparel contribute to the bustling vibrancy of the place. This is a great location to pick up indigenous tokens for friends and family back home.
Box Space Ratchayothin Night Market
Ratchayothin Night Market is in the northern part of the city. Items on sale here are a bit trendier, and with the market located next to the Major Ratchoyothin Cinema and IMAX complex, you can catch a flick before or after shopping around. A few bargain shops and eateries are also in the shopping complex.
The easiest way to get to the market is to take the MRT subway to Phahonyothin station, catch a tuk tuk and tell the driver to take you to 'talat' (market) Major Ratchoyothin. Bus number 543 runs by Ratchoyothin, or, just take a taxi from BTS Mo Chit station to the market.
