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Photos and stories from many of my travels in the past 5 years

Thailand: Jatujak Weekend Market and Mixt Chatuchak Mall

By Mithun Divakaran
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Mar 10, 2025
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Bangkok, Thailand, Travel

Date: January 21, 2023

I spent yesterday roaming through Khao San Road, checked out popular toy plazas, and ended the night at Bangkok’s Chinatown.

Binggrae melon milk drink BTS edition — I bought Binggrae melon-flavoured milk the night before. It’s some BTS edition. The musk melon flavour was actually quite yum!

Everytime I visit Bangkok and it’s a weekend, I try to visit Asia’s largest street market — Chatuchak weekend market.

Mo Chit BTS station Bangkok — I took the BTS to Mo Chit station

I visited Chatuchak market for the first time during my very first visit to Thailand back in 2009. This is probably my fifth or sixth time coming here — it’s like a ritual whenever I am in Bangkok

Getting to Chatuchak weekend market Bangkok — Why?

Because this place is awesome — it has something for everyone!

Pad Thai JJ weekend market — So many food stalls selling everything from Pad Thai…

Shawarma kebab stall weekend market Bangkok — …to shawarmas. And everything in between!

Second hand book stall Jatujak weekend stall — From second-hand books…

Street musicians weekend market Bangkok — … to street musicians

Fruit soap Bangkok Thailand — From fruit-scented soaps…

Boob dildo soap Bangkok Thailand — … naughty-looking soaps…

Anime tshirt store Jatujak weekend market Bangkok — … to popping by my favourite T-shirt shop in Bangkok

Livestream seller Jatujak market Bangkok — With changing times, Chatuchak sellers are now also live-streaming to grow their business

Welcome to Jatujak weekend market Bangkok — Jatujak or Chatuchak… both are used interchangeably

Jatujak weekend market panorama — COVID had killed some night markets but nice to see Jatujak still standing

Since there wasn’t anything new to observe in terms of stalls, I checked a new mall that had opened recently.

Mixt Chatuchak mall Bangkok Thailand — It’s not a big mall or anything, and it has many of the same stuff you will find it Chatuchak market stalls

Mixt Chatuchak clothes shops Bangkok — Lots of clothes again

One key difference when it comes to offerings though, are the availability of toy stores selling collectibles and anime figurines!

Toys Collection Mixt Chatuchak mall Bangkok — There were a bunch of these shops!

Mono Loop showcase toy stores Bangkok — Quite a nice collection too!

One Piece anime figurines Bangkok — Although One Piece…

Demonslayer toys plushies Bangkok Toys — … and Demon Slayer characters were the most popular

MEGA Plaza and Always One Plaza probably have more stores and variety, but if you want to shop for anime figurines and get there easily by BTS metro, Mixt Chatuchak is quite good.

Mixt Chatuchak pet store Bangkok — Lots of passerby were drawn to this pet store

Puppies dog stores Mixt Chatuchak Bangkok — Just as in India’s metros, there is demand in Bangkok for breeds from the northern hemisphere regions too

Imagine, all these furry breeds — huskies, malamutes, samoyeds — in tropical weather I’m guessing just as in India, local “dog lovers” don’t want their local, less-furry breeds?

Chatuchak market house decorations flowers Bangkok — I went back out to the market and decided to leave

Mo Chit station sunset Bangkok — Seeing this sunset made me sad. I hate the feeling when a trip comes to an end.

Middle Eastern restaurant Nana Bangkok — I picked up some dinner from a Middle Eastern eatery in Nana

Band street performance Bangkok Thailand — A band playing music to raise funds for some cause

Despite being my seventh time in Bangkok, I had never taken a local city bus to get around. I always rely on the metro as it’s the quickest way.

Old Hino Bangkok public bus Thailand — So I hopped into an old bus (Bangkok has new buses too) that was just going straight down Sukhumvit road

Once back in room, I packed my bags and went to bed, as I had to check out and head to the airport in the morning.

Previous posts in this series:

Thailand: Toy malls of Bangkok – Mega Plaza and Always One Plaza; Ong Ang Canal at sunset

Thailand: Visiting Khao San Road For the First Time

Thailand: Capturing Wat Arun at Sunset

Thailand: Hindu god shrines around Sukhumvit, Bangkok

Thailand: Siam Square Walking Street, a good place to find K-pop stores in Bangkok

Thailand: Phayathai Food Center and Bangkok’s Gundam Base

Flying AirAsia from Manila to Bangkok

Thailand: Yaowarat Road – Bangkok’s Chinatown During Chinese New Year

By Mithun Divakaran
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Jan 17, 2025
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Bangkok, Thailand, Travel

Date: January 20, 2023

After checking out Ong Ang Canal and Mega Plaza, I walked up Yaowarat Road to the section that is widely showcased as Bangkok’s Chinatown. This being mid-January, Yaowarat Road was decorated to usher in the Chinese New Year vibes.

Yaowarat road historic buildings — Bangkok’s Chinatown area is in the Samphanthawong district

Chinese have been migrating to Thailand for over 200 years. Initially for trade/business, then later waves of refugees fleeing the civil war era of the 1900s, and then the Mao era post 1950s. Mostly from southern China, first by way of border nations like Myanmar, Laos, and Cambodia — and then making their way to more prosperous Bangkok.

Chinese store Yaowarat Bangkok — Many businesses traditional Chinese goods

Even to this day, Chinese are trying to migrate to Thailand using various means. Mainland Chinese are the largest group of foreign buyers of real estate in Bangkok and Chiang Mai. Many come to study in the international schools, and use education visa as a foot through the door to stay long-term.

Chinatown Panasonic Mazda Bangkok — The crowds were already thronging road-side stalls

Cheongsam Yaowarat road Bangkok — Cheongsams were available for purchase if you wanted to get the ‘Chinese’ look

Chinatown Bangkok red lanterns Thailand — I checked out some bylanes

Continue reading “Thailand: Yaowarat Road – Bangkok’s Chinatown During Chinese New Year” »

Thailand: Toy malls of Bangkok – Mega Plaza and Always One Plaza; Ong Ang Canal at sunset

By Mithun Divakaran
/
Dec 26, 2024
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Bangkok, Thailand, Travel

Date: January 20, 2023

After walking through Khaosan Road for the first time, I booked a Grab bike taxi and decided to head towards Yaowarat Road, the main street in what is dubbed Bangkok’s Chinatown.