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.
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
Why?
Because this place is awesome — it has something for everyone!
So many food stalls selling everything from Pad Thai…
…to shawarmas. And everything in between!
From second-hand books…
… to street musicians
From fruit-scented soaps…
… naughty-looking soaps…
… to popping by my favourite T-shirt shop in Bangkok
With changing times, Chatuchak sellers are now also live-streaming to grow their business
Jatujak or Chatuchak… both are used interchangeably
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.
It’s called Mixt Chatuchak and it’s right by the weekend market
It’s not a big mall or anything, and it has many of the same stuff you will find it Chatuchak market stalls
Lots of clothes again
One key difference when it comes to offerings though, are the availability of toy stores selling collectibles and anime figurines!
There were a bunch of these shops!
Quite a nice collection too!
Although One Piece…
… 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.
Lots of passerby were drawn to this pet store
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?
I went back out to the market and decided to leave
Seeing this sunset made me sad. I hate the feeling when a trip comes to an end.
I picked up some dinner from a Middle Eastern eatery in Nana
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.
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.
After 11 days of travelling, I was now on a VietJet flight to Bangkok. I began my trip in Phuket, where I spent two nights on the island before landing in Ho Chi Minh City. I spent nine days in Vietnam, and now I’m flying again.
We were flying over the Gulf of Thailand
The flight from Ho Chi Minh City to Bangkok takes 1.5 hours
VietJet lands at Suvarnabhumi Airport.
I always feel nostalgic whenever I land at Suvarnabhumi
Whenever I take the travelators at Suvarbahumi (of which there are many to get to immigration), it would always remind me of my first visit to Thailand in 2009, which was my first international trip, and how this blog got started!
I had booked my stay at In A Box Hostel for my arrival in Bangkok. The hostel is just a 1-minute walk from Ratchathewi BTS station. I chose to stay in a hostel because I would be moving to a nicer hotel later, and also, it had been a while since I experienced a hostel. The last time I stayed in a hotel was back in 2015.
I don’t know why, but I can’t seem to find any photos I took of the dorm, and I thought I did. That said, In A Box Hostel looked fairly new and had very nice rooms with clean, comfy beds for 300 THB (₹670/$9/€8) per night in the shared dorm. But this… was pre-COVID. As of this writing, they don’t offer shared dorm rooms, only private rooms.
I don’t blame them. Even if I were to travel again soon, I don’t think I will stay in a shared room (for safety reasons).
Anyway, I had to visit a DJI service center to get my brother’s gimbal repair. Another reason for staying at In a Box Hostel was because the DJI service center was a 10 minute walk away.
I went there and the people were generous to fix the gimbal at no cost! That was one of the things I needed from DJI. The other was a drone, something that had been on my bucket list for years. I was waiting for the DJI Mavic Mini, which would have been a great starter drone for me, but the DJI staff told me they weren’t sure of the release date, even though it would be soon.
I walked all the way to a shopping center called Indra Square, which had a bunch of Indian restaurants opposite to the mall
I ended up eating at KFC. They had this spicy rice bowl that I wanted to try out!
I always try the local menu at major fast food chains, just to sample dishes I won’t find back in India. The Thai KFC spicy rice bowl was a tad too spicy for my liking.
Indra Square was filled with tourists from South Asia, buying every thing from clothes to chocolates… even from a camera shop?
The Market Bangkok mall
Whenever I am in Bangkok, I usually try to stay in Sukhumvit and near a BTS (metro station). It’s a very convenient area to be in and the food choices are very diverse. Although BTS fares have risen, I avoid taking taxis to get around Bangkok.
A lot of financial firms have offices in SilomDTAC is Thailand’s second largest mobile service provider
Drove through China Town againGot down at Chakphet road
Batter-fried fruit
Reached Pahurat road
I could see a sign stating Gurudwara Sikh, but all it pointed to was a wall of shops on the side of the road I was on
I still waded through Pahurat market
Figuring the gurdwara was behind the shops, I found a gap and walked into an alley. There, an old Thai man saw me and just raised his arm to point to where I needed to go. I guessed I wasn’t the first Indian he may have come across in search of the elusive gurdwara.
Kept wondering how much more I had to walk to find it……but there it was (finally!)The ‘desis’ were in sight
Gurdwara Siri Guru Singh Sabha
You can read about the history of the gurdwara at their official site, but apparently Sikhs have been in Thailand since the early 1900s. All non-Sikhs have to cover their heads with a scarf, which they provide by the stairs in the main hall.
Pick one
You also have to take off your shoes if you want to go upstairs. They have a big shoe rack in the main hall and you get a token.
The Sikhs were being their charitable self today with a blood donation campThe 6-storey gurdwara is one of the largest outside IndiaThe first floor is a Langar hall, where visitors and devotees had sat down for the free mealsThe floor above it looked like it was hall used for weddings and other eventsAbove that was the main prayer hall
This kid was waiting for his chance to ‘photobomb’ this shotThe fourth floor is a schoolThe fifth floor was a hall with rooms…… with priests (I assume?)Not sure what this signifies or what they preach
That looked like a more accessible entryI had reached the topSo naturally, I went back down
The sexes are segregated in order to maintain ‘concentration’ it seems
Assuming the prayers were over, I went downDecided to eat
As much as I love Thai cuisine, after nearly two weeks, eating simple dal curry, sabzi (vegetables) and chapathis felt soooo good.
Feeling full, I went all the way back down, collected my shoes and left the gurdwara.
Stepped out to a world where samosas and spring rolls are sold side-by-sideNow to get back out…I walked through the Pahurat textile marketI finally came out through hereRajamangala University of Technology was across the road
Here’s a map to give you a better idea:
(Image source: Google Maps)I moved on
I was on the hunt for Sampeng Market nextThe traffic scene here is *quite* different from the Sukhumvit side
After a bit of asking around, I was directed to Sampeng Market.
This wasn’t the main entrance or anything. Just one of many lanes in.Sampeng market is known to be an integral part of China Town
The lanes eventually all meet at one main straight path……which extends a long way
Sampeng market is a massive space with stores selling, well, just about everything: clothes, Chinese medicines, other Chinese specialties, toys, households items, pirated CDs and anything else China mass produces.
Today being a Sunday, it was very crowded!Thus, very stuffy… and quite suffocating at times
It’s through one narrow lane visitors, traders and porters all the pass through
Sampeng isn’t for everyone. It’s quite congested inside (or I assume it’s like this every weekend) and it can get very hot. Also, I didn’t find much of the merchandise to my liking, so unless you want loads of stationary for your kids, cheap, then Sampeng is the place… if you feel it’s worth the effort. I only stopped to buy one of those inflatable travel pillows/neck rests (cost ฿50).
I finally got out and I had the option to move to the next sectionInstead, I wasn’t confident I’d find anything more worth buying and therefore, decided to end my Sampeng trekIf you want to get a good starting point at Sampeng market, this is the road to get to firstThe main China Town area was just a few steps away
I still felt like ‘buying something,’ so decided to head back to my favourite ‘market’ in Thailand.
Took a taxi to the nearest BTS stationVictory Monument, as seen from inside the train
“Thai Prince” Nichkhun was selling something (one of the many products he shills for in Thailand)Yup, back to Chatuchak marketThat’s what it looks like from up aboveWalked past the park againI plunged inI was eying some more good t-shirts, among other things
Though most clothes shops sell more or less the same merchandise, there are a few (relatively speaking) independent studios selling something creative that sets them apart from the rest.
This was one such shop
Called Paracetamol Studio, the guy in the photo above says he does all the drawings and art himself, and then prints them on t-shirts and bags. I really liked his art and ended up buying three t-shirts at ฿300 each. He wouldn’t allow for bargaining but if you bought more, the price per t-shirt comes down.
There are more such ’boutique’ storesYou also have studios selling paintings and other works of art too
I just can’t recommend Jatujak market enough! There’s a reason why I like coming here. The variety of things you find is simply amazing. A lot of it is inexpensive and the rest, still rather affordable.
But do get here early in the morning if you plan to cover as much of this place as possible
Because despite coming here for a third time, I still can’t tell you how much of Chatuchak Weekend Market I have covered!
If you asked me where Paracetamol Studio is located on this map, I couldn’t possibly tell you
So if you wish to return to a store you once shopped from, take my advice, note down the store number.
This clock tower is one of the most important landmarks at Jatuchak. Important, because it stands high above the shops and can be used a point of reference in case you get lost (which will happen!)The clock tower is also where you can find porters in case you buy more than you can carry
It was lunch time and I reached the phase where one wonders if they are walking around in circlesTried this on the way outThis guy is a bit of a celebrity here at JJ market
Just as I was rushing out, I stopped by a store that sells genuine rock band t-shirts, many of which are seconds, but in very good condition and well washed. I finally managed to score a Def Leppard (my favourite band) Hysteria t-shirt and got it bargained down to ฿300 with the excuse it was my last night in Thailand. I was quite happy
Back at Siam Paragon, there was still a big line for Krispy Kreme
I called up my friend Sawmteii as we had agreed to meet for lunch, but she was still busy with family.
Siam BTS interchange. One train plys the Siam line, the other, the Silom line
I therefore headed back to my room, freshened up and got my ticket printed for tonight’s Jay Park fan meet at Siam Paragon.
I have already written about the Jay Park fan meet in another post, which you can read here.
After the fan meet, I went to a supermarket to pick up snacks and other items to pack in now itself as I was leaving Thailand tomorrow.
Bought some prawn chips, and this one had Nichkhun and his fellow 2PM members on the packet
As I was packing and trashing unwanted covers, I ended up having a right laugh reading the instructions on the Chinese travel pillow I had bought from Sampeng earlier in the day.
My Thai Airways flight was at night, so I still had tomorrow morning to do something. Which means, there’s one more post before I conclude this trip!
I’m guessing just as in India, local “dog lovers” don’t want their local, less-furry breeds?
