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chatuchak weekend market

Mixt Chatuchak mall Bangkok

Thailand: Jatujak Weekend Market and Mixt Chatuchak Mall

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
It’s called Mixt Chatuchak and it’s right by the weekend market
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

Vietjet air flight to Thailand

Thailand: Flying from Ho Chi Minh City to Bangkok

Date: 1 November 2019

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.

Clouds over Vietnam sea
We were flying over the Gulf of Thailand
Vietjet air flight to Thailand
The flight from Ho Chi Minh City to Bangkok takes 1.5 hours

VietJet lands at Suvarnabhumi Airport.

Arriving Suvarnabhumi airport Bangkok
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.

Indian restaurants Bangkok Thailand
I walked all the way to a shopping center called Indra Square, which had a bunch of Indian restaurants opposite to the mall
Thai KFC spicy chicken rice bowl
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.

Ryo camera Indra square Bangkok
Indra Square was filled with tourists from South Asia, buying every thing from clothes to chocolates… even from a camera shop?
Market bangkok shopping complex
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.

Continue reading “Thailand: Flying from Ho Chi Minh City to Bangkok” »
Gurdwara entrance sikhs Bangkok Thailand

Thailand 2010: Gurdwara Siri Guru Singh Sabha, Sampeng Market, JJ market (again)

Date:  28th November 2010

I began today with a taxi ride to Phahurat Raod.

House Lumpini building Silom Bangkok Thailand
Drove towards Silom first

Silom buildings Bangkok Thailand

Silom HSBC building Bangkok Thailand
A lot of financial firms have offices in Silom
DTAC telecom headquarters Bangkok Thailand
DTAC is Thailand’s second largest mobile service provider

Wat temple Silom Bangkok

China town daytime Bangkok Thailand
Drove through China Town again
Thanon Chakphet road Bangkok slums
Got down at Chakphet road

Chakphet street food stalls Bangkok

Fried fruit street hawker Bangkok Thailand
Batter-fried fruit

Phahurat market Chinese sweet shop Bangkok

Thanon Phahurat road Bangkok Thailand
Reached Pahurat road

Thanon Pahurat road shops Bangkok Thailand

Gurudwara Sikh point sign Pahurat road Bangkok
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

Old Siam plaza Bangkok Thailand

Pahurat market shops Bangkok
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.

Pahurat Bangkok alley way to gurdwara
Kept wondering how much more I had to walk to find it…
Bangkok gurdwara Indian temple Thailand
…but there it was (finally!)
Way to gurdwara Bangkok alley
The ‘desis’ were in sight 🙂

Shops near gurdwara Bangkok ThailandMarket near gurdwara Little India Bangkok

Gurdwara Sir Guru Singh Sabha Bangkok Thailand
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. Gurdwara entrance sikhs Bangkok ThailandAll non-Sikhs have to cover their heads with a scarf, which they provide by the stairs in the main hall.

Gurdwara scarfs Bangkok Thailand
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.

Gurdwara main hall Sikhs blood donation Bangkok
The Sikhs were being their charitable self today with a blood donation camp
Gurdwara main hall fans Bangkok
The 6-storey gurdwara is one of the largest outside India
Gurdwara Langar hall Bangkok Thailand
The first floor is a Langar hall, where visitors and devotees had sat down for the free meals
Gurdwara wedding hall Bangkok sikhs
The floor above it looked like it was hall used for weddings and other events
Gurdwara prayer hall Bangkok Thailand
Above that was the main prayer hall

Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha prayer hall Bangkok

Gurdwara prayer hall Bangkok Sikh kid photobomb
This kid was waiting for his chance to ‘photobomb’ this shot
Gurdwara Sikh classrooms Bangkok Thailand
The fourth floor is a school
Gurdwara old Sikh lady Bangkok Thailand
The fifth floor was a hall with rooms…
Gurdwara Bahi Dharam Singh Bangkok Thailand
… with priests (I assume?)
Gurdwara Sikh guru rooms Bangkok Thailand
Not sure what this signifies or what they preach

Gurdwara window Bangkok ThailandChinaworld building Pahurat Bangkok

Gurdwara entry Pahurat road Bangkok
That looked like a more accessible entry
Gurdwara top floor Bangkok Thailand
I had reached the top
Gurdwara prayer hall carpet Bangkok Thailand
So naturally, I went back down

Gurdwara Guru Granth Sahib prayer Bangkok ThailandGurdwara Punjabis prayer hall Bangkok ThailandGurdwara Punjabi men praying Bangkok Thailand

Gurdwara Punjabi women praying Bangkok Thailand
The sexes are segregated in order to maintain ‘concentration’ it seems

Gurdwara Punjabis praying Guru Granth sahib Bangkok Thailand Gurdwara sikh women praying Bangkok ThailandGurdwara Sikh men praying Bangkok Thailand

Gurdwara prayer hall Bangkok Thailand
Assuming the prayers were over, I went down
Gurdwara Indian food hall Bangkok
Decided 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.

Pahurat market outside gurdwara Bangkok
Stepped out to a world where samosas and spring rolls are sold side-by-side
Pahurat textile market clothes Bangkok Thailand
Now to get back out…
Pahurat textile market prices Bangkok Thailand
I walked through the Pahurat textile market
Pahurat textile market Bangkok Thailand
I finally came out through here
Rajamangala University of Technology Rattanakosin Poh Chang campus
Rajamangala University of Technology was across the road

Here’s a map to give you a better idea:

Gurdwara Pahurat map Bangkok
(Image source: Google Maps)
Nightingale Olympic Company building Pahurat Bangkok
I moved on

Nightingale Olympic Company building Bangkok

Triphet road traffic crowds Bangkok
I was on the hunt for Sampeng Market next
Triphet road junction traffic Bangkok
The traffic scene here is *quite* different from the Sukhumvit side

After a bit of asking around, I was directed to Sampeng Market.

Sampeng market entry lane Bangkok
This wasn’t the main entrance or anything. Just one of many lanes in.
Sampeng Chinese market Bangkok Thailand
Sampeng market is known to be an integral part of China Town

Chinese idol worship Sampeng alley Bangkok

Sampeng Chinese market bags Bangkok
The lanes eventually all meet at one main straight path…
Sampeng market clothes CDs Bangkok Thailand
…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.

Sampeng market Sunday Thais Bangkok
Today being a Sunday, it was very crowded!
Sampeng textile market crowded Bangkok Thailand
Thus, very stuffy… and quite suffocating at times

Sampeng Chinese market accessories toys Bangkok

Sampeng market crowds traders Bangkok Thailand
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).

Sampeng market open road Bangkok Thailand
I finally got out and I had the option to move to the next section
Sampeng market Chinatown Bangkok Thailand
Instead, I wasn’t confident I’d find anything more worth buying and therefore, decided to end my Sampeng trek
Ratchawong road Bangkok Thailand
If you want to get a good starting point at Sampeng market, this is the road to get to first
Chinatown Bangkok morning Thailand
The 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.

Silom way to Sathon Bangkok
Took a taxi to the nearest BTS station
Victory Monument from BTS Bangkok Thailand
Victory Monument, as seen from inside the train

Victory Monument Bangkok Thailand

Nichkhun Thai ad BTS skytrain commercial
“Thai Prince” Nichkhun was selling something (one of the many products he shills for in Thailand)
Chatuchak market roof Clock Tower Bangkok
Yup, back to Chatuchak market
Chatuchak market from above Bangkok Thailand
That’s what it looks like from up above
Chatuchak Park stage Bangkok
Walked past the park again
Chatuchak weekend market gate us Bangkok Thailand
I plunged in
Chatuchak market rock band t-shirts Bangkok Thailand
I 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.

Paracetamol Studio t-shirts Chatuchak market Bangkok Thailand
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.

Ladies fashion boutique stores Jatujak market Bangkok Thailand
There are more such ’boutique’ stores
JJ market art studios paintings home furnishings Bangkok Thailand
You 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.

Jatujak Sunday market Bangkok Thailand
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!

Chatuchak weekend market map Bangkok Thailand
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.

Chatuchak market Clock Tower Bangkok
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!)
Chatuchak market clock tower porters Bangkok Thailand
The clock tower is also where you can find porters in case you buy more than you can carry

Chatuchak weekend market cheap t-shirts clothes Bangkok Thailand

Jatujak weekend market shops Bangkok
It was lunch time and I reached the phase where one wonders if they are walking around in circles
Beeberry Mangosteen juice Chatuchak Bangkok
Tried this on the way out
Chatuchak market tattooed Thai famous crocodile skin Bangkok
This 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 🙂

Siam Paragon Krispy Kreme line doughnuts Bangkok
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 station Bangkok Thailand
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.

2pm Nichkhun prawn crackers chips Thailand
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.

Chinese travel pillow Sampeng Bangkok
😀

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! 🙂


Final post in this series:

Thailand 2010: Damnoen Saduak Floating Market tour, Cobra show… and leaving Bangkok

Previous posts in this series:

Thailand 2010: Back to Bangkok — Chinatown, Patpong, Platinum Mall and Chatuchak Market

Thailand 2010: Pattaya — Beach road, Viewpoint, Jomtien Beach, Walking Street

Thailand 2010: Golden Triangle in Mae Sai; Chiang Rai’s White Temple (Wat Rong Khun)

Thailand 2010: Heading to Chiang Rai by bus, Wat Jedyod and Golden Clock Tower

Thailand 2010: Last day of Loi Krathong; Sunday Grand Parade (Day 4, Part 2)

Thailand 2010: Chiang Mai Zoo (Day 4, Part 1)

Thailand 2010: Chiang Mai Loi Krathong celebrations; first Grand Parade

Thailand 2010: Chiang Mai cooking class; Loi Krathong celebrations in Mae Jo, Sansai

Thailand 2010: First day in Chiang Mai for Loi Krathong; driving up Doi Suthep

Thailand 2010: Arriving in Bangkok and preparing for Loi Krathong in Chiang Mai



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