Chatuchak Weekend Market (GPS: 13.79924, 100.54846; Thai: ตลาดนัดสวนจตุจักร ) in the largest market in Bangkok, Thailand, as well as in the whole world. It covers an area of 70 rai (35 acres), bordered by Phahonyothin Road in the east, Kamphaeng Phet Road in the south and Kamphaeng Phet 2 Road in the west. The market has at least 15,000 stalls. Over 200,000 people visit it every weekend, to shop or simply to gawk at the endless variety of goods up for sale there.
Chatuchak was created when Field Marshal Plaek Phibulsongkam, the late prime minister of Thailand, wanted to have a flea market in every town in Thailand. The first flea market in Bangkok was at Sanam Luang, and was called Sanam Luang Flea Market. However, as Sanam Luang often had to be used for official and special functions, the flea market was transferred to Saranrom Palace. It stayed there for 8 years, before being shifted to Sanam Chai. Due to lack of space, it moved back to Sanam Luang. When the government of Bangkok decided to turn Sanam Luang into a public park, the market was moved to the Phahonyothin area, and took the name Chatuchak, after a field nearby.
My visit to the Chatuchak Weekend Market
My friends and I visited Chatuchak when we were passing through Bangkok. There was so much to see, the many little things that you would never expect to find anywhere else. There is a plethora of knick-knacks which at first sight, you might want to buy, but later on have no good use for them. Let me show you what we saw.
Beggar lady selling tissue paper at Chatuchak Weekend Market, Bangkok (24 December, 2005)
Poinsettias on sale at Chatuchak Weekend Market, Bangkok (24 December, 2005) Plantlets on sale - ah, now I see what the wicker sieves I saw earlier can be used for, at Chatuchak Weekend Market, Bangkok (24 December, 2005)
Denim bags aplenty at Chatuchak Weekend Market - some look quite "used", don't you think? (24 December, 2005)
Tiny purses in a riot of colours, at Chatuchak Weekend Market, Bangkok (24 December, 2005)
Gourds and basketware at Chatuchak Weekend Market, Bangkok (24 December, 2005)
Plastic cups in a variety of colours at Chatuchak Weekend Market, Bangkok (24 December, 2005)
Operating hours of Chatuchak Weekend Market
The official opening hours of the market is 9:00am and closing time is 6:00pm, on Saturday and Sunday. That is why it is called a weekend market. However, some shops are also open on Friday, although technically Friday is for wholesalers only. The Garden stalls are also open on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 7:00am to 6:00pm.
How to reach Chatuchak Weekend Market by public transport
Nowadays, the nearest MRT stations is the Kamphaeng Phet MRT Station (BL12, กำแพงเพชร) and the Chatuchak Park MRT Station (BL13, สวนจตุจักร) on the MRT Blue Line, and Mo Chit Station (N8, หมอชิต) on the BTS Skytrain Sukhumvit Line.
Chatuchak Weekend Market on Google Street View
Main Entrance to Chatuchak Weekend Market, from Kamphaeng Phet 2 Road (Nov 2017)
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Disclaimer
Please use the information on this page as guidance only. The author endeavours to update the information on this page from time to time, but regrets any inaccuracies if there be any.
Hello and thanks for reading this page. My name is Timothy and my hobby is in describing places so that I can share the information with the general public. My website has become the go to site for a lot of people including students, teachers, journalists, etc. whenever they seek information on places, particularly those in Malaysia and Singapore. I have been doing this since 5 January 2003, for over twenty years already. You can read about me at Discover Timothy. By now I have compiled information on thousands of places, mostly in Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore, and I continue to add more almost every day. My goal is to describe every street in every town in Malaysia and Singapore.