Chatuchak: Navigating Bangkok's Best Weekend Market
Sitting directly north of Bangkok’s city centre, the venue for the world’s largest weekend market hosts 15,000 stalls across 30 acres every weekend of the year.
Chatuchak, sometimes referred to as JJ or Jatujak market, brings together vendors who sell a wide assortment of products and goods that promises an overwhelming but very memorable experience.
One of the only places in the world that you could buy new ceramics for your kitchen, plastic mangosteens, an offensive t-shirt, a pet meerkat and a life-sized diamond encrusted tiger within the same space can be found just north of Bangkok’s city centre.
Our Experience
Visiting alongside the other 200,000 average visitors that flock to the north of the city, we actually went to Chatuchak quite a few times during our time living in Thailand. Whenever we found ourselves in Bangkok for a weekend, we always took part of the afternoon to head up to the market on the BTS or MRT.
The labyrinth of stalls sell everything in your imagination (and much, much… MUCH more), and there is truly something for everyone here. It’s a must do activity if you find yourself in the city centre over a Saturday or Sunday, even if you’re not a big shopper. I loved the quirky t-shirts, food stalls, book shops and plants stalls and Steve loved the wooden craftsman sections, which included stall after stall of hand-carved goods and furniture. For more of our recommendations and tips on visiting the market, see below.
When to Go
A market catering mostly to it’s locals, Chatuchak estimates that just over a quarter of the visitors are foreigners.
Saturday and Sunday is where you’ll get the best of Chatuchak, with some vendors opening their stalls as early as 5am and continuing on into the evening. This being said, the best time to go is in the late morning/ early afternoon, when most of the vendors have had the chance to open.
Although a weekend market, Chatuchak is actually open during the week as well, but for more specialised purposes. Tuesday (12 - 8pm), Wednesday and Thursday (5am - 6pm) sees Chatuchak open for a Plants Market, and Fridays are dedicated to a Wholesale Market (open for 24 hours starting from 5am on the Friday morning).
How to get there
Wherever you stay in Bangkok, we recommend being walking distance from either the BTS or MRT line closer to the city centre (use Hua Lamphong as a reference). In our opinion, the best locations to stay are where these two lines cross, Asos/Sukhumvit or Sala Deang/ Silom, as the entire city becomes so accessible.
Although accessible by local bus or private transport like a taxi, we thought that using either the BTS and MRT are the more straightforward and cost-effective way to visit the market. However, if you are taking private transport, every driver in the city will know ‘Chatuchak/ JJ/ Weekend Market’.
On the MRT line, which is the blue one that circles the city centre, get off at either Kamphaeng Phet station (closest to the main market, look out for Exit 2) or Chatuchak park (which will bring you to section 6/7.
On the BTS, hop on the light green line and look out for Mo Chit station (Exit 1). If you’re staying within the city hub, this will most likely be to the north, so look out for the train going in the direction of Khu Khot. Once you get off the transit, either follow the signs or crowds into the market, it’s impossible to miss.
By bus, most ‘Ordinary’ buses heading north from the city centre pass by Gate 3 of the market on Phahonyothin Road, and a select few buses (like 26, 77 and 136) pass by Gate 1 of the market on Kamphaeng Phet 2 Road. Both of these stops are where you can catch outbound buses back to the city after you’ve done your shopping.
What to Expect
The market is a true labyrinth, and it takes only a few minutes to appreciate that it’s the world’s largest. Make sure to pick up a map at one of the entrances once you do arrive to get your bearings, although getting lost is all part of the experience.
You’ll notice they divide the map into 29 sections; antiques, accessories, Thai instruments, books, clothing, bags and shoes, used clothing and shoes, arts and paintings, carvings, spa products, incense, artificial flowers, basketry, handcrafts, souvenirs, knitting wool, postcards, pet and animal care equipment, tableware, ceramics, silverware, home decor, homewares, hiking equipment, luggage, leather goods, silks, photo frames, miscellaneous. Look out for the clock tower within the market to re-orientate yourself.
If you find yourself getting overwhelmed (which is very easy to do here), get your bearings and take a breather in Chatuchak Park, closest to Gate 2.
our Tips for visiting the market
Use the market map as a guide to find your bearings if you’ve been wandering for a while. It’s cleverly laid out by sections, so we recommend noting where you come in (based on how you get to Chatuchak) so you can find your way back out again.
Bring cash! As like almost everywhere in Thailand, cash is king and expect that vendors only accept cash. There are ATMs located throughout the market, so if you need to take out any more, you’ll be able to.
Pack bottled water. As the market is outdoors, the heat can sneak up on you especially if you’re wandering around for the better part of a day. A reminder that buying bottled water is the norm in Thailand - for other differences that you may expect, read our 10 Differences Between Living in Thailand VS the UK.
If you see something you like, buy it! As the stalls are largely independents, they won’t have multiple items in every size. It’ll operate on a first come, first serve basis and don’t expect vendors to reserve or place items on hold. There is also a very good chance that once you pass a stall, it’ll be hard to find it again!
Feel free to haggle, but do it in a respectful way. Play it by ear with the stall - for example, if it’s a food stall that has fixed prices listed, we don’t recommend haggling, but if there are goods and products that seem less fixed in price, barter away. You’ll know quickly if the stall owner is open to it or not.
Plan to spend at least a half day getting here and exploring, with most stalls closing up around 6-6.30pm in preparation for the night market which starts from 7pm.
Be respectful of stalls that don’t want photos of their goods taken. Although snapping pics is generally very accepted, some of the stalls may not want photos taken of their products (especially vendors that are designing their own products themselves). It’s good practice to ask first, and respect their decision.
If you find yourself in Bangkok over a weekend, we definitely recommend heading north to Chatuchak, it’s definitely a one-of-a-kind experience.
Happy Travels,
Sam
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