Musings of a Massage Therapist: How to shop in Bangkok

On my last day in Thailand, before flying out of Bangkok, I made sure to visit the famous Chatuchak Weekend Market. http://chatuchak.org/ From everything I’d heard and read about this was THE market to shop at, the kind of place so large that any other would pale in comparison. My husband and I set aside most of our last day to basically shop until we dropped. We did as suggested and arrived early to beat the heat and the crowds.

An outdoor portion in the middle of the market.

It’s hard to tell how big this place is because most of it is covered. Unlike all the other weekend markets I had been to in Thailand, you couldn’t look at it all in one glance. There was hardly any way to orient yourself. As soon as I thought I knew where I was, I was completely lost and confused again! It’s mostly all indoors with row upon row of stalls containing anything and everything you could ever want to buy. There’s no real way to navigate this place, so we would just follow one aisle for awhile and then randomly decide to go right or left. I have no idea if I saw the whole place or not, it’s nearly impossible to do so. And god forbid you see something, don’t buy it and then decide you actually do want it and try and find it again. Not. A. Chance. According to their website the market covers 27 acres, is divided into 27 sections and contains more then 15, 000 booths selling goods from every part of Thailand.

I had already purchased a whole wack of massage supplies, lotions, soaps and essential oils for the clinic so this day was all about buying last minute souveniers for myself and my friends and family. And getting rid of the last of our Thai money (not that there was much left). I bought a bunch of really cool printed t-shirts, some small pieces of art, a statue, bell and a larger suitcase to put it all in, including my smaller, overstuffed suitcase that I had originally brought with me. But the coolest thing I bought in the entire market was actually from a small table outside. These weren’t offical booths and seemed almost garage style with small tables and blankets full of all kinds of random stuff. I just about lost it when I found one table full of antique Thai photographs. I collect old black and white photos so this was an exciting find. I spent quite a bit of time flipping through them all, pulling out all the photos that I was drawn to. I had to stop myself from buying all of them they were so cool! Photos from weddings, funerals, graduations, vacations, worshipping at temples, families at home as well as monks and nature scenes. There were a bunch from the 60’s that made me laugh, with Thai women dressed to the nines with giant glasses and pumped up hair. Of everything I bought while in Thailand, these photos meant the most to me. It’s an odd thing to collect I know, but in some way I feel like I’m keeping the people, moments and memories alive. It’s also a very affordable hobby. I also bought a stack of replica photos of the current King and Queen, also in black and white, from another booth.

Sunday picnic in Bangkok.

After several hours of non-stop shopping both of our backs were starting to give out and we decided to take a break and get some lunch. We found a little “restaurant” on the outskirts of the market and I had a tasty bowl of noodle soup and Byrd had some stir-fry with rice. There is a big park right next to the market so we wandered over to rest our aching feet and backs. It was a beautiful park and all the locals were out in hoards enjoying the perfect sunday. And my oh my do they ever know how to picnic! As soon as I walked in, a woman was offering me a straw mat to lay on for 20 baht. There are all kinds of people wandering around the park renting mats, each one marked as theirs. For 20 baht you have a huge straw mat that you can lie on for as long as you’d like. When you’re done, just walk away and they take care of it. There are also people wandering around with food, drinks, snacks and there are bbq meats and soups by the entrance. So basically you can come to the park with absolutely nothing and have a great picnic! Why don’t people do this in Canada?? It would be great on the island or on the lakeshore on a beautiful summer day. It certainly came in handy for us on our big shopping trip.

One-eyed pigeon in the park.

Mid-day rest.

Food and drinks for sale.

You really can shop till you drop...

Once we rested a bit and were feeling a bit better we left our mat and headed back to the market to spend a couple of more hours shopping. By mid-afternoon it was starting to get crowded and hot so we treated ourselves to some popsicles and a slushy to help cool us down. I got to spend some time wandering through the animal section, oohing and ahhing at the adorable puppies, kitties and bunnies. I never did find those baby squirrels I read about but I did see more dog outfits, accessories and toys then I ever had! We got lost, found and then lost again. Picked up all the gifts and souvenirs we wanted to. And then finally thew in the towel, feeling like we had barely cracked the surface. Chatuchak weekend market - you did not disappoint!