Don’t need malls when there are markets like these:
Lunch—Hour Markets
Soi Lalai Sup
What: Not so much a market as a spawling maze of stall on the soi luring mostly office workers and housewives with clothes, toys, household items, food and brand-name bags that may or may not be legit. Busy food court with prices starting from 25 baht. There is even a wine shop.
Don’t miss: Neua khem sold in front of the food court, 35 baht for one keed (100 grams). Cold-weather clothing for your trip to China and office wear for the ladies.
Where and when: Silom Soi 5, beside and behind Bangkok Bank headquarters. Mon-Fri, 10am-3pm.
Talad Pla Wan
What: Tent city off this busy road attracts office workers from the adjacent towers. The main attraction here is food court, but you will also get a mixed bag of clothing mostly for women and children.
Don’t miss: selection of kanom (snack) and food. Old-time candy at 10 baht / pack.
Where and when: Past the Lakes Ratchada on Ratchadapisek Road. Mon-Fri, 9am-10pm.
Talad Saladaeng
What: Another busy market/food court with a fairly good selection of clothes, shoes and accessories – mostly for women. Tons of snacks to choose from, so you never have to return home empty handed.
Don’t miss: Fried chicken wings, 18 baht for one keed (100 grams), 30-35 baht per bag.
Where and when: Saladaeng Soi 1 (past Zanotti). Mon-Fri, 9am-2pm.
Talad Serm Mit
What: Mecca for office ladies in the area. Worm your way through hair, heels and nails to grab the goods quality. There are also Snacks and sweet kanom when you enter and lots of clothes, accessories and beauty products further in.
Don’t miss: Shop selling funky vintage style jewelry and shoes.
Where and when: Behind Sermit Building, Asok Road. Mon-Fri, 11am-3pm.
Talad Tonson
What: The market is divided into two parts: Tonson (tent city on a vacant lot) and chilled-out Embassy Park Plaza (tidy shops in a row, like a miniature Suan Lum Night Bazaar) where the food is better. Stuffed with office workers at noon, bustling through 2pm. There are all you need from trendy clothes, accessories, shoes and perfumes to handicrafts. Some stalls change day-to-day.
Don’t miss: Shop selling jackets for 200 baht each. “U think...I Do” shop at Embassy Park, selling custom-printed shirts that say anything you want. Restaurants at Embassy Park are cheap, chic and cheerful.
Where and when: Ploenchit Road, opposite British Embassy, beside Tonson Tower. Mon-Fri, mild-morning to mid afternoon.
All-Day Markets
Talad Bon marche’
What: This hiso (high society) market is tidy, clean and boasts high-quality food with high prices to match. The shopping area offers jewelry, paintings and clothes (some suited for you, mostly better for your mom). There are also food court, fitness center and tuition centers.
Don’t miss: Luk Chup at Kanom Thai Khao Pi Nong, 20 baht / box. Cute jewelry at Sakura, 200 baht for their range of earring.
Where and when: 105/1 Tedsaban Prachasongkroh Road, Chatuchak. Daily, 8am-4pm.
Talad Klong San
What: Sleep early in the day but picks up once school lets out. Like a miniature open-air version of Bonanza Mall at Siam Square, the walkways are lined with small shops selling clothes, cosmetics and accessories.
Don’t miss: Chic Ts and trousers from Fungus Amongus, Together, Shee Sees, and Playground. Tasty bua loy in the middle of the soi (small street). A shop that sell trendy watches for 100 baht.
Where and when: Waterside, Charoen Nakorn Road, opposite Royal Orchid Sheraton Hotel. Easy access by bus and shuttle boat from Si Phraya pier. Daily noon-4pm.
 
Chatuchack (JJ)
What: All that you could want and so much more at the king of markets: clothes, furniture, plants, toys, animals, books, food, antiques – you can imagine it, they have it.
Don’t miss: Chao guay (sweet) by Project 3, old-fashioned popsicles, secondhand jeans, sneakers and cheap porcelain and pottery.
Where and when: Kamphang Phet 2, Rama 6 and Phahonyothin roads. MRT: There is a Chatuchak shop but get off at Kamphang Phet. Sat-Sun, 8am-5pm; Fri (wholesale) 7am-6pm; Wed-Thu (only plants) 7am-6pm. For more information click here!
Talad Loong Perm and Talad Pa Choo
What: Divided in two zones: Talad Lung Perm (open-air, crowded and cheap) and Talad Pa choo (air-con, not crowded, more brand names and more expensive). Mostly things are for females – clothes, accessories, shoes, cosmetics and beauty care – and some stuff for kids and guys. Frequented by good-looking Thai Airways cabin crew and celebrities.
Don’t miss: The original place for kuay tiaw lui suan khun thip (noodle), from 11:30am. Also “Brand name” accessories.
Where and when: Vipawadee Rangsit Soi 22, behind Thai Airways Headquarters, Soi is very small and always packed with cars and taxis. Mon-Sat, 11am-5pm.
Phahurat
What: It is not a market proper but a maze of shops inside and upstairs bustling but not packed between 10am-4pm. From seamstresses to students, shoppers come for clothes fabric, sewing items, accessories, cosmetics, costume jewelry and wigs. There are also wedding invitations, great for souvenirs. Flatter the vendors to get lower prices.
Don’t miss: Little India on the second floor. Central Wangburapa and The Old Siam Plaza across the street in case you need some air-con.
Where and when: Chakpetch Road, Adjacent to Sam Peng and The Old Siam Plaza. Dialy, 10am-9pm.
Sampeng
What: Narrow soi lined with shops selling pencils, pens, boxes, carpets, stationary, clothes. Best place to go when buying in bulk-things are cheaper by dozen. Beware of Vespa-riding messengers carrying bolts of fabric.
Don’t miss: Crystal shop near Kikuya selling nice accessories-three pieces for one wholesale price.
Where and when: Chinatown, Yaowaraj Road, Soi Kikuya. Daily, 10am-9pm.
Wang Lang
What: Scattered shops on either side of this soi (beware the cars) frequented by housewives, university students and a lot of men and women in uniform such as doctors, nurses, medical students and navy seaman. New stuff available but mostly second-hand, third-hand (or more) items including shoes, T-shirts, bags, shorts, jackets, etc.
Don’t miss: Vintage shoes in good condition and second-hand bags for very cheap prices. Somtum Sida’s yum khanom jeen near Soi Patravadi Restaurant.
Where and when: Get there through a tiny walkway near Siriraj hospital. Easy access from Wang Lang Pier. Dialy, 10am-4pm.
Pratunam
What: loads of shops around the Baiyoke towers selling clothes for men and women as well as gifts, shoes, watches and accessories. Shoppers are mainly retail shop owners looking to buy goods wholesale and tourists from the neighboring hotels.
Don’t miss: Ladies wear and printed T-shirts.
Where and when: Between Petchaburi Road and Rama 1 Road. Daily, 10am-9pm.
Night Markets
Talad Fai Chaai
What: Dark and exciting, this sidewalk “market” attracts a mostly male clientele looking for mechanical or electronics equipment as well as vintage items.
Don’t miss: A wide range of old items: amulets, furniture, artifacts and fashion accessories.
Where and when: Vorajak area, adjacent to Yaowaraj (china town). Daily, dusk until dawn.
Major Ratchayothin Flea Market
What: Open air market adjacent to the busiest Major Cineplex attracts moviegoers killing time before their film begins, including “dara (actor & actress)” with their own honeys. Find stuff you see at JJ (Chatuchack) and Siam Square at Siam Square prices: mostly clothing, fake bags, accessories and snacks.
Don’t miss: Good brand-name fakes at the shop with hanging silver stars in front. Pet shop selling extremely cute dogs that also are extremely expensive.
Where and when: Beside Major Cineplex Ratchayothin, Phahonyothin Road. Tue-Sun, 4-11pm.
Suan Lum Night Bazaar
What: Like a clean, hiso (high society) and more expensive version of Chatuchak except less variety and it’s open every day. Caters mostly to tourists and those who can’t stand the heat of the Weekend market. Come here for unique home décor item (lots of lamps). Art and clothes.
Don’t miss: The beer garden. Joe Louis Puppet Theater for classical puppet performance.
Where and when: Corner of Wireless and Rama 4 roads, MRT Lumpini (subway station). Daily, 5pm-9pm.
Tawana Night Bazaar
What: Yet another miniature version of Chatuchak. Indoor and outdoor sections offering mostly new but also second-hand clothes, shoes and accessories as well as gifts and decorative items. A lot of teens thanks to the traffic from The Mall Bangkapi nearby. An IT center up front.
Don’t miss: The new jeans section for vintage blues and secondhand sneakers.
Where and when: Behind The Mall Bangkapi, Lad Phrao Road. Daily, 1pm-9pm
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