Bangkok's Weekend Market
Some Counterintuitive Tips for a Trip to Jatujak... or Chatuchak
Bangkok, the city of shopping, is home to "The World's Biggest Market," Jatujak. It's chaotic fun, and a visit here calls for some counterintuitive advice.
First of all, is it Chatuchak, or Jatujak? The Weekend Market? JJ? Well, it’s all of those. It depends on which sign you’re reading. Or who you’re talking to. But this place merits multiple names that cause confusion. Because JJ is as disorienting as it is fun. And it is as fun as it is chaotic. And it is as chaotic as it is… OK, you get the idea.
Often called the world's biggest weekend market, Jatujak is located on the north side of Bangkok, the world’s warmest city. This means that the term “hot and crowded” takes on a profound meaning that many visitors may have a hard time imagining until they experience it. All bets are off in this sprawling mammoth of stalls that sells just about everything under the hot, blazing sun. However, if you try some of the following counterintuitive tips, your trip there should be a breeze.
Don’t bring a map of the market. Get lost.
You’re going to get lost anyway. So why not just relax and enjoy the sinuousness of it all? Thais don’t use maps. And when in Thailand… On the other hand, you should definitely confer with your group, even if it’s just two of you, and set a time and place to meet. People are easily split up as they wander among the hordes.
Buy a small bottle of water and sip it.
Drinking large quantities of water does not rehydrate your system, it flushes it. Flushing means toilets, and you don’t want to spend a lot of time in the restrooms at Jatujak.
Bargain lightly.
Everything at the market already costs less than what you’d willingly pay in a mall. So you’re automatically saving money when you shop at JJ. And you’re supporting small business. Visitors who fret when they are charged more for something than a Thai national should consider this: the minimum wage in Thailand is currently 200 baht per day - that's about six dollars. This means that a large portion of the population earns about $150 a month.
Don’t give money to the man in the robe.
He’s not a monk. Monks wouldn’t go to Jatujak Market and aggressively ask foreigners for money. Real monks take alms at dawn, wandering through their neighborhood. Their bowls are filled with rice and food, not money.
See something you like? Buy it now.
Perhaps this isn’t counterintuitive to you, but it is to some people. If you’re at Jatujak, you’re at one of the best places to shop, anywhere. Now is the time to spend. In fact, you might consider buying several of those funky, bold printed purses; or a few of those colorful, resin Buddha statues. Chances are you may not track down that booth later. Furthermore, you may never come across the merchandise again. Many of the items for sale here are made by small, up-and-coming designers. Or they're just hard to find.
Better late than… Go late in the day.
Around six o’clock, the crowds start to dwindle as the stalls shut down, and everything cools as the sun sets. If you don’t like shopping and you don’t like crowds, this is your hour. This is also a good time to visit one of the little bars at the market. They’re easy to spot; the lights stand out among the now-empty stalls.
