After getting tired of shopping in luxurious shopping centers, you might want to try a unique local culture of Thailand: shopping in night markets. The atmosphere in night bazaars is nothing different from the atmosphere in big festivals with millions of things to buy, plenty of dishes to eat and enjoy live music.
If you are wondering what to do in Bangkok at night and where the best Bangkok nightlife area is, this article is for you!
READ ALSO: 13 Must-Go Bangkok Shopping Places In Bangkok.
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1. ASIATIQUE
- Location: Chareonkrung Soi 74-76
- Opening hours: 17.00 – midnight
- How to get there: From the center, go by BTS to Saphan Taksin station, then take a short walk to the Central Pier, where you can hop on the free shuttle to Asiatique. By BTS, and from Saphan Taksin you get on the free shuttle at the end of the pier.
Asiatique is one of the tourist places that you shouldn’t miss in Bangkok. Coming here, you have the chance to look at many stores selling clothes, souvenirs and lots of regional dishes worth trying. The focus at Asiatique is on fashion and gadgets but you can also find many fast food restaurants such as KFC and Pizza Company. The two entertainment venues in Asiatique that attract a lot of audiences are Calypso Cabaret with the most attractive ladyboy shows in Bangkok and Joe Louis theater, where you can enjoy the excellent Thai puppet shows.
Asiatique is a shopping place for every people of all ages, especially families and to many people, this is the best night market in Thailand.
2. KHAOSAN
- Location: Khaosan Road, Khwaeng Talat Yot, Phra Khanong.
- Opening hours: All day, but best at night
- How to get there:
- By boat: From early in the morning till midnight, the boat runs up and down the Chao Praya River so you can get on the boat at any time and be at Khaosan Road in half an hour.
- By BTS: There is no station close to Khaosan Road, but you can stop at National Stadium and take a taxi from here
- By bus: One of the cheapest ways is taking a bus. Some bus numbers that stop close to Khaosan Road are the numbers 2, 3, 15, 53, 511 and 509. But not recommended in rush hour.
Not only is it a fun walking street for foreigners, Khaosan is also a good place for shopping. The wide range of things on sale will satisfy any people coming to this place. Here you can find many beautiful clothes, CDs, DVDs and plenty of food stalls serving tasty, delicious Thai food. Foreigners visiting Khaosan will have the chance to explore many typical features of Thai culture.
3. CHATUCHAK WEEKEND MARKET
- Location: Kamphaeng Phet Road | Lat Yao, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900
- Opening hours:
- Wednesdays and Thursdays: 07:00 – 18:00 (Plant sections only)
- Fridays 18:00 – 24:00
- Saturdays and Sundays: 09:00 – 18:00
- How to get there: Take BTS to Mo Chit station, or the underground to Chatuchak station and follow the stream of people
Maybe you don’t want to miss one of the biggest weekend markets in Bangkok, where you can buy many things from handicrafts, souvenirs, wooden furniture, handbags, shoes to jewelry. All the products are on sale at a bargaining price.
This market is very huge and divided into 27 sections, so unless you just want to jump in and explore everything on your own, you should get a map to find where you want to go and how to get there.
Below are the most commons things to buy at Chatuchak:
- Clothing & Accessories: soi 2-6, 10-26.
- Handicrafts: soi 8-11.
- Ceramics: soi 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 25.
- Furniture and Home Decoration: soi 1,3,4,7,8.
- Food and Beverage: soi 2, 3, 4, 23, 24, 26, 27.
- Plants and Gardening tools: soi 3, 4.
- Art and Gallery: soi 7.
- Pets and Pet Accessories: soi 8, 9, 11, 13.
- Books: soi 1, 27.
- Antiques and Collectibles: soi 1, 26.
- Miscellaneous and Used Clothing: soi 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 22, 25, 26.
4. ROD FAI 1
- Location: Srinakarin Soi 51
- Opening hours: 18.00 – midnight from Friday to Sunday
- How to get there: The best way is to take a taxi, or you can take the BTS to On Nut station then take a taxi from there
Located right behind Paradise Park, Rod Fai 1 is considered to be a “shopping heaven” of Thailand. Visiting Rod Fai 1, you can find both furniture items and electronic devices, even pets at affordable prices.
However, since the number of people coming to this night bazaar is huge, you might find it inconvenient to move, but if your time is not limited and you have enough patience, you still can buy many quality goods.
5. Ratchada Rot Fai Train Night Market/The New Rot Fai
- Location: Ratcadaphisek Road, near Esplanade Complex, next to MRT National Cultural Center
- Opening hours: 17.00 – 1.00 from Thursday to Sunday
- How to get there: Take the MRT National Cultural Center and take a short walk from there
Opened in 2015, although this night market is not as big as Rod Fai 1, it still has the same vibe. There are many stores with a variety of choices for you, from clothing and accessory shops to bars and clubs (I extremely like the bars here, it looks unique and fun). Especially, the decoration of all the stores is very colorful, and the food serving here is too delicious for you to resist. You can buy yourself many clothes in the street style, some lovely home decorations or the endless street food and drinks from soda, beer to traditional Thai coffee.
The amount of people visiting this market is also really huge, especially teens, so when you hang out here, make sure you are not in a rush! This place is one of the markets that I love most in Bangkok ~
6. TALAD NEON
- Location: Phetchaburi Road, between Soi 23 and 29
- Opening hours: Daily from 16.00 to midnight
- How to get there: Take the Airport Rail Link train to Ratchaprarop and walk about 500 meters.
This new market is located in Pratunam District, a popular place where many visitors stay. Tourists coming to Talad Neon will find themselves lost in the diversity of street food, clothes and many other goods. There are also many places to order drinks and hang out with friends. Like any night markets in Bangkok, you can see many handbags, silk scarfs and dresses on sale with affordable prices and some hippie shops selling interesting items.
If you want something new and strange, try to change your taste a little bit with a food stall that serves fried insects likes crickets and grasshoppers.
7. PATPONG
- Location: Phat Pong 2 Alley, Suriya Wong, Bang Rak
- Opening hours: 18.00 – 1.00 (daily)
- How to get to Patpong night market: You can take the Patpong night market BTS and get off at Sala Deang.
This is one of the biggest night markets in Bangkok. You can see a beautiful Patpong market lies between hot go-go bars. You can find almost everything here, from cute little decorations, to handbags, sneakers or watches. But you have to notice that products here are at very high prices, so don’t hesitate to bargain if you don’t want to be fooled.
Besides, when coming to Patpong market, you can have the opportunity to find a bar you might want to come later since there are many bars around this area.
8. ROT BORAN
- Location: 12/6 Thanon Prasert-Manukitch
- Opening hours: 17.00 – midnight on Tuesday and Thursday
- How to get there: The best way is to take a taxi
There is a special thing to know about Rot Boran is that all the stores are set up and decorated on used cars. Located near a peaceful lake, the atmosphere here is also very cool and romantic.
Unlike many other night bazaars, there are few restaurants or food stalls in Rot Boran, mostly seen are secondhand products, furniture, vinyl records and maybe Buddha charms, some stalls selling drinks. The vintage style and country vibe might be a little quiet and some young people who love chaotic places will find it boring, but it can be a perfect choice for those who like the retro theme.
9. WANG LANG
- Location: Phran Nok Rd, Riverside
- Opening hours: 6.00 – 22.00
- How to get there: Take the boat to Wang Lang Pier
This is Bangkok shopping market for clothes and food on the riverside. This place offers you a wide range of fashion shops selling footwear, clothes and beauty products.
This is also a destination for foodies with lots of stalls serving all kinds of delicious dishes you might want to try. You can find yourself having a tasty grilled sausage and grabbing a sweet coconut jelly cup at the same time. For those who want to go shopping as well as enjoying real Thai cuisine in one place, Wang Lang is the best answer.
This list provides you with the best night markets you can find in Bangkok, each place has its own strengths and all of them can provide you with many interesting items. When you come to those places, not only can you buy beautiful products but you can also have an unforgettable shopping experience in Bangkok.