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Update 2014: According to some other local websites, this Bangkok night market no longer exists. If you’re looking to buy cool t-shirts though, I highly recommend the weekend Chatuchak market.
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Bangkok is famous for shopping, but little did I know how amazing the markets would be. I must’ve bought ten t-shirts in some of Bangkok’s biggest flea markets. One of the more popular ones is Bangkok’s weekend market, or Chatuchak. Lots of independent designers and some truly original clothing.
But that’s old news. There’s another market that doesn’t get quite as many tourists. At the Ratchada-Ladphrao night market you can find everything form Vespa scooters to sushi. Seriously… check out my photos from Bangkok’s most hipster night market & bazaar: (photos are from my last visit, May 2011)
There were lots of food options available and most of it wasn’t your typical pad-thai-noodles-and-meat variety.
I don’t know for sure, but I dare to say that this is one of Bangkok’s only markets that has sushi on offer.
So many shoes!
I loved this old VW beetle temporarily converted into a shopfront! The woman at the stand sold hand-made leather goods like belts, bracelet, wallets and journals. So tempted to buy a wallet from here just to stay I bought it from the belly of a VW…
Converse and other shoes!
Okay, being the hipster that I am, I’m a total sucker for vintage objects—especially from the 1950s. Rotary phones and typewriters were on hand at the Ratchada market, just like any hipster flea market in Brooklyn I presume.
A lot of the vintage/used clothing at the night market was decent, but I found it hard to find my size. Certainly cheap, though!
Yeah, so they’ve got a lot of used shoes for sale at the Ladphrao bazaar. Or maybe I just took a lot of photos of shoes…
How to get there
Take the Bangkok metro to Ladprao Station. Follow the crowd.
Don’t forget! The Ratchada / Ladphrao night market is only open Saturday nights! Go in the early evening, around 8pm, for decent deals and a good crowd. There are food stalls and stands there so you can grab a snack.
View more hipster Bangkok travel tips here.
Omigod. Hipsters in Bangkok? This is just like that movie Contagion!!
;)
Ha! Heaps of Bangkok hipsters all over the city! Probably why I love it so much…
The pic of the yellow punch buggie turned into a shop is fantastic. I’m not normally much of a shopper when I travel, but this is a market I’d seek out.
You should definitely visit markets–even if you’re not buying! I went to a lot of markets in Southeast Asia and hardly ever bought anything – but they’re usually a great place to hang out, enjoy some food, and just see what people are into. This one was one of my favorites in Bangkok.
That looks like an amazing market. I want the VW van in the first pic. And some of those shoes.
Man, I don’t know if I’d buy shoes at a market like this. They had some Vespa scooters, though, so that was pretty cool =D
This looks pretty cool! I think I’d have stocked up on t-shirts and sushi – you keep the phones for yourself, Adam! Thanks for the tip – never seen anyone else write about this place before :)
Thanks Tom! It’s a really cool market and it doesn’t get much attention from tourists. Definitely check it out on your next visit!
The shoes collections are good.. but looks like a second hand market!
Marketed out after a few weeks in Asia–bugs were delicious in Chiang Mai, odors were incredible in Hong Kong, vendors were friendly in Luang Prabang–but I’ll have to give this one a look.