Chatuchak is the largest open-air market in all of Thailand and the coconut ice-cream is definitely worth trying out. I can imagine only a handful of scenarios where it is possible to cover the entire market within a span of a day – one of those scenarios includes literally running from one end to another – hopefully with a camera in tow so that you don’t miss any of the exhuberant colours.
We spent just a couple of hours – the heat got to us – it’s about 33 degrees Celcius during the day these days. While fresh coconut ice cream is refreshing, it cannot solve all your problems 😛 We found some seats to rest our legs near the central Clock Tower.
The market is open on Saturdays and Sundays in its entirety. Otherwise it also functions on a couple of additional days during the week for wholesalers and plants etc. It is clean, well-organized but can get really smelly depending on what part you’re standing it. Crickets for lunch anyone?
We’ve been using Uber here in Bangkok and so far, the experience has been stellar. As a tourist, relying on metered taxis or the tuk-tuks is not something I recommend. Although, if the weather permits, being driven in a tuk-tuk is quite an experience. And Bangkok isn’t even one-tenth as polluted as Delhi, so you don’t have to worry about eating dust and suspended particles either.
The market is a nice spot to photograph some street style too. I shot a bit but then couldn’t deal with the heat and the humidity. Would’ve shot all day otherwise. Also found more than a few aroma/perfumery shops and even bought one to try out at home. It is advised to be mixed with the alcohol mixer for at least one month before use, but let’s see if I’m able to keep that timeline – I’m greedy about fragrances so I might not be able to stay patient for that long!
If I ever come back to Bangkok, I’m definitely spending more time here photographing street style and buying more fragrances.
Follow along on my first ever trip to Thailand here : #EyesForThailand
