Mechua Market.

The men at Mechua market are in charge of oranges, bananas, pineapples, pomegranate and many other fruits of the season. Trucks arrive 24/7 and wait in the surrounding areas to get a parking lot to be unloaded. Most of the fruits are sold right on the spot. Men carrying trunks of bananas show up in front of an auctioneer and after a quick bidding session, the trunk is sold and the next man with another banana trunk takes place. With this system, an entire truckload of fruits is quickly sold to people who distribute them to different places all over West Bengal.

Hard working men at Mechua Market in Kolkata, India

Portrait of a hard working man at Mechua Market in Kolkata, India

Hard working men at Mechua Market in Kolkata, India.

Hard working man at Mechua Market in Kolkata, India.

Fresh pomegranate at Mechua Market in Kolkata, India.

Hard working men at Mechua Market in Kolkata, India.

Hard working men at Mechua Market in Kolkata, India.

Hard working men at Mechua Market in Kolkata, India.

Hard working men at Mechua Market in Kolkata, India

Unloading a truck at Mechua Market in Kolkata, India.

Kolay Market.

Pretty much the same goes for Kolay market just opposite Sealdah Train station. This is the place for cucumbers, onions, pumpkins, eggplant and any other vegetable of the season. Men, day labours – mostly from Bihar – work in long shifts to unload trucks that arrive from all over West Bengal. They earn about 500 Rupees (4-6 €) a day and travel home to their families only once a year. Needless to say, this work is taking it’s toll on their health… They sleep in dormitories in the first floors of the warehouses just above their workplace, so if a truck arrives, they are ready to unload immediately.

Hard working men at Kolay Market in Kolkata, India.

Hard working men at Kolay Market in Kolkata, India.

Hard working men at Kolay Market in Kolkata, India.

Selling fresh vegetables at Kolay Market in Kolkata, India.

Posta Burrabazar.

For garlic and ginger you have to travel to another area in the city. This market is close to Howrah bridge not too far away from the Mullik Ghat flower market on the way to Nimtala burning Ghat. You smell the loads of garlic that are repacked into smaller quantities immediately. This work is mostly done by women.

Street scene at Posta Burrabazar in Kolkata, India.

At Mullik Ghat flower market near Howrah bridge in Kolkata, India.

If you want to see what it’s like to walk through these markets, check out the videos in this post.

Exploring the wet market in Singapore.

If you arrive in a different city and want to see the real life, markets are the best place to do so. Most of the times, you’ll be the only white person there, because a lot of “regular” travellers don’t dare to go there. That’s a big mistake…but that’s just my opinion.

Since we recently stayed in Thailand for two weeks and had a bit of bad luck with the weather on Koh Kood island, we had four days in Bangkok before returning home. I’ve heard from many people that Bangkok is not that special and there really isn’t that much to see. Well, what can I say?! I’ll have to prove them wrong ;) Here are 6 markets you shouldn’t miss:

Klong Toey Fresh Market.

Klong Toey Fresh Market is Bangkok’s biggest fresh market. This market almost seems like a little village within Bangkok. Why? Two reasons: First, it’s so huge that just by walking around in the district Klong Toey, you’ll somehow end up at the market…there’s no need to walk through little side alleys to get there. And second because you simply find everything you need. Whether it’s food, stationary, kitchenware or cloths. Plus, the district Klong Toey is the biggest slum & sea port area in Bangkok, so there’s a crowd around all the time. It’s a big must for every market fan!

Facts.

• Opening hours: Daily from 6.00 am – 2.00 am
• How to get there: Take the MRT subway to Klong Toey station, exit up the escalators and then walk east on Thang Rakfaiko / Rama IV Road for ten minutes until you reach the large intersection of Rama IV and Narong Road. The market will be on your right-hand side. Or, you can take bus numbers 45, 46, 72, 102, or 107 to the area.
• What to find there: Meat, fish, vegetables, fruits, herbs & spices, cloths – pretty much everything you need.

The main building of Klong Toey market.

Street vendors can be found all around Khlong Toey fresh market.

Dead frogs are just one of the many gruesome things you will come across at Khlong Toey fresh market.

A small, hidden village deep within the Bangkok busy city jungle; Khlong Toey fresh market seems to have a life of its own.

Klong Toey is a very ‘fresh’ market, offering low prices on raw meat, seafood, farm produce, and other items.

There’s also a fruit section at Klong Toey.

Fresh crabs are a speciality at Khlong Toey fresh market.

Porters roam the streets of Khlong Toey fresh market, waiting for customers to uploading their latest purchases.

Mahachai Market.

Mahachai is a small town located about 45 kilometres southwest of central Bangkok. Mahachai is famous for one of the largest fresh seafood markets in Thailand. It’s one of the main seafood distribution centres that feeds the hungry population of Bangkok. Seafood producers from the entire country come here to sell their catch. As soon as you arrive at the market, the smell of seafood sticks with you even after you leave the market.

Facts.

• Opening hours: Daily from 6.00 am
• How to get there: Either go by car, or if you want a bit of an adventure, take the train. The train to Mahachai leaves from Wongwianyai station. Take the BTS to Wongwianyai and from there you have to walk a couple of minutes to get to the station. Make sure you get your ticket before you get on the train (cos about 10 Bath per person).
• What to find there: Fresh fish, dried fish, crabs, shrimps and a southeast Asian specialty: Blood.

Mahachai market and the railway live next to each other, so when the first train arrives from Bangkok, vendors have to move their wares off the tracks for the train to pull into the station.

Even if you’ve never heard Mahachai market, you’ve probably seen a video of a train going through a tightly packed market, where market stalls are set up on the rails.

Fresh fish can be found all over Mahachai market, this unfortunately also includes sharks & shark fins.

Mahachai Market is one of Thailand’s largest traditional fresh seafood markets, where visitors will find all sorts of fish – fresh, or dried.

Dried fish can be found all around Mahachai market. Drying food is the world’s oldest known preservation method, and dried fish has a storage life of several years. The method is cheap and effective in suitable climates.

One might not like to think about this, but blood is one of the most important ingredients in the southeast Asian cuisine. At Mahachai market, you will come across many stall like the one above.

Chatuchak Market.

Chatuchak Weekend Market (JJ) is one of the world’s largest weekend markets. It covers an area of almost 30 Acres, is divided into 28 different sections & contains more than 15.000 booths selling goods from all over Thailand. You can imagine my face when I stepped out of the BTS train and saw this huge market…jaw dropping. Chatuchak Market is a very popular shopping destination for Thais but has also become very popular with tourists. Thais from all over the country come here to buy goods for their local shop. Each day, about 200.000 visitors come here (30 % tourists). You can pretty much find everything there, from books to antiques to live animals and plants.

Yes, Chatuchak Makret sounds like a true shopper’s delight. For me, it was much less than that; not only am I not a fan of huge gatherings, but also the entire area was simply too large. As soon as we stepped out of the BTS train, the crowds started showing up. The way from the BTS station to the entrance of the market was maybe only 100 meters, yet it took us almost 15 minutes to get there. Viewing the market from above (from the bridge from the BTS station to the market area) still made it all quite clear but as soon as we were down in the crowd, our orientation got lost. I suggest that you go with the flow, because otherwise you’re just going to struggle. They’ll lead you somewhere anyway.

Tips.

• Chances of getting lost in the crowd are high. If you’re there with a friend, make sure you conclude a meeting point before.
• Wear comfy shoes; you’ll walk a lot.
• Drink, drink, drink…you’ll sweat like a pig so keep your water level high!

Facts.

• Opening hours: Saturdays & Sundays from 9.00 am – 6.00 pm and Fridays from 6.00 pm – midnight. The plant sections are also open on Wednesdays & Thursdays from 7.00 am – 6.00 pm.
• How to get there: Skytrain (BTS) to Mo Chit station; take exit no. 1 and follow the crowd.
• What to find there: Ah well, you’ve 30 Acres of pretty much everything you need (or don’t need).

Just follow the crowd to Chatuchak market.

Chatuchak weekend market is a great place for good quality fabric and excellent tailors.

Foos stalls at Chatuchak market offer all sorts of different cuisines.

One of the many aisles at Chatuchak market.

Food stalls are all around Chatuchak market; 200.000 mouths need to be fed every day ;)

Bo Be Tower Clothing Market.

Bo Be market has been known as the centre of garment wholesale for over 30 years. Today there are well over 1.300 shops under one roof making Bo Be the biggest garment wholesale centre in Thailand. Furthermore, Bo Bae offers you shipping services to send your cargo worldwide. It is THE place for all types of clothing, for men, women and children; casual and formal. I liked this market because it was not so over run by people. And I actually bought something for a change ;) A shirt for my dad for about 40 bath…pretty darn cheap.

Facts.

• Opening hours: Daily
• How to get there : Taxi or Bus no. 1, 4, 7, 25, 53
• What to get there: Cloths (including traditions Thai cloths), shoes, bags, etc.

Bo Be market in Bangkok is a real jeans paradise.

Bo Be market is a great spot for children’s cloths at a very low price.

Saphan Khao Fruit Market.

I have never seen so many fruits in one spot as on the  Saphan Khao Fruit Market. Truly unbelievable! Tons and tons of different fruits. You’ll get every exotic fruit there is right here. We were told that all of Bangkok comes here for fruits; whether it’s the local food vendor from next door or the chef of a five star restaurant. Saphan Khao is THE place to go to!

Facts.

• Opening Hours: Daily from 6.00 am – 6.00 pm (as far as the taxi driver told me correctly)
• How to get there: Bus no. 2, 59, 60, 79, 511 or Taxi
• What to get there: All kind of fruits in huge quantities.

A visit to a fruit market with dragon fruits, mangoes, melons, pineapples and star fruit piled up agains each other is a definite must. In Bangkok there is no better example of such a place than the Saphan Khao Fruit Market.

Whether you’re looking for fresh watermelons, or pretty much any other fruit, Saphan Khao is the right place.

We’ve never seen so many pineapples on one single spot. The Saphan Khao fruit market is a real delight, also thanks to the lovely smell of fresh fruits.

You can buy as many truck-loads of pineapples as you want at Saphan Khao fruit market.

Mangoes are one of our favourite fruits and at Saphan Khao market, you’ll find tons of the most yummy mangos you’ll ever come across.

Pak Klong Talat Flower Market.

Pak Klong Talat is a large wholesale flower market. Merchants travel here from all over Thailand to sell their flowers and wandering the streets here is a colourful and fragrant experience. Out of all the markets, this one was the least “spectacular”; not because there was nothing to see but more because by the time we got there it was 3.00 pm and the “trading traffic” was over already. Next time I’ll be there at 2.00 am, cause that’s when the business starts at Pak Klong Talat.

Facts.

• Opening hours: 2.00 am – 6.00 pm
• How to get there: The market is on Chakphet Road. You can either get there by Taxi or with the Express Boat (station Saphan Phut) and then by foot.
• What to get there: Flowers, flowers & more flowers.

Lots of lovely smelling flowers can be found at Pak Klong Talat market.

Pak Khlong Talat is the primary flower market in Bangkok and is also called a “place of symbolic values” to Bangkok residents”.

You’ll definitely find the right flower for your loved one at Pak Klong Talat flower market.

If you’ve read the entire article (or just looked at the photos), you’ll realize that the markets in Bangkok are a big must. Not only for fans like us but everyone. If you have the time, stay a couple of days longer and simply stroll the streets of this super exciting city. You won’t regret it. These markets will give you an impression of Bangkok that will stick with you, away from the tourist traps.