Chatuchak Market: Everything You Need to Know For Your First Time
With 15,000 market stalls spread across 35 acres Chatuchak Market is massive.
How big is 35 acres? Just a bit over 26 football fields! You may be thinking the sheer size of this place is overwhelming and you’re absolutely right for thinking so.
When navigating the world famous souvenir shopping haven, you’re going to need some expert tips for your first time at Chatuchak market. No matter how you slice it, you’re likely to get lost, sweaty and exhausted.
Thankfully, I’ve developed a system that can help you on your journey to buying souvenirs for your friends and family, some rad clothes for yourself and where to get some incredible eats when you need a break from it all.
Planning Your Shopping Trip at Chatuchak Market
First thing’s first – you need to accept the fact that you’ll probably get lost at some point. Maybe a couple times. It happens to the best of us, even expats that have been here for years. Chatuchak is a massive market and many of the stalls sell identical products so it can be hard to keep your bearings. If you’re shopping in a group, it’s best to decide on a landmark to meet up at in case you can’t find each other. The absolute best landmark in my experience is to use the clocktower in the centre of Chatuchak.
Chatuchak Market is divided into 27 sections and are labeled much like your typical street in Thailand. There’s a main road that splits in