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Chatuchak Market is Bangkok’s biggest market and a must visit when in the Thailand capital. With over 15,000 stalls and a bevy of bargains to be had (if you are happy to haggle), Chatuchak Weekend Market in Bangkok takes place every Friday (night), Saturday and Sunday in Bangkok’s northern district.
Chatuchak Market (also known as JJ Market) covers 35 acres with around 250,000 visitors (a good mix of tourists and locals) every day.
From stalls to street food, souvenir to socks (plus cheap bags to Chang t-shirts), here is our ultimate guide to Chatuchak Market (Weekend) in 2024 with photos:
How to get to Chatuchak Weekend Market in Bangkok
The best way to get to Chatuchak Market is to take public transport. Bangkok traffic can be a nightmare so we would not recommend using a taxi to get there if possible.
By BTS Skytrain
To get to Chatuchak Market using public transport take the Skytrain (BTS) to Mo Chit Station and exit the station through exit 1 and and follow the signs or the crowd.
By MRT
Alternatively take the Subway (MRT) to Chatuchak Park Station and exit the station through exit 1. You’ll also see some street sellers along the road from Chatuchak Park Station to Chatuchak Market.
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Chatuchak Market in Bangkok opening hours
The official opening hours are
Wednesday to Thursday (Plants Market):
7am – 6pm
Friday (Wholesale Market):
6pm – 12am
Saturday – Sunday (Chatuchak Weekend Market):
9am – 6pm
The best time to visit Chatuchak Market is on a weekend and in the morning for fewer crowds and cooler temperatures as it gets very hot mid-afternoon (and make sure you have a bottle of water at hand to keep hydrated!)
The nearby Chatuchak Park is open daily from 4.30am to 10pm, if you want to explore before or afterwards.
CK Travels tip – We last visited Chatuchak Market on a Friday in early 2024. It is less busy than the weekends BUT the vast majority of Chatuchak Market stalls are not open on a Friday.
When is the best time to visit Chatuchak Market?
The best time to visit Chatuchak Market is on a weekend and in the morning for fewer crowds and cooler temperatures as it gets very hot mid-afternoon (and make sure you have a bottle of water at hand to keep hydrated!).
This is especially true during the hottest months in Bangkok (March and April) when temperatures regularly reach 35c plus.
If you want a quieter, more calm Chatuchak experience, many of the bigger stalls are open at Chatuchak Market on Friday nights (as is the Mixt Chatuchak mall next door), but the vast majority of smaller stalls only open on Saturdays and Sundays.
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What can you buy in Chatuchak Weekend Market in Bangkok
There is so much stuff and souvenirs to buy, it might be easier to say ‘what can’t you buy at Chatuchak!
Chatuchak Weekend Market is handily broken down into various sections – there are almost 30 different areas to explore, ranging from clothing and toys through to pet shops and gardening. You’ll also find Chatuchak street food stalls and restaurants dotted throughout.
One of the most popular items to buy in Chatuchak Market in 2024 is the McDonalds backpack, Krispy Kreme bags, Starbucks backpacks, IKEA backpacks etc you see all over Bangkok – these usually cost around 300 to 400 THB.
We haggled a little and got our McDonalds bag for just over 300THB – note none of these bags are ‘official’ but widely available. We’ve also bought these bags (albeit more expensively) from Jodd Fairs DanNeramit.
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Chatuchak Market map
Make sure you grab a free map of Chatuchak market at the information counter at Entrance 3.
Or if not available, grab a photo of the huge maps dotted around the Chatuchak Market site – trust us, it will come in handy, especially in the labyrinth-like, middle inner section
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Chatuchak Weekend Market sections
Section 1 and 29:
Antiques and accessories
Section 2 to 4:
Teen clothing and accessories
Section 5 to 6:
Used clothing and shoes
Section 7:
Art and Paintings
Section 8:
Carving, spa and incense
Section 9-11:
Handicrafts and artificial flowers
Section 12, 14, 21-24
Clothing, accessories, bags and shoes
Section 13
Souvenirs and pets (note some of the ‘live animal’ sections are not so nice so best to avoid if you don’t wish to see it) .
Section 15, 19, 20
Tableware and ceramics
Section 16-18
Clothing, hiking equipment and leather goods
Section 25:
Ceramics and silk
Section 26:
Antiques, home decorations and silk
Section 27-28:
Books and handicrafts
Section 30:
Clothing and miscellaneous
Again, be aware the pets and live animals section at Chatuchak Weekend Market isn’t for the faint hearted.
Other things to do at Chatuchak Market
You can also find many many vendors advertising their cheap foot and shoulder massages throughout the whole of the market – perfect for a break after a long day of shopping.
We’ve been to Bangkok many times and have ventured to Chatuchak Market (also known locally as JJ Market) on every trip, as there is so much to see and do.
You can also find many many vendors advertising their cheap foot and shoulder massages throughout the whole of the market – perfect for a break after a long day of shopping.
Chatuchak Market Prices and Bargains
One of the best things to do in Bangkok, if you are only in the city for a few days, try to visit Chatuchak Weekend Market in your last few days so you can gauge how many bargains and 40 Baht / £1 T-shirts you can fit in your suitcase.
In the past, we’ve bought everything from saris and belts, through to slightly dodgy (some would say counterfeit) Converse bags and mini tuk-tuks made out of local beer cans. Note some stalls can even organise overseas shipping home if you purchase large items.
Thai elephant pants can be bought from 100 THB, T-shirts from 50 THB (although the quality isn’t great), Hawaiian style shirts from 200 THB.
Chatuchak Market Massage prices vary but expect to pay around 150 THB for a 30 minute foot massage or 250 THB for a 60 minute foot and shoulder massage (these prices are from Latte Thai Massage stall in Chatuchak, as of early 2024).
There are lots of regular characters to meet at Chatuchak Market including Paella Chef Fernando at the sit down bar/cafe Viva8 (which is a perfect way to escape the heat with a cold pitcher of Chang beer).
Plus the iced coffee vendor who pours coffee from one vessel to another like a circus act performer. There are also sometimes pop-up performances and live bands. On one visit, there was a roving dance act all dressed in sparkles and gold, promoting Red Bull – random!
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Food and drink
Once you’ve done your shopping, we recommend heading to the food area at Chatuchak Weekend Market to visit one of the many food stalls or sit-down restaurants in the inner section.
The restaurants can be a little touty and overwhelming at first (waiters try to get you in clutching their laminated menus) but we’ve always been happy with the restaurants we tried both in terms of the food, promptness of service and cost.
In the large outdoor food area at the rear of Chatuchak Market (next door to the Mixt Mall), expect to pay around 60 to 100 THB for most standard Thai dishes – the seafood is a little more expensive.
Some of our particular favourite foods to try at Chatuchak Market include the coconut ice-cream, the slightly weird sweet garlic bread from Hello Garlic, quail’s eggs on sticks, multitudes of mango desserts plus a whole heap of ice on stick sellers.
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Chatuchak Market Friday
The best time to visit Chatuchak is early on Saturday or Sunday morning to beat both the crowds and midday heat.
However, if your Bangkok itinerary doesn’t include a weekend or you have other plans, Chatuchak Market can also be visited on a Friday between 6pm and midnight.
Friday night at Chatuchak sees a scaled back version of the full Chatuchak Weekend Market, with the larger outer stalls and restaurants open – however, most of the smaller stalls and outlying shops remain closed on Friday nights.
It is still an enjoyable experience, especially if you prefer to avoid the inevitable Chatuchak overcrowding at the weekend.
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Mixt Chatuchak mall
A fairly new addition to the Chatuchak Market, Chatuchak Mixt is a 5-storey Bangkok shopping mall that borders the main market. Opened in 2019, Mixt Chatuchak is more of a mall and open every day of the week from 10am (so not just Friday to Sunday like Chatuchak Market itself).
We really liked Mixt Chatuchak as we found it a good place to escape the rain when it poured down over Chatuchak Weekend Market, plus it has free (and clean) toilets.
The third-floor food-court at Mixt Chatuchak is also really nice (very clean) and a good alternative to the food stalls outside; just remember that you have to get and top up a cash card from the food court cashiers before you order food from the food court stalls at Mixt Chatuchak.
We last visited Mixt in February 2023 and paid around 55 Baht for a two-egg omelette with rice and four toppings, 60 Baht for pork noodles and gravy plus 60 Baht for a freshly made crepe with chocolate and banana. Drink prices at Mixt Chatuchak food court were reasonable too with a large bottle of Chang costing 75 Baht.
On the ground floor of Mixt we saw two courier service shops – Fastship and DHL. So if you buy too many souvenirs, you can just ship them home!
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Outside Chatuchak Weekend Market
Outside the main Chatuchak Market perimeter, you’ll find lots of stalls lining the outlying roads, often selling trinkets and toys / souvenirs a bit cheaper than inside the market itself.
Although lots seem to be manned by very young children who have been sent out to sell wares by their parents, very different from what you’d see inside Chatuchak.
As with any of the markets in Bangkok, this one is generally very accessible and easy to explore but do keep an eye on your belongings and check your change after any purchases. This is ‘tourist central’ in terms of markets so if you fancy something a little more ‘authentic’, try Wang Lang Market.
Above all, head to Chatuchak Market in Bangkok with lots of room in your bags, shop to your heart’s galore and then maybe spend the afternoon eating lots of amazing food and drinking cold beers or coconut juice. Is there any better way to spend a weekend?
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Chatuchak Market Safety and Tips
As with any of the markets in Bangkok, this one is generally very accessible and easy to explore but do keep an eye on your belongings and check your change after any purchases.
Be aware there may be pickpockets in crowded areas and if you require any emergency assistance, head to the Chatuchak counter opposite Section 1. We recommend not putting valuables into loose pockets and instead, put them safely into a zipped up bag that is close to the front of your body.
This is ‘tourist central’ in terms of markets so if you fancy something a little more ‘authentic’, try Wang Lang Market.
First time visitor tips
Head to Chatuchak Market in Bangkok with lots of room in your bags, shop to your heart’s galore and then maybe spend the afternoon eating lots of amazing food and drinking cold beers or coconut juice. Is there any better way to spend a weekend?
There are FedEx and DHL courier services available in the market to ship large items/furniture overseas (plus some inside Mixt Chatuchak mall).
Chatuchak toilet facilities are available for a 5 baht fee (most provide toilet paper but have some at hand incase).
Head to the market early in the day when the temperature is a bit cooler as it gets very hot mid-afternoon (and make sure you have a bottle of water at hand to keep hydrated!)
Make sure you wear comfortable walking shoes and light clothing that is suitable for the humid weather.
Escape to Mixt Market mall next door for amazing air conditioning, if you need to cool off.
Bartering is expected and you should be looking to get around 25% discount on an item, but start bargaining at 30-40% off. Each vendor should have a calculator to use for negotiating.
ATM’s and money changing booths can be found both inside the market and in the surrounding area, but we recommend coming prepared with cash to avoid ATM queues and poor conversion rates.
Chatuchak Weekend Market address: 587/10 Kamphaeng Phet 2 Road, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900
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Chatuchak Weekend Market address
Chatuchak Market (JJ), 587/10 Kamphaeng Phet 2 Road, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900
Where to stay near the market
Yoo Yen Pen Sook Hostel
Clean, comfortable and friendly hostel, located a short walking distance from Chatuchak Market and close to a BTS and MRT station. Check out prices and availability forYoo Yen Pen Sook Hostel
KLYDE Boutique – Chatuchak
New stylish hotel within walking distance from Chatuchak Market. Facilities include an on-site bar, free private parking and a shared lounge. Check out prices and availability forKLYDE Boutique – Chatuchak
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Sim cards and pocket WIFI in Bangkok
Having data on your phone whilst travelling is almost essential these days – from planning your route around the city, booking a Grab taxi or for staying connected with friends and family back home.
SIM cards are pretty cheap in Thailand with generous data allowances and are available to purchase from both of Bangkok’s airports, malls and 7-Elevens (bring your passport along for identification purposes).
You can also prepay online and collect a SIM from Suvarnabhumi Airport, Don Muang Airport or Siam Centre. Just remember to make sure your phone is not locked to your local network provider before purchasing one.
Alternatively if you do not want to change your sim card then renting a pocket WIFI device with unlimited high speed internet access might be for you. We’ve used them multiple times and love that we can both connect our devices to it. Pre-order one online with Klook for collection when you arrive at either Suvarnabhumi or Don Muang Airport.
We also saw a pop-up SIM card stall at Chatuchak Market where you can purchase a tourist SIM (again make sure you have your passport at hand to purchase one of these).
Did you enjoy our Guide to Chatuchak Weekend Market in Bangkok blog post? Let us know in the comments or by sharing it on social media.
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2 Comments
Mark Denning
April 16, 2023 at 8:47 amHi there, can you help me please. We went to the C market about a month ago and enjoyed the experience. If we wanted to try to contact one of the artists from the Art Section is there a way that they could be identified?? There was a certain Freddie Mercury picture that we wish we had bought, any thoughts or advice please Thank you for your time
CK Travels
April 19, 2023 at 1:34 amHi Mark – thanks for checking out our Chatuchak Market guide. Sorry, we know the section you are talking about but are not sure how to track down individual artists? You could try a dedicated Bangkok (expats) forum maybe. The best of luck with your search^