Street Markets in Bangkok

The king of markets in Bangkok and the world's largest weekend markets, Chatuchak is spread over 35 acres with more than 15,000 stalls. Also known as JJ Market, it is divided into 27 sections ranging from clothing, accessories, handicrafts, furniture, art, food, books, antiques, and much more. Nearest stations are TS Mo Chit/MRT Chatuchak Park/MRT Kamphaeng Phet.

Pak Klong Talad is one of the biggest wholesale and retail flower market in the world. This iconic place has been converted from a fish market to a flower market as the authorities wanted to get rid of the smell of fish in the middle of the city. This market is now known for orchids, roses and marigold.

Bangkok's biggest fresh market, the Khlong Toei Market is located in central Bangkok, on the banks of the Chao Phraya River. The market boasts of a variety of fresh fruits, vegetables, raw meat and seafood, available at reasonable prices. Also touted as the largest wet market in Bangkok, the Khlong Toei Market is a hub of local Thai culture, offering a magnified view of the same.

Pratunam market is yet another fascinatingly large outdoor wholesale market with hundreds of stalls selling T-shirts, bikinis, jeans, safari pants, faux jewellery, belts, shoes and more! You need not bargain here as everything is already cheap and affordable. Although it is famous for wholesale, you can buy one or two items here.

Amulet Market in Bangkok, Thailand is a century-old and the biggest market known for amulets (Kreaung Rang in Thai). You can find sundry other superstitious items of different shapes and meanings. The market is located adjacent to Wat Mahathat, in between the Chao Phraya River and Maha Rat Road around the Grand Palace.

If you have one evening for a night market, make it this one. Jodd Fairs trades daily from about 5 pm beside Big C on Ratchadaphisek, three minutes from Exit 4 of Thailand Cultural Centre MRT, with around 800 stalls tilted towards food rather than shopping. Leng saap, a heap of pork spine in fiery broth, is what most people queue for. The older Rama 9 site has closed, so head to the Ratchada address.

The original Train Night Market, and the one to pick if you want old things rather than new ones. It runs Thursday to Sunday evenings behind Seacon Square in the east of the city, with warehouse aisles of antiques, restored furniture, classic cars and rockabilly barbershops alongside the food stalls. It sits further out than the Ratchada markets, so treat it as the whole evening rather than a stop on the way.

Yaowarat is where you come to eat rather than to buy. From about six in the evening the pavements of Chinatown's main road fill with grills, woks and shellfish stalls under neon signs in Thai and Chinese. Graze rather than sit down: oyster omelettes, grilled prawns, roast duck and mango sticky rice are all within a few hundred metres. Wat Mangkon station on the MRT Blue Line puts you at the quieter end of the strip.

The one entry here that is not in Bangkok. Maeklong lies about 70 km southwest, and its stalls sit along a working railway line: a few times a day a train comes through, the vendors fold their awnings back, let it pass inches from the produce, then set up again. Most visitors pair it with Amphawa or Damnoen Saduak and make a day of it. Check the train times before setting out, because the folding is the whole point.