Night Markets in Thailand

At home you can find indoor markets, wholesale markets, bird markets, flea markets, and many more markets. But in Thailand there are night markets that I want to tell you about.

Night markets in Thailand is more than just a place to buy something. Personally, I consider them to be one of the most interesting sights, and I always try to visit. You can meet them not only at tourist resorts, but also in provincial towns of Thailand. The locals themselves are very fond of night markets, and for them they are a place of evening rest, as familiar as nightclubs or cafes are for some of us. No, perhaps not quite so… They don't go to nightclubs with their families. But Thais go to night markets with whole families to relax and unwind a little after a hard day's work.

Anyway, the night markets are very interesting, and I advise you to definitely go there. Personally, I like them so much that the first thing I do before going to a new place in tae is to find out if there is a night market there and how it works, and when I arrive at the place, I try to get there on the first evening.

Working hours. These markets in Thailand usually start working with the arrival of darkness, and this, depending on the season, from 18 or 19 pm (yes, it gets dark very early and very quickly in Thailand). But do not think that they work all night long. Already after 9 o'clock in the evening, they begin to slowly wind down, and by midnight they are already closing, because tomorrow morning you have to wake up early for work. Some work daily, and somewhere, unfortunately, only on weekends or individual days.

Goods in the markets, what to buy. The assortment of markets is diverse, but in most cases, souvenirs and all kinds of goods are sold there at resorts, primarily for tourists. There are also more specialized night themed markets. For example, the Cicada Market is something like an art and craft market, i.e. handmade products and souvenirs, paintings, creative goods are sold there.

In some night markets, you can find handmade handicrafts specific only to this region and other interesting things. In general, you will be delighted with shopping at a good night market.

Cuisine of night markets is generally something indescribable. It's just a real belly feast, and sometimes very exotic: insects, unusual drinks, cocktails, fruits, necessarily traditional soups. There is an abundance of seafood in the coastal areas.

Many markets have generally formed around large street food courts, while trade in goods is secondary. You can walk for hours along the rows offering incredible exotic dishes.

The service scheme for them is different, so I'll dwell on it in a little more detail. In the simplest places, you just go to the counters, buy your favorite dishes and drinks for cash, and sit down at a table to eat. If the dish you ordered is not ready yet, then it can either be brought to your table, or you can come up later for the dish. You can pay immediately, don't worry, no one ever cheats here.

Another option is a coupon system. This is similar to the system in modern Thai food courts with magnetic cards, only here paper coupons are used instead of a card. On such food courts, you need to find a counter where coupons are sold, buy them about as much as you want to spend (in our experience, we almost never spent more than 200 baht per person on food courts, but if you want something special, for example, lobster, you will have to pay more). After that, go to the shops and buy what you like, and you can exchange the rest of the coupons for money again in the same place where you bought them.

And a little more advice: take a table first, and then go for the order. There are so many people on the food courts of night markets on weekends that sometimes finding a free place is a real problem.

A special part of the market is the creative or artistic part. Almost every night market has a place where artists or artists, artisans, craftsmen work. Something like our Arbat. It's a very interesting place, and I'm definitely looking for this in any market, wherever I go.

And also, in some markets there is a stage where local artists perform, show various shows, including those with a claim to tradition. If there is a scene in your market. Immediately take a seat closer to her to see everything.

Here, for example, is a video from the scene of one of my favorite night markets in Krabi:

Markets can be simpler, more like large canteens, such as in Krabi on the waterfront. It's not so interesting there, but you can have a tasty and inexpensive meal.

And finally, my rating of the most favorite night markets in Thailand:

1. Chiang Rai

   Night market Chiang Rai city in the north of Thailand I remember and loved the most. Why not? Love is hard to explain. There is a stage in this market, and a huge food court where you can try insects. But that's not all. Especially for European tourists, there is another scene in a chic restaurant.

2. Chiang Mai

   The night market Chiang Mai is huge. I remember it, first of all, as a market where you can buy anything. But a special place in this market is occupied by local handicrafts and crafts that can only be found in Chiang Mai. There are also a lot of artists and their workshops here.

3. Krabi Night Market

   Unfortunately, the night market in Krabi is open only on weekends. I liked his provinciality in him. There are almost no tourists here, at least Europeans, but the fun is in full swing. There is a scene.

4. Hua Hin Night Market Cicada Market

   Of all the other markets that I have seen, Hua Hin Cicada Market liked its originality. It is aimed at artists and craftsmen. Here you can buy very unusual handmade souvenirs and paintings. Just do not confuse it with night market in the center of Hua Hin, this is a completely different place.

Author: Svetka