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ThailandIn the article we talk about one of the unusual and interesting sights of Bangkok – the large amulet market Amulet Market. From the article you will learn why you should visit it and what you can buy here, what prices are on the market, as well as where it is located and how to get to it yourself. Well, if something remains unclear or you just want to talk about a holiday in Thailand or share your experience, we invite you to our 💬 Thailand travel chat.
Description and is it worth a visit
There are many places in Bangkok where you can buy amulets, but the largest and most interesting of them is the Amulet Market next to the Grand Royal Palace and opposite the temple Mahatat on Maha Rat street. This is a truly unique and worth visiting place, and we recommend every guest of Bangkok to visit here if possible. And it's definitely worth coming here if it's not the first time you've been to Bangkok. Here you can not just walk among the rows of amazing crafts and souvenirs that smell of religion, mysticism and antiquity, but also buy yourself an amulet (if you believe) or a souvenir (if you don't believe). By the way, amulets are very inexpensive here, prices start from 20 baht (this is about 0.61 USD at the current exchange rate)!
On the Internet, in reviews and "authoritative" guidebooks, we have come across information that it is impossible to take pictures here, but we cannot confirm this. Indeed, there are "No photo" signs on individual counters here, and this is not surprising. After all, when mass tourists found out about this place, they rushed here with cameras, did not let the merchants work and at the same time did not buy anything, that's why this "ban" appeared. But if you take photos unobtrusively and do not take pictures of sellers, then no one will interfere with you. Well, if you buy something here, then you will be happy to be provided with all the goods for photographing. By the way, we even quietly shot a video here (see it below on the page), and no one said a word about the ban on filming.
Another "authoritative" guidebook says that the price of amulets is not set here and they are sold for donations for temples. This is also, most likely, nonsense, since the price tags for the products are on the shelves, and they are sold by the most ordinary merchants, not monks.
But back to the amulets themselves and the market. Among the products that are sold here are key chains, pendants, beads, bracelets, large and small figures of deities, countless Buddhas, semi-precious stone crafts, jewelry, huge statues. In general, there are a lot of things, and the prices are very reasonable. Owners of souvenir shops even come here to buy wholesale, and discerning connoisseurs of antiques are also looking for rare exhibits.
Well, the most important thing is that it is believed that all the gizmos here are "charged" in order to protect their owner and benefit. You can ask the seller which amulet should be chosen for good luck, for money, for travel, for love, and so on. Or you can just choose the thing you like, and the seller will do some actions with it in front of you to "charge". As they say, any whim for your money. In general, it is pleasant and interesting not only to walk and watch, but also to buy.
🕐 Working hours
There is no exact opening time of the market, but the bulk of traders work from about 08:00 to 16:00.
💵Entrance fee / ticket price
Free of charge, prices for amulets and souvenirs start from 20 baht.
🚶 How to get there
The Amulet Market is located in the historic district of Bangkok, a few minutes from the Grand Royal Palace opposite the Mahatat Temple on Maha Rat Street (amulet market on the map). To be more precise, the shopping malls and shops are not located on Maha Rat Street itself, but in the alleys that begin on this street towards the Chaopraya River. There is no signboard here, you just need to walk along Maha Rat Road and look for narrow passages between buildings, and then you will get to this market. If you do not dare to turn into these alleys, then you will not see anything interesting except a few shops, jewelers and cafes along Maha Rat Street.
To get here from the main tourist area of Khao San Road, the easiest way is to walk, walk about one and a half kilometers or 20 minutes. It is better to use a navigator or maps for this, since for this you will have to cross the very busy Somdet Phra Pin Klao street at a pedestrian crossing with a traffic light near the Golden Jubilee Memorial, or under a bridge near the Chaopraya River, there is no other way to cross.
From other parts of Bangkok, you can get here by city buses. There are quite a few bus routes to the final stop near the famous monument World War I Volunteer, from where the market is only 10 minutes away. To determine which bus to take, you can use the route construction on Google maps or the ViaBus app.
If you prefer the subway, then you can't get directly to the market on it, it's not in this area yet. But you can take the metro to the Saphan Taksin station, there go to the Sathorn boat pier on the Chaopraya River, and from there by regular boat to the Tha Maharaj pier right next to the market.
Learn more about you can read how to use Bangkok public transport in a separate article.
Friends, we remind you that it is much more interesting to get acquainted with the sights of Bangkok with the help of excursions, and therefore we advise you to look at options with online booking and reviews on these excursion aggregators: