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Published: August 8th 2007
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Thai Costume
At Chatuchak market Huge. That's what Chatuchak market is. This sprawling outdoor market in Bangkok operates only on weekends and consists of a neverending maze of vendors selling anything and everything.
Saturday was my first experience at Chatuchak. Saai tutored a few of her students in the morning before meeting up with me around 1:00 at the canteen (food court) in Kasetsart University to grab a quick bite to eat. After a short stop at the university gym (just to check it out - hope to work out soon!), we were on our way to Chatuchak.
Chatuchak market is on the same street where I live (Pahonyothin) but approximately 10 minutes away (if traffic is light). It's easily accessed for most in the city since there are MRT (subway) and BTS (skytrain) stops within walking distance.
Our taxi driver dropped us off at one of the many entrances to the market, and we began walking...and walking...and walking, past Thai and farang (foreigners) alike. Rather than get carried away with buying, we limited our search to a few specific items: cushion for my wood chair, bowl, spoon, cup, and one of those triangle lounge cushions (no idea what these are called but
Chatuchak Market
Wandering through the many paths. they are common in Thailand). All of these were found.
However, finding is only part of the process. There is another important aspect to the Thai markets - bargaining. Prices aren't set; they're negotiable. I have fun with this part.
My bargaining style is quite simple really. The first step is to know the going price, and requires mutliple sellers having the same (or at least a similar) product. Once the item is found and the price is obtained from at least two sellers, I begin bargaining. I offer to purchase the item for a significantly reduced cost (50% isn't uncommon for clothing), and wait for the counter offer sure to come. The Thais like to have fun with this (actually, they like to have fun with everything) so they'll usually make a large show, and offer a price not much lower than the original price. I'll budge a bit to encourage bargaining on their part, but ultimately will walk away. The seller will usually make one last attempt to sell it as I'm walking away with their final offer. This is the most important figure, and the one to consider with the next seller. The objective now
Le Cafe Siam
Saai's entree - duck is to buy the item from the next seller for a little less than that last offer. Got it? Now, I may end up going back to the original seller if I liked them. The most important thing for me isn't really to get the best price. I want to get a fair price. The rest of it is just for fun. Sometimes I'll give them more than the agreed upon negotiated price if I really liked the way they bargained. Their attitude is key (and mine - smile a lot!).
After only a couple of hours and $23 in purchases, Saai and I left to return to the comforts of A/C. I'll be back though. There is much more to Chatuchak market than what I saw on Saturday.
Let's rewind to Friday...that was my date night with Saai. Prior to coming to Thailand, I decided to set up a weekly date night with Saai where we would do something special. This is our chance to push the budget a bit. For our initial date night, we ventured over to the Silom/Lumpini area for dinner at the upscale Le Cafe Siam. This is a restaurant in a converted
Chicken & Vegetables with Rice
Basic meal for 75 cents at the food court at Kasetsart University. house emphasizing Thai and French cooking. It's located off a small street (Soi) near Rama IV Rd. Both of us opted for the French side of the menu since we're getting plenty of Thai dishes the rest of the week. Although the food was good (seabass for me and duck for Saai), the atmosphere is what we really enjoyed. A great spot for a romantic dinner. Appetizers, entrees, and a shared dessert added up to about $60 (U.S. dollars); an expensive dinner for two in Thailand but reasonable in America.
Contrast that to the chicken and rice dinner we had last night for $2 from a street vendor on Pahonyothin near my apartment. Which food did I like more? Actually, the chicken & rice. It came with a killer hot sauce. That spot might go on our regular rotation. Since neither Saai nor I have a kitchen, eating out is the norm. With all the street vendors, it's a fairly easy and inexpensive option.
Ok, enough for now...Look! There goes Dave!
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Eric
non-member comment
Your a brave soul....street vendor and eating are not to be associated. Keep up the blog. I usually check in once a week. Glad all is well and tell Saai hello. Your new closing should be There gone Dave.