Chatuchak weekend market

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Hello again faithful blog readers, it is Sunday evening here and the advance polls were held today.The Bangkok Post reports a number of polls were forced to close or not opened at all due to interferance and intimidation by the demonstrators.I saw nothing in my travels today and will wait to read more tomorrow.

I want to tell you about a a market I have been to a few times, open only on the weekends but what a place.Imagine all of Bangkok's Markets fused together in a seemingly never ending commerce -themed barrio.Everything is on sale here from snakes to teapots.It is hot, it is very very crowded and it is amazing.

The market is set up in sections with numbers and signs indicating what row you are going down in a general sense, and there are somewhat loose designated sections identified by the articles being sold.An animal section, childrens toys, antiques , clothing , you get the idea.The alley ways between the stalls are tight and crowded so not for the claustrophobic. There are food vendors set up inside as well as drinks, fruits, ice cream, frozen bananas dipped in chocolate , you name it. The whole thing is covered with corrugated tin roofs and underneath you are open sewers and drainage ditches covered with grates.Sounds great doesn't it?

Acres and acres of it, surrounded by food vendors, lines of tuk tuk's waiting to ferry people away with their treasures.Walking up to it from the Skytrain station, at the end of the line, there is a carnival atmosphere with school fundraisers singing and playing guitar, blind men singing with small amplifiers around their neck, a blue grass banjo picker, and even a rather disheveled transvestite singing songs by the side of the road.

Thailand is the capital of knock offs so if you want a Rolex or a Louis Vuiton bag this is the place.There isn't much that fits me but I have bought a few things for others, but I can say no more.

A fun place to spend a few hours and see a whole bunch of people all having a good time.

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