The Top 10 Night Markets in Bangkok

Artbox

The shipping-container stalls give the game away: Artbox is a pop-up weekend night market that opens temporarily in one place for months, then lies low until it pops up again elsewhere. Its present location in Chuvit Gardens will serve until Nov. 30.

For now, Artbox adds nicely to Sukhumvit Soi 10’s already diverse shopping scene. The stuff here focuses on handmade and vintage goods, with an emphasis on local designers.

Getting there: Take the BTS Skytrain to Nana Station or Asok Station. After November 30, consult their Facebook page to see where they’ll pop up next.

Operating hours: Friday to Sunday, 3 p.m. to midnight

Talad Rod Fai Srinakarin

The Train Market takes its name from its original incarnation on an abandoned railway yard near the Chatuchak market. Despite its move to Srinakarin Road Soi 51, the name stuck, and still serves as a local byword for retro night markets.

The vibe at Rot Fai Srinakarin leans towards classic, vintage, retro—found in its handmade artisanal goods, antique collectibles, and gently-worn secondhand items.

Real collectors should head over to Rod’s Antiques, a warehouse filled with genuine antique collectibles that fetch high prices to match.

Getting there: Take the BTS Skytrain to Udom Suk Station, then ride a taxi to Seacon Square.

Operating hours: Thursday to Sunday, 5 p.m. to 1 a.m.

Chang Chui Creative Park

Chang Chui Creative Park, or the plane market gets its nickname from the junked L-1011 TriStar Lockheed plane parked in its midst.

The Na-Oh Fine Dining Restaurant set inside the plane only scratches the surface of what makes Chang Chui a great food and drink stop: elsewhere you’ll find a unique fine dining restaurant serving insects, a refined tea house, and several craft beer bars with a staggeringly wide selection between them all.

Spend the rest of your evening looking through Chang Chui’s upscale shops—or take a selfie at the modern sculptures scattered around the grounds.

Getting there: There are no BTS or MRT stations stop near Chang Chui; take a taxi to the site.

Operating hours: Thursday to Tuesday; daytime “green zone” opens between 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., “night zone” opens between 4 to 11 p.m.

Neon Night Bazaar

Following in the industrial-meets-quirky trend initiated by Artbox, the Neon Night Bazaar lights up the downtown Pratunam district with its own youth-oriented market experience.

The usual range of phone cases, bags, clothes, and souvenirs litter the market stalls, all bathed in a bright neon glow from the lights that gave the place its name. Potent drinks can be enjoyed at the bars set throughout the market, all located in shipping containers.

Guests below drinking age can also enjoy the bazaar, with a carousel, Ferris wheel, and petting zoo.

Getting there: Ride the BTS Skytrain to Chitlom or Ratchathewi Stations, then walk down Phetchaburi Road to the location between sois 23 and 29.

Operating hours: Wednesday to Sunday, 4 p.m. to midnight.

Talad Rod Fai Ratchada

Inspired by the success of the first Train Market, this second version opened much closer to downtown Bangkok, its smaller size outweighed by its easier access.

Like its predecessor, Talad Rot Fai Ratchada has a retro, vintage feel that reflects in the items on sale. Come to look through the market’s used goods and antiques, vintage wear, and collectibles. Afterward, drink up from one of the bars located in old vehicles, or have some Thai street food at any of the restaurants or snack stalls nearby.

Getting there: Take the MRT to Thailand Cultural Center, then walk to the market location.

Operating hours: Thursday to Sunday, 5 p.m. to 1 a.m.

Talad Liab Duan: Locals’ Favorite

The adjacent Chalong Rat Expressway gives Talad Liab Duan its name (literally “by the highway” in Thai). Its unassuming location matches its down-to-earth appeal: Liab Duan caters to locals who come for its cheap second-hand items, knock-off merchandise, and Thai street food.

With hundreds of neatly-lined stalls packed in a 6-acre lot, visitors to Talad Liab Duan can expect to spend hours just browsing through the wares. Many of the items are sold from low-slung bae kar din (in Thai, “selling from the ground”) and you'll encounter many sellers hawking cellphone cases and hilariously misspelled, fake branded goods.

Getting there: Take a taxi to get to Talad Liab Duan, as it’s nowhere near any BTS or MRT stops.

Operating hours: Daily, 6 p.m. to midnight.

Asiatique the Waterfront

A series of riverside warehouses were converted into one of Bangkok’s most upscale night markets. Asiatique the Waterfront maximizes its Chao Phraya-side location—filling its open spaces and built structures with upscale dining and al fresco street chow; artisanal shops and flea-market bargains; and endless entertainment options.

About 1,500 stalls and 40 restaurants can be found within the warehouse complex, organized within four distinct zones. Go shopping at the Factory District, or dine at the riverside Waterfront District and the Down Square District.

If shopping isn’t your thing, enjoy the Calypso Cabaret show at the Chareonkrung District, or take a ride on the brightly-lit, 200-foot-high Asiatique Sky observation wheel.

Getting there: Take the BTS Skytrain to Saphan Taksin Station, then go to Sathorn pier to ride the free shuttle boat to Asiatique; the service runs from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m.

Operating hours: Daily, 5 p.m. to midnight.

Suan Lum Night Bazaar

This is the second incarnation of the Suan Lum Bazaar, Bangkok's biggest night market; the first was a massive affair located on Rama IV Road near Lumpini Park that was shut down in 2011. With some 2,000 stalls, Suan Lum 2.0 retains the size and scope of the original.

Expect the usual range of clothing, accessories, souvenirs, household goods, jewelry, and crafts—haggle down the prices to get the best value.

Suan Lum’s entertainment sets it apart from most other night markets—the market offers a wide range of diversions from Muay Thai tournaments to the Playhouse Cabaret Ladyboy Show.

Getting there: Take the MRT and disembark at Lad Phrao Station.

Operating hours: Daily, 4 p.m. to midnight

Chinatown/Yaowarat Road

Bangkok’s “Chinatown” transforms after sunset. The gold shops, Chinese drugstores and fine dining restaurants suddenly recede, as food stalls on Yaowarat Road appear as if out of nowhere.

Yaowarat Road is a night market specifically devoted to the love of Chinese food: hundreds of stalls on both sides of the thoroughfare hawk freshly-made noodles, seafood, dim sum, and desserts. The street stays open until after 2 a.m., allowing you to get your noodle and seafood fix deep into the night.

Getting there: Take the BTS Skytrain to Saphan Taksin Station, then go to the Sathorn pier to ride the Chao Praya River Express to Ratchawong Pier. Walk from the pier down Ratchawong Road to Yaowarat Road

Operating hours: Daily, 7 p.m. to 2 a.m.

Chatuchak Friday Night Market

After dark, a section of the massive Chatuchak Weekend Market stays open for shoppers preferring to do their hunting in the cooler night air. It’s a shadow of the complete Chatuchak experience, but for teens and fashionistas looking for cheap but trendy clothes and accessories, it’ll do.

The Friday Night Market occupies Sections 8 to 26 of the Chatuchak complex, staying open until early Saturday morning. To really get in the swing of things, arrive between 10 and 11 p.m. to see the place really come to life.

Getting there: Take the BTS Skytrain to Mo Chit Station, or the MRT to either Chatuchak Park or Kamphaeng Phet Stations.

Operating hours: Friday, 9 p.m. to Saturday 7 a.m.