Saturday October 31, 2009
Bangkok markets and stupas
By NG SU-ANN
Bangkok feeds body, mind and soul in a unique way.
As the capital of Thailand or the Land of Smiles, Bangkok has enough to offer to make any shopaholic grin from ear to ear.
As my funds were limited after a long holiday in Europe, I had to tighten my wallet during a four-day break in the Thai capital with my niece and nephew.
A mobile hawker preparing her food at the Chatuchak wholesale market. As the appointed trip planner, I filled the itinerary with mostly visits to wholesale markets and temples.
Possibly one of Asia’s biggest covered markets is the world-renowned Chatuchak which opens from 9am to 6pm on weekends.
However, to be forewarned is to be forearmed. This covered market with some 15,000 stalls has the climate of a giant sauna. And even with a good sense of direction, you may still find yourself walking in circles as the market is unbelievably vast and crowded.
So, be prepared to get sticky and drenched in sweat as you put your bargaining skills to the test.
Personally, I found most sellers here were reluctant to lower their prices much. As if there was some unwritten agreement, they all sang the same tune: “This is a wholesale market. Our prices are rock-bottom already.”
If you are an adventurous shopper, you will get your adrenaline rush here. But for those who find crowded spots overwhelming, this market may not be your cup of tea.
Beautiful lanterns for sale in the Suan Lum Night Bazaar. It is said that 200,000 people throng the market each weekend. With a sheer variety of merchandise (ranging from furniture and craft to clothing and pet care products), visitors can have a field day in this “a-maze-ing” shopping magnet.
Weaving around the intricate labyrinth of stalls, we met several pushcart hawkers. I stopped one who was selling homemade ice-cream in a bun. This “cool” reprieve cost only 10 Baht (about RM1).
If you are looking for Thailand’s famed cashew nuts, this is the place to get them. Trying to see if I could talk my way into getting a good discount, the seller relented but only knocked off RM1 from the initial asking price of RM17 per 500g.
Also keep your eyes peeled for unusual buskers and hawker food on the road outside the market. We saw a boy with a knack for balancing a football on a bottle atop his forehead. There was also a local band performing English oldies.
Along the road were stalls selling all sorts of grub including fried squid eggs. My nephew offered me some of his but I declined.
A mosaic-tiled stupa in Wat Pho (Temple of the Reclining Buddha). For a more leisurely pace, you can also opt for the Pratunam Market which opens daily from 10am-9pm.
Located at the intersection of Ratchaprop and Petchburi roads, the market sells mostly clothes, shoes and accessories at wholesale prices. Shops and tiny stalls dot both sides of the roads.
Nearby is the Platinum Fashion Mall which sells about the same things. The only difference is that you get to shop in an air-conditioned mall which has six floors of outlets.
We also went to the touristy Patpong Night Market (6pm-1am). The place was quite chaotic with mobs of foreign tourists thronging the rows of open-air stalls.
This Bangkok bazaar sits in the Silom district famed for its notorious nightlife where go-go bars abound.
A statue showing the actual size of King Mongkut at Wat Ratchapradit. — NG SU-ANN You can perfect the art of bargaining at the bazaar’s stalls as the initial asking prices can be quite ludicrous. So make sure the stall operators knock off at least half of the initial asking price before you consider making a purchase.
I prefer the more orderly Suan Lum Night Bazaar (6pm to midnight daily). It is a nocturnal but down-scaled version of Chatuchak.
Its covered walkways with centrally-sited snack bars offer the public a more conducive market shopping experience.
Beyond its Khmer-looking temple walkway lies an open-air beer garden, food court and concert venue.
Between shopping, we also made a beeline for a boat ride along the famed Chao Phraya River.
We took a sky train (BTS) from our hotel in Silom to the Central Pier. We were accosted by several touts who were promoting their canal tours but I had been advised to try out a cheaper alternative.
A colleague told me to take the local express boat which only costs between 5 Baht and 15 Baht, depending on where you stop. This is my ideal way of exploring the “Venice of the East” on a shoestring.
For this price, I did not mind feeling like a sardine in a can. It also presented a fine opportunity to sample a slice of Thai culture.
We stopped at Tha Tien Pier where Wat Pho (Temple of the Reclining Buddha) is within walking distance. The temple (opens from 9am-5pm with an admission of 50 Baht) also houses a traditional Thai massage school.
We marvelled in quiet fascination at its multicoloured mosaic stupas towering in sublime splendour.
It is said that the late King Rama I’s relics are partially kept at the temple’s ordination hall.
Here, the country’s most inspiring golden Reclining Buddha image, which measures 46m long, is enshrined.
A hawker suggested we visit Wat Rachapradit (1pm-5pm, free admission) after we had lunch at a stall outside the temple. We paid 40 Baht to travel there by tuk-tuk.
The royal monastery was indeed as exquisite as the hawker described. We certainly had no regrets.
This is the temple of King Rama IV or King Mongkut. Many may recall the various portrayals of him in Hollywood films such as The King and I and Anna and the King.
There was even a life-sized golden statue of him within the compound.
An official was kind enough to show us around. He said this temple was unique as it also had structures bearing Cambodian, Burmese and Chinese styles.
Also worth visiting are Wat Arun (8.30am-5pm, admission 20 Baht), Wat Suthat (8am-9pm, free admission) and Wat Ratchabophit (8.30am-5pm, free admission).
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