The World’s Biggest Market

With the blistering version of Pink Floyd’s “Another Brick In The Wall” including The album’s preceding track “The Happiest Days of Our Lives” still ringing in my ears from the previous evening I awoke ready to face the day.

The music was not the only thing that was blistering, so was the day. After another hotel breakfast of no real note we headed by taxi (they are so damn cheap) to Chatuchak Weekend Markets. This is the biggest market in the world and dwarves anything else I have ever seen by comparison. There are 11,500 stall holders, 15,000 stalls and 200,000 visitors a day. This place is humongous. It was hot as hell and my Bangkok belly was still not right so I was loathe to try any of the local produce. 

Durian, a fruit that is famous in this part of the world, was on offer. I have been busting to try one and Oui has not been satisfied with the quality in Singapore, Malaysia, Cambodia, Hong Kong and Macau and has assured me that the Thailand durian will be truly amazing. It was described to me in Kuala Lumpar as “smelling live hell but tasting like heaven”. It looks like some medieval torture device and apparently some spectacular examples were on show at the markets but I was too scared to try as the public facilities are exactly what you’d expect them to be. Right throughout Asia there have been signs warning us not to bring durian on public transport and don’t bring durian into hotel rooms. I am really looking forward to finding out what all the fuss is about. 

The heat was beating both of us so we headed back to the hotel for afternoon naps. Then because we just had to we headed for the Patpong Night Markets where we tried with no luck to purchase a money clip. The currency here is insane and there is no easy way to keep the plethora of bank notes organised in your wallet so a money clip seemed like the answer. Of course it was just up the road from the famous red light district where we gawked like the tourists that we are. 

Dinner was in restaurant nearby that had the blessed benefits of taking credit cards and having air con. My stomach was not feeling that well so we headed to the V Residence which was our home for our three days in Bangkok. The next morning Oui’s cousin Neung and her husband Geng was coming to join us for the day and they would drive us to Oui’s home the next morning.