The Chatuchak Weekend Market (, ), on Kamphaeng Phet 2 Road, Chatuchak,

Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in Thai language, Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estim ...

, is the largest

market Market is a term used to describe concepts such as: *Market (economics), system in which parties engage in transactions according to supply and demand *Market economy *Marketplace, a physical marketplace or public market *Marketing, the act of sat ...

in Thailand. Also known as JJ Market, it has more than 15,000 stalls and 11,505 vendors (2019), divided into 27 sections. Chatuchak Market sells many different kinds of goods, including

plant Plants are the eukaryotes that form the Kingdom (biology), kingdom Plantae; they are predominantly Photosynthesis, photosynthetic. This means that they obtain their energy from sunlight, using chloroplasts derived from endosymbiosis with c ...

antique An antique () is an item perceived as having value because of its aesthetic or historical significance, and often defined as at least 100 years old (or some other limit), although the term is often used loosely to describe any object that i ...

consumer electronics Consumer electronics, also known as home electronics, are electronic devices intended for everyday household use. Consumer electronics include those used for entertainment, Communication, communications, and recreation. Historically, these prod ...

cosmetics Cosmetics are substances that are intended for application to the body for cleansing, beautifying, promoting attractiveness, or altering appearance. They are mixtures of chemical compounds derived from either Natural product, natural source ...

pet A pet, or companion animal, is an animal kept primarily for a person's company or entertainment rather than as a working animal, livestock, or a laboratory animal. Popular pets are often considered to have attractive/ cute appearances, inte ...

s, fresh and dry

food Food is any substance consumed by an organism for Nutrient, nutritional support. Food is usually of plant, animal, or Fungus, fungal origin and contains essential nutrients such as carbohydrates, fats, protein (nutrient), proteins, vitamins, ...

and

drink A drink or beverage is a liquid intended for human consumption. In addition to their basic function of satisfying thirst, drinks play important roles in human culture. Common types of drinks include plain drinking water, milk, juice, smoothie ...

ceramics A ceramic is any of the various hard, brittle, heat-resistant, and corrosion-resistant materials made by shaping and then firing an inorganic, nonmetallic material, such as clay, at a high temperature. Common examples are earthenware, porce ...

furniture Furniture refers to objects intended to support various human activities such as seating (e.g., Stool (seat), stools, chairs, and sofas), eating (table (furniture), tables), storing items, working, and sleeping (e.g., beds and hammocks). Furnitur ...

and home accessories,

clothing Clothing (also known as clothes, garments, dress, apparel, or attire) is any item worn on a human human body, body. Typically, clothing is made of fabrics or textiles, but over time it has included garments made from animal skin and other thin s ...

, and

book A book is a structured presentation of recorded information, primarily verbal and graphical, through a medium. Originally physical, electronic books and audiobooks are now existent. Physical books are objects that contain printed material, ...

s. It is the world's largest and most diverse weekend market, with over 200,000 visitors every weekend.

History

Chatuchak Market has been open since 1942. In 1948, Prime Minister

Plaek Phibunsongkhram Plaek Phibunsongkhram; 14 July 1897 – 11 June 1964) was a Thai military officer and politician who served as the third prime minister of Thailand from 1938 to 1944 and again from 1948 to 1957. He rose to power as a leading member of the Kh ...

had a policy that every province was required to have its own market. Bangkok chose Sanam Luang as the market site. After a few months, the government moved the market to Sanam Chai. The market moved back to Sanam Luang in 1958. Starting in 1975, General Kriangsak Chamanan had the policy of using Sanam Luang as a place of recreational activity for the populace which would also be used for commemorating ceremony. As General Kriangsak Chamanan was the chairman of

State Railway of Thailand The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) (, abbrev. รฟท., ) is the state-owned rail operator under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Transport (Thailand), Ministry of Transport in Thailand. History The SRT was founded as the Royal State Rail ...

at that time, he thus permitted the use of land on the south side of Chatuchak Park as a market. His plan was to recycle waste from the looming Din Daeng Garbage Mountain which had stacked up across the decades to use as landfills, and he recruited military engineers for the job. The park was fully completed in 1978, when General Kriangsak Chomanan became the Prime Minister. By 1983, all of the merchants had moved to Chatuchak. At that time the market was called Phahonyothin Market. In 1987, its name was changed to Chatuchak Market. The

clock tower Clock towers are a specific type of structure that house a turret clock and have one or more clock faces on the upper exterior walls. Many clock towers are freestanding structures but they can also adjoin or be located on top of another building ...

is a distinctive landmark in the Chatuchuk Market. It was built in 1987 on the occasion of King Bhumibol Adulyadej's 60th birthday on 5 December 1987, a cooperative effort of the market administration and Thai-Chinese Merchant Association. On Tuesday 11 June 2024, at about 4am, a fire broke out in the ornamental fish zone in Srisomrat Market, also affectionately known as Sunday Market, adjacent to the bigger Chatuchak market, burning out 118 sales stalls, killing some 1,000 animals including snakes, spiders and Siamese fighting fish.More than 1,000 animals killed as fire rips through famous Bangkok market

ABC News Online ABC News, also known as ABC News and Current Affairs, is a public news service produced by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. The service covers both local and world affairs, broadcasting both nationally as ABC News, and across the Asia- ...

/wires, 2024-06-12

Economics

Monthly stall rent for vendors at the market ranges from 10,600 to 17,700

baht The baht (; , ; currency sign, sign: ฿; ISO 4217, code: THB) is the official currency of Thailand. It is divided into 100 ''satang'' (, ). Prior to decimalisation, the baht was divided into eight ''fueang'' (, ), each of eight ''at'' (, ). The ...

. A

University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce The University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce (UTCC) ( Thai: มหาวิทยาลัยหอการค้าไทย) is a private non-profit higher education institution in Bangkok, Thailand. The university's origin dates back to 19 ...

(UTCC) study found that most merchants have been selling at the weekend market for four to six years and have an average sales revenue of 139,500 baht per month.

Trade in illegal wildlife

Studies have shown that the Chatuchak Market is a centre for trade in illegal wildlife. In a survey conducted on 28–29 March 2015, researchers counted 1,271 birds of 117 species for sale in 45 shops or stalls. Of the total, nine species were listed as "Threatened" on the

IUCN Red List The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, also known as the IUCN Red List or Red Data Book, founded in 1964, is an inventory of the global conservation status and extinction risk of biological ...

and eight species as "Near Threatened".

Market sections

*Clothing and accessories (sections 2–6, 10–26) *Handicrafts (sections 8–11) *Ceramics (sections 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 25) *Furniture and home decor (sections 1,3,4,7,8) *Food and beverage (sections 2, 3, 4, 23, 24, 26, 27) *Plants and gardening (sections 3, 4) *Art and galleries (section 7) *Pets and accessories (sections 8, 9, 11, 13) *Books (sections 1, 27) *Antiques and collectibles (sections 1, 26) *Miscellaneous and used clothing (sections 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 22, 25, 26)

Transport

The market is served by the Kamphaeng Phet Road and is served by the Kamphaeng Phet (western end) and Chatuchak Park stations (eastern end) on the

MRT Blue Line The MRT Blue Line () or MRT Chaloem Ratchamongkon Line () is Bangkok's third rapid transit line, following the Sukhumvit line and Silom line of the BTS Skytrain. It is the first line of the MRT (Bangkok), MRT system and is operated by Bangkok Exp ...

. The eastern end of the market is also served by Mo Chit BTS station on the Sukhumvit Line.

Gallery

Image:Bangkok - Jatujak Market 01.JPG, One of its many small aisles, Chatuchak Market Image:Chatuchak_Weekend_Market_Soi.jpg, A narrow aisle, Chatuchak Market Image:Chatuchak weekend market.jpg, Fish for sale, Chatuchak Market Image:Fake football shirts.jpg, Fake football shirts, Chatuchak Market Image:Thai Silk.jpg, Thai silk, Chatuchak Market Image:Chatuchak clocktower.jpg, Clock tower, Chatuchak Market Image:Chatuchak weekend market roofs.jpg, Central clock tower, Chatuchak Market Image:Taxis and minibusues (8271081864).jpg, Taxi and minibus queue, Chatuchak Market

References

External links

Chatuchak Market Website
* {{Visitor attractions in Bangkok Retail markets in Bangkok Buildings and structures in Bangkok Chatuchak district