Khlong Toei Market is one of Bangkok’s biggest fresh markets. The locals come to market to get some of the cheapest fresh food, seafood, meat and household essentials. It is not at all like a shopping mall or a polished tourist hub, it is crowded, chaotic and fully alive. Here you will find vendors shouting to get the attention of the customers, motorbikes and rickshaws trying to pass through the impossibly narrow road and smell of the herbs, spices and fresh food in the air. It is definitely not very exciting and fascinating.
Photographers love this place for its candid scenes like smiling sellers, colorful displays, and the occasional dramatic encounter between man and nature. It is a loud and noisy market – gritty, energetic and 100% real.
Things to buy in the Khlong Toei Market
There are different zones in the market. You basically get all kinds of fresh food for day to day preparation of the meal. So once zone is the meat zone where you will get meat. Then, you will also get other things like whole animals, huge piles of intestines and pig feet amongst plenty of other offal and other weird and exotic meals.
You also have the seafood section where you get fish and other varieties of sea creatures. Apart from this section there is the fresh tropical vegetable section. Here you will get the rose apples, sweet tamarind, seedless guavas, creamy avocados, and even yellow watermelons. If all these leaves you hungry, do not worry, the market has food stalls at every zone, you can grab a snack and some beverages.
Best Time To Visit Khlong Toei Market
To make your experience at Khlong Toei Market a truly enriching one it is best to avoid visiting the market during the morning and afternoon time when it is quite sunny. Also there are chances of rain so it is better to visit the market in the evening time. The best months to visit the market would be from November – January.
The market is open on all the days of the week 24/7. However, if you wish to get good deals you should try to be their first lucky customer. As the shopkeepers believe that their first sale will bring them good luck.
How to reach Khlong Toei Market?
Khlong Toei Market is located on Rama IV Road near the Khlong Toei and Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre MRT stations in the Khlong Toei neighborhood. To get here, there are few options like –
- Skytrain (BTS): Board the train in the Mo Chit Station and take exit from gate no 1.
- Subway (MRT): Take the bus from Khlong Toei Market and take exit from gate no 1.
- Taxi: Alternatively to reach faster you can directly hire a taxi.
Khlong Toei Market in Bangkok, Thailand
Khlong Toei Market has been a very important transportation and trading hub due to its closeness to the Port of Bangkok. It started developing in the mid 20th century in the 1950s to 60s. Gradually it started growing into a large market and became a major distribution for fresh food. Later it became the main point to supply meat, seafood, spices and more at wholesale prices. Most of the restaurants and hotels get their daily vegetables and spices from this market. Also, it is a go to go spot for most of the daily workers as you get the food at a very reasonable rate.
