Accommodation in Chatuchak from AU$69

If there is one market in the world you must visit, it’s Chatuchak! Monkeys, cowboys, coconuts and pretty much anything else you could ever imagine is here. It demands a day of your time, and although you’ll be exhausted when it’s finished, we guarantee it’s worth it.

Located in Northern Bangkok, handily next to the BTS and the MRT, Chatuchak is only open on weekends and initially its sheer size and popularity can be overwhelming. The best advice we can give is to just get stuck in. If you see something you like, buy it because you won't find it again no matter how hard you try. For sheer spectacle head to the animals section of the market to see everything from fighting fish, parrots and monkeys. Or if, like most people, it's clothes you're after then check out the two vast sections of new clothes made by local designers and vintage clothes dating back decades. Battered old trainers, worn out jeans or unique t-shirts can all be bought here for reasonable prices. Back at your Chatuchak hotel brush up on some of your bartering skills before you hit the market and you might save a fair bit.

Chatuchak is also great for more homely purchases. There is a modern art section full of exciting paintings and sculpture. Furniture, plants, books, lights and anything else decorative are also crying out to be shipped home. As this is Thailand, there is of course food and drink available everywhere you look to keep the energy levels up. From our Chatuchak hotels it’s also worth heading to the nearby food market, Or Tor Kor, brimming with deliciousness, and the retro market Talaad Rot Fai.

From your hotel near Chatuchak market there is more than enough shopping to overload on.