I have a strange relationship with the act of shopping. An evolving one. One that has been impacted by my age, my maturity, my interests and, probably most of all, my moods. As someone who used to shop when depressed during the first half of my twenties, as an adult woman in her early thirties, I find myself having a much more controlled and defined shopping behaviour. I ponder a lot more now before buying any item of clothing or books, usually, my two main temptations in the aisles of any store, are physical or virtual. I have been despising shopping centres for a long time now – so I can let you know from this point this post is not about the famous shopping malls of Bangkok, even though I cannot deny I often took refuge in them for the sake of air-con.
My favourite kind of shopping is more of a treasure hunt. If I am in the right mood, I like to lose myself in a market or a second-hand shop, or even a TK Maxx (TJ Maxx for the Americans) to find good deals, unique pieces, or maybe something I’ve always wanted or actually need at a good value.
So far in my trip, I have not been having good shopping experiences. In most markets, I felt quite frankly harassed by the vendors. If I looked for a second longer at any item, they would be on top of me, already putting it on a bag, offering me a lower price, before I muttered a single word. The moment I said “no, thanks” or simply I was just looking around, their niceness would rapidly turn into rudeness. Eyes averted to the opposite side, smile immediately downturned. As someone who is introverted with a degree of social anxiety, those market experiences are pretty much a nightmare. Basically, if you want me to spend my money with you, just let me be. And stop treating me like an ATM.
I had read about the Chatuchak Weekend Market as Bangkok’s shopping paradise. An opportunity to buy great souvenirs at great prices. A must-visit, a don’t you dare miss. Especially if you are in Bangkok precisely when it takes place – over the weekend, from Friday to Sunday. And well… I was.
It was a Sunday morning, and I was in bed pondering my options. Should I go? Would I be way too overwhelmed? Was this just a tourist-grabbing place? I read what others were saying about it – raving reviews, just with a warning about it getting hot, so please take water with you. They also talked about the size of the market.
Thankfully, I decided to go. I was there shortly after it opened. And this was the best decision I could have taken. This was by far the best shopping experience I had in my entire time in the whole of South East Asia, and the only reason I did not spend more Bahts there was my limited backpack space.
With over 15,000 stalls, you would think this is a place where you will get lost. I can tell you this was not the case for me, and I am someone who gets lost easily. First of all, they will give you a free map at the entrance. You’ll soon notice the market is organised by themed sections, and each section is divided by numbers and alphabet letters, so if you are in doubt, you can easily locate yourself using the free map.
Here you can find absolutely anything – from household items to fashion, art, food, flowers, and tourist souvenirs. I’m going to start by stating my favourite things about this market – the uniqueness of the goods sold and the fact that no vendors were partaking in the harassment, shouting, and often hand-grabbing tactics I had witnessed before. Also, I liked how most shops had marked prices. I understand that bargaining can be part of the experience in some parts of the world, but I absolutely detest it. Firstly, I always feel I never get the best price and I am being robbed and made fun of. Secondly, I feel guilty. When you know you are in a position of privilege and are negotiating for what would be the equivalent of a few pounds – nothing to us but a lot to them – I feel like I’m being incredibly unreasonable. Having a price marked in the items, made it a lot easier for me and it gave me the confidence to buy more.
One of my favourite parts of the market was its absolutely brilliant Art section. You find beautiful original work from many artists, perfect to decorate the walls of your home. My second favourite section was of course the fashion one – I could not believe the quality of the fabrics and their price! Plus the original designs. There is a bit of everything for every taste. Lots of young people seem to take ownership of these, which I thought was a brilliant way to sell their own stuff.
The only thing that I sadly could not find were books. There is supposed to be a section, and I tried to find it. Eventually, I gave up, after noticing some shops were closed. Still, I was happy enough. I had had some coconut ice cream, and some spring rolls to make sure I kept myself fed, and I had bought some really nice souvenirs to bring home for myself – mostly some art prints, bracelets and a magnet as I collect them. These were the sort of things that wouldn’t take much space in my backpack, or add much weight to it.
After such a satisfying morning of perusing the Chatuchak Weekend Market, I decided it was time to relax and rest my legs for a little, and made my way to Lumpini Park – the Hyde Park or the Central Park equivalent of Bangkok. It reminded me mostly of Central Park in New York to be fair – with all those high risers in view, contrasting with the green of the park.
Lumpini park is a haven in the concrete jungle that Bangkok is, and therefore it attracts locals and visitors alike for some contact with nature – but beware of the water monitors! Perhaps if you are scared of reptiles this wouldn’t be my recommendation. These big lizards are pretty much everywhere in the park, and signs are warning about them. I’m not sure if they are aggressive, but I think the danger is that you may step on one, especially if you are on a distracted leisurely walk, not really looking at where you’re putting your feet. – this is even though the Asian Water Monitor is considered the second-largest lizard species, after the Komodo Dragon!
Lumpini Park is definitely a gift – a Royal one – to the People. Its history dates back to the 20th century. The land used to be private property of King Rama VI, but in 1925 the king donated the land to the nation to be used as a fairground, and then to be used as a public park, inspired by the birthplace of Buddha – Lumbini, in Nepal.
I’d say this was a perfect Sunday in Bangkok – not really investing in the exploration of cultural, artistic or historic landmarks, but instead letting myself get lost in the more superficial activities of souvenir shopping, ending the day sitting on the welcome greenery of Lumpini.
Love, Nic
The Winged Bone 