Chatuchak Market Redux

Went back to Chatuchak Market today -- the big weekend market. I went there my first weekend here but it was too overwhelming then and I really did not see the appeal. But since I am only here for a few more weekends, I decided that I need to start making a few purchases – things to bring back when I leave. And Chatuchak is a great place to shop because you really can buy just about anything you want there.

To be honest, there really isn’t all that much that is Thai that I want to buy. The two things that the Thais do really well are food and service – and neither one exports well. (Oh wait. I guess I could have some clothes made – they do that very well.) At Chatuchak, there are lots of stores selling t-shirts and pirated CDs and “brand name” jeans and knick-knacks. And for some reason, lots of pet stores. I mean, LOTS. Selling puppies and kittens, but also rabbits. And lots of fish stores – not sure how you would ever decide that you wanted to buy your goldfish at this fish store rather than that fish store. My guess is that, given how many stores there are and that they all seem to be selling the same things, I think you just buy at whichever store you come to first. The market truly is a maze and it’s hard to be sure what direction you’re coming from or heading toward. That’s one bit of advice I remember reading about Chatuchak Market – “If you see something you like, buy it. Because you’ll never find that store again.” And it’s true – even the locals say the same thing. Here’s a typical scene.

There were also several street musicians. These kids weren’t all that good with the music, but they were cute and their sign said the donations went for “Education” so they were doing decent business.

A little farther down the street, these guys were also doing good business. They were less cute but were actually very good musicians. I think they were missing a business opportunity because if they had had a CD, I would have bought it.


But I was in search of a Buddha – a “real” Buddha, not a cast or a copy – and there is a market on the edge of Chatuchak that sells antique Buddhas. There are about 10 or 12 stalls, all selling various artifacts from temples – Buddha statues, fragments from friezes, bells, etc. Some of the friezes were beautiful but would cost a small fortune to ship home. (The friezes are reproductions, not pieces that were pried off a temple.)

But, I did find a Buddha statue that I really liked. The shop owner didn’t speak much English – almost none, in fact – so he had to get a neighbor to translate for us. I learned that the Buddha is made of teak, that it is from northern Thailand, that it is roughly 200 years old, and that it is done in the “Ayutthaya style.” Here are a few pictures – it’s about 15 inches tall, including the base.

The negotiation process was interesting. The shop owner knew enough English to do that, but the standard approach is for the seller to first punch in an amount on a calculator, then spin it around and show it you. To be honest, the price he started at sounded reasonable, but I thought I might as well play the game. So, I walked away and said I would be back later. Of course, he then punched in a new, lower number and showed that to me. I hemmed and hawed and then punched in a number still lower and turned that around to him. He hemmed and hawed as well and then said, “okay.” My guess is that I could have gotten it for even less, but I wanted it and after a while, what’s the point?

On the way out of the market, I passed a store that was just crammed full of Buddha images – paintings, carvings, statues, etc. No originals, but the interesting thing was that, in the middle of all that jumble, there were four Asian boys all animatedly watching something in the middle of the shop. So, I stopped and inched in and they were playing a video game. No Mom or Dad in sight and I don’t think they were managing the store, but it was funny to see that kids are basically the same everywhere.