Alternative night markets in Bangkok

Bangkok’s night markets always hold an extra special something in our hearts, and no matter the hundreds of times we’ve frequented the likes of Chatuchak and Talad Rot Fai/Train Night Market Ratchada (now called Jodd Fairs), our feet always seem to take us back there – Every. Single. Time. 

But keep sticking to our regular haunts and we’ll probably never have the pleasure of unearthing more of the wonder and beauty that Bangkok holds. Venture out of the usual zones with these 4 un-touristy night markets – you’ll be amazed at how many treasures Bangkok has been hiding right under your very nose!

1. Hua Mum Market – a mini Chatuchak just 10 minutes from MRT Lat Phrao 

Hua Mum Market, which is less than ten minutes away from where the legendary Train Market used to be, passes under the radar of most tourists.

For some reason, only the locals flock here, and an air of total relaxation just seems to rest over the entire market. Munch on traditional Thai food like stir-fried meat with sticky rice, or sweet treats like crepes and pandan waffles while strolling leisurely around.

Traditional fare aside, there are also some stalls selling wacky stuff like these cute cartoon buns

There’s also a stall that makes these colourful mocktails with dry ice poured above the drink to give it a cool, smoky hipster feel

Bars upon bars line both sides of the pathway, with some of them having two storeys so you have a better aerial view of the entire market.

Cross a bridge with arches illuminated in bright light – it’s a perfect #OOTD setting!

Hua Mum has lots of open areas over here, both for chilling and for people to perform if they so wish. Skip the touristy night markets for something with similar fare but a totally different vibe.

Note: The other name for Hua Mum in Thai is หัวมุม Market & More, meaning Corner Market and More

Hua Mum Market
Address: 11 Prasert-Manukitch Rd, Lat Phrao, Bangkok 10230, Thailand
Nearest MRT: Lat Phrao
Opening Hours: 5PM-12AM, Daily
Hua Mum Market Facebook page | Google Maps

2. Indy Market – art market with bohemian vibes

Look how magical it looks from above!

Strings of brightly lit light bulbs hang over hundreds of massively colourful tents at Indy Market – a riveting sight to see in the quiet neighbourhood of Thonburi. While Indy Market provides the usual street food and shopping suspects, its free-and-easy ambience is quite atypical of the bustling night market scene we’re used to. 

It’s got lots of stalls selling Thai fare at lower prices compared to the more touristy ones – like this crab-in-a-bag!

Head up to the 2nd floor for a great view of the 500+ stalls below

Indy Market
Address: Thanon Suk Sawat, Khwaeng Chom Thong, Khet Chom Thong, Bangkok 10150, Thailand
Nearest MRT: Wongwian Yai
Opening Hours: 6PM-12AM, Daily
Indy Market Facebook | Google Maps

Note: Not to be confused with Indy Market at Platinum.

3. Owl Market – quirky flea market

Want batteries, microwaves, stereos? Or car parts? Or old paintings? How about a pet or two? The Owl Market has all these and possibly everything else under the sun, and you’ll be hard-pressed to find a more bizarre market. And because it is actually in the north of Bangkok in the Nonthaburi province, we definitely got to see more of the non-touristy side of the city.

There’s a sheltered tentage area of food stalls with tables for you to sit down and eat, although there are many other stalls in the open area dotting the market too. 

Your money can really go far here, because everything’s cheaper the further away you are from Bangkok. Just to give you an idea of how cheap it is, meat skewers and fried cheese balls go from just ฿10 (~USD0.30).

You’ll also see quirky food and drink stalls around, such as this slushie drink with of jelly, pearls and overall syrupy sweetness oozing all over

Closer to 7PM, a flea market will start being set up on the extra courtyard space, where all kinds of clothes, trinkets, and outlandish products – like car parts and old machines – will be sold. 

Just so you can get a sense of the peculiarity of this market – these strange wires and contraptions are actually for sale

This was by far the strangest night market I came across in Bangkok, and I loved exploring every nook of it. So if you have a couple of hours to spare, take the drive out to Owl Market. 

Owl Market
Address: 14/87 Thanon Liang Mueang, Tambon Bang Kraso, Amphoe Mueang Nonthaburi, Chang Wat Nonthaburi 11000, Thailand
Nearest MRT: Yaek Nonthaburi 1
Opening Hours: 3PM-12AM, Daily
Owl Market Facebook | Google Maps

Note: Owl Market is also referred to as ‘Talad Nok Hook’

4. Ramkhamhaeng Night Market – ฿100 market for university students

I call this the ฿100 (~USD3) market because everything appears to be priced at exactly that. Ramkhamhaeng Night Market is a market primarily for the locals, so there’s no fancy Artbox-esque goings-on here.

Because it’s positioned just opposite Ramkhamhaeng University, everything sold here is practical and really for the everyday student – cheap Thai food like meat skewers, sticky rice in bags, milk tea, and curries, as well as clothes and accessories.

Cheap takeaway food – perfect for students

If you wanna grab cosmetics, clothes, and cute knick-knacks for souvenirs on the cheap, this market has quite an extensive haul, so you’ll probably be able to find lots of steals at every corner.

This night market is quite far from the general tourist sites, but if you’re game to check out a new place, you’ll probably come away from Ramkhamhaeng with bags of new buys and a new favourite shopping den.

Ramkhampaeng Night Market
Address: 2345/1 Ramkhamhaeng Road, Khwaeng Hua Mak, Khet Bang Kapi, Bangkok, Thailand 10240
Nearest MRT: Ramkhamhaeng
Opening Hours: 3.30PM-10.30PM, Thursday – Tuesday (Closed on Wednesday)
Google Maps

Uncover these hidden BKK treasures

Night markets are a defining feature of Thailand, so if you’ve exhausted the tourist hotspots and have a sense of adventurousness tingling inside, these markets might offer some respite from the crowd and something new to discover.

This article was written by Alexandria Schoon for TheSmartLocal.com in collaboration with Amazing Thailand.

This article was updated on 11th April 2022 by Sam Mai.

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