Chatuchak Weekend Market

The great thing about Bangkok is that we get to hang out with our friend Poy, who we first met in Udaipur, Rajasthan and later re-met during the Ladakh festival in Leh.

Eager to show us a little of her city, we all piled into Poy’s car and headed out to the outrageous Chatuchak Weekend Market. OH MY GOD, this is the most enormous market I’ve ever come across – ever! Everything humanity has ever conceived of is on sale at the market. From Hello Kitty trash cans to edgy, counter-culture T-shirts, from chunky turquoise Tibetan headdresses to fake Chinese Billabong board shorts. Need a gift that truly says “I love you”? Head over to the Mutant Doll store.

Can’t find what you are looking for? Have you been staring blankly at that “Protect Yourself from Hollywood T-Shirt” for the last twenty minutes? It’s time for some sustenance – and there’s plenty to choose from. Sushi, cinnamon buns, Thai sausage salad, Italian pasta, BBQ chicken feet, cafe latte, exotic teas filled with gelatinous tapioca balls…

But we didn’t have to choose because, fortunately for us, we had a Thai culinary guide with us. Poy ordered up a feast of treats including the scrumptious spiced minced pork wrapped in mint and lettuce leaves, the most incredible Pad Thai known to man, Thai fried chicken and, drum roll, green papaya salad with shrimp. (I think we have finally discovered something that Thomas loves as much as bananas!)