The atmosphere is buzzing, people push and shove past you, manoeuvering through the narrow sois en route to find their next great bargain in the jumble of items piled up in one of about 8000 sellers' shops. This is the Chatuchak Weekend Market, also known as the Jatujak Market, located on 35 acres northeast of Bangkok, attracting 200 000 visitors every weekend to tackle the maze of stalls.
It's quiet and tidy as you walk along the narrow alleys, peeking into the little inlets to marvel at the bright colours and mixed textures resulting from the creative minds of the talented Thai artists who sit casually nearby. Whether you're looking for portraits, abstract designs, intricate patterns, serene nature images, or even graffiti art, the galleries of the Chatuchak Market are the place to be.
The galleries are situated on the outskirts of the market, away from the crazy central hub of the vendors. This allows visitors to view the art in each gallery on their own terms, without having to shuffle their way past tourists in order to view each piece. What also makes the galleries appealing is how clean and spacious each row is. It is nice to take a break from the rest of the market and find a bit of peace as you wander from one art selection to the next.
Thai artists are located all over the country, but the contemporary art scene is based in Bangkok, which is where many, but not all, artists will do their work. The Chatuchak Market is then an ideal locale for artists to sell their work to both tourists as well as locals. So, although many of these artists do not do traditional Thai painting, they are the ones who are continuing Thai art traditions and creating new styles that remain culturally significant.
Art is found all over the world and Thailand is no different. It is a medium used to portray important cultural ideals and an opportunity for artists to express themselves individually, the galleries of the Chatuchak Market provide examples of all of these. Traditional Thai art styles portray important religious images and stories that are integral to Thai history. The majority of pieces found in Chatuchak are not of these styles, and many are modern takes on traditional Thai images or controversial topics within the country, which result in art pieces that are uniquely Thai in origin.
Chatuchak Weekend Market
Located about 11km Northeast of downtown Bangkok, Thailand
Easily accessed by MRT Subway and the BTS Skytrain
MRT Subway: Get off at Kamphaeng Phet, and you will pop up inside the market
Click here for more information about the MRT Subway
BTS Skytrain: Get off at Mo Chit Station, follow the crowds down onto Phahonythin Rd., follow it southwest about 1 Kilometre and turn right onto Kamphaeng Phet 3 Rd. until you reach one of the entrances on the left hand side of the street
Click here for more information about the BTS Skytrain
Location of Print & Paint
Section 7 - Soi 63
The Administration of Chatuchak Market
Tel:02-272-4440-1
Hours: Saturday and Sunday 9am-6pm
Free Admission
Maps are available at each entrance
Click here for an online map of Chatuchak Market
Toilets are located throughout the market
-Section 7, Soi 66 and 67
-Section 4, Soi 52, 49
-Section 2, Soi 38
-Section 27, Soi 67 and 64
-Section 1
The main streets of the market are wheelchair and stroller accessible