Bangkok: Um-Pha-Wa Rail Market and Chatuchak Weekend Market
Traveling in Bangkok, Thailand
Rail Market
We took a taxi from the Hotel Malaysia in Bangkok to the floating market at Damnern-Sa-Duak. (See link to story below). After viewing the floating market, we stopped at the train market at Um-Pha-Wa.
The railroad tracks run behind the stores on the main road. When we arrived the market on the railroad line was fully operational. Vendors were on either side of the railroad track with their awnings overhanging the track for shade.
Shoppers walked on the tracks to go from one small stall to another. You could purchase fresh fruits and vegetables and household goods. Or you could buy some tea or coffee to sit and wait for the train.
We bought some tea and sat to wait.
At 2:25 PM, the vendors started to pull their goods back from the track and they rolled up the awnings. People were told to get off the railway track and to stand behind the red line painted on either side of the tracks.
Then we all waited. At 2:30, there was an announcement that the train was arriving.
It slowly moved through the market with people on the train taking photos of people standing watching and people standing watching taking photos of people on the train. Everyone smiled and waved.
As soon as the train had passed through the market area, the vendors set up again and the market resumed.
Chatuchak Weekend Market
A friend who lives in Bangkok loaned us two MRT (Mass Rapid Transit) train passes and showed us where the closest MRT station was to our hotel. Learning that the Chatuchak weekend market was on the MRT subway line, we decided to visit the market. I was curious to compare the Bangkok MRT system to the Singapore system we have often used and I wanted to see how much the Chatuchak market had changed since we were last there 15 years ago.
The MRT system was easy to use and very convenient. The 12 stops from the Lumphini MRT station (BL 25) to Kamphaeng Phet station (BL 12) and the entrance to the Chatuchak market only took about 15 minutes. It would have taken over an hour to go the same distance by taxi due to the heavy and chaotic traffic in Bangkok.
The Chatuchak market was even bigger than I remembered. I was surprised that it seemed more modern and much cleaner. The small stalls and stores were well-lit and neatly arranged. You can purchase anything from modern furniture to antique furniture, dishes both modern and antique, clothing, shoes, toys, handbags, and more. There was also a large section devoted to new and used books. I was amazed at the shelves of books.
Of course, there were food stalls and several small stalls selling coffee, Thai iced tea, bottled water, and fruit juices. We passed up all of the Thai food to have Kabobs for our lunch but drank another cup of Thai iced tea with it. Really delicious.
It was simple and easy to get back onto the MRT line to head back to our hotel again at the end of our morning at the market.
