One cage of dozens in a stall full of parakeets - Jatujak Weekend Market, Bangkok
As a follow-up piece to the first one back on August 26th, here's another selection of things I've seen for sale at the Jatujak (also known as Chatuchak) Weekend Market. For a better explanation please take a look at that post, too.
It's not surprising to see numerous stalls full of things you'll see repeated - for example, similar selections of "basic" popular tourist items - and that makes it all the more of a pleasant surprise to come across a stall entirely full of wooden musical instruments or ceramics and stoneware, like in the photo below. The art of arrangement and display obviously wasn't one of the vendor's strong suits here...
In areas near important temples you're likely to see rows a block long of stall after stall full of religious emblems, pendants, amulets, necklaces and charms, but such concentrations aren't as common at Jatujak. Naturally, there's no way of knowing if these items were truly aged by time, or by being buried for a while to command a better price.
One day in the "Pets" area of the market I saw several stalls of birds grouped together. The top photo today is of one completely stocked with parakeets... hundreds of them.
Nelloware isn't an uncommon item to see for sale in multiple stalls there, but seeing shops with nothing but that intricately painted ceramic ware isn't as common.
they put so much crap in one store, i would be afraid to walk inside. I am that bull the china stores fear.
ReplyDeleteIf we're a little wider than the aisle is, all we have to do is point and ask to see something - they'll do most anything to make the sale!
ReplyDeleteSeriously, you'd be fine.
I hate to be a picky bitch but the parakeets in the picture are actually called Budgerigars.
ReplyDeleteI like the way they group all the shops. Chine here, pets all there, beads all together elsewhere.
I mean if they weren't one would never find a stall a second time round if you were after buying something.
Many of the street traders of Bangkok come to the weekend market to stock up on things at the right price, to flog them off to travelers in the CBD who don't go out to the markets, either because of lack of knowledge or time constraints.
I love the weekend market and we go out there just to browse if there is nothing more pressing to do on a Sunday.
We then get some food and go and rent a mat and sit at the lake for an hour or so. Most enjoyable.
CXheers
Keith
If it weren't for the heat I could spend a lot more time there, myself. There's such a variety of things to see, and the unexpected items are often a pleasant surprise!
ReplyDeleteChinatown has its share of places where "downtown" tourist shops stock up on bamboo fans, key chains and the likes at wholesale. A friend took me there some years ago.
Always wanted to find the pets section of Chatuchak Market and never find it, despite wondering around for hours.
ReplyDeletebeachover Pardon my saying so, but if you've actually been very far into JJ there's little chance of missing the pets sections. The numerous signs up as I uploaded in the first ("Overview") post show where they are - but the overall experience can be a bit overwhelming. You'll find it next time!
ReplyDeleteHey Bao Bao... thanks. I've spent hours wondering around JJ. It must be some freak coincidence that I've never come across the pet section. Or maybe I should look at signs more often (I didn't know there was signage in the market LOL).
ReplyDeleteOk... I just looked at your first post on JJ. Wow. I didn't know there was a map either!
Very helpful... Next time I make a visit, I'll check out your blog and memorise the map first. Thanks! :D