Price: Free
This one is for those travellers who are after the amazing food and fashion fusion experiences only found in Bangkok. Fashionista’s will also appreciate the market’s reputation as one of Bangkok’s finest textile and jewellery markets. Phahurat Market is located in the Phra Nakhon district. The neighbourhood known as Little India and stretches out along Phahurat Road and is home to a mainly Sikh Thai-Indian community. Just a stone’s throw from Chinatown, the market and its surrounding areas are a feast for the senses.
The market is named after Phahurat Road, where stall and shop owners sell all manner of Indian-style clothing, jewellery, and food amidst a labyrinth of narrow alleyways. The crowded lanes are filled with great swathes of fabrics and ready-to-wear fashion. The market atmosphere extends along Chakrawat Road and nearby Sampeng Lane, where neighbouring restaurants offer a range of Indian snacks, meals and drinks to choose from. The Sampeng market is often described as crowded and jumbled and is packed with stuffed toys and anime models, textiles, gift shops, jewellery, accessories, arts and crafts. Locals often visit Sampeng Market for gifts and party accessories like fake flowers and balloons and of course, reams and reams of colourful fabrics of all kinds.
The Phahurat Market is a popular and often crowded place. Visitors can wander around and soak up the atmosphere, stop to haggle for some of the finest silk or nibble on a delicious Indian snack from a street vendor. This area is also home to the second-largest Sikh temple outside of India. The Siri Guru Singh Saba temple is a bright six-storey white building featuring a huge gold dome that dominates the skyline.
Some practical information about Phahurat Market
- It’s often packed with people so it’s a good idea to visit with a tour guide so you have the best experience.
- Maybe leave the boys at the hotel or send them off to see something else, this market isn’t for them!
- The one restaurant you should try to find amidst the packed chaos of the area is Royal India Restaurant which features north Indian dishes.
The Phahurat Market is situated behind Phahurat Road. The easiest way to get to the market by public transport is to catch the Skytrain to Saphan Taksin station, and then take the Chao Phraya Express Boat to Rajawongse Pier.
Little India is centred on Phahurat Road Talat Noi, Phra Nakon district and is open daily from early in the morning until mid-afternoon.
There’s so much to see and do in the Phra Nakon district, you could have lunch in little India and dinner in Chinatown, or head over to Khao San Road and Soi Rambuttri for a unique Thai experience. Fashion and fabric lovers will also appreciate The Platinum Fashion Mall.
