Banzaan Fresh Market

Banzaan Market is the well-known fresh market located in the heart of Patong. The market is held in a large, modern-looking and very clean building on Pungmung Sai Kor Road, just behind the huge Jungceylon Mall Shopping Mall and across from the Boxing Bangla Stadium. The word ‘banzaan’ means fresh market in Hokkien, a Chinese dialect very popular among many overseas Chinese communities throughout Southeast Asia. Banzaan Market takes place from 6am to 5pm every weekday, but it is much better to visit it early in the morning when the stalls are still packed of inviting fresh fish and seafood. The market's ground floor is where all the fresh food is sold. Although prices are a bit higher than other Phuket's fresh markets, the range of food on display is very wide and of great quality, the sellers are friendly and often speak a bit of English. The numerous stalls are lined up in rows and divided in specific sections: fruits, vegetables, flowers, meat, fish and all the cooking ingredients. Near the rear entrance, there is an area where you will find numerous varieties of rice sold by weight, dried goods, spices, as well as cleaning products and cheap home accessories. Goods are displayed in an attractive and clean manner; everything looks much more hygienic than in Phuket town market or other island's local markets. Stalls selling fruit and fresh seafood are among the most inviting. Here you will find all the exotic fruit that Thailand has to offer. Depending on the season, stalls are packed by Mangosteen, Mango, Rambutan, Lychee, Pineapple, Longan, as well as less-known fruit as Dragonfruit, Jackfruit, Rose Apple and even Durian, not well-liked by tourists but very appreciated by locals. If you're strolling at market, even just to look around, do not miss the chance to taste some fresh exotic drinks like syrup of sugar cane, fresh coconut milk and guava juice. The fish corner is probably the most popular area of Banzaan Market, with a large variety of fresh fish and seafood. Most of fish, crustaceans and molluscs come from local aquaculture and, still alive, swim in their buckets. At really reasonable prices, you will find white and red snapper, eels, catfish, clams, mussels, big crabs and shrimp of any size from the smallest to those that reach 500 grams each one. Meat corner is probably not as popular as the seafood area, however the meat sold at Banzaan Market is usually fresher and cheaper than the one found in the most renowned supermarkets. A set of escalators lead upstairs, where you will find a food court features a comfortable and clean dining space with quick service. The menu consists mainly of Thai dishes, but the food is good and cheap, a lunch here will cost you about 100 baht. Upstairs there are also a few shops selling cheap clothes, shoes, children's toys, and artificial flowers. In the late afternoon the area surrounding the Banzaan Market becomes a huge night market filled with plenty stalls selling Thai delicatessen and street food. Practically, what you saw on the day at market is cooked in the night at these mobile stalls equipped with gas stoves or small barbecues. The quality and the price of dishes are really inviting, a fish of about 700-800 grams cooked on the grill costs between 120 and 150 baht, a dish of fried rice or Pad Thai costs 40-50 baht. From the opening until midnight, this night market is the favorite destination of many tourists, foreign residents and locals who want to eat cheap. Read More