Phuket Weekend Market

Known by the locals as Naka Market or Talad Tai Rot, which literally means Car Boot Sale, Phuket Weekend Market is the island's largest weekly market. It extends over an area of 30,000 square meters between Chao Fa West Road and Wirat Hong Yok Road in front of Wat Nakaram, just outside Phuket Town and not far from Central Festival shopping mall. This night bazaar takes place every Saturday and Sunday from 16.00 to 22.00, when the heat is less oppressive and attracts thousands of local and foreign visitors. Often called “Phuket Chatuchak”, referring to the immense Chatuchak Weekend Market in Bangkok, Naka Market is not as big as Thailand’s most famous weekly market, but it’s still impressively large and offers endless shopping opportunity. The market is a fascinating mixture of new and second-hand goods, cheap clothing, fake branded t-shirts and jeans, pirated electronics, live animals, handicrafts, curious or strange items, while the large food court offers a wide selection of Thai delicacies and street food. Definitely, it really is worth a visit even if you're not planning on buying anything. Speaking roughly, the bazaar can be divided in two sections: the food court and the shopping area. The "oldest" part of the shopping section is covered with low curtains, often so low that visitors have to bend to pass, and most of the floor is cemented. The numerous stalls are lined up in rows but do not follow a logical order even though most of them offer clothing and fashion accessories. Here you will find a wide selection of jeans, T-shirts, bright hues clothes, bags, shoes, sarongs, underwear, swimsuits, but also secondhand items, watches, sunglasses, perfumes, souvenirs, paintings and religious images. Outside, in the "new" open air section, most stalls sell toys, pirated mobile phones, all kinds of electronic items, DVDs and CDs, as well as other clothes, shoes, handbags, jewelery and fashion accessories. As the very low prices suggest, it's easy to guess that all branded items are fake, but if you like this kind of shopping it's good to know that material and quality are not comparable with the originals. In the market there is also a section dedicated to pets such as dogs and cats, but also small exotic animals. However, if you are attracted to these small animals, it is well to know that in Thailand most of exotic species can not be owned by foreigners, while for the allowed species is mandatory the Quarantine before you take them in plane. To the right of the main entrance is the food court. Here, for a small sum of baht you can gorge yourself on everything in sight. The numerous stalls sell all kinds of street food and Thai delicatessen, including skewers of shrimp or squid cooked on small barbecues, beef and pork snacks on sticks, chicken and grilled fish, other sellers offer noodle soups, fried rice, Pad Thai, Som Tam, banana pancakes, exotic fruit, sweets and even fried insects. You can enjoy the food strolling through the stalls or comfortably seated at the back restaurants.Read More