Khlong Toei Market — Attraction in Khlong Toei Subdistrict

Khlong Toei Market is located near the popular expat enclave of Thanon Sukhumvit and is listed by many people as one of the ‘must-visit’ markets in Bangkok for fresh food lovers. In fact, most of your food served during your stay in Bangkok will probably have been purchased here.

Khlong Toei means “Pandan Leaf Canal”. Pandan leaf is a fragrant leaf used to flavour Thai sweets and freshen the air however the canal smells somewhat different these days.

In January 2010 CNN listed Khlong Toei Market as one of the most authentic markets in Bangkok (as well as a place to avoid when hung over – some sections are not for the squeamish). Khlong Toei Market is a very ‘fresh’ market, offering cheap raw meat, seafood, produce, and some other bits and pieces like clothing and kitchenware. Deep within the concrete jungle of Bangkok this little village precinct is tucked away not far from busy Rama IV Road but retains a different, more laid-back feel. Some sections can get a bit bloody and raw but don’t stress, there’s other fruit and vegetable sections to explore. Your guide can help you find what you really want to see the most.

A seemingly chaotic jumble of stalls and pavilions casts a busy web over a huge area where porters and motor cyclists weave their way through the crowded lanes. Khlong Toei Market is a photographer’s dream, packed with shouting vendors spruiking their live produce, fresh fruit and vegetables, and hot food. Eye-opening and enthralling, it’s a great insight into how locals live – and where your food comes from. There are a lot of produce being carted around and they won’t stop for you so be on your guard. If all that action and looking at ingredients makes you hungry, it’s easy to grab a snack at the market.

The very raw (and a little confronting) fresh meat section includes whole animals, huge piles of intestines and pig feet amongst plenty of other offal and other weird and exotic meats. The stench can be overwhelming if you’re not used to it but it’s a normal part of life for the locals here!. Various kinds of birds come plucked ready to cook and some are still waddling around in cages. It’s possible to buy a live duck to take home for dinner! There really is everything here including some things you won’t be used to like cow placenta, frogs and rats, and fruits you won’t have seen before. It wouldn’t be a Thai market without a range of insects for the adventurous. Thailand is famous for fruits like sweet tamarind, rose apples and seedless guavas which you can get here. The avocados and yellow watermelons...

One of my favorite markets in Bangkok. I love going to Khlongtoei market for fresh food like, fresh meats, vegetables and fruits. Prices are pretty fair and the vendors are pretty nice and polite. Not all of them, but a majority of them are.

The fruits especially are so sweet.

Time/Schedule.

The market opens as early as 5 a.m daily till past midnight, if I’m not mistaken. Because, I used to go there very late at night in the past. 🙂

TAKE NOTE:

The market is wet most of the time, so beware and always put on proper shoes. I like to put slides or flip flops, but I’d advise you put on rubber boots if you don’t want to get dirty feet.

The only thing or section I dislike is the fish stall section. Because, them fishes terrify me to the core. I’d be screaming, jumping or running, because I’m scared of fishes when they’re flipping or jumping and getting people wet. Thanks to my sister I can always walk beside her, yet she sometimes pushes me around those stall just to freak me out. The fish section is one of the reasons why I can never go there alone. 😬😩😅.

My sister and I get stared at a lot, in a good way though. Because of our complexion and being foreigners, black women at that. So we find it pretty normal and beautiful being admired by Thai people. And they’re really playful, kind and always calling us “Khun suay” meaning a beautiful person or “narak” meaning cute. We always tell them the same, because they really are cute and kind. 😊🥰

So, overall it’s a good place for fresh food and...

Khlong Toey (or Klong Toei or whichever you spell it) fresh market is one of my top recommendations when it comes to Bangkok sights. You may not be used to the rawness of this place, for it is not built for tourists. The frenzied pace and unsparing display of animal parts in the hectic wet market can be shocking and disconcerting for all of your senses. And that is exactly why it attracts me. This is a place of pure Thai authenticity. Khlong Toey market is the biggest fresh market in Bangkok and appears quite regularly on Bangkok sights recommendations. But in reality, the critical acclaim doesn’t seem to translate to high tourist attendance. Situated near to the cultural and expat enclave of Sukhumvit, the market is worlds apart from the urban glitz and glamor of the popular district. Some sections of the market are dedicated to raw meat and livestock, and the bloody redness can be overwhelming and even offensive to some. But this is what makes it such an appealing place -for me. These sections are certainly no place for the squeamish or vegans. However, you will also find areas dedicated to aromatic fruits, colorful flowers, plenty of local produce, clothes, shoes and all kinds of knick knacks. You are welcome to walk around and take some photos so long as you do not get in their way. Almost everyone I met was really friendly or shy, with no hint of hostility. If you are game enough, there are also food stalls serving all kinds of local...