Dying to soak up more of Bangkok’s night shopping culture and not ready to retreat to our hotel at Amari Watergate, we chanced upon JJ Green with the help of some locals, and boy did it turned out to be the best night of our 4D3N trip.
A stone’s throw away from Chatuchak Market, a famous weekend market in Bangkok, JJ Green is a community mall in the day and a popular vintage night market by night. Spanning the size of three to four football fields, JJ Green Night Market, also known as Siam Gypsy Market, is nothing like the pasar malams we have in Singapore. Not only does it differ in size, but JJ Green also offers much more in terms of the varieties and amount of wares sold. With just four dollars, we could still shop from their endless selection of pre-loved vintage shoes, clothes, bags and accessories. How amazing was that?
What surprised us though was the obvious lack of tourists – a sight that can be considered uncommon in the largely commercialised country today. All around us then were mostly tertiary students getting their shopping fix satisfied or simply chilling out on a weekend. Naturally we felt uneasy because of the language barrier. Thankfully, our worries were unfounded as we managed to secure great steals at amazingly low prices and got through the night with our “barely there” language abilities. The locals had nothing but smiles for us too! What was more surprising was that the vendors did not pressure us into buying their wares at all! Well, at least that was the case for us.
There was even a car boot sale – yes, the sort you see on TV! – that attracted at least a hundred car owners displaying and selling their treasures such as vintage toys, ornaments and interesting signage. Even though we are not serious collectors, we ended up spending hours there and left with a carload of vintage centerpieces for our home and office. Imagine our colleagues’ expressions when they heard about the price at which we got that funky vintage clock for, ha!
If you are one who tires yourself easily after an evening of non-stop shopping, you can rest your feet at one of the several bistros there before calling it a night! Bath yourself in the sounds of great acoustic bands and indulge in cheap local beers and great local bites – all that possible within a US$20 budget.
The crowd tends to dwindle at about one in the morning, but not to worry, there will be plenty of taxis available to bring you back to your hotel.
Interested to check out JJ Green now? We have some tips for you!
– Download the GRABTAXI app on your iOS or Android device if you want to avoid wasting precious time haggling with taxi drivers on a fare.
– Pick up some basic Thai prior to your visit so that you won’t have trouble finding your directions around. It’s a useful skill to know when haggling with vendors too!
– Don’t be afraid to haggle. Who knows, you might just be able to get your desired item at a much lower price!
– If you have some time to spare, visit Chatuchak Market in the afternoon first before heading down to JJ Green in the evening. It’s just a short walk from there!
Address: Kamphaeng Phet 3 Road
How to get there: Take the BTS sky train to Mo Chit and take exit 1 or 3. Walk through Jatuchak Park to Kampaengphet soi 3. Walk for about 200m until you see the market on your left. If you take the subway, get off at Chatuchak Park Station and take exit 1 or 2, then follow the same directions to Kampaengphet soi 3.
Opening hours: Friday to Sunday evening.