Chatuchak: World famous market suffering worst crisis in decades due to Covid second wave

 

 

Channel 7 reported from the internationally famous market of Chatuchak - Bangkok's biggest market in the north of the capital.

 

They found much of it shut down as up to 90% of visitors - many of them foreign tourists - had deserted the so called "Weekend Market" during the second wave of the pandemic.

 

This despite protocols such as temperature controls and entrance points being monitored. 

 

Traders said that the second wave had been worse in terms of infection and worse for them in terms of trade. Most reported no sales at all.

 

Especially hard hit were those in the inside labyrinths of the market.

 

A video from the media suggested that you could see from one end of the internal areas to the other. There were also few people on the main roads in the market and not many of those were actually buying anything. 

 

The BMA have lowered rents by half but that has not been enough to stop closures. Some traders have moved online but sales there pale in comparison.

 

Traders reported the situation as the worst at the market in 50 years. 

 

Thaivisa notes that the weekend market moved there several decades ago after it was controversially moved from Sanam Luang, the royal parade grounds near the Grand Palace.

 

The weekend market started in 1942 and moved to Chatuchak through the 1980s becoming known as the Chatuchak Market in 1987.

 

Soure: Channel 7

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2021-01-25

 

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2 hours ago, webfact said:

The BMA have lowered rents by half but that has not been enough to stop closures.

I guess it's hard to pay half the rent with half of nothing

3 hours ago, webfact said:

World famous market

Never heard of it!

1 hour ago, Chassa said:

Never heard of it!

Have you ever lived in Thailand? I've yet to meet someone in thailand who has not heard of it and especially in bangkok hasn't ever been there. In its hay day you could literally get anything their from live snakes to high end gold and silver. It is worth a day out.

45 minutes ago, Scot123 said:

Have you ever lived in Thailand? I've yet to meet someone in thailand who has not heard of it and especially in bangkok hasn't ever been there. In its hay day you could literally get anything their from live snakes to high end gold and silver. It is worth a day out.

I'm in Chiang Rai and never heard of it

1 hour ago, Scot123 said:

Have you ever lived in Thailand? I've yet to meet someone in thailand who has not heard of it and especially in bangkok hasn't ever been there. In its hay day you could literally get anything their from live snakes to high end gold and silver. It is worth a day out.

I've heard of it, and it's the last place on earth I would want to visit... 

Their web page is still hideously optimistic... https://www.chatuchakmarket.org/

 

I was at Chatuchak market yesterday. It was deserted. I wrote a post in a different topic with details and pictures of my visit at: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1202869-tat-forced-to-face-reality-more-than-a-third-of-the-thai-tourist-industry-has-gone-bust/?do=findComment&comment=16194100

 

 

 

Probably been there 5 or 6 times, but wouldn't call it "World" famous.  

10 hours ago, Scot123 said:

Have you ever lived in Thailand? I've yet to meet someone in thailand who has not heard of it and especially in bangkok hasn't ever been there. In its hay day you could literally get anything their from live snakes to high end gold and silver. It is worth a day out.

Being famous in Thailand does not equivocate to being world famous , only in Thai eyes it seems.

 

I have been there in the past, and it was a lot of repeat stores with same old, same old,

sort of like the MBK mall.  Not all that impressed, and have not been back there for 

years.  My Thai wife went there about 3 or 4 years ago, and said that she found

a cheaper deal somewhere else.

Geezer

20, 30 years ago it was a fun place to visit, now, not so much. 

I have not been there in 5-10 years cant remember how long, so I don't know how it was lately, but I used to love going there when in BKK . Everyone that was visiting in Thailand that I took there also loved it

. I hope it comes back . as it used to be, I would not mind going there again. 

As far as being a lot of the same, if I remember correctly , it had a lot of different sections such as a furniture section, Clothing section, Pet section, etc. so if you don't go to the different sections and stayed in just one, it would seem to you like it was a lot of the same. 

I enjoyed shopping there on several visits.  Bought some small carved wooden pigs that have flapping wings.  555

 

I liked Sanam Luang when I lived in BKK '79/'80.