Suan Lum Night Bazaar Closing

[mojaco]

The weekend market in Chatuchak is were I would take visitors wanting to shop and it's open quite late. Of course it's only in the weekend and far from the tourist areas, but it's a real market and more of an experience. I guess the night bazaar is ok for people on a quick visit, but I think it's remarkable bad value for money with the typical apathetic Thai vendors that you meet everywhere in the tourist areas.

Since Chatuchak isn't open during the week days, where do the majority of the tourists that aren't here on the weekends go?

Edited January 21, 2010 by mojaco

[Crushdepth]

Suan Lum is great. Some of the restaurants there are reasonably good and its a nice environment and not too crowded. The quality of stuff there is also above par IMHO. Be a shame to lose it to another bloody shopping mall.

[on-on]

The weekend market in Chatuchak is were I would take visitors wanting to shop and it's open quite late. Of course it's only in the weekend and far from the tourist areas, but it's a real market and more of an experience. I guess the night bazaar is ok for people on a quick visit, but I think it's remarkable bad value for money with the typical apathetic Thai vendors that you meet everywhere in the tourist areas.

ding ding

Suan Lum is a bad value for the money on the shopping side. Aside from a few specialty shops that are indigenous, pretty much everything there is bought at Chatuchak on the weekends, marked up and brought to Suan Lum. The point about where should tourists go to buy awful knick knacks without being accosted with sex shows is well taken. My answer would be: Everywhere remotely touristy except Nana, Cowboy and Patpong. Silom is chock full of that crap from end to end outside of Patpong. Sukhumvit is much the same and has a ton of stores all selling the same crap that is sold at Suan Lum. Khao San, of course, is wall to wall from the river to the temple now with the same. There's no shortage of cheap rice paper lanterns, knockoff prints and BUCK FUSH t-shirts in the rest of the non-pornographic city.

Obviously if you love Suan Lum I'm not here to pretend that my opinion should sway you. I guess my broader answer would be to wonder why one feels compelled to take out of town visitors to a place built to provide them with crap and charge them more for it than they'd pay somewhere else? There's plenty of actually neat stuff to buy in Thailand that wasn't made in China, heh. Yeah, tourism's an important part of the Thai economy just like fast food is an important part of the American economy. I would request that fellow Americans not take visitors to the food court at the local mall and implore them to check out the amazing American experience which is a pretty good deal, really, and easier to get to than anything authentic. The disturbing potential answer is that there are people who have lived in Thailand for a number of years who consider Suan Lum to be authentic and a good deal and to have good food and neat products all of which begs the question: What have you been doing with your free time?

[NearestTheTee]

Had friends in town from Singapore recently. They went to Chatuchak at the weekend but come Monday and they were off to Suan Lum. Whilst the women were busy going around the market stalls the men drank ice cold beer and watched the stage show which was pretty good. At weekends, once the music/dancing has finished they normally will show the English Premiership on the big screen. Great for EPL fans

[mojaco]

I would guess that whoever currently has much to gain from a hotel-shopping-mall complex on that land was instrumental at getting a subway station only a few hundred meters distant from Saladaeng station. Once that station was there it was foregone conclusion what was coming next, sadly.

[bonobo]

The weekend market in Chatuchak is were I would take visitors wanting to shop and it's open quite late. Of course it's only in the weekend and far from the tourist areas, but it's a real market and more of an experience. I guess the night bazaar is ok for people on a quick visit, but I think it's remarkable bad value for money with the typical apathetic Thai vendors that you meet everywhere in the tourist areas.

ding ding

Suan Lum is a bad value for the money on the shopping side. Aside from a few specialty shops that are indigenous, pretty much everything there is bought at Chatuchak on the weekends, marked up and brought to Suan Lum. The point about where should tourists go to buy awful knick knacks without being accosted with sex shows is well taken. My answer would be: Everywhere remotely touristy except Nana, Cowboy and Patpong. Silom is chock full of that crap from end to end outside of Patpong. Sukhumvit is much the same and has a ton of stores all selling the same crap that is sold at Suan Lum. Khao San, of course, is wall to wall from the river to the temple now with the same. There's no shortage of cheap rice paper lanterns, knockoff prints and BUCK FUSH t-shirts in the rest of the non-pornographic city.

Obviously if you love Suan Lum I'm not here to pretend that my opinion should sway you. I guess my broader answer would be to wonder why one feels compelled to take out of town visitors to a place built to provide them with crap and charge them more for it than they'd pay somewhere else? There's plenty of actually neat stuff to buy in Thailand that wasn't made in China, heh. Yeah, tourism's an important part of the Thai economy just like fast food is an important part of the American economy. I would request that fellow Americans not take visitors to the food court at the local mall and implore them to check out the amazing American experience which is a pretty good deal, really, and easier to get to than anything authentic. The disturbing potential answer is that there are people who have lived in Thailand for a number of years who consider Suan Lum to be authentic and a good deal and to have good food and neat products all of which begs the question: What have you been doing with your free time?

My factory is well out of town towards the west, and my foreign guests usually stay at the Montien Riverside. Depending on their sense of adventure, I will take them to a small favorite all-Thai restaurant, Som Boon, a nice restaurant off Soi 22, or the like. By the time we drive from the factory and eat dinner, it is usually at least 9:00 or 10:00 PM.  So when they ask where they can get souvenirs for their kids, where in the area, at that time, do you suggest?  And when they rave about it to others back at their companies in the US, Mexico, the RSA, or Europe, and then others come and insist on going, do I say no because some expats here think it is tacky?

They are happy with it, so what does it matter?

I also have some Thai friends who go there to buy Buddhist art.  That art is not cheap, but both of them swear it is the best they can get in Bangkok.

[SpoliaOpima]

Much prefer Suan Lum to Chatuchak, regardless of whether it is more expensive. For things I've bought, though, that has not been the case. The heat and overcrowding at Chatuchak make it an experience few people would want to repeat often. Suan Lum is more relaxed and open nightly, much more convenient.

But I say leave them both open.

[daveh]

Much prefer Suan Lum to Chatuchak, regardless of whether it is more expensive. For things I've bought, though, that has not been the case. The heat and overcrowding at Chatuchak make it an experience few people would want to repeat often. Suan Lum is more relaxed and open nightly, much more convenient.

But I say leave them both open.

I agree 100%. Even if the shop owners in Suan Lum are purchasing at JJ market and reselling at Suan Lum, I'm willing to pay extra for not having to deal with the heat, crowds, crime, and worst of all, smells in JJ market. Plus, I really liked the beer garden. Suan Lum was a place both my wife and I liked to go and could enjoy.

For those that say it is not authentic Thai, then why every time I go there, a majority of people in the beer garden are Thai? Just because it doesn't have bamboo tables and raw pork on display surrounded by a cloud of flies, doesn't mean it's not Thai.

So the question remains, where can a tourist find a replacement for the Suan Lum Night Bazaar? A place that's family friendly, convenient to the MRT or BTS, not so crowded, has a variety of places to eat, drink and shop, and is open to at least 10pm and is not a shopping mall like every other shopping mall in the world?

Dave.

[cdnvic]

Just because it doesn't have bamboo tables and raw pork on display surrounded by a cloud of flies, doesn't mean it's not Thai

[Forethat]

I'm out of town for a week and they close the night bazar???...<deleted>!!!

Is it really happening now? They're closing??

[Chaimai]

As this appears to be a resurrection of an old post, does anyone have the "official word" ?

[Meridian007]

As this appears to be a resurrection of an old post, does anyone have the "official word" ?

I'd say that the fact that the thread was resurrected is about as "official" as you're going to get.

While I think it is sad that this is happening, it's not surprising.

For those of you like Bonobo who are looking for a replacement, the Memorial Bridge night market is I think a more authentic market, and because there are few foreigners there, the prices should be much better. This website gives an outlay of it, but if I remember correctly from the last time I went there, the main part of the market is here.

It is near the river so there are many good restaurants nearby, you are close to Chinatown so that you can take visitors there for dessert (I suggest trying the black sesame balls in ginger) after dinner and shopping, and it is far away from most of the tourist and "entertainment" areas.

Pratunam supposedly has a 24 hour market as well, but I've never been there, and there is a night clothes market near Bobae along Krung Kasem (but I think it only gets going after midnight).

Enjoy! (sometimes I think I should become a tour guide! :D)

Edited January 22, 2010 by Meridian007

[midasthailand]

They have actually been trying to close it for the last couple of years and the reason was that they were going to turn the area into an enclave for foreign Embassies. Whether or not that is still the case I do not know? If you are looking for a precedent just look at the klong Toey markets, which they (the owners) have been trying to close for years.....The markets are still there!! I would not worry too much about them closing, I have a feeling they will be there for quite some time to come.

[TAWP]

Might be sad that it is shutting down but if the lease expired in 2004, fawk me, that is squatting and they should have been cleared out long time ago...

[thaihome]

They have actually been trying to close it for the last couple of years and the reason was that they were going to turn the area into an enclave for foreign Embassies. Whether or not that is still the case I do not know? If you are looking for a precedent just look at the klong Toey markets, which they (the owners) have been trying to close for years.....The markets are still there!! I would not worry too much about them closing, I have a feeling they will be there for quite some time to come.

The land is owned by the Crown Property who did a short term lease back in 2001 or something for the market. Several years ago (2006 I think), after getting bids from several developers, they signed a long term lease with Central Pattana (the development arm of Central Group) who intends to build a office/hotel/mall complex with a 90 storey office tower. I think Central has pretty much given up at this point, but if it really closing, then it might get revived or the lease re-bid.

TH

[hhgz]

The CPB leased the property for 5 years, in 2000, to P Con Development. The night market opened in 2002. The lease ran out, and P Con refused to move. The CPB filed a lawsuit, P Con filed an appeal and, before you know it, 5 years have passed. Central Pattana and the CPB are awaiting the court's decision, but P Con can file a final appeal to the supreme court. In a nut shell, that's it.

[HNLDennis]

Hi All,

I went by today and everything is operating as normal except the food court and beer garden. I saw a sign on the beer garden area Closed Inprovements Reopen Feb. 1. There was a large screen TV behind where the band plays on the stage area in operation. I guess it might still be open for a while yet. I will check it out on Feb. 1, and report on the status. Aloha, Dennis

[thai3]

went yesterday and all is normal except for the food court which has gone. however, there are properly done signs saying it has only closed for ten days and will reopen again on the ist Feb after renovation. They would not waste money on improvements if it was closing, so it will be interesting to see what happens by next Sunday. All the tat shops were open as usual

[hawthorne]

ummm I wonder how much the land prices have increased in the area due to this rumor of closing? Also who made money on the sale of these properties? Sounds like a scam to increase land prices to me. How could anyone have rights to an expired lease?

[thai3]

ummm I wonder how much the land prices have increased in the area due to this rumor of closing? Also who made money on the sale of these properties? Sounds like a scam to increase land prices to me. How could anyone have rights to an expired lease?

went today and the food court meant to reopen tomorrow is just the same, no work started on the improvements, just 5 pics near the stage of what it will look like, who knows when

[HNLDennis]

Hi, Went by last night and the Beer Garden & Food Court was open. It looks like about 75 to 80 % is operational. Chang Beer seams to have taken over with large signs all over and 4 of the beer stalls that only sell Chang. The only other beer I could find there is Federbrough or something like that, with the girls with the Red Feather on the back of their shirts.

[GreenSnapper]

Any updated news?

Has anybody been at the beer garden at night bazar recently? Is it open again? How about food and foreign beers?

[thaihome]

I drive by almost every night about 9:00PM or so and it going strong. Don't know what beers they are selling.

TH

[hhgz]

"Sounds like a scam to increase land prices to me. How could anyone have rights to an expired lease?"

Huh?

[davee58]

Any updated news?

Has anybody been at the beer garden at night bazar recently? Is it open again? How about food and foreign beers?

Suan Lum Night Bazaar has always been one of those "Must Visit for a great night out" places whenever I am in Bangkok.

I have always enjoyed the Decent Bazaar, the excellent choice of food, relaxed atmosphere, and the great German beers served.

We visited a couple of nights ago (Wed 21st April), our first time for over a year.

No German beers anymore

There were always two or three of the Erdinger / Paulaner / Franziskaner / Weihenstephan Hefeweizen style beers, but now the choice is Chang or Federbrau.

There is no other choice, the Asahi and Heineken have gone as well.

Rather than having pleasant beer-ladies (and men) bringing their beer menus to the table, I had to walk across to the stall to buy my bottle myself.

Food is still decent

The food stalls were all open and there is still a wide choice.

We had laab, and an excellent Fish steamed with Lemon and Chillies

The night bazaar was open and seemed fairly normal.

The atmosphere overall seemed somewhat somewhat lacking this time, there were very few people there, it felt like the party was over and everybody had gone home. Perhaps this was due to the political unrest in Bangkok at the moment.

Even though the bazaar is located next to the park on Witthayu road, it is far enough away from Silom to seem safe.

Shame about the beer!

Edited April 23, 2010 by davee58

[DeathbyDurian]

Thank you for that useful update Dave, this is the kind of post that makes thai visa a good place to visit.

Shame about those beer choices though...

[GreenSnapper]

No German beers anymore

There were always two or three of the Erdinger / Paulaner / Franziskaner / Weihenstephan Hefeweizen style beers, but now the choice is Chang or Federbrau.

There is no other choice, the Asahi and Heineken have gone as well.

Rather than having pleasant beer-ladies (and men) bringing their beer menus to the table, I had to walk across to the stall to buy my bottle myself.

Yes, the beer-mafia won again. Not even a Heineken available, only Yuck-Chang and Yuck-Federbräu. At least the Federbräu-beergirls looked decent....