Sawasdee Khrup TV CM Friends,

For those of you not familiar with the "wholesale" food market, Talat Meur Mai: it begins north of where the American consulate, and the Chiang Mai City Hall, are (on Wichayanon Road), and is on your left as you go north along the western Ping river road (Wang Sing Kham). You can also find trucks selling various food items parked on Muang Samut road, that generally marks the western boundary of the market area (which is vast) which you would come to if you went straight north from where the Kasem market is on Ratchawong Road in Talat Wararot (that road turns into Muang Samut when it crosses Wichayanon).

We think of Meur Mai as being the edible-everything-under-the-sun market. And, the "joint is jumping" to the point of being "mobbed" from 5am on as every restaurant owner and whatever comes to buy their daily supplies in bulk. Along the river road you'll find later at night many pick-up trucks full of picked-that-day produce, most selling in large quantity. A great place to take tourists for morning photography if you can get them up early, and they can handle crowds.

Went to Meur Mai yesterday after visiting Kasem.

Picked up a head of red cabbage to try juicing, based on UG's suggestion, and after seeing two heads of cauliflower turn into less than two ounces of juice

Yesterday priced a 5kg. bag of carrots off the back of a truck on Muang Samut, about 5PM, for 60 baht. Surprised there's that much difference in price between there and Talat San Pak Hoi: 30 baht per kilo at San Pak Hoi.

The only visible difference was that the carrots in this 5kg. bag still had some "root filaments" on them, and the full top was present with about three inches of their green above-ground stalks still on them. Would estimate cutting off those tops to at most knock only 300-400 grams off the total weight, so still a bargain. And it was obvious they had been washed: no visible dirt. Of course would still scrub them, and soak them in food-preparation solution before juicing (currently using 30 baht per bottle "St. Andrews" brand concentrate from Rimping), and final thorough rinsing.

Going to have to get a new, larger, back pack with savings like that possible !

happy shopping, ~o:37;

p.s. Mods, this forum has always been "short" of pinned topics compared to other regional forums on TV. How about a pinned topic for food shopping tips ?

FYI.. best prices are in the AM when the sellers are trying to finish off their stock and get home, but best selection is around midnight when the markets is just getting going.

Talad Muang Mai

Talad Muang Mai

Kat Muang Mai

Dont be given out our secrets. The next thing we'll know is all the tourist will be mobbing the place.

Dont be given out our secrets. The next thing we'll know is all the tourist will be mobbing the place.

Nope, most of them couldn't hack the smell!

Cheers,

Pikey.

Talad Muang Mai

Kat Muang Mai

Yeah. I resisted going with that for fear of sounding pedantic. But yes, that.