Asiatique The Riverfront
Asiatique The Riverfront is the newest Bangkok Night Market, opened in May 2012. Ever since the closure of the Lumphini night market there have been different places that tried to “fill the gap” – and this finally is it.
Actually it’s more than a typical night market – it could also be called a shopping and lifestyle complex. But the main place is a shopping area located in the old warehouses of the East Asiatic Company.
And that’s the really nice thing about it: The Riverfront is an homage to Bangkok’s past as a riverside trading post during the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century. Originally this was the pier where a lot of the teak wood trade took place, managed by Mr. Hans Nille Andersen.
Located on the grounds which formerly belonged to a Danish trading company, many of the original buildings have been retained (although they did get a “facelift”).
It’s popular not just with tourists, but also with Thais, but it definitely is the most upscale night market in Bangkok. One of the first things you’ll see when you walk from the river to the market is a huge iStore.
The Factory District is where the shopping goes on, and where most of the 1500 small shop are located in old warehouses. You find lots of fashion, some souvenirs, design items, handicrafts, furniture, home furnishings and other things, and the selection resembles the kind of merchandise you find at Terminal 21 – at least when it comes to fashion. You get good value for the money you pay, but it’s not the cheap bargain hunting you find at many other night markets.
The Waterfront District is what you see when you first arrive by boat. You find fancy restaurants and event venues lined up along a 300m boardwalk. Concerts, festivals and the New Year’s countdown celebrations take place here.
The Down Square District is a mixture of Thai & Western influences – a large sports bar, international food, and a small events area.
The Chareonkrung District is where you find more than 1,000 retail shops selling handicrafts, home decor, souvenirs, but also the Joe Louis Puppet Theatre and the Calypso Show (see below).
There are plenty of international dining options, from Japanese, to Italien, Korean, American, Thai, Seafood, Chinese, and like this shop – Champion Kebab – Turkish (it’s quite popular with international tourists).
Baan Kanitha is an upscale Thai food restaurant with currently four branches in Bangkok, the newest one being at the Asiatique. It’s a good choice for people who want to eat Thai food which is adjusted for international taste – it’s not really authentic Thai food, but a more mellow version of it, less spicy, and a good option for families with kids too.
The Joe Louis Puppet Theater is a traditional puppet performance, but with modern choreography, and it will take your mind on a wonderful mystic (and at the same time) funny journey of ancient Thai characters.
The Calypso is quiet a spectacle – 50 performers at each show. If you come with a group of five, that’s perfect, because there are tables for five people.
There are also some small vendors, and things like getting your portrait painted and the overall atmosphere is quite lively, without being overcrowded or busy.
Opening hours: 5pm to midnight
How to get there: By boat. Take the BTS (skytrain) to Saphan Taksin station. Then walk to the river. There you can get on a free ferry boat to Asiatique The Riverfront – it’s about 15 minutes and you get to enjoy the nice view of the Chao Phraya river. The boat leaves from the Saphan Taksin station every 15 minutes, starting at 4:30 p.m. and the last boat leaves from the Asiatique pier back to Saphan Thaksin at 11:30 p.m. It’s best to avoid going by taxi, because the road that leads there suffers from chronic trafficjamitis.
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Actually it’s more than a typical night market – it could also be called a shopping and lifestyle complex. But the main place is a shopping area located in the old warehouses of the East Asiatic Company.
And that’s the really nice thing about it: The Riverfront is an homage to Bangkok’s past as a riverside trading post during the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century. Originally this was the pier where a lot of the teak wood trade took place, managed by Mr. Hans Nille Andersen.
Located on the grounds which formerly belonged to a Danish trading company, many of the original buildings have been retained (although they did get a “facelift”).
It’s popular not just with tourists, but also with Thais, but it definitely is the most upscale night market in Bangkok. One of the first things you’ll see when you walk from the river to the market is a huge iStore.
4 Areas
The Asiatique Riverfront is separated in four districts:The Factory District is where the shopping goes on, and where most of the 1500 small shop are located in old warehouses. You find lots of fashion, some souvenirs, design items, handicrafts, furniture, home furnishings and other things, and the selection resembles the kind of merchandise you find at Terminal 21 – at least when it comes to fashion. You get good value for the money you pay, but it’s not the cheap bargain hunting you find at many other night markets.
The Waterfront District is what you see when you first arrive by boat. You find fancy restaurants and event venues lined up along a 300m boardwalk. Concerts, festivals and the New Year’s countdown celebrations take place here.
The Down Square District is a mixture of Thai & Western influences – a large sports bar, international food, and a small events area.
The Chareonkrung District is where you find more than 1,000 retail shops selling handicrafts, home decor, souvenirs, but also the Joe Louis Puppet Theatre and the Calypso Show (see below).
Eating At The Asiatique
There are more than 40 restaurants here, so you won’t need to leave hungry. There also is an outdoor food court (which is very clean), but fortunately there’s a roof protecting you even when it rains.There are plenty of international dining options, from Japanese, to Italien, Korean, American, Thai, Seafood, Chinese, and like this shop – Champion Kebab – Turkish (it’s quite popular with international tourists).
Baan Kanitha is an upscale Thai food restaurant with currently four branches in Bangkok, the newest one being at the Asiatique. It’s a good choice for people who want to eat Thai food which is adjusted for international taste – it’s not really authentic Thai food, but a more mellow version of it, less spicy, and a good option for families with kids too.
Entertainment
There are several shows taking place, like the Joe Louis Puppet Theater (which formerly performed at the Lumphini night plaza) and the famous Calypso Bangkok Theater.The Joe Louis Puppet Theater is a traditional puppet performance, but with modern choreography, and it will take your mind on a wonderful mystic (and at the same time) funny journey of ancient Thai characters.
The Calypso is quiet a spectacle – 50 performers at each show. If you come with a group of five, that’s perfect, because there are tables for five people.
There are also some small vendors, and things like getting your portrait painted and the overall atmosphere is quite lively, without being overcrowded or busy.
Opening hours: 5pm to midnight
How to get there: By boat. Take the BTS (skytrain) to Saphan Taksin station. Then walk to the river. There you can get on a free ferry boat to Asiatique The Riverfront – it’s about 15 minutes and you get to enjoy the nice view of the Chao Phraya river. The boat leaves from the Saphan Taksin station every 15 minutes, starting at 4:30 p.m. and the last boat leaves from the Asiatique pier back to Saphan Thaksin at 11:30 p.m. It’s best to avoid going by taxi, because the road that leads there suffers from chronic trafficjamitis.
Talad Rot Fai
Want to know what our favorite night market in Bangkok is? Talad Rot
Fai, which translates into english as “train market” (talad = market,
rot fai = train).
Talad Rot Fai is without a doubt the coolest Bangkok night market as of 2012.
It has gained popularity as a retro lovers and (affordable) antiques market, lots of vintage clothing, retro furniture and memorabilia, but has expanded into other kinds of merchandise too.
The market takes place on land which is owned by the State Railway of Thailand – there used to be a railway station, but it’s just been an abandoned piece of land for many years before they started this market here.
The market is open on Friday, Saturday and Sunday and the best time to come here is around 7 or 8pm, and people generally leave around midnight, but there is still plenty of action going on till around 2am – unless it’s raining. But even then you’ve got cafe’s with life music and a great atmosphere.
Surrounding the open market area are plenty of wooden shophouses where you can find antiques – a lot of it low value stuff, but every once in a while you can spot a real gem.
Fancy an old Italian Vespa scooter? Find it here.
How about old luggage? Yet, also at Talad Rot Fai.
Old sewing machines? Really, really old irons? Find them all here.
Really old photo cameras? First edition game boy games? Old cartoon and books? Second hand bikes? (And some probably twentieth hand bikes). Yes, plenty of them at Talad Rot Fai.
Then get out at Exit Number 1:
When you come out from the skytrain walk down the stairs and make a sharp right curve:
You’ll walk pass this old wooden building on the left:
And then behind this house make a left turn, walk 5 meters till you reach the big street and turn right, and then walk straight for 5 to 10 minutes. You’ll pass a couple of antique shops and bars/clubs on your right handside, whereas on your left handside there’s a big road.
Finally, you’ll reach a small door opening in a fence, which is the “entrance” to Talad Rot Fai.
Once you’re there, you’ll see plenty of peddlers displaying they’re wares.
On the right handside you can see a popular cafe/bar/restaurant with life music (but they usually start the life music at night):
You really find all kinds of stuff here, and it’s interesting and fascinating just to walk through here and watch (both what’s on sale on also the people here):
Don’t worry about pushy sellers, trying to nag you to buy something from there. You won’t find anything like that here. In fact, if you want to buy something you’ll have to occasionally wake up a sleeping vendor:
There are several old German VW buses, the most popular hippie car ever. Some are in excellent, refurbished condition like this one:
There are also some oldtimer cars, although I doubt they’re still driving:
You also find old Stella scooters:
And as you would expect from a proper Bangkok night market, there is plenty of food. Some delicious and simple popular Thai staples:
And some yummy delicious iced mochi, that doesn’t not just look colorful but tastes good too:
Different colors, different flavors, but I really liked the Thai tea flavor (the orange ones):
Speaking of Thai tea (cha yen), there’s a shop where you can get some nice sweet iced Thai tea of course too:
And if you’re old enough, you might remember what these are:
This is a nice little cafe in the middle of the main market area:
And if you’re looking for some unusual stencil art, you can find Batman, the Joker and even Adolf Hitler. Many Thai’s aren’t really familiar with the history of Hitler and what he did (just as many Westeners aren’t familiar with some cruel, massmurdering Asian dicators of the past), so they just view him as an interesting historical figure.
Also plenty of cool shirts, clothing and a lot more to see here at Talad Rot Fai!
Talad Rot Fai is without a doubt the coolest Bangkok night market as of 2012.
It has gained popularity as a retro lovers and (affordable) antiques market, lots of vintage clothing, retro furniture and memorabilia, but has expanded into other kinds of merchandise too.
The market takes place on land which is owned by the State Railway of Thailand – there used to be a railway station, but it’s just been an abandoned piece of land for many years before they started this market here.
The market is open on Friday, Saturday and Sunday and the best time to come here is around 7 or 8pm, and people generally leave around midnight, but there is still plenty of action going on till around 2am – unless it’s raining. But even then you’ve got cafe’s with life music and a great atmosphere.
Surrounding the open market area are plenty of wooden shophouses where you can find antiques – a lot of it low value stuff, but every once in a while you can spot a real gem.
Fancy an old Italian Vespa scooter? Find it here.
How about old luggage? Yet, also at Talad Rot Fai.
Old sewing machines? Really, really old irons? Find them all here.
Really old photo cameras? First edition game boy games? Old cartoon and books? Second hand bikes? (And some probably twentieth hand bikes). Yes, plenty of them at Talad Rot Fai.
How To Get There
Take the MRT (subway) to Kampaeng Phet station. If you’re coming from Chatuchak market, it’s actually just one station:Then get out at Exit Number 1:
When you come out from the skytrain walk down the stairs and make a sharp right curve:
You’ll walk pass this old wooden building on the left:
And then behind this house make a left turn, walk 5 meters till you reach the big street and turn right, and then walk straight for 5 to 10 minutes. You’ll pass a couple of antique shops and bars/clubs on your right handside, whereas on your left handside there’s a big road.
Finally, you’ll reach a small door opening in a fence, which is the “entrance” to Talad Rot Fai.
Once you’re there, you’ll see plenty of peddlers displaying they’re wares.
On the right handside you can see a popular cafe/bar/restaurant with life music (but they usually start the life music at night):
You really find all kinds of stuff here, and it’s interesting and fascinating just to walk through here and watch (both what’s on sale on also the people here):
Don’t worry about pushy sellers, trying to nag you to buy something from there. You won’t find anything like that here. In fact, if you want to buy something you’ll have to occasionally wake up a sleeping vendor:
There are several old German VW buses, the most popular hippie car ever. Some are in excellent, refurbished condition like this one:
There are also some oldtimer cars, although I doubt they’re still driving:
You also find old Stella scooters:
And as you would expect from a proper Bangkok night market, there is plenty of food. Some delicious and simple popular Thai staples:
And some yummy delicious iced mochi, that doesn’t not just look colorful but tastes good too:
Different colors, different flavors, but I really liked the Thai tea flavor (the orange ones):
Speaking of Thai tea (cha yen), there’s a shop where you can get some nice sweet iced Thai tea of course too:
And if you’re old enough, you might remember what these are:
This is a nice little cafe in the middle of the main market area:
And if you’re looking for some unusual stencil art, you can find Batman, the Joker and even Adolf Hitler. Many Thai’s aren’t really familiar with the history of Hitler and what he did (just as many Westeners aren’t familiar with some cruel, massmurdering Asian dicators of the past), so they just view him as an interesting historical figure.
Also plenty of cool shirts, clothing and a lot more to see here at Talad Rot Fai!
