Saturday proved to be a fruitful day for blog fodder: blueberry muffins, Khun Nui’s visit, the Independence Day celebrations. I’ll squeeze one last entry out of that day based on the walk from the football pitch to the Skytrain station.
Since the weather was cloudy, breezy and relatively cool, we decided to hoof it all the way to Sukhumvit, a good 25-minute walk. Instead of staying on the main streets, we cut through talat Khlong Toei – the wet market in the Khlong Toei district.
Khlong Toei is a rough and tumble part of town, home to a number of slums that have sprung up on unused land owned by the port authority and the state railway.
Located originally near the abattoir or slaughterhouses, the section of town provided housing for the poor workers. To this day it is still known as place where the poor and destitute live.
Once a year or so, a fire will sweep one of the slums, resulting in the destruction of hundreds of homes and the displacement of thousands of people. Amazingly, they rebuild quite quickly. Sadly, the homes are never any safer.
In fact, there is the interesting story about the work of Father Joe Maier, an American-born Catholic priest that has spend more than thirty-five years working in this community fighting the ravages of poverty, disease, prostitution and drug addiction. Here’s a link to a recent book about his efforts.
Unlike some of the other wet markets in the city, which are listed in the guidebooks as “unique” (but decidedly accessible) looks into the heart of the daily lives of residents of the Big Mango, Khlong Toei’s market sits in relative obscurity.
It is one of the largest markets in the city and if you eat at restaurants or street vendors anywhere along Sukhumvit or in Siam Square, it is certain that at least some of your food was originally purchased at this market.
Let’s take a virtual tour of some of the sights in the market:
Below is a look down one of the long aisles in the market.
By late afternoon, almost everything is closed and vendors have cleaned up and gone home for a few hours of rest before their day begins again in the middle of the night.
The concrete footpaths are still damp from scrubbing. Sunlight filters down through the tarpaulins. The community of shopkeepers is tightly-knit. Friendships are made and families intermarry. True to the Thai ethos, despite the hard work there is always time for some fun. And nothing is more fun that some chit-chat and gossip. Well, except eating!
Above, a view of the khlong – canal – that runs through the market. This used to be used as an open-air sewer, the tides flushing refuse out to the river twice a day. While it still isn’t the cleanest water in the city, shopkeepers are now forbidden to dump anything into it. From what I understand, most of them comply. Quarters are close as houses are tightly packed but this part of the district is by no means the most humble.
Thai Buddhists love pork but rarely eat beef. The taste of Thai Muslims is the reverse. But poultry, below, is a favorite food for Thais of all beliefs. Guaranteeing freshness, you can buy your chickens and ducks alive and kill them yourself at home, or if your condo doesn’t allow that, have them slaughtered and cleaned for you.
The market offers an interesting array of food and no shortage of people who were curious about the farangs walking through their world. I want to go back in the predawn hours, when the market is at its busiest, and see how it looks then. Probably a lot harder to take pictures, though.
If you’re in town, you should stop by for a look. The market is a very short walk from the Queen Sirikit Convention Centre subway station.
christao408 
Your photos are always exquisite and I almost feel like I’m there. By the way, I am planning a trip to Hong Kong & Thailand next year. Any recommendations? I’m sure you have tons, but anything to start would be appreciated!
Another great photo essay! Many years ago I spent my R&R in Bangkok and I loved it. I have heard that the canals are all but gone now, so it was great to see that at least one still exists!
I love these entires – a very interesting travelogue.
It’s so funny that my boyfriend told me few weeks ago asking me to take a walk in Klong Toey market and I thought he was nut and said it’s too dangerous. At least your entry made me know that just walking around could be safe.
Looks like there aren’t any farangs walking in those streets, you are sure very adventurous!!
@waiszeblogs – Thanks, I appreciate the compliment. I’d be happy to send you some information I have about both HKG and Thailand.
@RakkaRay – Thanks, Ray. My uncle also did R&R here during Vietnam. It wasn’t until two Novembers ago that he and my aunt came for a visit, his first return in thirty years. It was fascinating hearing his memories and how much has changed and how much hasn’t. Many of the canals were filled in to make streets or widen existing ones, but there is still a good network. Most of them are very small, though – this is one of the larger ones. One canal – San Saeb – has a taxi boat that runs up and down it. Fun way to travel but watch out for splashing water!
@ElusiveWords – Thanks, Matt. I walk the city looking for these types of places just for you!
@blue_beau – There are definitely parts of Khlong Toei I wouldn’t walk around, even if I was Thai. But people are nice and generally it is safe, especially during the day.
@curry69curry – Probably not as adventurous as it seems. I was all of 100 meters from a major intersection and only slightly further from the nearest subway station.
@christao408 – oh please do.. no rush of course. I don’t plan on going until next year. my email address is mswaisze at gmail.com
As always, your pictures are so cool. The market seems like a really neat place to visit.
@TheCheshireGrins – Thanks – I think markets (in any country) are a really good way to see the local culture beyond the tourist traps.
Oooohhhh! I LOVE markets! Another great tour.
@socaltransplant – Thanks; it is one of the more interesting markets in town.
Thank you for this interesting entry. I felt as if I were walking through the market.
@allthingsbarbara – You’re welcome; I’m glad you enjoyed it. Actually, on my trip back to the US I’m going to buy a digital audio recorder (the type you use to record interviews, dictation, etc) with a thought of also doing short audio clips, kind of like stories on the radio, to supplement entries such as this. I think with some audio you would really get even more of a sense of the environment.
What a great idea. I like the way you record your experiences and observations. You’re very straightforward & clear, but you let the spirit of the people, places, your thoughts, come through.
Nice photos~~ I have recently visited Bangkok. Not for long so i have no idea where you are in relationship to Bangkok.Hey, did you see a water monitor by any chance?~~ hehe… i was in total shock when I came across one while on a canoe…. Thailand is crazy!… quite adventurous and food is great although – did u live off pepto too? ^-^
@mOoShimAnGo – A monitor lizard? They are in the parks and elsewhere. Pretty freaky because it is like encountering a dinosaur! I’ve been here almost three years and thankfully have not had any problems requiring me to consume pepto bismol.
!!! 3 yrs n no tummy problems? Where do you eat?! no local foods?Those monitor lizards were quite worth my trip to Thailand.. HAHA… to see them up close , ur right, it’s like seeing a dinosaur.
@mOoShimAnGo – I eat strictly local food and shun western chains. Occasionally I’ll have some minor “digestive upset” but never anything severe. Sorry that you encountered problems. I think that sometimes, part of those problems can be due to the stress and wear on your body of traveling. That lowers your immunity and makes you more susceptible to bugs.