Parking is difficult and dusty, but the venerable and vibrant Chatuchak Market is well worth it. Defying the increase in elegant, high-tech shopping malls, this traditional weekend market still holds a firm place in the commerce of Thailand's Number One city. Unlike the traditional markets of other Asian capitals, Chatuchak Market has not been eased out of town or turned into a sterile tourist attraction. To enter Chatuchak is to brave a disorienting maze - alleyways curve gently between a multitude of stalls, apparently designed to make the shopper give up all sense of direction.
Lean boys hurry through the crowd, pushing handcarts piled high with merchandise.
Noodle-shops serve up steaming bowls to hungry shoppers. Women offer tethered baby squirrels to curious onlookers. It is an atmosphere far removed from the sterile air of department store shopping. In Thailand, magazines apparently have an unlimited shelf-life. Thais love to keep aquariums, and the tropical fish section is a big draw.