Siam Paradise Night Bazaar Market are better, safer alternatives to sleazy old Patpong night market.
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Siam Paradise Night Market gate |
As for the
sleazy Patpong bazaar, nobody normal likes shopping there. The temporary tables
and stalls are crammed into the already crowded lane and spill onto the broken
sidewalks of Silom Road
pimps, and ticked-off office workers struggling to reach the Saladaeng Skytrain station. Besides, it’s all the same tourist trinkets to be found on sidewalk stalls all over town throughout the day.
pimps, and ticked-off office workers struggling to reach the Saladaeng Skytrain station. Besides, it’s all the same tourist trinkets to be found on sidewalk stalls all over town throughout the day.
Asiatique or Siam Paradise Night Bazaar?
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Small decor shops at Siam Paradise |
Update: I think Siam Paradise may have closed! At least its website has. Proceed with caution! While that Google shot doesn't look good, recall that is it a night market, after all, so the shops would look shuttered during the day regardless.
Opened in spring 2011, Siam Paradise night bazaar, also known as Punnawithi night market, is owned by the same people that operated the Lumpini Park market. It occupies a similar large patch of a land and has similar dining and shopping structures, though there must be even more shop space. But the shops have been slow to open and it remains to be seen whether it will catch on tourists, local Thais or expats.
Surely tourists staying near the Oriental, Shangri-La, Chartrium and other riverside hotels are going to opt for the Asiatique night market, which opened in May 2012. As I say in my Asiatique review, though, I can't see it turning into the after-work hangout that Suan Lum was.
Anyhow, Punnawithi's official name is Siam Paradise Night Bazaar, as
you can see from the picture of the entrance gate with the Angkorian tower
effect (which might be the same gate that adorned Suan Lum). Locals call it
Punnawithi (pronounced “poon-na-wi-tee”) market. The Thai name might stick because it’s easier for Thais to pronounce and the market is near both
Punnawitthi Skytrain station and Soi (Lane) Punnawithi. Soi Punnawithi
branches to the north off Sukhumvit
Road
Siam Paradise probably started out so slowly because
it couldn’t be reached directly by Skytrain until the Punnawithi station opened
in September 2011. Next, this area of Bangkok
Whatever the explanation, by mid- 2012, fewer than 40 shops were occupied —though there is space for 1,300 of them--and the shoppers haven't flowed in. The one-story rows of shops are laid out strip-mall style, separated by covered walkways, with only a few shops opened in each row. Items have price tags but, by all means, attempt to haggle a discount. There are clothing and shoe shops with try-on areas and a few with ceramic dinnerware, leather and crocodile bags, and home décor items (pillows, lamps, vases, trays, cheap art). Of course there is traditional massage and nail care on offer. All in all, the range just doesn't compare to the old Suan Lum. No Joe Louis puppet theater either. That will be reappearing at Asiatique by the end of 2012.
Whatever the explanation, by mid- 2012, fewer than 40 shops were occupied —though there is space for 1,300 of them--and the shoppers haven't flowed in. The one-story rows of shops are laid out strip-mall style, separated by covered walkways, with only a few shops opened in each row. Items have price tags but, by all means, attempt to haggle a discount. There are clothing and shoe shops with try-on areas and a few with ceramic dinnerware, leather and crocodile bags, and home décor items (pillows, lamps, vases, trays, cheap art). Of course there is traditional massage and nail care on offer. All in all, the range just doesn't compare to the old Suan Lum. No Joe Louis puppet theater either. That will be reappearing at Asiatique by the end of 2012.
Suvarnabhumi Airport Connection and Mega Bangna Mall
Maybe first-time tourists won’t mind Siam Paradise's drawbacks. Forty shops is
still a lot, after all. At the international airport, free round-trip transfers
to and from the bazaar are supposedly offered to the many travelers sitting out
long layovers--though there’s no mention of such transfers on the market’s own website. And now there's a better choice for people killing time while waiting for an outbound flight: the Mega Bangna Mall out on the highway to the airport. If you're coming from the city, there's a free shuttle bus running between the mall and the Udom Suk Skytrain station.
The new mall is not a normal tourist attraction, by any means: it's resembles one of the glossier Bangkok malls, even though it does boast the country's first Ikea and Doc Martens stores. However, for those killing time waiting for a late night flight, it's a better choice than the Siam Paradise Night Market. That might be true for those staying out near the BITEC convention center too.
The new mall is not a normal tourist attraction, by any means: it's resembles one of the glossier Bangkok malls, even though it does boast the country's first Ikea and Doc Martens stores. However, for those killing time waiting for a late night flight, it's a better choice than the Siam Paradise Night Market. That might be true for those staying out near the BITEC convention center too.
If you're already in the central city and taking a flight that depart at midnight or beyond, Punnawithi should be a good place to eat, shop and otherwise kill a
few hours before leaving for the airport--provided there’s some place to store
luggage. The nearest hotel, by the way, is KS Mansion, across Sukhumvit and up several
hundred meters on Soi Punnawithi.
As for food, there is the beer garden with plenty of
Thai food and fresh fish, overseen by a large screen that broadcast international
footfall (soccer) matches. A live band
has been appearing on weekends. There is also a separate two-story building
with food stalls in food court formation on the ground floor. Upstairs is an
entire floor of karaoke rooms, much to the dismay of nearby residents.
By the way, most Bangkok Thais still associate the Punnawithi area with Wat Dhammamongkol, a large temple famous for its traditional massage school, beautiful jade Buddha image and views of the cityscape. The temple is quite far from the market, though, on the other, northeast, side of Sukhumvit. The temple is farther inside in a tangle of lanes, though easy to spot because of its high tower. You can catch a motorcycle taxi near the entrance of Punnawithi Soi 101; it's 15 baht to the temple.
Location, directions and hours of
By the way, most Bangkok Thais still associate the Punnawithi area with Wat Dhammamongkol, a large temple famous for its traditional massage school, beautiful jade Buddha image and views of the cityscape. The temple is quite far from the market, though, on the other, northeast, side of Sukhumvit. The temple is farther inside in a tangle of lanes, though easy to spot because of its high tower. You can catch a motorcycle taxi near the entrance of Punnawithi Soi 101; it's 15 baht to the temple.
Location, directions and hours of Siam Paradise
Night Market
Place: Siam Paradise Night Bazaar
Hours:
Daily, 4 pm to midnight.
Phone: 02-744-7252
Skytrain station: Punnawithi Station (Exit E11) or Udom Suk Station
Phone: 02-744-7252
Skytrain station: Punnawithi Station (Exit E11) or Udom Suk Station
Location:
Southeast side of Sukhumvit Road, near 64 Sukhumvit Road, about a ten-minute walk from Punnawithi Station. The market's entrance gate and streetside beer garden are across the street from the entrance to
Nearest hotel: KS Mansion
No one will claim that the older, very Thai On-Nut Night Market has a selection of shops to rival Siam Paradise. But it's more convenient! No walking along the dark street. When you exit the Onnut Skytrain, the market is right there at the bottom of the steps. The exit number is E1. You can spot the sea of white awnings from the Skytrain platform.
On-nut market is directly across the street from the Tesco-Lotus hypermart, which is impossible to miss even if you want to. You don't have to run across Sukhumvi Roadt; the Skytrain station and platform serves as a pedestrian bridge across the road. If you are compelled to go to Tesco to find a proper extension cord or packaging material, you might as well drop into the night bazaar afterwards.
Nearest hotel: KS Mansion
On nut (Onnut, On-nut, Onnuj) NIght Market - Very Thai
On-nut market is directly across the street from the Tesco-Lotus hypermart, which is impossible to miss even if you want to. You don't have to run across Sukhumvi Roadt; the Skytrain station and platform serves as a pedestrian bridge across the road. If you are compelled to go to Tesco to find a proper extension cord or packaging material, you might as well drop into the night bazaar afterwards.
The bazaar set-up is semi-permanent. Concrete walkways are sheltered by permanent tent-like awnings. The lighting is not great. I don't suppose there are more than 40 of these shop stalls running along the walkways.
The goods are intended for the lower and new middle-class Thai shopper, so expect a lot of synthetics, designer knock-offs, costume jewelry, mobile phone jackets, sunglasses, bras and other underwear. A good selection of 120-baht t-shirts. Many shops do have curtained-off areas for trying on clothes.
For new expats, some basic housewares and office-wear, such as cheap dresses, can be had. Then there are secondhand shoes. They are in good condition, some barely used--trainers, pumps, good quality leather shoes. (But nonetheless, shoes? Where do they come from? Pawn shops? Are the high-end name-brand ones imported? Smuggled?).
Next there are a few foot massage and nail decoration stalls. Expect a few oddities each time. Last time I saw a stall selling colored contact lenses from Japan--not prescription, the kind you wear merely to change eye color.
For new expats, some basic housewares and office-wear, such as cheap dresses, can be had. Then there are secondhand shoes. They are in good condition, some barely used--trainers, pumps, good quality leather shoes. (But nonetheless, shoes? Where do they come from? Pawn shops? Are the high-end name-brand ones imported? Smuggled?).
Next there are a few foot massage and nail decoration stalls. Expect a few oddities each time. Last time I saw a stall selling colored contact lenses from Japan--not prescription, the kind you wear merely to change eye color.
Food: Tom yung kung and other Thai basics, fish and chips, hamburgers, Japanese noodles. Several local beers, Heineken and Carlsberg are on tap. The food is served from stalls and under awnings on paper and styrofoam plates at crowded tables.
There are no proper restaurants but directly across the street (via a walkway over Sukhumvit) the Tesco-Lotus hypermart has a clean, modern food court and familiar chain restaurants like S & P and Pizza Hut that close around 9:30 pm. The McDonald's at ground level is open 24 hours and is one of the premium editions with lattes, cappucino and croissants. Perhaps a better choice is the foreign-owned former On Nut Guesthouse, linked below, which is known for an extensive, varied menu. It's on Soi On Nut, also known as Sukhumvit Soi 77.
Entertainment? Perhaps there is on the weekends and special occasions. Somehow squished among the food stalls was a bandstand with large amps but it was vacant the night I visited.
There are no proper restaurants but directly across the street (via a walkway over Sukhumvit) the Tesco-Lotus hypermart has a clean, modern food court and familiar chain restaurants like S & P and Pizza Hut that close around 9:30 pm. The McDonald's at ground level is open 24 hours and is one of the premium editions with lattes, cappucino and croissants. Perhaps a better choice is the foreign-owned former On Nut Guesthouse, linked below, which is known for an extensive, varied menu. It's on Soi On Nut, also known as Sukhumvit Soi 77.
Entertainment? Perhaps there is on the weekends and special occasions. Somehow squished among the food stalls was a bandstand with large amps but it was vacant the night I visited.
Hours: Daily, 4 pm to midnight.
Skytrain station: On Nut Station, Exit 1
Skytrain station: On Nut Station, Exit 1
Location: North side of Sukhumvit Road (across the street from Tesco-Lotus hypermart), near Sukhumvit Soi 81 and Soi Chinnamat
Nearest hotels: Imm Fusion, The Bedrooms Boutique, KV Mansion, Cedarberg aka Sukhumvit On-nut Guesthouse.
Nearest hotels: Imm Fusion, The Bedrooms Boutique, KV Mansion, Cedarberg aka Sukhumvit On-nut Guesthouse.
Copyright +Susan Cunningham. No republication without permission. Contact SoutheastAsiaTraveler @ gmail.com
