Rot Fai (Train) Night Markets I and II in Bangkok

Flea market collectibles make two evening "train markets" unlike any other Bangkok night bazaars. How to reach them, what you can buy.

Rot Fai II Night Market near Ratchada & Thai Cultural Centre

This will sound confusing at first but ... you will probably decide the Rot Fai II Night Bazaar is the most convenient night market to visit. It's right at the Thai Cultural Centre MRT (subway) stop-- much closer to it than the Cultural Centre--so that's the location link at the bottom of this post.

The Rot Fai (Train) Market II is on Ratchada, or Ratchadapisek, Road, so it could logically be called the Ratchada Night Bazaar. It's not near the original (now defunct) Rot Fai Night Market, which was near Chatuchak Market. Nor is it near the new Rot Fai Market (more below) way out east of the city, on the way to the airport, near the Seacon Square shopping center. (BTW, neither of these train markets should be confused with the Youtube famous Maeklong market that a train drives through!)

But the old (now defunct) Ratchada Night Market was between two other MRT (subway) stops farther north, so that would be even more confusing, right? Besides, another major feature of the old Ratchada night market was machinery, vehicles, and motors and parts thereof. You won't find find much of that at the Rod Fai II.

Rot Fai II has more of a flea market vibe--just like the Rot Fai Market I, yet with lots more food and clothing than the original Rot Fai Market had. By flea market, I mean new and vintage furniture, tableware, lamps, fans and other household products. If you want to furnish a house or apartment on the cheap, this is a good place to start. Some of these articles might even be genuine antiques. You have to wonder whether some of this stuff was ever owned by Thais: items like old vinyl records and record players, signs, posters, typewriters, cameras.

Unlike the Sukhumvit street stalls or Kao San Road or the impromptu night market at Ratchaprasong, the new and secondhand clothing here isn't aimed at foreign customers. The new stuff tends to be cheesy but cheap. Some of the secondhand clothing is real cotton or of other good quality. On the other hand, there is plenty of street food and things to drink (including beer), so it's fun to wander around in the evening cool. On weekends, though, it gets really packed so Thursday night is the best time to visit.

Locations and Directions of Rot Fai II Night Market

The Esplanade shopping mall is right next to Thai Cultural Centre MRT station. I think it's Exit 4 but it will be on the station's map after you exit the turnstiles. The well marked Talaat Rot Fai II ("Train Night Market II) is behind the mall. The Cultural Centre is a good ten-minute walk from the station. 

Rot Fai II Night Market Hours: Thursday through Sunday, 5 pm to 1 am

Location: Behind Esplanade mall, MRT Thai Cultural Centre
Phone: 081-897-4184

Nearest hotels: Bangkok Cha-Da, Emerald, Swissotel Le Concorde, Ban Kaew Mansion

Rot Fai Night Market I - Train Flea Market Returns

The old Train Market was near Chatuchak Weekend Market, so it was easy to drop by in the evening. The area had served as a storage and maintenance center for the railroad--thus the name (rot fai or rod fai being "train" or "trains"). The new location east of Bangkok is nowhere near a railroad station and quite far from the nearest BTS stations. The new market does have in common that many of the vendors at the old market--who stored there wares in the old Train Market's buildings--have moved lock, stock and barrels of ancient bric-a-brac to the new locale.

Run by the same couple, Talaat Rod Fair I, or Train Market I, is a bigger version of the aforementioned Train Market II: furniture, dishes, housewares, LP records (Thai, English and Chinese--some of quite old), radios, stereos, posters, toys and cameras. You won't find much super-old collectible furniture, like teak tables and the like. A lot of it seems to date from the 1970s or so. There might even be a few old cars and motorbikes for sale. 

The new Train Market has a few redeeming features that the old one didn't. The old one did have a few eating and drinking beer places. The new one has more. I've also been told that there are a few shops selling new clothes, some by the kind of young designers that used to have shops in the defunct Suan Lum market at Lumpini Park.

Location of Rod Fai I - Bangkok Train Market I

Srinakarin Road, also spelled Srinagarindra Road (as on Google maps) and Sri Nakarin, is a big highway type road, bounding the Seacon Square mall to the west. Soi 51 is one of the branches of Srinakarin Road: it shoots off to the east, along the southern boundary of the mall. It's the black blob on this map.

If you are already in the mall and want to visit the night market in the evening, asking for the talaat rot fai should get you there easily enough. Heading out on your own by taxi ... I would get the driver to being me to Seacon Square first. All the Skytrain and subway stations are distant, but you can catch a taxi from those mentioned below. If you speak a bit of Thai, there are buses and songtao running out to Seacon from Udom Suk Skytrain station.

Address: 55 Srinakarin (Sri Nakarin) Road, Seacon Square, Prawet

Hours: Thursday - Sunday, 5 pm to midnight.

Phone (in Thai): 081-827-5885

Website: www.facebook.com/taladrodfai
Nearest BTS station: Onnut or Udom Suk Skytrain or Hua Mark MRT (subway) 
Nearest hotels:  Dusit Princess Srinakarin

All Airlines Flying to/from Myanmar (Burma) - International Routes

Here are the 25 airlines that fly to Myanmar (Burma) and their air routes. These airlines fly directly on regularly scheduled flights to the Burmese cities of Mandalay, Nay Pyi Taw and Yangon from Hong Kong and 12 countries: Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Korea, India, Japan, Qatar, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam. 

Don't be fooled by airlines, flight booking sites and aggregators that promise "flights" between Penang and Mandalay, or Chennai and Yangon. When you see what should be a three-hour hop taking 10 hours, you'll eventually figure out Thai Airways "connects" in Bangkok for eight hours between Chennai and Yangon. Similarly, don't be fooled by the ads: A Bangkok Airways flight from Mandalay or Yangon must stop in Bangkok before flying to Samui.

Updated! 6 September 2018.

These directly flying airlines don't all fly daily to Myanmar. The routes with numerous daily flights are, in order, between Yangon-Bangkok; Yangon-Singapore; and Yangon-Kuala Lumpur. 

Remember: depending on the airline, flights from Myanmar to Bangkok can land at one of two Bangkok airports*. Thai AirAsia/AirAsiaGo, Thai Lion Air and Nok Air all use the old airport, Don Mueang (Airport code: DMK), which now is using two terminals; Terminal 1 is the international one.

Newish budget carrier and Thai Airways' subsidiary Thai Smile (with perhaps the dumbest ground personnel ever) is using Suvarnabhumi for its flights between Bangkok and Mandalay but has switched several of its domestic flights to Don Mueang. Bangkok Airways, Myanmar Airways International (MAI), state carrier Myanmar National Airlines (MNA), and Thai Airways always use newer Suvarnabhumi Airport (airport code: BKK). Budget carrier Golden Myanmar Airways has used Suvarnabhumi in the past, so I'm guessing that if it starts direct flights between Yangon and Bangkok again, it will do so as well. Despite chatter, as of 2018 it's sticking to domestic routes.

Regarding daily flights, there is at least one daily flight, at different times, between the Chinese cities of Guangzhou and Kunming, Yunnan, by either MAI or China Southern Airlines. There is at least one daily flight between Seoul and Yangon as well. 

For the other cities listed below, you need to plan ahead.

Myanmar Money - Use Kyat or US Dollars?

100-kyat note

When to use kyat and US dollars. Exchanging money, ATMs and credit cards in Myanmar (Burma). US dollars $ and kyat (MMK) are both legal currency but dollars cannot be used as widely as in Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos. 


Updated 20 July 2017  

Frequently asked questions (FAQs) about Myanmar money for tourists new to the country formerly known as Burma.

Should I exchange money at a bank?

Yes, if a bank is open. Or a legal exchange shop.

Once upon a time, maybe four years ago, I had never exchanged dollars or baht for kyat at a Burmese bank because the official exchange rate was many, many times less than the (easily obtained) street rate. Something momentous happened with little fanfare.

The bank rate now is considered good enough--and certainly better than you will get in your hotel. 

So when do I use dollars?

Hotels and guesthouses everywhere state their room rates in dollars. The more upscale hotels prefer dollars, but just about all now will take kyat (at about 1,370 kyat to the dollar as of 2017) or a combination of dollars and kyat. Staff will calculate the kyt amount based on the day's rate, now easily accessible with the proliferation of the internet and smartphones. If the dollars are less than pristine, Myanmar staff will probably prefer kyat. To pay for a flight in cash at a travel agency or airline office, though, you'll need dollars. 

The recipient will give you change in dollars or part dollars/part kyat. Some museums and temples require foreigners to pay in dollars, so keep singles on hand. Supposedly, some sites state the fee in dollars or euros, but I have only encountered it at one place: entering the Inle Lake area by road, foreigners could pay either $10 or 10 euros. Keep that receipt, which is valid for your entire stay there.

Agnes Monica or Agnez Mo - Youtube Star Indonesia

That got 6.7 million Youtube views and counting? you may ask. Yep, the song is "Matahariku" , which means "my sun." The Indonesian singer is Agnes Monica, also known as Agnez Mo and Nez. Born in 1986 as Agnes Monica Muljoto, she was a child singing star and presenter on children's programs. She has released eight albums and acted in TV dramas. She is also a songwriter and producer and has been a judge on Indonesia's Idol TV singing contest.

Her popularity extends beyond Indonesia to Brunei, Malaysia, Philippines, Netherlands, Singapore, Korea, China, and Taiwan. She even appeared in two Taiwanese soap operas after she gained fans when appearing in an Asian song contest in Korea.

Thai Words and Phrases for Vegetarians

It's not easy being green in Thailand. A few words in Thai will oil the way for vegetarians.

Outside of popular tourist destinations, restaurants in Thailand rarely cater to vegetarians. And the number of specializing in Thai vegetarian cuisine is tiny compared to Indian, Chinese or Western variations.  More veggie venues are cropping up, however, particularly in Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Phuket. 

Wherever you are, there are plenty of fresh vegetables and vegetable dishes in Thailand. And cooks are willing to do their best. The following words and phrases will help oil the way:

Arnel Pineda of Journey - Youtube Star Philippines

Filipino singer stars in Don't Stop Believin' movie

Don't Stop Believin': Arnel Pineda's journey to global rock star  

Arnel Pineda wasn't a breakout Youtube star to the extent that Zee Avi was. But Youtube did play a part in the Filipino singer's discovery by the vintage US rock band Journey in 2007. Now the heartwarming tale of Arnel's unlikely, well, journey is the stuff of a documentary, "Don't Stop Believin': Everyman's Journey", made by a Filipina director, Ramona Diaz.

The documentary was released in 2013 and has since been reviewed all over the place with a wide spectrum of reactions. The New York Times reviewer found it a "flabby and repetitive showcase." Other reviewers frequently cite the little guy with a big voice as the redeeming virtue of the film, noting his "enthusiasm" and "ebullience"  "clear-eyed pragmatism",  "Ingratiating personality" and "a dynamic stage presence."

Scott Tobias of NPR suggests what a better movie could have been: "the richer, more complicated story of a dreamer who learns to become the durable

professional his bandmates expect." Or as another reviewer put it, how does Arnel reconcile his desire to express his own personalty with the band's desire for a clone of the original lead singer, Steve Perry? At least now he's getting a chance to write songs for the band.

The Market Where a Train Runs Through - Youtube Star Thailand

How to visit the market near Bangkok where the train drives 
straight through.

Mae Klong train drives through "folding umbrella market." 

Updated 13 May 2017. After I saw one of the startling Youtube videos of a Thai market ebbing and  flowing over the tracks of a train, I had many questions. Where was the market? Could I visit it? What is the history of this line? The first leg of what is actually two lines began running around 1905 as a freight line, hauling coal from the coast to Bangkok. Operated by Danes for decades, it was nationalized during the Japanese occupation of World War II and still runs most of the original century-old steam trains today.

As for the rest of the answer:  No, you can't reach it from Hualampong, Bangkok's central train station. Nor from Bangkok Noi, the small station on the west bank of the Chao Phraya River, where the train to Kanchanaburi and the River Kwai departs.

Charice, Glee Singer - Youtube Star Philippines

Age 20, Charice, Sunshine from "Glee," looks destined to become the best-known Philippine-born musical star.

Charice singing an acoustic version of Billboard hit "Pyramid."

Is there another country where popular music and entertainment are considered such mainstream current events, ice-breaker topics cutting across lines of class and region? In the Philippines, conferences, reunions and celebrations are occasions for participants to break into song or break out an instrument. Filipinos keep up with popular music in the Philippines, United States, the greater Hispanic world and to some extent Southeast Asia. 


Movies are another popular topic. When I was in the Philippines in 2011 during the Oscar awards, of course everyone knew that the little girl in "True Grit" had a Filipina grandmother. I'm glad I read the newspapers sufficiently to know that Filipino-Americans involved behind the camera were also Oscar contenders. 

I don't know if Charice Pempengco, age 20, can yet claim to be the Philippine musician best known outside of her home country. (Although, with her tomboyish new look, she can claim to be the best known Filipino gay musician now.) 

Vegetarian Festival - Best Annual Events Thailand

It's easy to find vegetarian food all over Thailand during these ten days every autumn.

  

Vegetarian Festival 2014 dates: September 23 - October 3.


The yearly vegetarian festival has Chinese origins but all Thais partake of the food and many adopt the spiritual practices.

Food court stands, sidewalk stalls, hotel restaurants and small family restaurants all get into the act. To spot the first two eateries, look for small yellow flags. Bigger places will indicate their vegetarian choices on menus. Every hotel dining room will have a vegetarian offering, if not an entire buffet.

Airlines in Cambodia - Offices, Contacts, Phones

Phnom Penh and Siem Reap office addresses, telephones, contacts for AirAsia, Bangkok Airways,  Cambodia Angkor Air, SilkAir and 12 other airlines operating in Cambodia. 

Updated 20 January 2015!

Below is contact information for airlines with offices in Phnom Penh. It is followed by airline contact information in Siem Reap, the base for the Angkor temples. Specific Cambodia  international and domestic air routes and the airlines that fly them are summarized in this article.

Airlines Serving Cambodia - International and Domestic

An incredible 17 airlines are now flying directly to and from Cambodia but you probably only need to know about Bangkok Airways, cheap airlines AirAsia, Jetstar Asia, Thai Smile and a few others.

Updated March 16, 2016.

Below I have compiled the international air routes to Siem Reap and Phnom Penh and the airlines flying them. This section is followed by the meager offerings in domestic routes served by Cambodia Angkor Air. Then I describe the three (arguably four) types of airlines operating along these routes and how to find the best airfare to Cambodia.

Bangkok's 2 Airports - How to travel between? Which airlines?

Nine scheduled airlines now fly out of Bangkok's old Don Muang Airport while the others continue to use Suvarnabhumi Airport over 40 kilometers away. How to travel between them?

Updated 4 June 2017  AirAsia, Orient Thai's 1-2-3-Go, Kan Air, Malindo Air, Nok Air, Scoot, Lion Air (aka Thai Lion Air), and Thai Smile airlines now fly out of Don Mueang Airport. So do Tiger Airways flights to Taipei.

THAI Smile, Thai Airways' new budget airline, is still in the process of moving all its flights to Don Mueang. So far, that means some domestic flights such as Bangkok-Chiang Mai, Bangkok-Khon Kaen and Bangkok-Phuket are now based at Don Mueang (and flying from Terminal 2 there.)

However: most THAI Smile flights are still based out of Suvarnabhumi, including Bangkok-Chiang Rai and Bangkok-Samui. So are its international flights: flights between Mandalay and Bangkok and between Bangkok and Macau are using Suvarnabhumi. Check with THAI Smile's website or, better yet, a travel agent if you are considering the other THAI Smile routes. (No, it's not your computer; THAI Smile's website must be loaded with huge images. It could churn for hours.) THAI Smile primarily flies domestic routes but also has three international routes: Bangkok-Luang Phrabang, Bangkok-Macau and Bangkok-Mandalay.

In December 2015, a second terminal has opened at Don Mueang. It's the old domestic terminal, Terminal 2,  once again serving all domestic flights from Don Mueang. Taxi drivers will ask which you want,  the shuttle buses (from Suvarnabhumi or the BTS stations) will stop at both, so pay attention! Give yourself time if you're switching between domestic and international AirAsia flights. 

All international flights will continue flying out from Terminal 1. 

Known for decades as Don Muang Airport, Don Mueang was the sole Bangkok airport prior to Suvarnabhumi's opening in 2006. 

Bangkok International Festival of Dance & Music - Best Annual Events Thailand

Orchestras, opera companies and world-class classical and modern dancers perform at this September-October Bangkok festival. The yearly series is unrivaled in the region and probably  in East Asia. A pity so few tourists are aware of it.

Portugal's Quorum Ballet Company to Perform in Bangkok Festival.

.
Usually a classical ballet company from Russia or one of the former Soviet republics performs at the annual fall Bangkok International Festival of Dance and Music. I sometimes complain about the customary performance of The Nutcracker. In 2013, something really different is happening: Nutcracker on Ice!  Also some bits of Cinderella and Swan Lake.The performers were members of various Olympics and national teams, however, so it should be quite jaw-dropping.


Here's the calendar of 2013 performances with a bit more about the performers. No one would call is user friendly, I'm afraid. You need to keep going back to the calendar and start over. 

The above video of Portugal's Quorum Company is a bit misleading because the company will be performing another dance, "Correr o Fado." While there are Youtube videos of it, the quality is poor, so I chose a clip from "The Elements."  

German ballet company Karlsruhe will perform "Giselle." There will also be two operas ("The Barber of Seville" is one) and a concert performed by Russia's unconventional Helikon Opera Company; performances by US jazz pianist, Chick Corea and a triple bill of Dutch jazz musicians with Thailand's own legendary sax player, Mr. Koh; traditional dance by India's Shri Ram Bharataya Kala Kalendr; Ten Tenors from Australia; and Italy's Orchestra Teatro Regio di Parma with two opera singers. There are a few more but clicking around is downright exhausting.

It seems to me that the Bangkok International Festival of Dance & Music used to span six or eight weeks; in 2013, it will run a little over a month, beginning September 13.  About 18-20 performances take by 15-16 ensembles take place. Besides a classical ballet company, there is usually a symphony orchestra, a European opera company or two, an Indian classical dance company, a tango or flamenco company from a Spanish-speaking country and a couple of contemporary dance companies from the United States and Europe. Then each year there are a few oddities that don't fit with the general tone (such as this year's ice skaters and, in the past, the Vienna Choir Boys, Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo, Swedish Jazz Kings).

Hilarious lip syncher Nong Kong - Thai Youtube Star

Nong Kong, the funny lip-synching schoolboy, is back with a medley of Thai pop songs and famous friends.

This kid will make you laugh: Nong Kong lip-synchs Thai pop songs

"Whatever" by the Thai female singer Waii was already a big hit in Thailand in early 2012 but it became much more famous when a young schoolboy did a lip-synching, gesture-mocking version from his bedroom. Nong Kong uploaded it to Youtube in May and within about a month about 3 million people had seen it. The number must be close to 5 million by now. He was soon appearing on talk and variety shows, sang with Waii herself, spawned parodies and you can imagine the rest. 

Rabbit Card - Do Tourists Need It for Bangkok BTS travel?

What is a Rabbit Card? FAQs for new users of  the Bangkok Skytrain.

Relax. You can continue to pay cash in the machines on either the Skytrain or the MRT (subway).  If you don't have proper change, you can still get it from the clerk behind the glass-walled counter.

Updated July 24, 2017 

Nonetheless, this orange stored-value card might be of interest to frequent Bangkok visitors, especially if it someday becomes useful for more BTS (Bangkok Transportation Services) services in addition to the Skytrain. Like the now obsolete stored-value Skytrain passes used by residents, the Rabbit Card is a time-saver since it spares you from queuing at the machines to buy tickets for a single ride or to get change from the cashier.

Zee Avi, Sarawak Singer-Songwriter - Malaysia Youtube Star

Discovered on Youtube and now based in the US, young Malaysian singer-songwriter Zee Avi follows up her first namesake album with Ghostbird.

Malaysian singer Zee Avi live and in casual, medley mood

I'm pushing the limits of news you can use  by introducing Southeast Asian celebrities viewable on Youtube video. I see it as a simple means to strike up a conversation and form a bond with local people. In this case of singer Zee Avi, that would be with her fellow Malaysians, though she's  known to Singaporeans too.

After all, tourists and expats always profess to be interested in local "culture." Usually that translates as "food." But watching a video isn't as demanding as reading a book, right?

The second song on this medley, "Bitter Heart," is probably her best known. It was her first iTunes release as a single and then on her first studio album in 2009, Zee Avi. The medley also provides a good sampling of her sound. Even if the lyrics are about heartbreak or heroin addiction, the sound is light, sprightly, a little bit country-folk, a little bit Tin Pan Alley. Sometimes her voice almost swings. She usually sings in English but occasionally in Malay.

Fair-Trade Craft Sales and Tours in Thailand

At ThaiCraft Association's monthly sales, a large range of crafts are on sale at fair-trade prices.

Are you in looking for hand-made in Thailand handbags, stuffed toys, woven baskets, wooden picture frames or silver jewelry? How about tableware, lamps, bed linen, souvenirs and holiday ornaments?  Bangkokians skip the shops, street stalls and wandering vendors--and bargaining. Instead, they go to the monthly fair-trade craft show. Bonus: handicraft quality is good and the artisans themselves set prices and earn most of the profits. You can meet the makers as well. 

Art and Indie Movies in Bangkok - Lido, Scala and RCA Theaters

Independent movies, art-house films, alternative cinema, foreign-language, non-mainstream, whatever ... such movies are screened regularly at these theaters.

Updated 23 July 2014 The Apex-Lido theaters are the most convenient places to see alternative movies in Bangkok. These two old theaters with a total of four screens are located in movie-mad Siam Square, easily reached from either the Siam Square or Stadium Skytrain stations. There used to be three old theaters; sadly, the Siam Theater went up in flames in the final days of the May 2010 demonstrations.

The Lido theaters are housed in a large building across Rama I Road from the Siam Center. The three theaters here have been carved from what was once a single big theater.

Rainforest World Music Festival - Best Annual Events Malaysia

 Indonesia's Rafli Wa SAJA to headline Rainforest Music Festival 2013

The region's best festival of world music is held for three days every June or July in the Malaysian Borneo state of Sarawak.  Directions, location, costs, hotels.

The annual outdoor Rainforest World Music Festival, held near Kuching, next runs from June 20-22, 2014. So far, no further details of the 2014 festival, stay tuned.

Among 2012's year's leading performers were the percussion band Gema SLDN-SCV  and sape player Maya Green  from Sarawak, Australian aboriginal singers and dancers Nunukul Yuggera, Korean dancers Palsandae and  Indonesia's Rafli Wa SAJA  ensemble ( Rafli, or Rafly, is the singer above)

You can see the full 2012 schedule and download a program here.  The headliners perform at night but there are also workshops during the day. These tend to be more interactive and include both the main acts  and some local musicians. Workshops this year will present stories and songs of Borneo's Bidayuh people, Jamaican singers, Malay gamelan players, Bandari dance and song from southern Iran, Korean folk songs, and a Chinese chamber ensemble.

Best Bangkok Art Galleries - Sathorn Road

H Gallery interior

Three private art galleries and two artsy spaces close to Sathorn and Silom roads are covered in the second chapter of a two-part walking tour.

Updated June 3, 2014. If you have just exited Silom Galleria, whose galleries were described in the first part of the tour, you are now ready for the actual walking portion. (If you want to visit more galleries after this, the three Ardel galleries are covered in a third entry.) Once on Silom Road, turn right, away from the river. You're aiming for the Indian temple and Pan Road.  But after passing a Subway sandwich outlet, you may want to make a little detour on the first lane on your right, Silom Soi 19.