One of the best things to do when visiting a country is to see a local market. From a Souk in Arabia to the 2nd hand bookstalls of Paris, it gives an authentic flavour of goods and specialities from the country you visit. However, you don’t have to be a tourist to get the most out of a trip to the market. Unlike other popular Thai tourist destinations such as Phuket and Samui, the markets in Pattaya are not only for visitors but popular with locals and teeming with life, especially in the evenings when it is cooler for shopping. Visit the six we have recommended to get a real flavour of Thai culture and pick up a bargain at the same time.
Thepprasit Road Night Market
The most popular night market in Pattaya has an extensive and ever-growing selection of stalls. There is a reduced offering mid-week but Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evenings from about 6 pm is when you will find most vendors on-site and most visitors. They come to shop for anything from designer-inspired clothes, watches, and sunglasses to Thai-style souvenirs, food, drink, and even live pets.
Thepprasit Road Flea Market
Travelling down Thepprasit road still on the same side, you will find a flea market where most of the items for sale are on rails, makeshift tables, and blankets on the ground. It is well worth looking for extremely cheap 2nd hand items and useful replacement items such as universal remote controls and phone chargers. Wear decent covered footwear as it can get rather dirty and dusty.
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Pattaya Night Bazaar
Like the opposite Central Festival Shopping Mall on Pattaya 2nd Road, the Night Bazaar is open every day and late into the evening. Although there is not much variety and much repetition of the stock on sale, it helps bags, suitcases, and traditional Thai crafts such as hand-made soaps, wooden statues, and silk dressing gowns.
Jomtien Beach Night Market
A lively market that comes to life at sunset. There are chairs and tables at the beachfront end of the market where you can listen to music and sample some of the takeaway produce from the food and drink stalls. Natural fruit smoothies, barbecue pork and chicken, and exceptionally reasonably priced Thai rice dishes are all good here.
Lanpho Nakluea Market
A large market in the North of Pattaya is absolutely the best place for fresh seafood at reasonable prices. Here you will find crabs, shrimps, scallops, clams, lobsters, mussels, and calamari, as well as all types of dried produce as well. Busiest early in the morning when you can buy the freshest catch of the day. Some of the seafood is still alive, and you can even buy it here and ask for it to be prepared and grilled for you.
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Soi Buakhao Market
For bargain-priced clothing, bags, shoes, trainers, sunglasses, jewellery, hair accessories, and makeup Soi Buakhao has a very popular market. An undercover section gets sweltering hot, so you may find it best to dip into this and then visit the outside stalls where you will find small vendors selling potted plants, takeaway food, and drink.
Also of note is the large outdoor market on Pratumnak Soi 6. Often referred to as ‘The Russian market”. However, due to the current lack of tourists (Russian or otherwise), it has been chiefly closed at the time of writing.
