Talaad Thai-Rot

Talaad Thai-Rot market is one of the most overlooked tourist sites in Phuket. Where else can you try some of the best local food, meet a huge range of the local population, and get some great deals on just about anything that can be carried in on a pickup?

This weekend market or “meeting market”, talaad nut in Thai, runs the whole weekend from roughly 6:00 in the evening until 10:00 at night. It brings huge crowds who come for the food, great deals on clothes, pets, music, and knickknacks, and often stay for drinks, a football game on a nearby big screen TV, or the live performances.

The food section of the market is on the western edge and has three rows of all your favorite stall food including: fried chicken, fruit shakes, local deserts, Chinese noodles, Thai soups, and the latest fad, spiral fried potatoes on a stick and dipped in cheese or garlic flavorings. There is  such a selection of food that no one will walk away hungry. A particularly interesting site for tourists is the production of the local sugar cane drink as the canes are squeezed through the press and the juices collected and bottled on site.
Another wonderful things about the market is the cross section of people that visit it. From office workers still in their work uniforms, to university students, children, and blue collar (or no collar) workers, it seems that everyone is walking around looking for deals.

And the deals are worth walking around for: a pair of imitation crocs for 199 Baht, T-shirts for 150, CDs for 60, and purses for 100. There is also a great selection of secondhand merchandise, wigs, some nice leather goods, and even a bunch of pet stores. Everything is on deep, deep discount.

Meeting such a range of people often means that you can make a few new friends, which is tough to do if you don’t like the bars and the only other girls you meet are at the office. Thai people are so friendly that often a big smile is all the introduction you need.

Make an effort at asking for a discount too. Most of the prices can be negotiated down a bit. However, the posted prices aren’t tourist prices, so don’t look for a 50% discount. Merchants will usually come down around 10% or so on normally priced goods, though. After all, everything they don’t sell by Sunday night has to be packed back into the truck and hauled away.

The easiest way to get to the market is to head along route 4022 going south. Turn left onto Wirat Hong Yok, the first light after the intersection with 4020 next to Central Department Store. The market will be visible immediately on the right. Parking can be a bit difficult, especially on Sunday.