There are department stores, barbershops, and freight bars here — the Train Night Market in Bangkok, Thailand!

Text and photos byPurple Smile

As everyone knows, night markets are an essential part of Taiwanese grassroots culture. Visiting a night market is a common life experience for most of us — almost no one dislikes them. While traveling around Taiwan, we always enjoyed checking out the various local night markets. This time in Thailand, I visited two night markets. One was an artsy, refined night market with air conditioning — which is actually something subtropical Taiwan could learn from. But it was only open for a few days, and I just happened to be there. It left a strong impression. But the Train Night Market I’m introducing today — its sheer scale really opened our eyes. With hundreds of stalls, it offers entertainment, dining, general merchandise, barber services, and even a freight bar. It’s novel, fun, and truly an amazing place to explore.

This night market is amazingly large and well organized, almost like a department store. Each section has its own theme — shoes, clothes, food...

There are tons of snacks here, so make sure to save some room to enjoy the local eats.

A new way of eating in Thailand — just plop down at the table in the night market, then put on those chicken-in-the-hand gloves. The style is super bold. I heard this is also popular in California, USA. I wonder when Taiwan will catch on!!! Haha.

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They’ve made great use of shipping containers here, even adding a second-floor design.

The spacing is quite generous, and the flow is well planned. If not for the heat, walking around would be really comfortable.

There’s actually a real train here — it’s truly a train-themed night market.

At this night market, we also spotted several different classic cars. Their exteriors have been well maintained, all shiny and glossy. Not sure if they’re just for decoration or serve another purpose.

A barbershop with a very American style.

There are also plenty of vintage motorcycles here!! Some of them are Vespa models.

When we were here, there was actually an auction going on. But unlike in Taiwan, you had to pay an entrance fee to get in. We didn’t go in, but we could still feel the lively atmosphere from outside. In the end, we even heard that the highest bid reached over 20,000 Thai baht!!! (There were English and Thai announcements.) That’s several times the salary of an average Thai worker. I have no idea what item went for that price — pretty amazing!!

Side dishes for Thai rice noodle soup!!!

Let’s go, let’s go. When we got near the night market, we saw this highly anticipated bar area.

It’s a long row of bars made from double-decker containers, surrounded by tiny lights, plus lively music — the vibe is just right.

Almost every container is a separate shop. The rugged, unrestrained American style is full-on. If it weren’t for the occasional Thai pop songs, you’d swear you weren’t in Thailand. To borrow a phrase from the mainland, it’s truly a “bar street.”

Oh, I forgot to mention — the weather in Thailand at night is actually still quite hot. So I thought the bars would be empty, but turns out everyone’s upstairs.

Looking down from above, there are hundreds of tents in all kinds of colors. It’s spectacular!!!

This night market is more down-to-earth, so things aren’t expensive — much cheaper than in Taiwan.

The night market is packed with all sorts of stuff. I’m sure night market lovers will find it hard to leave.

Even the small stalls are set up quite nicely.

Another classic old car!! It may look bulky, but the lines and shape are actually pretty stylish.

If you come at the right time, there’s live band music.

Yet another classic old car.

I heard this type of sneaker is all the rage in Thailand right now.

There are also young people running street stalls here, probably selling second-hand goods. For anyone who enjoys a bit of DIY and treasure hunting, it’s actually a lot of fun here. You might just end up buying things non-stop.

The Thai train container night market is really so much fun!!! I heard there’s a group behind it that plans and manages it!! But overall, the quality presented is pretty good. The night market here features more everyday, affordable items—not overly refined but very accessible. One thing our guide kept reminding us about beforehand was that you can find some wooden carvings here for just a few dozen baht—super cheap~~ But we were probably too tired from walking and actually forgot to go look for them. What a pity. Friends who visit this place, make sure to check those out!

Thai Train Container Night Market
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Address: Kaset-Nawamin Rd., Buengkum Bangkok, Thailand
Operating Hours: Thursday ~ Sunday / 17:00 ~ 01:00

We are Ben&Jean—we love food, travel, photography, and 3C.
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