Summary: Pahurat Market (Little India) and China Town, together create a wild sensory experience. These bustling markets will take you out of your comfort zone if you do not like crowds. Even so, this one-of-a-kind experience is unforgettable. Enjoy the exotic street food and endless shopping stalls as streams of people make their way through these markets.
Pahurat Market is often referred to as "Little India." It is a market in and about Phahurat Road in Bangkok. Filled with wall to wall textiles, this area has more than you could ever possibly need and all at really inexpensive prices. We found the options overwhelming and did not end up purchasing anything, but if you have the patience and drive for such a thing, you will not be disappointed. For us, it just made for great people watching and window shopping.
China Town. Bangkok's China Town was established in the 18th century and is one of the largest in the world. Like Little India, we were overwhelmed with the shopping choices and again opted to window shop and take in the sights. Also, had we not just arrived in the City, and therefore not quite ready to jump into exotic street food, we would have ate our way through China Town. If you go onto YouTube, you can watch plenty of videos of those that tried everything under the sun. Like the shops, the food vendors still made for great entertainment as you watch them expertly make their dish.
For both markets, be prepared to be packed in tight with people. The area was swimming with locals and tourists alike. Bangkok's humidity also makes for a warm experience as you make your way through the streets. There are some air conditioned mini-malls with indoor vendor stalls, including sections of local artists displaying their art work, as well as an indoor food mall with vendors similarly displaying their culinary skills.
Apart from our unsettled travelers stomachs, these markets ended up being a great first stop when we arrived in Bangkok. We knew we were going to experience something completely outside of our ordinary travels when we came to Bangkok and without wasting any time, we jumped right in by exploring these bustling markets.