I had been living in Bangkok for three months before a colleague at work suggested I visit the Rot Fai night market. I'm not usually a fan of shopping, so I wasn't particularly enthusiastic. But she insisted, saying it wasn't really about buying things, and that I would understand once I got there. So one Friday evening, I decided to go.
The market was enormous. Hundreds of stalls stretched out in every direction, lit up by strings of coloured lights. Some sold vintage clothing, others had handmade jewellery or old vinyl records. But what caught my attention first was the food. The smell of grilled meat and spices filled the air, and everywhere I looked, people were sitting on plastic chairs, eating and laughing together. I ordered a bowl of noodle soup from a stall run by an elderly woman, and it was one of the best meals I've ever had.
What struck me most, though, was the atmosphere. There were families with young children, groups of teenagers, elderly couples, and tourists all mixed together. A band was playing live music on a small stage near the entrance, and some people were dancing. Nobody seemed to be in a hurry. It was completely different from the shopping centres I was used to back home, where everyone rushes around looking stressed.
I ended up staying for almost four hours, far longer than I had planned. I bought a few small things — a leather notebook and some postcards — but my colleague had been right. The market wasn't really about shopping. It was about experiencing a side of the city that you simply cannot find in tourist guidebooks or modern shopping centres.
Since that evening, I have been back to the night market almost every week. It has become my favourite way to spend a Friday night, and it completely changed my opinion of what a market can be.