There is a perfectly normal street across from the hotel that becomes a rocking marketplace at night. Table after table of booths fill an entire city block, with small spaces between for people to weave their way through. Street vendors sell food on the outer rim of the market area, and the combination of food and people that is created is definitely an urban smell.
At the market you can find a wide range of products. However, the majority of booths focus on watches, jewelry, sunglasses, soccer jerseys, or clothing. The intellectual property laws in Thailand are being focused on, as we learned at the Foreign Ministry. At the market you can still find a wide range of look-alike objects, some of them really well done and others not. It is definitely part of the Thai street market experience.
I asked a few of our Fulbright Thailand Thai friends about the prices at the market and how to bargain, and I was surprised at how low they said to offer, which was between half and a third of the first price. For example, I wanted to buy a pair of “Ray Ban” sunglasses, and I was told they cost 850 Baht (30 Baht in 1 US dollar, so this would be about $28). I offered 250 Baht instead ($8.33), he countered with 500 Baht ($15.00), and I said no. Then, we agreed on 350 Baht ($11.66)-which is a pretty good deal.
At times the market can be a little overwhelming, but for the most part it is a fun experience and the vendors are simultaneously light-hearted and ruthless, which makes the negotiating fun. I can’t help but think that my dad would like the market-the deals, the “brand” names, and the people-he would find the whole experience interesting and fun.
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