Is it Chatuchak, or Jatujak? The Weekend Market? JJ? It’s all of those; it just depends on which sign you’re reading, or whom you’re talking to. Whatever its name, the market is a colossal, fun, and chaotic destination. JJ also lends new meaning to the term “hot and crowded,” and this sprawling mammoth of stalls sells just about everything under...

Chain store Daiso specializes in cheap wares made in China for the Japanese shopper. Branches can be found throughout the world, and there are over thirty in Bangkok. They have everything your household does or doesn’t need, all for sixty baht per item. It’s hard to resist a face and foot massager to improve circulation, or tatami mats, or blue and white ceramic...

Watches for 50 baht, rhinestone frame glasses for 80 baht, a shop that deals in ribbons, leopard print baseball caps, pink terrycloth hot pads… cheap, gaudy costume jewelry by the boatload… no one really needs any of it. But come here on the weekend and you will be squashed by the mobs. Pity the poor men with hand trucks loaded...

Four major streets meet at Victory Monument but it feels more like fourteen. This is a major hub for travelers, with dozens of bus lines that stop here, minivans departing for the outskirts and other towns, and a BTS skytrain station. The circle of little streets and sidewalks around the Monument are busy with stalls selling food – everything from...

Yaowarat Road is the heart of Chinatown in Bangkok and a must-see for anyone who wants to immerse him or herself in Chinese culture. It’s bustling all the time. The street is lined with traditional Chinese pharmacies that sell herbal and medicinal remedies, gold shops, and dim sum parlors. There are some good hotels here, including Shanghai Mansion, which used...