I will be heading home to Bangkok for my summer break on Friday 5th July, and as usual, will be up bright and early on Saturday 6th to visit one of the most popular tourist attractions in Thailand, the legendary Chatuchak open air market, which draws more than 100,000 tourists and locals every Saturday and Sunday to browse, shop, eat, drink , admire exquisite Asian art and antiques, and every other exotic South East Asian knick knack item imaginable at this sprawling mini city of hawkers, vendors and artists.
I love visiting the Asian art and antiques sections, while my wife takes in the sights and smells off the orchid section, which sells some of the most exotic species of orchids and flowers one can ever hope to see and sniff in Asia, while my kids inevitably wander off to see the cute puppies and the tropical fish.
It is during such visits that I fondly recall my time spent managing the operations of one of Bangkok’s largest (700 rooms) hotels back in 2006, from where my Thai speaking wife and I would lead groups of adventurous hotel guests every Sunday, to enjoy what has long been acknowledged as the world’s most exciting local “marketing” experience.
The morning’s activities began with a special early morning complimentary foot massage at the hotel Spa, followed by a Thai style breakfast, at which time I would explain the itinerary and check everyone had suitable light clothing, a water bottle, sufficient cash for the expedition, a cell phone and a camera.
The group then enjoyed a brisk walk to the nearby underground metro station, which quickly transported us in ice cold comfort to Chatuchak for the shopping experience of a lifetime.
Upon arrival at the market, we would split the groups into two packs, and head off to the exotic animals and birds sections, the fish pools brimming with hundreds of varieties of tropical species, the snake and reptile house, the dog kennels, the amazing Thai orchid market, the Asian and Thai antiques section, the local furniture shops, the hundreds of inexpensive clothing and footwear stalls, the old books shops, ceramics, Thai silk, handicrafts stalls, linen, cutlery, perfume, and carpet sellers, finishing up at the young contemporary artists gallery, many of whom I supported over the years by purchasing their works for hotels in Saudi Arabia, and for other hotelier friends around the world looking for large pieces for their lobbies, restaurants and public areas.
Once both groups were eventually reunited, we would then embark upon on an amazing “Thai Culinary Adventure Tour” of the market, stopping off at several off the most famous noodle and curry shops, where many traditional Thai delicacies were sampled by our hungry shoppers.
The Tastes of Thailand Culinary Adventure Tour included a very special Phad Thai, deep fried locusts, ants eggs, BBQ pork and sticky rice, tom yam goong, freshly steamed river prawns with green chilli sauce, and a fiery som tam salad prepared with live drunken baby crabs and the hottest chillies to be found anywhere in Thailand, all washed down with large helpings of ice shavings with syrup, or with sweet lod chong, or with freshly cracked coconut juice, or freshly made rambutan, guava, or jackfruit ice cream. We also insisted that everyone sampled the durian ice cream when the world’s smelliest fruit was in season.
There was no charge for the tours; everyone paid for their own subway tickets, and for their food and refreshments. All that we asked from our groups, which often numbered 20-30, sometimes more, was that everyone stayed together as it is very easy to get lost in the crowds, and that everyone enjoyed what must surely be one of the greatest “marketing” experiences on the planet at Chatuchak Market, where the world meets to go shop and eat every weekend.
How do you go the extra mile to “market” your establishment, please share your creative ideas with your fellow ehoteliers so that we can all learn and earn from each other.
- A Chatuchak market visit is Ranked #2 of 792 things to do in Bangkok by Lonely Planet travelers.
- Bangkok has also beaten London to the number one spot as 2013’s most popular tourist destination and it’s not just because of Thailand’s reputation for spicy food and Buddhist temples: It’s the shopping.
- Thailand’s capital is expected to receive 15.98 million tourists in 2013, compared to London’s 15.96 million and Paris’s 13.92 million, many of whom will head straight to Chatuchak Market.
One of the many Chatuchak market alleys
Freshly steamed river prawns with green chilli dipping sauce, one of my favorite Chatuchak tasty treats, with one pack costing around 3 US dollars.
Chatuchak’s famous Tom Yum Goong (Sensationally spicy river prawn soup)
One of Chatuchak’s famous Thai silk box shops, can you spot the owner?
Colors of Chatuchak
A traditional Thai wai greeting is offered to prospective buyers by these charming Chatuchak ladies.
Crispy fried fish with spicy salad
Spicy noodles with pork
Shaved ice with syrup, delicious after a spicy soup
The kid’s favorite, ice cold Lod chong dessert
About the author
Gordon James Gorman, General Manager Avari Towers (since 2006)
Gordon James Gorman has spent more than 40 years in the international hospitality industry, starting his journey at the Heart of Midlothian Football Club in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1972, not on the soccer field, but in the kitchens of their fine dining restaurant as an apprentice chef, later working his way up to the position of General Manager via stints at leading hotels in Glasgow, London, Paris, Rome, Nairobi, Mombasa, Abuja, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Hua Hin, Bahrain, Riyadh, Seoul and Karachi, with leading international brands that include Rosewood, Intercontinental, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn, Dusit, Accor, Hilton and most recently with Avari International Hotels in Karachi Pakistan, where he has spent the last six years.
He is an active blogger and feature writer for HOTELS magazine, ehotelier and various other Hospitality industry websites, the founder of FBAT, the Food and Beverage Association of Thailand, a much in demand keynote speaker on the subjects of Hospitality Management, Marketing Leadership and Young Entrepreneurship, and is an active supporter of many local charity and community projects in his adopted cities of Karachi and Bangkok.
His first book, entitled Five Years in Pakistan, Tall Tales of Hospitality from the Frontier of Terror, currently in the process of editing and publication, tells the story of how he and his team transformed the iconic Avari Towers, Karachi, which in 2007 was an uncompetitive four stars hotel, into the city’s leading five stars hotel, over the most tumultuous five years period in the nation’s history.
On his office walls at Avari Towers can be seen photographs of Mr Gorman, taken with many famous people, including President Zardari, President George Bush, Nelson Mandela, H.M. the Queen Elizabeth, Pope John, The King of Bahrain, President Moi of Kenya, Tony Blair, David Cameron, and many others to numerous to mention, all illustrating a lifetime of dedicated service which continues to this day in Karachi.
