7 Best Night Markets in Phuket

Night markets in Phuket are always fun, from the new Chillva Market to the giant Naka Weekend Market or the Sunday Walking Market in Phuket Town, almost everyone loves to browse the incredible array of things you don’t actually need. Phuket night markets are intense, colorful, surprising, fascinating, puzzling, smelly, messy, labyrinthine or overwhelming. But night markets all have one thing in common, they offer a unique glance of the daily life of Thai people, rich, poor or just like you and me.

1 Chillva Market Phuket

Chillva Market Phuket is the latest and definitely the best young night market on the island… Everyone loves those night markets and Thai teenagers more than everyone else, especially this new trend of making use of old containers! Every town in Thailand seem to have a surprising amount of those weekend or night chill-out places and they are always packed. (Note that this Chillva Market is not to be mistaken with the new Phuket Floating Market in Kathu few kilometre away which is a big bigger but mostly deserted.)… (read more)

2 Phuket Sunday Street Market

3 Phuket Weekend Market (Naka Market)

Phuket Weekend Market (Naka Market) is the name given by tourists to this overgrown Phuket town night bazaar, while Thai call it ‘Talad Tairod’, which literally means ‘Car Boot Sale’. ‘Naka Market’ seems to be the most popular name lately. ‘Phuket Chatuchak’ is also used, by reference to the giant week-end market in Bangkok. So many names for one single market! (read more)

4 Phuket Indy Market

A fun, young and creative little corner in Phuket Town, the Phuket Indy Market is a small lane off Dibuk Road, just next to the well-known ‘Lemongrass Restaurant’, where youngsters display they creations to the public. I must admit I didn’t know about it until this day. (read more)

5 Malin Plaza Patong

Malin Plaza is a relatively new night market at the southern end of Patong Beach that succeeded where other night markets failed because Malin Plaza kept in mind that food is the magnet that makes people come at the first place. It applies to shopping malls just as well. Read more

6 Karon Temple Market

7 Phuket Floating Market

Phuket Floating Market is Phuket’s attempt to recreate what became a huge success in Pattaya, but after few months it appeared that it takes more than “If you build it, they will come” to succeed. The original idea seemed to be right as the words ‘Floating Market’ appear to be irresistible to travellers and locals alike, even though in most cases the ‘floating’ part of such markets only consists of a dozen boats. In the case of the Phuket Floating Market it is even less. (read more)

Map of Phuket Night Markets and Weekend Markets