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As Bangkok night markets go, JJ Green is far from being the most well known. Talat Rot Fai, or the train station market, probably takes that accolade, and even newer and still quieter spots like Siam Gypsy Junction are growing in popularity as they creep onto the radar of ever more visitors and residents.
Oddly enough, JJ Green has something of the vibe of the true original incarnation of Talat Rot Fai, which was stationed nearby in Saphan Khwai (and which was a lot more anarchic than the versions you’ll find today in Srinakarin, Ratchada and Kaset-Nawamin), and the JJ Green market also once upon a time went by the name Siam Gypsy Junction (before that too uprooted elsewhere).
In fact, JJ Green’s relative obscurity from the limelight probably owes most to its far more famous cousin Chatuchak weekend market. This Bangkok stalwart, also known simply as JJ owing to the Thai pronunciation of the full name, figures on the itinerary of practically every visitor to the Thai capital.
So it’s no wonder that the Chatuchak area has become almost exclusively associated in visitors’ mind with the weekend market of epic proportions, and that the newer night market – tucked in beside Suan Chatuchak park, and within walking distance of the Skytrain station at Mo Chit – remains comparatively unknown.
But to dismiss JJ Green completely would be a mistake and, for lovers of Bangkok’s array of eclectic night markets, it’s a spot that’s well worth seeking out. JJ Green is equally suited as a venue for relaxed drinks after work on a Friday evening, or as the sun goes down on a late Sunday afternoon, as it is for hunting down vintage fashion between chowing down on an impressive array of Thai and international food.
Retail therapy
There’s a pleasing focus at JJ Green on the kind of fashion stalls that other night markets have forgotten as they have grown in size and popularity. As well as the more mass-market street fashion pieces that can be found just about everywhere in Bangkok and beyond, plenty of these stalls specialise in one-off pieces, either new or second-hand and often with something of a vintage spin, that make a find here all the more rewarding.
Eating and drinking
There’s an equally good selection of food and drink on offer. Numerous stalls tout the usual Thai market favourites like meat skewers, somtum papaya salad, noodle soups, pad thai, and the odd curry, while international options include Chic Burger, turning out reliable burgers and salads in a wood-and-corrugated iron warehouse-effect setting that’s deserving of the name.
And when it comes to drinks – and let’s face it, Thai night markets in Bangkok are as popular as drinking spots as much as they are for actual shopping – JJ Green doesn’t disappoint either. Plenty of low-key bars turn out the usual cold beers plus the odd cocktail.
But a particular favourite is the Stair By Me that occupies an elevated space with a precarious-looking bridge-like platform structure over a walkway through the market. It’s the ideal spot to go local for the evening, cracking open a bottle of local whisky with a few friends, and ordering in plenty of ice and mixers as you make the most of the setting to watch over the goings-on down below.
JJ Green, Kampaeng Phet 3 Road; Thursday to Sunday, 5pm-midnight (BTS Mo Chit/MRT Kampaeng Phet)
Have you been to JJ Green? Let us know in the comments!
Photos by JJ Green; Chic Burger; Stair by Me.
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