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Markets 

 

Throughout Southeast Asia, fresh ingredients are essential for lovers of local food. Thailand is no exception. People are used to buying their ingredients from local markets. 

In Bangkok, there are markets on every street corner and at any time of the day or night. There is even a floating market which we however did not visit for fear of being disappointed by the comparison with the floating markets of the Mekong delta in Vietnam which seem to have better kept their authentic character and have not sacrificed their souls to the needs of tourism. Perhaps we were wrong, but it was also the power of the engines of the longtail boats on the Chao Phraya (large river that crosses Bangkok) compared to that much more modest of the Mekong delta that held us back... 

 

Bangkok is a city where you could spend weeks without having visited all these local markets which sell everything, but mainly fruits and vegetables. You can also find all kinds of meat, fish and seafood there. But we only stayed there for two days, Bangkok being only a stopover on our trip, the final goal of which was Laos. 

 

Bangkok's flower market is very famous, but here again we felt a little disappointed. This large market struggles to compete with the flower markets that we had the opportunity to visit in India for example. Virtually all the flowers are wrapped in plastic, which is a bit disturbing in this period of awareness of the ecological disaster that this material can cause. This does not detract from the dexterity of the florists who compose magnificent floral pieces and flower necklaces often intended for temples. 

 

Chinatown 

 

Chinatown is a must if you want to see the heart of Bangkok. A very lively district with its many merchants, Bangkok's Chinatown is one of the oldest in the world. Founded during the construction of the city in 1782 to accommodate the immigrant Teochew population which would quickly grow to become the majority ethnic group of the city. 

At the time of its founding, Chinatown was a wild space outside the city walls, but it would quickly grow to become Bangkok's main commercial center during the 19th and 20th centuries. However, nowadays with the displacement of economic activity, Chinatown has lost its importance. The district is becoming a showcase of Chinese (mainly gastronomic) culture. 

 

 

street food 

 

In this film, also images of street food which is so popular with locals and which many tourists wonder what is on their plate or bowl. 

The food that can be bought in the street is very varied and ranges from skewers of meat, fish or seafood to insects, excellent soups and many fritters of all kinds.

Spoken comments in the film: 

The city of Bangkok is famous for its markets and street food vendors. In addition to the many neighborhood markets which are often nocturnal, there is the large flower market and also the floating market, which we did not have the opportunity to visit. We didn't stay long enough to explore them all, but here's a little insight into this important commercial activity in this great city.

 

Chinatown, founded at the same time as the city of Bangkok in 1792, was for the past two centuries the main commercial center of the city. However recent developments in the city have shifted economic activities elsewhere, reducing Chinatown to a showcase of Chinese culture, primarily gastronomic culture.