Where there are people, there will always be food! Exploring the city’s food districts is one of the most popular things to do in Bangkok at night. In the city where business runs round the clock, we will never run out of night food markets to discover. Here’s our list of 5 local crowd’s favorite places to have dinners and suppers – a mix of new and old, hipster and old-school, popular and underrated. They are loved for great food, good vibes, conveniently and easily accessed locations.
These places are fairly easy to visit by yourself. But to get a deeper experience, you want to be guided by a local person who knows what to eat, where to eat them, and can explain to you the secrets of the dishes you eat. Check out our night food market tours here.
What else to do in Bangkok at night? Get some ideas here:
3 Best Tuk Tuk Night Tours in Bangkok
7 Alternative Bars to Meet Cool Bangkokians
Best Restaurants in Sukhumvit, Bangkok (for Budget & Fine Diners)
1. Talad Rodfai Ratchada – the most popular night food market in Bangkok
Though the place is called Train Market but no trains or railway is in sight. It has been relocated from the original location which was next to a railway. This festive night bazaar is packed with stalls selling street food snacks, handmade curios, knickknacks, and clothes. The rows of stalls are surrounded by finger-food restaurants, shipping container bars, and VW Van bars on all sides. Browse through the stalls and grab delicious seafood, jumbo-size noodle (for 4-5 people to share), fried insects, cute bakeries, fried cheese, traditional Thai desserts, and many more. The bars, hipster and vintage, pump out Thai and western pop songs. Choose any rooftop bars where you can have a bird-eye view of the colorful stalls while sipping cold drinks.
OUR DELICIOUS PICKS AT THIS NIGHT FOOD MARKET:
- Jumbo-sized noodle (Facebook: bamijompalung)
- Watermelon on ice (Facebook: umtangmo)
- Holy Cheese (Facebook: holycheesebkk)
WHEN: The market is open every day from 6pm to late night. It’s slow on Monday and Tuesday.
WHERE: MRT Thailand Cultural Center Station, Exit 3. The market is pretty easy to explore on your own. This market is the final stop on our Motorbike Food Adventure & Amazing Night Market tour, where we explore the market, eat delicious seafood, and drink at a rooftop bar with a lovely view.
2. Asiatique the Riverfront – a night food market on Chao Phraya river
The eye-catching design of this open-air market-style shopping mall resonates to the history of the land it sits on which was once owned by the Dutch Asiatic Company. Asiatique offers a riverside night food market/spot with a great view. Featuring the ferris wheel which can be spotted from far away, the tidy and well-sectioned market houses boutiques mostly by Thai designers, handmade souvenirs, bars and restaurants, and even shows popular for tourists, like Joe Louis Puppet Theatre and Calypso Cabaret. Most of the eateries are along the riverside boardwalk where the landscaping of warehouse, old tram, rickshaw, old telephone booth is a plenty of photo opportunities.
OUR DELICIOUS PICKS AT THIS NIGHT FOOD MARKET:
- Salmon Salad with Spicy Seafood Dip at ‘Happy Fish’
- Flann’s Truffle Butter Beef Burger and Beef & Guinness Pie at ‘Flann O’Brien’s Irish Pub’
- Shrimp Tempura with Fruits Cream Salad & Tobiko Topping at Checkmate Bar & Bistro
WHEN: 5pm to midnight every day
WHERE: Catch an Asiatique ferry leaving every 10 – 15 minutes from Sathurn Pier, accessed by Saphan Taksin BTS, Exit 2.
3. Talad Huay Kwang Night Food Market – cheap & easy-going street food
This old-school Thai market is stalls and shoppings lining up both sides of Prachasongkro Road. On the first look, you see toy shops, nail salons, gadget and smartphone vendors, clothes and fashion of Thai interest. On the second look on the main road and into its side lanes, you’ll see bug carts, Northeastern Thai salads, noodles, Southern Thai curries, grilled fish, seafood, meatballs, and a lot of other dishes you cannot make out of. This is an authentic market and doesn’t cater to foreign tourists so you may be the only foreigners here. You may also find it a bit hard to know what each restaurant serves as there are no signs in English. We help you navigate the market in this tour.
On the corner where the road meet Ratchada, the bigger road that leads to Sukhumvit, there is a shrine of Ganesh, a Hindu god, who the local pray to ask for blesses and that their wishes come true. The shrine is also a ground for fortune tellers. The presence of incenses, golden god and goddess statues draped with colorful flower garlands is accounted for the local’s strong faith and belief.
OUR DELICIOUS PICKS AT THIS NIGHT FOOD MARKET:
- Northeast Thai dishes at Moom Aroi (Facebook: มุมอร่อย 21 ห้วยขวาง)
- Seafood at Jae Tim’s (Facebook: เจ๊ติ๋มซีฟู๊ดห้วยขวาง)
- Stewed pork leg on rice at Sirichai’s
WHEN: around 6pm to late night
WHERE: Huay Kwang MRT Station, Exit 3. Turn left at the ground level and walk along Ratchadaphisek Road for 50 meters.
4. Talad Neon – a hipster Bangkok’s downtown night food market
The newest night market in town, Talad Neon is similar to Talad Rodfai and some other predecessors but several of its restaurants and food stalls definitely stand out as more experimental. You would want to try everything so come with an empty stomach. Cheese lovers will be thrilled with several stalls offering cheese snacks. ‘Lava Style Talay Cheese’ serves grilled seafood with cheese. ‘Friend Cheese’ serves irresistible fries covered and dipping with cheese. ‘Tuk Tuk Cup’ is housed in a shipping container and brings food presentation of Thai dishes to another level. Their mango and sticky rice comes in sushi bites. Their combo set serves the food on top of your drink (of course, they are separated by a plastic cover) Bars compete to grab your attention too. Nitrogen cocktails have arrived at the market, same as shimmering mocktails in vials that look like potion.
OUR DELICIOUS PICKS AT THIS NIGHT FOOD MARKET:
- Grilled seafood with cheese at Lava Style Talay Cheese
- A variety of fusion Thai dishes at Tuk Tuk Cup
- Pork Bone Soup at Code Leng (Facebook: kodleng)
WHEN: 4pm to midnight every day
WHERE: on Phetchaburi road, between soi 23 and 29, close to Platinum Shopping Mall.
5. Coco Walk Ratchathewi – night food market, bars, & more
This night food spot was much more popular until the recent trendy night markets around Bangkok have taken its place (a sign is the sorry-looking fountain without water at the entrance) Yet, it’s one of the most convenient dining and hangout spots to unwind after work for many as it’s right in the heart of Bangkok. Restaurants are in the beginning of the alley while pubs and bars are in the back. All places have an easy going vibe and conservations flow between tables pretty easily. ‘Skate Cafe’ is a place where you can watch skateboarders doing their jumps and flips on a ramp.
OUR DELICIOUS PICKS @ THIS NIGHT FOOD MARKET:
- Northeastern Thai hot pot restaurant on our Motorbike Food Adventure & Amazing Night Market tour
- Skate Cafe & Bar Restaurant
- The Korean Shabu Shabu
WHEN: around 6pm to 2am
WHERE: Ratchathewi BTS, Exit 2
