A FRUITY SLICE OF LOCAL THAI LIFE
There are a lot of contenders for the best food market Bangkok crown and Prince Palace Hotel Bangkok is only a 10-minute walk from one of the easiest fruit markets in Bangkok to dive into and enjoy.
Simply cross Luk Luang Road in front of the hotel, and within minutes you’re in a bustling wholesale fruit market in Bangkok that is browser- and tourist-friendly too. Feeling the heat? How about a chilled bag of sweet young coconut milk or freshly squeezed sugar cane juice sucked through a straw?
A vital part of everyday Bangkok life, this colorful fruit market is simply stacked with the local season’s juiciest fruits, and some, like pineapples, that are in-season all year-long, as well as many from neighbouring countries and even further afield.
Located next to and taking its name from one of Bangkok’s famous canals, Mahanak Canal, this top fruit market opens at 1 am every day and doesn’t close until 4 pm or even later in some cases.
It’s worth mentioning that Mahanak Canal was an important waterway for Bangkok people in the past because it connects to the city-wide canal network, including one of the main watery arteries, Saen Saep Canal, along with the Chao Phraya River. On a historical note, the canal was excavated during the reign of King Rama III and stretches as far as Bang Pakong River. In fact, that’s how it became one of the best big markets in Bangkok i.e. as a trading point for agricultural products. These days, most of the transport is by road, however, with a lot of cargo trucks coming in at night.
While it may seem that each vendor in this remarkable food market in Bangkok is selling the same mangos or rambutans, guavas or oranges, and so on, dig a little deeper and you can find some more exotic and uncommon types you may never have encountered before anywhere else.
And check out the rustic straw baskets the pineapples and other goodies are carried in. The design dates back generations and they are strong enough to get re-used over and over for years. All in all, if you’re looking for an earthy experience of local color and have a passion for passionfruit, Mahanak Fruit Market is a must visit.
