Photos by MJ Klein
Khonkaen has a market that is not visible from any street. If you don’t know where this market is, you may never end up visiting it.
The Hidden Market is found between blocks, in an area between the buildings. I had been to Khonkaen a dozen times before I stumbled across it.
We walked down the street until we found a place to cut over into the market. In this photo we’re walking South.
[2]
This is a shot of a side street (facing West) but the market isn’t visible just yet.
[3]
[4]
[5]
We passed by a few clothing sellers and are getting close.
[6]
We’re almost there!
[7]
What’s this? A show of some sort….
[8]
We turned to the right and into this building. This shot was taken from the reverse angle and shows where we just came from. This is the beginning of a huge indoor market area.
[9]
So we turned right off the street and went into that big building where the show was going on. Then we took a left and started walking South again, but this time, inside the building and not outside on the street.
[10]
This part of the market has tons of clothing sellers.
[11]
[12]
We’re heading for the light up ahead….
[13]
Finally we find our way out of that area and behold, there is the Hidden Market!
[14]
This part of the market is actually outdoors but it’s completely covered with umbrellas.
[15]
[16]
The umbrella cover is so complete that it sometimes is dark even though the sun is out.
[17]
This entire market takes place in an area that would normally be a road. But the road isn’t there.
[18]
The variety of products for sale is unbelievable.
[19]
[20]
This is a side street on the Hidden Market. This shot faces West.
[21]
This shot faces East from the same place.
[22]
We’re going to continue to walk South through the market.
[23]
Everything is very fresh.
[24]
Unlike some markets we’ve visited, the meats are excellent quality and very fresh.
[25]
[26]
Naturally, this being Thailand, there are lots of spices!
[27]
These steamed fish are a local delicacy and only 25 baht.
[28]
[29]
Now, this is where the market changes character. Not only are there more household goods at this stage, the market is now inside a building. So if you had a hard time finding the umbrellaed area, you probably wouldn’t be able to find this section at all.
[30]
There are food items along this section too, but they are in the center of the aisle, whereas the household goods appear to be along the side.
[31]
[32]
How do you like your bees? Thais are huge fans of cooked insects.
[33]
Bread products.
[34]
Good old-fashioned pork rinds!
[35]
[36]
[37]
[38]
Just about anything you could want.
[39]
[40]
Nearing the end of this incredible market, we find a small temple.
[41]
Taking a left at the temple and working our way back out to the main street, I stopped to turn around to photograph a man carrying huge blocks of ice.
[42]
This is how you get out of the Hidden Market and back on the main street.
[43]
This is the last food seller on that street. Nice pig heads for sale!
We hope you enjoyed reading about the Hidden Market. Of course, this market is well known and shopped by the local people. But not everyone who visits Khonkaen finds out about this treasure. We’re glad to bring you the story about it. Thanks for reading!
We welcome your comments. Please give us a rating too!
Comments Disabled To "The Hidden Market"
#1 Comment By Brunty On May 19, 2009 @ 21:19
You have got to love Thailand. I cannot understand the amount of shops at these markets that sell identical things.
Stall after stall at some markets selling the same clothes, toys and so forth. One stall goes and another replaces it.
How they make money often stumps me. Thanks for sharing MJ.
#2 Comment By thenhbushman On May 19, 2009 @ 21:44
Brunty, you know i think the very same thing. it happens with shops and it happens with stalls in the market. that’s why there are places like “the camera street” or “the electronics street” – concentrations of shops selling the same stuff. people tend to copy and when they see one person making money, they open up another store (nearly all the time without any kind of a feasibility study) and pretty soon the market is saturated and no one makes money. the rich owners survive and it thins out again…. i always wonder at the markets too, because they have so many people selling the same stuff and they are working on a shoestring budget. it must be true that each place has it’s own customers, as was explained to me by the owner of a Chinese restaurant in the States. he said that people will go to “their” restaurant and even if they try a new one once in awhile, they always go back to their favorite place. he said that he never worries about another restaurant opening up nearby because he has “his” customers and they are loyal.
thanks Brunty.
#3 Comment By andre On May 21, 2009 @ 10:11
very cool. interesting to see. for the most part, looks like most of taiwan’s day markets.
[44]
#4 Comment By thenhbushman On May 21, 2009 @ 11:00
andre, yes it does but unlike, say, Hukou’s day market, this one is situated in the middle of the block and very difficult to see. that’s why i like it. thanks.
#5 Pingback By Khonkaen Thailand Et Al | We Blog The World On September 13, 2010 @ 14:38
[…] Cannon went with us downtown, because he heard of the hidden market and wanted to check it out with us. We’re walking to where it begins (after going to an Issan […]