Markets in Phuket

Shopping in Phuket is not concentrated in one place. It is spread between huge night markets, one small fashionable market, a market that belongs to the Old Town, and two air-conditioned malls that play an entirely different game.

This guide goes through what there is, explains how each place differs from the others, and ends with a few simple rules that save disappointment. What is not here is opening hours and prices, because they change and we do not publish a number we cannot stand behind.

Three kinds of shopping, not one

It is worth separating three different things before you go out. A night market is mainly food, clothes and souvenirs, and it is an experience that starts when it gets dark. A weekend market is a bigger local event, with more residents and fewer tourists. A mall is air conditioning, brands and a fixed price.

Most travellers try to do all three on the same evening and are done after one. It is better to choose one per evening and leave the rest for the next evening.

Naka Market

On our site, Naka Market is described as the largest and most popular night market in Phuket, with a range of local food, clothes, accessories and souvenirs. This is the market we send people to when they ask "where is the big market".

The practical meaning of size is two requirements: comfortable shoes and patience. You do not scan a market like this in twenty minutes, and the enjoyment is in the walking, not in a shopping list.

Chillva Market

Chillva is the opposite of Naka in size and character. Our description of this market is a modern, fashionable night market popular with young people, combining food stalls, fashion shops and street performances.

This is the place for anyone looking for an evening with atmosphere rather than an evening of shopping. Anyone coming to buy souvenirs for the whole family will find less there, and anyone coming to sit, eat and people-watch will find more.

The Old Town market and the weekend market

Phuket's Old Town is not a beach area. It is the town centre, and its Sino-Portuguese architecture remains from the 19th-century tin-trading era. The Old Town market sits within these streets, and on the site it is described as a colourful market combining shopping, food and culture among the Sino-Portuguese-style buildings.

Next to it there is the weekend market, which we describe as an authentic local market with a large selection of Thai food, fruit, clothes and souvenirs. This is the direction for anyone who wants to see the Phuket of the residents rather than the Phuket of the beach.

When a mall beats a market

The island's two main malls appear on our site by name. Jungceylon is described as the largest and most modern mall in Phuket, with brand shops, restaurants, a supermarket, a cinema and a bowling complex. Central Festival is described as a modern luxury mall with international brands, quality restaurants and an entertainment complex.

There are days when the mall is the right choice and not a compromise: a rainy day, a midday too hot for the beach, children who need a break in air conditioning after a day in the sun, or a purchase that needs to be precise and the right size. At a market you haggle; at a mall you simply buy.

How to shop at a market without being disappointed

A few simple rules work almost every time. Walk the whole row before you buy, because the same item comes up at several stalls at different prices. Carry small cash, because change from 1,000 THB at a small stall is a problem. Ask about the price politely and with a smile, because haggling in Thailand is a conversation and not a confrontation, and whoever raises their voice has already lost.

And as for the food: the only rule you need is a stall with a local queue. High turnover means fresh ingredients, and that is worth more than any online rating.

• Walk the whole row before the first purchase.
• Cash in small notes, and do not rely on a card at a stall.
• Polite haggling, and knowing when to give up and move on.
• Eat where the locals are queuing.
• Check what fits in the suitcase before buying something big.

Where it fits into the route

A market is an evening activity, so it fits in without clashing with a beach day or a trip. After a day on a boat or a day on the beach, an evening at the market is exactly the right pace.

The area where you sleep affects how easy it is to get there. Anyone deciding between the island's accommodation areas will find the comparison on the Phuket destination page, together with the beaches and hotels of each area.

Want us to put it together for you?

Tell us when you plan to fly, with whom, and how much time you have, and we will come back with an itinerary, hotels and attractions that fit exactly that — in Hebrew.