Shopping

Best Phuket Markets For Shoppers & Foodies

by Mama Loves Phuket

Are you looking for a taste of local culture and some unique shopping experiences in Phuket?

The island is home to a variety of bustling markets where you can find everything from fresh produce and delicious street food to handcrafted souvenirs and trendy fashion. And yes, rip-off football kids and designer gear, albeit the former is now far more prominent.

Whether you’re hunting for a special memento or want to soak up the lively atmosphere, Phuket’s markets offer something for everyone. Join us as we explore the best spots to shop, eat, and enjoy the vibrant market scene in Phuket.

Find Your Closest Market in Phuket!

Bangtao Night Market

  • Srisoonthorn Rd, Tambon Choeng Thale, Chang Thalang
  • Monday 4:00 pm to 9:00 pm and Thursday 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm

The Bangtao Night Market is located in the Bangtao Beach area on the west coast of Phuket Island. The market is situated on the side of the main road (past Lotus), just a short walk from Bangtao Beach (not to be confused with the Friday Boat Avenue Market, closer to Laguna).

The open-air market is open every Monday and Thursday from late afternoon and is mostly a food market. With a strong Muslim influence in the area, there are plentiful Halal options. Though it’s not the largest and most atmospheric of Phuket’s markets, it’s a great place to enjoy an evening out, a cheap feed, and experience more of the local culture near Bangtao Beach away from the resorts.

Banzaan Fresh Market

food market in patong banzaan night bazaar

With over 200 stalls, this covered, open-air market in Patong is your place to come for affordable, fresh local food. It operates a morning and an evening market daily.

Breakfast includes dim sum, tea, coffee, rice noodles, chicken rice, red pork rice, and authentic Phuket local food. At the night market, you can find a seafood zone, street food, drinks and desserts, roti-tea, smoothies, and ice cream as well as a flower market section.

If the food prices in Jungceylon Mall in Patong feel too much, just head one street back you’ll find Banzaan Fresh Market for an affordable bite.

Boat Avenue Market (Friday Fun Market)

  • Boat Avenue, Choeng Thale, Chang Thalang District
  • Fridays 4:00 pm to 9:00 pm

Not to be mistaken for the Bang Tao Market mentioned above, the Boat Avenue Friday Market is a modern and upscale open-air market located in the Cherngtalay area of Phuket Island. The market is situated off Boat Avenue (along Pasak-Koktanod Road), a popular shopping and dining area adjacent to the international food supermarket Villa Market.

The market offers a variety of products, including local handicrafts, clothing, accessories, souvenirs, and a range of food and beverage options. It serves a mix of Thai and international food, live music and street entertainment. There’s a great community feel here, both local and expat.

Chillva Market Phuket

  • 141/2 Yaowarat Rd, Tambon Ratsada, Amphoe Mueang Phuket District
  • The market is open Monday to Saturday from 5:00 pm to 11:00 pm (closed Sundays)
  • Learn more here

The Chillva Market Phuket is located in Phuket Town, about 2.5 kilometres east of the Central Festival Phuket shopping mall.

This is a popular spot for shopping, dining, and entertainment, with local talent acts and live performances on stage. The market has a unique and modern design, with colourful recycled shipping containers used as shops and food stalls. It offers a variety of local food, drinks, clothing, and handmade crafts – more genuine articles than you’ll find at other markets, and very much geared to a local audience over tourists.

If you’re up for thrilling your taste buds or trying something new, you’ll find fried insects among many other delicacies here! If that’s not to your tastes, seek out the Gelato Corner with the kids and sit back with the live entertainment.

It’s mostly open air so great in the dry season snd sunny days, not so buy on rainy nights!

Kamala Market

  • Kamala Beach, Tambon Kamala, Amphoe Kathu, Chang Wat (opposite Fantasea)
  • Monday and Friday from 3.00 pm to 7:30 pm

This local market, held twice weekly, offers reasonably priced local food items. It also offers a small selection of clothing, souvenirs, and paraphernalia. Seating is limited, and the area is only partially covered in the rainy season, so it can be a bit wet underfoot.

strolling through kamala market on a wet evening

Kamala Farmers Market

  • 35 Kammala – Patong Rd, Tambon Kamala, Amphoe Kathu, Chang Wat (Opposite Big C)
  • Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday 5:00 pm to 11:00 pm (TBC)

A separate, smaller farmers market runs in Kamala three times a week (TBC, every time we check, we get different info!). Packed full of fresh fruit and vegetables, this is more the sort of market you’d come to for stocking the fridge and pantry if you’re staying in Phuket for a while with your cooking facilities.

kamala farmers market fresh vegetables

Karon Temple Market

  • Patak Road, Tambon Karon, Amphoe Mueang Phuket, Chang Wat Phuket 83100, Thailand
  • Tuesday and Friday 12:00 pm to 10:00 pm

The Karon Temple Market, also known as the Wat Suwan Khiri Khet Market, is located in the heart of Karon Beach, a popular tourist destination on the west coast of Phuket. The market is situated next to the Karon Temple (Wat Suwan Khiri Khet) on Patak Road, about 500m from the beach.

It offers a mix of Thai and international food and local handicrafts and souvenirs. It’s a great place to experience the local culture and enjoy an evening out in Karon Beach.

(NB a fire in July 2024 caused substantial damage, we’re unsure how much of the market is presently open)

Kata Night Market

The Kata Night Market and Kata Walking Street are located just back from Kata Beach, a popular tourist destination on the west coast of Phuket. As the name might suggest, Walking Street consists of pedestrianised roads through the back streets, leading to the larger, original Kata Night Market behind.

The Kata Walking Street Market is very much focused on food, with ample seating and a great ambience. As you wander deeper back through the market, you notice that there’s a mixture of your usual suspects offering Thai souvenirs and clothing.

It’s a busy and bustling place to be on an evening after your day at the beach, and it’s definitely worth seeking out for a night even if you’re staying elsewhere on the island.

Kata Beach Day Market

  • Soi Pakbang, Karon, Mueang Phuket District
  • Friday to Sunday 9:00 am to 5:00 pm

Stretching along the road adjacent to Kata Beach, this is more of a collection of stalls than a formal market, but nonetheless, it’s worth checking off your list as there aren’t many that operate throughout the day. You’ll find a decent selection of street food on sale at reasonable prices for hungry beach-goers.

kata beach day market

Otop Market

One of Patong’s original markets is still operational today, albeit it is quite scaled back from what it used to be some decades ago. It’s known for its selection of beach hut-style bars, playing Aussie sports and football games, and an array of clothing stores, tailors, tattoo shops and souvenirs.

otop market in patong early evening

It’s probably best known as your place to grab fakes, but even these stalls are dwindling in number, being replaced by far more appealing food stalls, ambient lighting and live entertainment.

Malin Plaza

Found at the south end of Patong, Malin Plaza has really replaced Otop as the top market night spot in Patong. There’s a big foodie focus catering to both local and international tastes. If you’re after a budget night in Patong, this is your place with dinner sorted and a decent smattering of souvenirs, clothing items and knick-knacks for you to remember your trip to Phuket.

Naka Market (Phuket Weekend Market)

The Phuket Weekend Market, also known as Naka Market or Talad Tairod, is located in Phuket Town, about 2 kilometres north of the Central Festival Phuket shopping mall.

naka market in phuket, entrance at night

There’s really a little of everything and anything. At the market, you can find a wide range of goods, including local food, clothing, accessories, souvenirs, and more. It’s a popular spot among locals and tourists alike. Most of the market is covered (but no AC!- take a hand fan) with some outdoor seating areas.

Fashion and clothing stalls are abundant, as are souvenir and craft stalls. There’s also a decent selection of food from satay to grilled seafood, banana pancakes and millions of smoothie combinations!

Note that the Naka Food Center is open every day (7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.) but has way fewer stalls than the weekend version, which we’d argue is Phuket’s largest market.

Phuket Old Town Sunday Market

  • Thalang Road, Tambon Talat Yai, Mueang Phuket District,
  • Sundays 4:00 pm to 11:00 pm

Arguably the island’s best night market, The Phuket Old Town Sunday Market (also known as the Sunday Walking Street Market, the Thalang Road Night Market, or Lard Yai Market), is located in the historic Old Town area of Phuket. The market is situated on Thalang Road, which is closed to traffic on Sunday evenings to make way for the market.

phuket old town market

It offers a variety of food, drinks, clothing, accessories, and souvenirs, including Thai and international food. The market has a charming and nostalgic atmosphere, with many old Sino-Portuguese shophouses serving as the backdrop for the stalls and activities.

It’s a great place to soak up the local culture and enjoy an evening out in Phuket Town. We’d warn you that it can get very busy and crowded; think twice before attempting to take a stroller with you; there’s really no space.

There are limited spots to sit in the heart of the action so we suggest grabbing your bites and then sitting near the Golden Dragon Statue (72nd Anniversary Queen Sirkit Park), the market has spilled to this end of Thalang Road, too.

Phuket Indy Market

The Phuket Indy Market, also known as the Phuket Indy Night Market or Limelight Avenue Phuket, is located in the heart of Phuket Town. The market is situated on Dibuk Road, just a street up from Thalang Rd, which is closed to traffic on market evenings.

If you’re sick of the rip of fake clothes and other such trinkets, then this is the place to come for some more authentic homegrown goodness; think shoes and clothing, fashion accessories, as well as a wide array of snacks and drinks you can enjoy with live entertainment.

It has a more chilled-out atmosphere than other markets, quite popular with the local, younger crowd, or those wanting a change from the big bustling markets.

Rawai Fish Market

  • Wiset Rd, Rawai, Mueang Phuket District
  • Daily 9:00 am to 9:00 pm

The Rawai Fish Market is located in the Rawai Beach area on the southern tip of Phuket Island. It is open daily from early morning to evening and offers a variety of fresh seafood and fish caught by local fishermen.

You can find a wide selection of seafood, such as fish, crabs, shrimps, lobsters, and more, at reasonable prices (though long-time expats report that prices are rising considerably, it’s no longer a hidden gem!)

Regardless, it’s a great place to buy fresh seafood and have it cooked at one of the nearby restaurants or take it home to cook yourself.

Wansao Market

  • 2 Srisoonthorn Rd, Tambon Si Sunthon, Amphoe Thalang
  • Once monthly, last Saturday from 3:00 pm
  • Learn more and find the next scheduled event here

This once-a-month market at Blue Tree Village offers great entertainment along with food trucks, market stalls, kids activities, arts and crafts, outdoor cinema and fitness classes, bringing together both local and expat communities. This is much more community and less touristy than other markets, though tourists are certainly welcome.

Are you aware of any other small community markets in Phuket we may have missed? We’d love to add them to our listing and help family travellers find the best Phuket has to offer – let us know in the comments, especially if there are any timing or day changes to the above!

Head back to our guide on the best family-friendly places to visit in Phuket

Phuket Essential Planning Tips - Click Here to Learn More Graphic

Please note that we are not a travel agency. We cannot book your Phuket trip for you, but we do link on our website to our preferred suppliers. Clicking one of these links may earn us a commission on qualifying bookings or purchases. You can find our full privacy policy and website terms of use here.

© Mama Loves Phuket 2024

Leave a Comment

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Accept Read More

Privacy & Cookies Policy