The other day I wrote about Bangkok’s famous flower market, Pat Klong Talat and I referenced Tien market which is close by. So, I thought I would share this little cultural icon today.
Tien market isn’t much more than a small neighborhood market, situated in a very fortuitous place. If you take the river taxi up the Chao Phraya river to stop #8, which is the Tien pier, then you can’t help strolling through this little market on your way to Wat Pho ( Temple of the Reclining Buddha ). This is also the pier you will use to take the ferry across the Chao Phraya river to Wat Arun.
Although small, this neighborhood market has a lot of old world character and charm. As you come off the river taxi you’ll first be greeted by a restaurant that looks a little run down but I can guarantee you that they have very good food and more than a few cats around. I can confidently rate this as a 3 cat restaurant, which is very good as the Land of Smiles restaurant guide only goes up to 5 cats.
As you pass through the the restaurant there are a few trinket shops on either side before you come off the pier into the main market area. Although you can find some trinket and food shops the majority of merchants here are fish mongers, and mongers of the dried variety at that. To say that the air is pungent with fish might be an understatement.
While the majority of tourists passing through this small market may never realize it’s name they will remember the sights, sounds and smells Tien market brings back to them as they look through pictures they are sure to take.
I wouldn’t say Tien market is a Bangkok must see but seeing that those taking the Chao Phraya river to see attractions such as Wat Pho or Wat Arun will be passing through it, the market has assured it is a must see whether you like it or not.
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Talen an aptly timed post. I just got back from the seven in Khlong Wan. On the way I have to cycle past a couple of small factories that clean and dry fish and squid. Pungent is an understatement!
The smell locally or in the market in Prachuap always makes me feel sick.
I might give this Bangkok sight a miss!!
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Talen I must agree with what Mike says about the smells especially from the dried fish. Phon Phisai has a market which can at certain times of the morning get very very busy and to get jammed in by the dried fish stalls are a nightmare for me. Nowadays I’ve gotten past the feeling sick stage but I’m still a long way short of actually trying to eat the stuff. Have you ever sampled the delights, I’d imagine them to be rather stringy and whilst I like salty they’d be excessively so.
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Oh, I agree with both of you. Pookie one time brought a bag of this stuff into the hotel room and I promptly banned the stuff before I got sick.
It’s probably the one thing in Thailand that I will never be able to stomach.
‘a 3 cat restaurant, which is very good as the Land of Smiles restaurant guide only goes up to 5 cats.’
What fun! Now what you seriously need are little cat icons to show your ratings.
But I’ll have to confess that I’m another heaver when it comes to dried fish. I don’t even like the little dried ones in my Thai food.
But oddly, I can’t do without naam pla (even though I know how it is made)… and I’ve tried.
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