Rod Fai Night Market Bangkok: Our Best Tips

What's at the Rod Fai Market?

The Rod Fai Market is a mix of food market, clothing market, and nightlife — and the best part? It’s not geared toward tourists at all. That’s exactly why it’s one of our favorite under-the-radar tips for Bangkok.

You’ll still run into the occasional visitor, but 95% of the people we saw there were locals. It really feels like the real Bangkok.

If you want to check out more markets around the city, we’ve rounded up more recommendations in our Bangkok attractions guide.

Clothing at the Rod Fai Market

The clothing stalls here are refreshingly different. Instead of the ten-thousandth Chang or Singha T-shirt, you’ll mostly find clothes made by Thais for Thais — everything from simple basics to seriously hip streetwear.

Just keep in mind that the sizing is cut to Thai body measurements. If you usually wear XL, it’ll be tough to find something that fits. For M, you’ve still got a decent shot.

Food at the Rod Fai Market

The second part of the market is packed with food stalls. You’ll find classic Thai street food alongside some genuinely creative dishes you won’t see elsewhere.

Honestly, the street food section has a real festival-market vibe — stall after stall of tempting things to try. One vendor even had craft beer, which we did not expect.

Food lovers that we are, we went from stall to stall sampling everything. Absolutely fantastic.

Nightlife at the Rod Fai Market

Head to the back section of the market and you’ll find tons of small bars. Large shipping containers are stacked and placed side by side across two levels, with a different bar in each one.

You’ll find the usual Thai drink lineup: Singha, Leo, Chang, and cocktails. We were still a bit jet-lagged on our visit, so we kept it simple with a Singha — but there’s plenty to work through if you’re up for it.

Opening Hours: When is the Rod Fai Market open?

The Rod Fai Market is open Tuesday through Sunday from 6:00 PM until midnight. The market is closed on Mondays.

How to get to the Rod Fai Market?

This is a bit tricky — we got pretty lost on our first visit and only found the right way thanks to a friendly local woman. Getting there depends a little on where your hotel in Bangkok is located.

The first part is easy: take the MRT (metro) to the “National Cultural Center” station. You can catch the MRT from Hualamphong station or from the BTS stations Si Lom and Sukhumvit.

Once you exit the station, resist the urge to just pick a direction — we confidently walked the wrong way. You need to head south along the large multi-lane road (Ratchadaphisek Road).

After about 200 meters, you’ll see the Esplanade Shopping Center on your right. Turn right just behind it onto a small street, and it leads you straight to the market. There’s a small sign pointing the way, too.

If you can’t find it, ask someone for the Esplanade Shopping Center — most people know it. Many Thais don’t actually know the market by name, so asking for the shopping center is the smarter move.

By the way, there’s also a second Rod Fai Market — the Ratchada Train Market — that’s been around a bit longer. It’s farther outside the city, though. If you want to visit, take the BTS to “On Nut” station and grab a taxi from there.

This one is even bigger than the Rod Fai Market in the center of the city and is probably the version mentioned in most travel guides. If you have enough time, it’s totally worth checking out both.

Why is the market called Train Market?

Rod Fai Market translates to Train Market. We didn’t spot any trains anywhere near it, though — and you won’t find any at the other Rod Fai Market either.

The name comes from the time when the market was still at its original location near Chatuchak Market, right next to the railway tracks. The market had to relocate in 2013 because an extension of the Skytrain line was being built on the site. Even though there are no longer any trains at either location, the name stuck.