Thepprasit Night Market

Thepprasit Night Market is on Thepprasit Road, which gives the surrounding district its name. It is a bit away from the beach strips, so most people arrive by songthaew, Grab or Bolt rather than on foot from Walking Street. Tell the driver Thepprasit market, and check the day, because it runs on weekends.

It is a big weekend night market with food, clothes and beer, and it feels more like a local Saturday outing than a tourist show. Plenty of Thai families come, so the mood is relaxed. Treat it as a place to eat, wander and have a beer, not as an obvious nightlife stop.

It is a weekend market, so a Saturday or Sunday evening is the sensible time to aim for, and a weekday visit may find little going on. Stalls and traders can change from week to week, so check with your hotel or a local on the day. Arrive in the early evening to look around while it is quieter.

The closest places include XBungy Jump Pattaya, X-Centrique, You Twat Bar 2, Cactus Cantina Bar, Montana and Naughty Bar. So there are a handful of bars and a bungy attraction within easy reach, which makes it simple to eat at the market and move on to a drink without a long ride.

Yes, the market is known for beer alongside its food and clothes stalls, so a cold drink while you eat is part of the visit. Pay as you go rather than running a tab, and keep it sensible if you are riding a scooter afterwards. A Grab home is the easier choice on a market night.

It suits a relaxed first evening better than a big night out. You can eat well, see how locals spend a weekend and get your bearings without any pressure from bars. Save Walking Street and the beer-bar sois for the next night. It is a good fit if you land on a Saturday or Sunday.

Thepprasit is a big weekend food-and-clothes market with a mostly local crowd, while Pattaya Night Bazaar is a covered souvenir market in Central Pattaya with bars next door. Pick Thepprasit for a meal and a beer on a weekend evening, and the Night Bazaar for gifts and a quick drink on Second Road.

Go hungry, walk the whole market before you buy, and eat where the queues are. Bring small notes and keep your phone in a front pocket. Work out your ride home before you arrive, because taxis can be harder to find late on a busy weekend night. Use Grab or Bolt so the fare is fixed in the app.