Destination guide
Phuket Night Markets
Lard Yai on Sunday, Naka at the weekend, Chillva every other night
Phuket has a night market every evening, but the best ones are in Phuket Town and run on set days. On Sunday, Thalang Road in the Old Town closes to traffic for Lard Yai, the walking street of about 300 stalls among the Sino-Portuguese shophouses. On Saturday and Sunday, Naka Weekend Market on the edge of town is the island's biggest bazaar. From Monday to Saturday, Chillva's shipping-container market fills the other nights, and Indy and G Market add more midweek.
If you're staying on the beaches, Patong's Malin Plaza and Banzaan, Kata's daily market and Karon's temple market on Tuesdays and Fridays are closer. Below is which market is on each night, what each one is good for and how to get there from the beaches.
Arriving in Phuket
Where to stay in Phuket
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Key Facts
The big three are in Phuket Town
Lard Yai on Sunday from 16:00 to 22:00, Naka on Saturday and Sunday from 16:00 to 22:00, and Chillva Monday to Saturday from 17:00 to 23:00. Between them, one is open every night.
Patong's markets run every day
Malin Plaza is open from 11:00 to midnight, Banzaan until midnight and Bangla Night Market until 02:00, so a Patong market is always an option.
Phuket Town is a ride from the beaches
Patong to Phuket Town takes about 30 minutes, and a Grab from Kata to the Old Town costs about ฿350–450. Book the ride back before you start eating.
Go at opening
The big markets fill from about 18:00 to 19:00 and are packed by 20:00. Arrive at opening for space, first pick of the stalls and, at Lard Yai, the light on the shophouses.
Bring cash in small notes
Almost every stall takes cash only. Bargaining is expected on clothes and souvenirs, but not on food.
Ask the price of seafood first
At the tourist-area markets, seafood is sometimes priced per piece rather than by weight. Ask what it costs and how it's cooked before the stall lights the grill.
Which Market Is On Tonight
| Day | Phuket Town | Patong, Karon and Kata | Bang Tao, Laguna and Kamala |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | Chillva, G Market | The every-day markets | Bang Tao 16:00–21:00, Kamala |
| Tuesday | Chillva, G Market | The every-day markets, plus Karon Temple 16:00–22:00 | Kamala |
| Wednesday | Chillva, G Market, Indy | The every-day markets | None |
| Thursday | Chillva, Indy | The every-day markets | Bang Tao 14:00–20:00, Kamala |
| Friday | Chillva, G Market, Indy | The every-day markets, plus Karon Temple | Boat Avenue from 16:00, Kamala |
| Saturday | Naka, Chillva, G Market | The every-day markets | Laguna Lifestyle 17:00–22:00 |
| Sunday | Lard Yai, Naka, G Market | The every-day markets | None |
The every-day markets are Malin Plaza, Banzaan, Bangla Night Market and OTOP in Patong and Kata Night Market. Talad Kaset in Phuket Town also runs every night from 17:00. Hours come from each market's Google listing in our records and can change on public holidays.
Phuket's Night Markets, Ranked
Ranked on the food, the setting and how easily each one fits into a trip. The hours and prices come from our records and recent visitors rather than my own visits, so check the day before you plan a night around one.
1. Lard Yai, the Sunday walking street, Thalang Road, Phuket Old Town
Best overallEvery Sunday from 16:00 to about 22:00, Thalang Road closes to traffic and about 360 m of it, now spreading onto Phang Nga Road, fills with around 300 stalls. Half is food, Hokkien noodles, grilled squid, roti, o-tao and Phuket's sweets, and half is local crafts, art and clothes, with music along the street. The pastel shophouses make it the most beautiful market on the island. Come at about 16:30 to 17:00, while the light is still on the buildings and before the crowds.
- When to go
- Sundays, 16:00 to about 22:00
2. Chillva Market, Yaowarat Road, Phuket Town
Any night but SundayThe weeknight market, open Monday to Saturday from 17:00 to 23:00, about ten minutes north of the Old Town. Rows of shipping containers hold independent fashion, vintage and small bars around an open seating area, with a band most nights from about 19:00 and a flea-market section from Thursday to Saturday. The food is cheap even by Phuket Town standards, with grilled seafood, pad thai, moo ping and mango sticky rice, and the crowd is mostly young and local.
- When to go
- Monday to Saturday, 17:00 to 23:00
3. Naka Weekend Market, Wirat Hong Yok Road, Phuket Town
The biggest marketThe island's biggest bazaar, known locally as Talad Tairod, on the edge of Phuket Town near Central Phuket, open Saturday and Sunday from 16:00 to 22:00. The shopping is cheap clothes, shoes, souvenirs and plenty of fakes, so haggle and don't pay branded prices. The food court is where people linger, with grilled seafood and meats, smoothies, beer and a long dessert run, and there are free shows on the stage through the evening. It's wide and easy to walk, which helps once the crowds build after dark.
- When to go
- Saturday and Sunday, 16:00 to 22:00
4. Phuket Indy Night Market, Near the Old Town
Midweek in townA small, tidy market beside an indoor mall, open Wednesday to Friday from 16:00 to 22:30. The food is why you go, with pad thai at about ฿40, and there's live music and some nights a fire show. Beer is pricey next to the food. It fills up after dark, so come near opening if crowds bother you.
- When to go
- Wednesday to Friday, 16:00 to 22:30
5. Malin Plaza, South Patong
Patong, any dayAn open-air street food market at the southern end of Patong, open every day from 11:00 to midnight, though it only really gets going from about 17:00. Fried prawns, fried chicken, grilled fish and meats, pineapple fried rice and juices are what people come for, eaten at shared tables, with clothes and souvenir stalls on the side. Prices are a little above the markets in town, and halal options are easy to find.
- When to go
- Every day, best from 17:00
6. Banzaan Fresh Market, Behind Jungceylon, Patong
Pick your seafood, have it cookedPatong's fresh market, a two-floor hall behind Jungceylon. Downstairs, lobster, prawns, crab, squid and fish sell by weight. Carry your bag upstairs and a food-court kitchen will grill, steam or stir-fry it for a fee. After dark the streets around it fill with food stalls. Expect Patong prices, bargain on the seafood, watch the scale and agree the cooking charge before they start.
- When to go
- 06:00 to midnight, every day
7. Kata Night Market, Taina Road, Kata
Dinner near the beachAn open-air food court with a bazaar section, open every day from noon to 23:00, so it's the easy option if you're staying in Kata or Karon. Crispy prawns, coconut ice cream, dumplings and fresh fruit are the things reviewers name, with clothes and souvenirs to haggle over. At the seafood stalls, lobster can be priced per piece rather than weighed, so ask the price and how it's cooked first.
- When to go
- Every day, noon to 23:00
8. Karon Temple Market, Wat Karon, Karon
A local market near the beachA twice-weekly market in the grounds of Wat Karon, on Tuesdays and Fridays from 16:00 to 22:00, with a mostly local crowd of Thai families and students. Noodles, grilled snacks, clothes and souvenirs, at local prices. On Buddhist holidays some vendors hand out free food.
- When to go
- Tuesday and Friday, 16:00 to 22:00
9. Boat Avenue Night Market, Choeng Thale, near Laguna
Friday on the north coastThe north coast's Friday market, from 16:00, with original handmade crafts that reviewers say they haven't seen elsewhere on the island, Thai street food in volume, Western options and the Boat Avenue restaurants around it. It's packed by 19:00, so come at 16:00 for space.
- When to go
- Fridays from 16:00
More Markets Worth Knowing
In Phuket Town, G Market in Talat Yai is a neighborhood food market open every day but Thursday from 16:00 to 22:00, and Talad Kaset on Thavornwongwong Road runs every night from 17:00 to midnight, with a local crowd and cheap dinners. In Patong, Bangla Night Market at the inland end of Bangla Road runs from 18:00 to 02:00, with a food court where you pick seafood from the tanks before a night out, and OTOP opens from 17:00 to midnight with a food hall behind its souvenir stalls.
On the north and west coasts, Bang Tao's market opens on Monday from 16:00 to 21:00 and Thursday from 14:00 to 20:00, Laguna Lifestyle Night Market on Saturday from 17:00 to 22:00, and Kamala's market on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 14:00 to 21:00. They're small, so they're worth it if you're staying nearby rather than worth a trip across the island.
For the island's best seafood dinner, go to Rawai Seafood Market on the southern tip, open from 09:00 to 21:00. You buy the catch by the kilo from the stalls on the seafront road and carry it across to one of the restaurants opposite, which cook it for about ฿100 a kilo.
Arriving in Phuket
Top-Ranked Hotels in Phuket
The top of my ranked list of the 10 best hotels in Phuket. Each button opens the hotel on Booking.com with your dates filled in.
#2SAii Laguna Phuket4.7 (5,335 reviews)
A beachfront resort on Bang Tao Beach offering a relaxed lagoon setting within the Laguna Phuket complex.
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#3Banyan Tree Phuket4.8 (4,448 reviews)
Award-winning luxury resort in Phuket's north, known for private pool villas and an exceptional spa.
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#4Kalima Resort & Spa4.7 (4,782 reviews)
A hillside Patong resort with infinity pool, spa, artificial beach, and highly praised staff and dining.
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Lard Yai, Naka or Chillva?
If you're in Phuket on a Sunday, Lard Yai, for the shophouses and the Phuket food. It's the one market I'd plan a day around, with an afternoon in the Old Town before it opens. For the biggest choice of food and cheap shopping, Naka on Saturday or Sunday. On any other night, Chillva, which has the best atmosphere of the weeknight markets and a crowd that's mostly young and local. If you only have one evening and it's a Sunday, you can do Naka at 16:00 and walk Lard Yai after dark, about 3 km apart, but it makes a long evening.
Getting to the Markets From the Beaches
The Phuket Town markets are a ride from the west-coast beaches. Patong to Phuket Town takes about 30 minutes, and a Grab from Kata to the Old Town costs about ฿350–450 and takes about 25 minutes. Grab works at night, but book the ride back before you start eating, or agree a return with your driver. Parking at Naka and Chillva is tight on busy evenings.
If you'd rather not travel, stay local. Patong has Malin Plaza, Banzaan, Bangla Night Market and OTOP every night, Kata and Karon have their own markets, and the north coast has a market most nights of the week.
Plan the rest of Phuket.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Phuket Night Markets.
Lard Yai, the Sunday walking street on Thalang Road in Phuket Old Town, for the setting and the food. Naka Weekend Market on Saturday and Sunday is the biggest, and Chillva is the best on other nights, Monday to Saturday.
Lard Yai on Thalang Road in the Old Town, from 16:00 to about 22:00, and Naka Weekend Market from 16:00 to 22:00. Chillva is closed on Sundays.
Naka Weekend Market from 16:00 to 22:00, Chillva from 17:00 to 23:00 and G Market in Phuket Town, plus Laguna Lifestyle Night Market on the north coast and the every-day markets in Patong and Kata.
Monday to Saturday from 17:00 to 23:00. It's closed on Sundays. The band usually starts at about 19:00, and the flea-market section runs from Thursday to Saturday.
Saturday and Sunday from 16:00 to 22:00, on Wirat Hong Yok Road on the edge of Phuket Town, near Central Phuket.
Several, all open every day. Malin Plaza at the south end of the beach until midnight, Banzaan behind Jungceylon for seafood until midnight, Bangla Night Market at the end of Bangla Road until 02:00, and OTOP from 17:00 to midnight.
Yes. Kata Night Market is open every day from noon to 23:00, and Karon Temple Market runs on Tuesdays and Fridays from 16:00 to 22:00.
By Grab or taxi, about 30 minutes each way. Book or agree the ride back before you start eating.
Yes, in small notes. Almost every stall takes cash only. Haggle on clothes and souvenirs, not on food, and ask the price of seafood before it's cooked.
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Written by
Mac Kiley
I lived in Bangkok for four years and traveled the country from there. The guides are my own opinions, written the way I'd explain them to a friend planning a trip.
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