Chatuchak Weekend Market reopens with health and safety measures to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).
The mandatory restrictions include limited opening hours and social-distancing measures.
All shoppers and vendors must wear face masks while social distancing is maintained between each person. Hand sanitizer will be installed at several spots in the sprawling complex.
Chatuchak Weekend Market Reopens
According to the latest update from The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), the popular weekend destination Chatuchak Market resumed operations last Saturday.
the Chatuchak Weekend Market, which is managed and operated by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA), initially allowed traders at the Chatuchak Plant Market to resume their business from May 3, 2020, with revised operating hours
- 12.00-18.00 Hrs. on Tuesday
- 05.00-18.00 Hrs. on Wednesday and Thursday
After weeks of closure, the Chatuchak Weekend Market has reopened, and it will be open from 05.00 to 18.00. However, the Night Market remains closed due to the nationwide night-time curfew.
Mrs. Wallaya Wattanarat, BMA’s Deputy Permanent Secretary, visited the Market yesterday to ensure that all COVID-19 control measures were ready for the Market’s reopening.
Chatuchak Weekend Market Reopens with restricted entrance and exit at six locations:
- Entrance 1 on Kamphaeng Phet 2 Road
- Entrance 2 on Kamphaeng Phet 3 Road
- Entrance 3 on Phaholyothin Road is also for vehicles.
- Entrance 4 at the entry/exit of the MRT Kamphaeng Phet Station
- Entrance 5 at the entry/exit of the Mixt Chatuchak shopping mall
- Entrance 6 at the entry/exit of JJ Mall is for pedestrians.
Safety Protocols at Chatuchak Weekend Market
- Body temperature screening points are set up at all entrances.
- Alcohol-based hand gel and handwashing are available at the Market.
- Both sellers and customers are required to wear masks.
- The toilets are cleaned every two hours.
Eating and Shopping Protocols
People are encouraged to order food for takeaway.
Restaurants or stalls offering table service must arrange space to keep customers at least 1.5 meters apart or install dividers to separate them.
Shops selling clothes, shoes, bags, and other items must limit the number of visitors to five at any one time for each small shop and 10 for bigger shops.
On Monday, Thailand reported another six infections without any new deaths, bringing the total known impact to 3,015 cases and 56 fatalities since the outbreak began in January.
Bangkok’s many flea markets in the metropolitan area follow the reopening of Chatuchak Weekend Market.
Over a dozen Bangkok flea markets in the metropolitan area have announced they will resume operations as the number of newly confirmed COVID-19 infections remained in the single digits today.
The flea markets to follow the reopening of Chatuchak Weekend Market include the famous.
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- Ratchada Train Night Market
- Taling Chan Floating Market
- Saphan Phut Night Market
Night market in Thailand.
Operating hours will be limited to 5 am to 6 pm, as a national overnight curfew remains.
The reopenings come with strict rules for shoppers and vendors to follow, including wearing a face mask and practicing social distancing.
Chatuchak Weekend Market opened last week without any social-distancing drama or large crowds, and things went smoothly.
Apart from the weekend market, the Chatuchak Tree Market will also be allowed to resume selling plants and trees nearby from noon to 6 p.m. on its usual Wednesday and Thursday days.
Bangkok’s governor, Pol Gen Aswin Kwanmuang, said it could remain open one more hour, from 5 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Here is a list of the markets with their reopening dates:
- Lad Mayom Floating Market: Since May 1
- Liab Duan Ramintra Night Market: Since May 3
- Saphan Phut Night Market: Since May 3
- Green Day Night Market, Rama 2: Since May 3
- Bang Namphueng Floating Market: Since May 9
- Taling Chan Floating Market: Since May 9
- Indy Market (Pinklao): From May 12
- Train Night Market (Ratchada): From May 15
- Train Night Market (Srinakarin): From May 15
- Indy Market (Dao Kanong): From May 15
- Kwan-Riam Floating Market: From May 16
ENTERING THE NEW NORMAL IN THE POST COVID-19 ERA
TAT would remind all to strictly follow the health and safety guidelines while shopping at markets in Thailand.
Please remember to wear a surgical or cloth mask when outside your residence, wash your hands regularly, and observe social distancing rules.
Since late last month, Thailand has reported few new cases of COVID-19 in daily updates, leading to a phased lifting of restrictions on movement and commerce.
Despite the measures announced, it is difficult to imagine any meaningful enforcement at the sprawling marketplace, which teems with shoppers squeezing past each other in narrow lanes on a typical day.
Wanlaya said operating hours will be limited to 5 a.m. to 6 p.m., as a national overnight curfew remains in place.
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