Finding my inner artist at Hua Takhe Old Market – Bangkok’s Unique Communities

When I moved back to Bangkok a couple of years ago I realised there is so much more of this city that I have yet to discover. Although I grew up in Bangkok, experiencing the city as an adult who spent the last 20 years overseas has made me see things from a more curious and perhaps, slightly touristic lens. I’m always excited to stroll around areas and communities I’ve never visited before, and there are so many dotted around this expansive city. Recently I went on a little excursion to a waterside community on the eastern edge of Bangkok near Suvarnabhumi Airport – Hua Takhe Old Market. A community that started over a 100 years ago and has shifted and changed and taken on a new identity of a cultural and art destination.

I first heard of this community a few years back when photos of people kayaking with cats circulated online. I added it to a list of places I want to explore but never made it there despite living only half an hour away. Recently by chance, a friend had started interning at a school right near the market and I thought it would be a perfect opportunity to invite her out on a little market meander. We arrived on a Friday afternoon and started walking along the covered wooden walkway through the market. It seems like a few shops are only open on the weekends but there were still lots to see and do. An old and operating mechanical workshop to our left, cute cafes with painting and beading workshops to our right. Many stores offer waterside seating and we took advantage of that for our late lunch. As we sat and watched rafts of water hyacinth float by, people fishing and boats speed along, we were transported out of the busy Bangkok city and into a place where we can really slow down and enjoy quiet conversations.

Cafes at the market keeping its old-style charm

Some of the friendly locals we saw travelling along the canal

Posted around the market were signs telling a story of the market’s long and intriguing past. As Bangkok became a hub for trading in the late 1800s, a canal was dug for easier transportation of goods. The Prawet Burirom canal was dug from Phra Khanong to Chachoengsao starting from 1878 and connects the Chao Phraya river to the eastern farm lands. People started settling along this route and small communities began to form. Originally the land for this market was donated by the Liem family and the area was called Luang Prot Community – Taan Liem. However a large skull of a crocodile was found in the area during the excavation of the canal and the junction was later known as Hua Takhe which means crocodile head.

Back in those days Hua Takhe market was the focal point of the community, an abundance of stalls and boats traded everything from services, farm produce, food, clothes, fishing nets to pottery daily. Unfortunately as Bangkok developed and road infrastructure and transport became increasingly popular, people moved their shops from waterside to roadside. The waterside community continued to decline as the city became more modernised and multiple fires throughout the years made it hard for the market to rebuild. By the early 2000s the community was fading away and it wasn’t until 2008 when locals of the community worked together to revitalise the market. With the help of the nearby College of Fine Arts, the community now positions itself as an art destination and offers many events and workshops throughout the year.

While some families kept their original services alive, others renovated their wooden houses into guesthouses, restaurants, cafes and art space. There’s even a place for you to rent out kayaks! After our long lunch, we browsed the art spaces in the market. Some offered canvases to paint, beads to make bracelets and necklaces, ceramics to decorate and figurines to make keychains. We decided on a cute little wooden cat to paint and spent the next hour concentrating on our creations. The gentle acoustic covers playing through the speakers coupled with the setting sun and a gentle breeze made for the perfect way to relax and enjoy the moment. While some might find this market boring, it was the perfect destination for us to unwind from any stresses from our day.