The Two Faces of Baan Zan Market

Baan Zan Market

One of the great attractions in Patong Beach for food lovers is the Baan Zan Market with its multiple faces to attract visits all day and into the night.  If you are staying in Patong or one of the surrounding areas, I am sure you have heard mention of Baan Zan, either as a great place to shop for food to prepare or as an equally great place to get dinner or a quick snack, the ultimate in Thai fast food. 

During the day, from early morning until around 5 pm the inside of the large building serves as a gathering place for many vendors selling everything from fresh seafood to meats to vegetables to fruits and nuts and dry goods.  Heck upstairs there even several vendors selling clothing and a mini-food court where you can get lunch.  While this thriving market is open, the area around the building serves as a parking lot for motorbikes, cars and on the back sides for the many delivery trucks and vans. 

Having lived in Patong for a couple of years, I use the back entrance, there seems to always be plenty of parking for my motorbike and you are right into the meat and fresh seafood section of the market.  Using this entrance brings you right in at one of the many vendors selling prime cuts of pork, it is all laid out for you to see and the vendors will be more than happy to cut the meats to your wishes.   Directly across the aisle from the pork vendor at the entrance you will find the chicken vendor selling every part of the chicken you can imagine and perhaps some you hadn’t thought of.   Moving around the corner, we immediately come to a fresh seafood vendor, with many different size shrimp (price to match their size) and shell fish like clams and mussels.  Of course, there are more types of fresh fish available than I can name, all of various sizes.

Continuing our walk around the building, you will find a wide variety of vegetable in various stalls, all fresh from the local farms.  Not to worry, there are plenty of temping Thai spices that will allow you to season your dishes to your individual tastes.   Toward the south end of the building just inside the front side entrance there is a vast display of fruits to choose from, plenty of temping items to keep on hand as snacks during the night.  And just to the north of the fruits are other great snack items, nuts, dried fish and crackers.  And do not miss the flowers arrayed along the north, front wall they will brighten your day and your room.  As you can see, there is something for everyone at Baan Zan Market during the day. 

Ah, but we have not yet explored the second floor of the market, what hidden treasures lie up the escalator, there are two clothing stores along with a food court and seating area to allow shoppers to relax and enjoy some of the Thai cuisine available.

  
As the sun sets and the lighting changes, so Baan Zan Market changes; the interior market filled with its vast array of vendor’s empties and the parking lot is converted to an equally vast array of vendors selling prepared food, a mega-food court so to speak.   Just imagine taking all the small food carts that are scattered around Patong and putting them in one place and that will give you an idea of the Baan Zan parking lot in the early evening.

As you stroll among these vendors slowly making your way through the crowd and believe me it is crowded.  It should strike you that both locals and foreigners alike are all perusing the assortment of traditional Thai dishes and dishes from all over the world.  To me this is a good sign that the food is outstanding and good quality; this size market could not long survive if it offered less than high quality foods.  There are stalls with an incredible display of fresh seafood that they will cook to your order, perhaps you feel like grilled tonight or fried or streamed in a speciality sauce.  You might like to try a more traditional Thai dish of chicken or pork or fish in a variety of sauces (being careful to ensure that the dish is not spicier than your taste’s like, be sure to ask “pet mai?” which means is it spicy in Thai)

Here we see a women fixing individual portions of soup to order, that typifies the vendors at Baan Zan, they prepare individual servings so you and the others in your party can each get whatever strikes your fancy.   Do you like fresh steamed corn on the cobb, well there are several vendors selling it right out of the steamer for a mere 20 baht.  Or tonight your taste’s run to something with a Japanese flavor like sushi rolls, have no fear these are also available from multiple vendors.  So if you are looking for an interesting adventure in Thai shopping and food, I strongly recommend Baan Zan Market, both in the day and into the evening.

Similan / Koh Tachai snorkeling liveaboard trips

Reggae Queen (aka MV Sawan)

Reggae Queen (aka MV Sawan) is a liveaboard boat for snorkelers only (no scuba divers). It runs twice weekly trips to the best snorkeling locations in the Andaman sea including the Similan Islands, Koh Tachai and the Surin Islands. As well as great snorkeling they also go to the best beaches. Trips also include a visit to the Moken sea gypsy village at Surin. Snorkelers on this boat regularly see sharks, turtles, manta rays and much more. They even see whale sharks.

Sawan is 21m long and 4m wide with a wooden hull and twin engines. She cruises at 12 knots. There are 8 twin bunk bed cabins and one master cabin with a double bed for a maximum of 18 guests. All cabins have air conditioning. There are five shared bathrooms. There is a spacious shaded area on the upper deck for relaxing on board. There is also plenty of room for sunbathing. Sawan has the full complement of safety equipment including life raft, life vests and fire extinguishers. 

 More details on our Snorkel Website: Snorkelingthailand.com

Schedule:

Trips run from Nov to April every Sunday and Wednesday.

Sunday to Wednesday, starting Khao Lak finishing Kura Buri.

Wednesday to Saturday starting Kura Buri, finishing Khao Lak.

Transfers from Khao Lak hotels are included. If you need a transfer from your Phuket hotel we can arrange that for you.

Price: 12,100 baht per person (2012-2013)

Price includes: all meals, soft drinks, quality snorkeling gear, transfers Khao Lak hotel-boat-Khao Lak hotel. (Phuket transfers available on request).

Not included: Alcoholic drinks, national park entrance fees (1000 baht per person)

Book / Enquire Now

Reviews - Kartika

Feedback from super happy customer who did 3x Phuket Island Tours for Sightseeing and Shopping


"Hi Francesco,

We are back in Bali already last Saturday and now back to the crazy busy schedule at the office. I would like to thank you to you for arranged an amazing full day tour and shopping. Special thanks to Mr. Eak who was very nice and patient, he got my gold rated for service. I definitely will recommend your travel agent to my guests ( I have tour & travel agent here in Bali second company after diving) and would like to comeback to Phuket again next year.

Take care and please send my regards to Mr. Eak from all of us here and from little Naia, she like to thank you to him that he brought his son DVD to entertain her during the tours.

Keep in touch
Kartika"

 Return to Reviews and Comments

Phuket Big Buddha

As you travel around the southern end of Phuket Island there is a single feature in the middle of the island that dominates the country side, clearly visible the huge, white image of Buddha.  At over 45 meters tall, sitting atop the Nakkerd Hills between Chalong and Kata it is easily visible from great distances and has quickly become one of the island’s significant and venerated landmarks. There are perhaps over a 1,000 foreign and Thai visitors wondering around the site on a daily basis, even though it is not yet complete.

Sitting on the top of the hill offers spectacular 360 degree views of the island (picture extensive vistas of Phuket Town, Kata Beach, Karon Beach, Chalong Bay and more).  The Phra Puttamingmongkol Akenakkiri Buddha as it is known among the Thai’s is 25 meters across at the base. The body and surrounding ornate portion of the base is layered with beautiful white Burmese marble that almost glows in the sun light, making it a unique symbol of hope for all. Whether looking at the panoramic views or the gigantic image of Buddha they are all breathtaking.

Once you have reached the base of the statue you will be struck by the feeling of peace and tranquility that pervades the site, the only noises you will hear are the tinkling of small bells hung from the tree branches and the yellow Buddhist flags in the compound flapping in the wind plus soft background dharma music.

Note that funds for the massive construction project are provided completely from donations and through the sale of souvenirs.  A unique souvenir that you do not take with you is the white tiles that will eventually be used to cover the entire statue.  After purchasing one or more of these tiles you write a message on the tile(s) and thus your visit to this shrine will become part of the statue.   I have visited the Big Buddha many times since moving to Phuket in 2008, always marking my stop with a short message on one or more of the tiles.  So I can say that my children, my brother and his family and my parents also have a place on the statue.  At the base of the statue is a hall displaying the history of construction, including techniques used.  It is in this hall where the tiles can be purchased along with other souvenirs and there are vast arrays of donation boxes for people who wish to just contribute to this amazing project.

Getting up to the Big Buddha can be an adventure in itself, there is a winding narrow, 6 km road off Chao Fa Road East near Chalong that leads up to the base parking lot.  In my many visits this road has gone from a dirt path to a fully paved road, but is still a bit tricky in spots.  When I first started making my pilgrimages up the mountain there was little along the road once you past through the village near Chao Fa Road, but as progress on the statue continued many new businesses have sprung up, including restaurants, coffee shops, elephant rides, 4 wheeled ATV rental and even a paint ball gaming area.  There is now a full fledged parking lot when you reach the top that replaces the catch as catch can parking that was available before.  Of course once you have reached the base of the statue, your journey is not complete, there is still the stairs up to the actual base of the statue, so please be prepared.

Please dress appropriately for what is a religious site, i.e., no bare shoulders or midriffs or short-shorts, but there are sarongs available free of charge if you are wearing something a bit daring.  The statue site is open from 8 am until 7:30 pm, making it a great place to catch a fantastic sunset (weather permitting) around 6:30 pm.

The project actually began as an idea at the turn of the century that a few friends had while wondering about in the Nakkerd Hills.  They felt this would make an ideal spot for great scenic vistas of the southern part of the island.   After much discussion and finding the right spot, it was decided to build a giant image of the Lord Buddha that would have more significance to Buddhist.   The project like all major undertakings did have its share of problems along the way, not the least of which was getting the necessary building permits.  The 30 million Baht necessary for the massive structure come entirely from donations. “This project is huge and requires a lot of money. But so far we are managing just fine. I’m amazed at the amount of help we have received from everyone who knows about this project. It seems they all want to be a part of it,” explained Suporn Wanichkul, president of the Mingmongkol Faith 45 foundation, which was formed to build the Giant Buddha.  It was determined that there would be two images of Buddha on the site, a smaller one, 12 meters high, is made of 22 tons of brass costing eight million baht and is dedicated to HM Queen Sirikit.  It is dwarf by the second giant statue that dominates the mountain top and is dedicated to HM King Bhumibol.

A variety of the scenic views from the Big Buddha.

Writen by Uncle Doug, October 2012

Reviews - Adriano Trapani guiding Dr. Alex Tattersall

Great review for Easy Day's Underwater Paparazzi Adriano Trapani, who acted as a private photo guide for Dr. Alex Tattersall on a Similan Island Liveaboard trip on board the The Junk.

"I was fortunate when I requested a private guide on a recent trip to the Similan islands that Adriano was available at this time. As an underwater photographer, I frequently need to request private guides as the one thing that is least conducive to getting good results is having to follow a group around with an overzealous dive master. Usually the private guides will show me a few interesting subjects but what made diving with Adriano different is that he himself is a talented photographer. This meant that he was able to not only find good subject matter but also understand when this subject matter was in potentially photogenic and accessible locations. This insider knowledge enabled me to maximise my photographic opportunities and I left Thailand with a very pleasing collection of images. I’d credit much of this to diving with Adriano. Many thanks!"