While most visitors and locals have made their way up to Chatuchak on the weekend, most likely more than once, not so many have noticed the rather nondescript or Kor Tor (Marketing Organisation for Farmers) Produce Market that sits just across the street from Chatuchak's southern entrance, right by the Kamphaeng Phet MRT station. If you've never been here, and especially if you appreciate good produce and top quality food, it's a highly recommended journey.
Or Kor Tor isn't exactly a hidden secret. CNN Go ranked it as the fourth best fresh. only the famed Tsukiji Fish ivlarket in Tokyo, Barcelona's Boqueria, and the Union Square Farmer's Market in New York City, which is pretty esteemed company. While Chatuchak is only open on week- ends, or Kor Tor is open daily from 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., and it is easy to spend half a clay here wandering around, shopping, and most definitely eating.
The market began as an agricultural col- lective, operating as a distribution chan- nel Tor Thai farmers to sell their products, and has since evolved into the top out- door produce shopping market for all of one outdoor market where you will see bouffant hairdo's and business tycoons personally inspecting the melons, browsing the aisles, and comparing the top sea-sonal buys, from mangoes to durian, plus much more.
The market sells not only Royal Project organic veggies and fruit from Doi Kham, but also stocks the best imported fruit to be found in town, along with all of the top Thai selections. The prices are higher than elsewhere, but a stroll down the aisles will make you realize why. Mlangoes of the most perfect color, shape, and taste,and bunches of perfectly round and mas sively large lychees, bursting with flavour all compete for shoppers' attention. you aren't buying, it's still the perfect eye candy, and photographers wanting to do some market photography will be in the best spot in the kingdom.
Unlike most other markets which are overcrowded, hot, wet, and fairly unpleasant to navigate, Or Kor Tor is well laid out with plenty of ventilation and space to move around. The aisles are wide, there are no motorcycles driving through the market, and no massive crowds surging behind you. While produce and quality fruit are the main attractions, there's also a meat and seafood area, again selling only the best cuts, ranging from import- ed Norwegian salmon to Mlekong giant catfish, and also a large dried goods sec tion, with dried shrimp and fish, chilies garlic, and all the staples of Thai cuisine.
There are also rows with food stalls and regional food hawkers, where one can Buy sai oua northern Thai sausages as tasty as you'll find them in Chiang Mai, spicy nam ya curry from the south, or stalls selling grilled pork, chicken, anc sa tay. Best of all is the area of food courts, where there's a section of tables sat up for diners, and vendors sell just about every Thai curry and dish to be had with rice under the sun. You'll pay at least clouble what you'd pay on the sidewall else- where in Bangkok (around 70-80 baht for 2 toppings with rice), but the qual- ity again is probably at least twice that of most places, and the various curries, ranging from Massaman to gaeng kiaow waan green curry are just outstanding.
There's an excellent dessert section near the food court which shouldn't be missed, selling all sorts of traditional Thai sweets. In particular, the khanom krok coconut milk and rice four treats are in credibly fresh, gooey, and ever so tasty If the food tables get too packed, which they tend to if you come here during lunch hour midweek, you can also go just outside the back of the market, where there are several sit down places to grab a bite. At Cafe Boran Hat Yai, there are tra- ditional Thai Chinese southern dishes at dirt cheap prices, just like a real Hat Yai cafe, with dim sum, authentic cafe Boran Thai "ancient" coffee with plenty of con- densed m and the best version of Ma laysian "swimming Rama" pork satay in peanut, chili, and coconut gravy that you will find anywhere in Thailand .
Many of the vendors at Or Kor Tor have been selling here for several decades even after large rent increases that were put in place after the market underwent major renovation some years ago. This keeps the market having a friendly and local vibe, and one with a fair sitoi his tory. Combined with the fact that you can nip over to Chatuchak to drink, shop, and people-watch, or Kor Tor is an exce!- lent weekend outing. A word of warning though, if you are a durian addict, this is the best place in Bangkok to buy top notch durian, and the adjacent MRT station dues have very large signs telling ou that durians are not allowed in the MRT, and yes, the guards have had plenty of practice sniffing them out, so you'll be forced to either take a cab or wall around to the BTS f you don't have your own transport for your stinky spiked fruit.