While the mainstream of consumerist Thai society is getting excited about fashionable air-conditioned shopping complexes, there still exist, in another corner of the civilization, old marketplaces of antiquated wooden buildings offering a treasure trove of rare local products, wisdom, and colorful life.
The magnificence of markets is not only about the exchange of money and goods, but the appearance of the place, created by the artistry of the builders who designed these making-a-living centers. The physical structures are significant because they give each market its distinctive look.
At the old wooden markets located in many big cities like Bangkok, Suphanburi, or the former capital Ayuthaya, there is always much commercial activity. The landlords provide space for rent, so people can buy and sell things without depending on the modern convenience stores or department stores that have sprung up all over like wild flowers.
These wooden-building markets are still running every day. No matter how many seasons have passed, many shops still depend on one another. In the markets, there are not too many shops, so the merchants know their customers very well. A coffee seller opens his shop early in the morning to welcome conversation makers. Every morning, both of his hands are incessantly busy with the tools of his trade - a can of condensed milk, hot water and an old coffee bag - in order to prepare cups of coffee for waiting customers. The coffee shops in wooden markets usually serve the purpose of providing hot or cold beverages to serve to customers who want to sit in groups to chat about politics, local gossip, or other interesting news of the day.
