The Monday Market
Northern Thailand 60 Days (3)

Every Monday morning, there was another market at the other end of Ban Hin Taek Village. There was no shop and it was larger than that of the daily morning market in Ban Hin Taek. The morning market in Ban Hin Taek was still opened, but some of the hawkers would move to the Monday Market.

I liked to visit the Monday market. I would buy my breakfast there. If I got my breakfast, I would go back to the hostel. Otherwise I would go to the Ban Hin Taek market.

Some of the hawkers drove the vans to carry their goods as there was no shop. They sold clothing, home appliances and kitchen wares, etc. There were off course vegetables, fruits, pork and fish, as well as cooked food.

More people would visit the Monday market. There was a Thai school nearby. Some of the students would be there before the school started. I used to see the students. They called me, "teacher, teacher." As I taught about 200 students, I could not recognise every one of them. They put on their Thai school uniform. I would greet them although I did not know their names.

Many hawkers did not know me. Only those hawkers from Ban Hin Taek could recognise me. But, Thai people were friendly. Whether you bought anything from them, they just smiled to you.

The market was on the sand ground. During that period, there was no rain. Hence, it was pleasure visiting the market.

Once I saw a hawker selling durian. Many people lined up to buy.
I stood there and observed. The hawker used a very sharp knife to chop open the durian liked chopping a coconut. It was different from the Singapore hawkers. The Singapore hawkers would use the knife to open the durian from the base.


03.09.2019