Amulet Market, Bangkok
Bangkok's amulet market. Photo by Roel Meurders.
Bangkok's amulet market. Photo by Roel Meurders.
Baskets of amulets. Photo by Roel Meurders.
Arhat figurines. Photo by Roel Meurders.
Adjacent to Wat Mahathat, between Maharat Road and the river, is Bangkok's biggest amulet market, where a fantastic array of religious amulets, charms, talismans, and traditional medicine is sold.
Each Sunday, hundreds of the faithful squat on the ground studying tiny images of the Buddha with magnifying glasses, hoping to find one that will bring good fortune or ward off evil.
Each amulet brings a specific kind of luck — to get the girl, to pass your exams, to keep bugs out of your rice stock, or to ward off your mother-in-law.
The newer amulet market is part of Wat Ratchanada, off the intersection of Mahachai Road and Ratchadamnoen Klang Road, across from the Golden Mount at Wat Saket.
Map
Below is a location map and aerial view of Bangkok's main amulet market. Using the buttons on the left, zoom in for a closer look or zoom out to get your bearings. Click and drag the map to move around. For a larger view, see our Bangkok Map or get our free Google Earth download.
