Banzaan Market in Phuket

Banzaan Market is the brainchild of a well-known Phuket family that sought to offer shoppers an alternative experience to visiting a typical local market. The word banzaan means 'fresh market' in Hokkien, a Chinese dialect popular among Chinese communities throughout Southeast Asia, including the Chinese-Thai community in Phuket.

Highlights of Banzaan Market in Phuket

Banzaan Market occupies a large building that was designed by Chinese and western architects and features contemporary décor and style (they even have escalators!). Goods are displayed in an attractive and clean manner, allowing you to shop in style and comfort.

Once inside, you'll notice specific sections for meat, seafood, vegetables, flowers, Thai sweets and dried goods, as well as a selection of bizarre-looking but delicious fruits. All are very neatly presented, which makes for nice photos. Don’t miss a chance to sample some fresh exotic drinks such as sugarcane, coconut and guava juice. If you don’t feel like heading to a restaurant for lunch or dinner, have a look through the vast selection of ready-to-eat meals.

Good to know about Banzaan Market

The big upstairs food court at Banzaan Market has a comfortable and clean dining space with quick service. The menu consists mainly of Thai food, and lunch here will probably cost you around 150 baht. You can buy seafood from the (rather smelly) fish section downstairs and the chefs in the food court will prepare it for you, so you'll know for certain that it's fresh. There are many small kiosks selling clothes, shoes, children’s toys, gifts, artificial orchids and other types of flowers.

An important building at Banzaan is a small but attractive Chinese shrine called Hok Siean Tua, which is located at the front of the market. Founded in January 2011, it's a popular spiritual centre for many Patong residents, especially during the annual Vegetarian Festival. Overall, Banzaan Market comes across as a friendly neighbourhood market in Phuket.

Open: Daily from 6am to 9pm