Market Friday: Bangrak market has been modernised.

Robinson mall in New Road used to have a small flea market and a very cheap food court at the back of the mall. But the old market had been under a big renovation for several months. I had stumbled on the newly renovated market recently and I was very impressed with those changes.

The old dark decor has been transformed into very clean modern decor of black and white interspersed with bright red partitions and some iconic wall paintings. The big hall looked very spacious with high ceiling and large fans for better air flows. It actually felt quite pleasant without air conditioning.

The old metallic tables were replaced by wooden tables in lighter colour. The old style of fluorescent tubes were replaced by modern lightings and spot lights in places. The vendors’ stalls have been much improved with new counters and much cleaner look. This made the street food stalls very attractive and more lively.

I used to try the cheap fast food here years ago; the price was very cheap but the seating area looked dark and dingy. Now the sweet stall looked so nice and attractive, just like those expensive ones in luxurious malls. The choices of food were just amazing with affordable prices for ordinary people. I saw some tourists from the nearby Shangrila Hotel enjoyed cheap street food in this renovated Bangrak marketplace.

My old favourite coffee shop at the corner has been replaced by a new owner. This new cafe had cocktails and alcoholic drinks on the menu. The old coffee shop’s owner was a kind young man who loved coffee so much that he started his own coffee shop with home made snacks to take away.

I guessed he went out of business during the long lockdown and couldn’t afford extra investment of a new shop. He made really good coffee and I used to bring my rich friend to taste the coffee there a few years ago. I hoped he could follow his dream career one day.

I thought this renovated market place would be taking tourists away from expensive restaurants in hotels around this area. Small snack shops and cafes could be found in front of the flea market. Nice lightings made the place very chic and lively in the evening. I spotted some Chinese snack shop and Japanese snacks for taking home. The good news came as more Chinese charter flights would be coming to Thailand during the long holidays. So, I hoped these vendors would smile more and businesses would pick up steam soon.

The middle section of the market hall was divided into small shops selling cheap clothes and fashion goods at reasonable prices. This became a more upmarket flea market in bright and lively interior design. The renovation of the old market place was very successful in terms of completely modern transformation which could compete with high end shopping malls but at a much lower prices.

I guessed that using big fans instead of central air conditioning system had cut a huge cost for electricity bills. So, the rent wouldn’t be too high which made the prices of food still very reasonable and affordable.

I couldn’t find the two astrology stalls which used to hide away in a dark corner of the old market. The ambience of these two woo-woo stalls was quite haunting with lots of paraphernalia and quaint decors. I was thinking of setting up a tarot card reading stall if I became really hard up and needed some income for survival. I used to be quite good with tarot readings years ago. But I gave it up and gave away my two stacks of tarot cards as I could feel unsettling energy whenever I did several readings for friends.

I could perhaps do crystal healing as I had taken courses on this topic; but the catch was that I had to experience people’s negative energies. So, that became off limit for me too. The cost of the exchanges of energies became too costly and money couldn’t buy positive energy either. There’s no such thing as free lunch, the opportunity cost could be too costly to be estimated sometimes.

So, I’d better be back at my desk writing my post and keeping my blog going as long as I could. This is much safer and more manageable during hectic phase of my life. I just have to persevere and go out to open my eyes and mind to perceive changes in my society so I could learn something new and get some foods for thoughts. I would be going back to have some fast food and coffee at the new Bangrak market in the near future.

Wishing you peace, good health and prosperity.

Stay strong and cheerful.

#marketfriday hosted by @dswigle.