The Scented Colours Of Pak Klong Talat

The perfumed air gives notice of the visual feast to follow.

With its kaleidoscopic array of vibrant blooms, the Pak Klong Talat, is the largest wholesale fresh flower market in Bangkok.
Colourful flowers
It’s proximity to the temple of the reclining Buddha, and easy access from a river pier, makes it an ideal stop to be combined with a city itinerary. But I suspect very few tourists actually visit!
Lotus seller
Midnight or dawn is touted to be the ideal time to catch the buzz of activity surrounding the unloading of fresh arrivals and the ritual of early transactions.
Flowers
Flower Market
But we find the relative quiet of late afternoon very enjoyable, as the market readies for the evening retail custom with simple arrangements and temple offerings.
Flower Market
And as dusk approaches, we watch the warm light filtering through the overhead canopies, saturate the psychedelic contents of the plastic bins beneath.

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Madhu is an Interior designer turned travel blogger on a long sabbatical to explore the world. When not crafting stories on The Urge To Wander, she's probably Tweeting @theurgetowander or sharing special moments on instagram.com/theurgetowander

83 thoughts on “The Scented Colours Of Pak Klong Talat

    1. Glad you liked it 🙂 It was a riotous rainbow of colour! There is an amulet market nearby, that i would have loved to explore, but we ran out of time.

  1. Wow! what a feast of colours. What are the huge pink and white flowers?

    1. The ones in the main post are lotuses. The bunches in the gallery are button chrysanthemums if I am not mistaken.

  2. Psychedelic contents is a perfect description. The colors are so intense that it is hard to believe they are real. Flower and spice markets are full of eye candy and a trip for me isn’t complete without visiting one.

    1. Those saturated colours were truly amazing! And I agree with you about the appeal of markets, even more so in S E Asia 🙂

    1. Yes it does 🙂
      But frankly I didn’t think Bangkok was bad at all. Or perhaps that was just an Indian perspective!

  3. Wow!! Those flowers are truely breathtaking…I really love the little purple ones witht he green centers, they are fantastic, as well as all of the others. I’ve never even seen some of those, thank you for sharing! I hope I have the opportunity to visit and see some of those for myself, someday :]

  4. Wonderful. Scented colors, I can smell and taste it now. What a beautiful, colorful post.

  5. So vibrant and colorful! I love flowers and always try to visit flower markets when we travel. Thank you for sharing.
    Lena

  6. Perfect post for this month. 😉 I like the big pink flowers on the third picture. Looks like just folded napkin to me. hehe 😀

  7. Heavenly post! Love your photos! The colors are out of this world. I’m going to Bangkok in March for a quick overnight. Is this market daily or weekly? Would love to check it out. K.

  8. Gorgeous photos Madhu! I especially love the one of the man slicing betel nuts – you have a knack for capturing these kinds of details. 🙂 Sadly I’ve never made it past the airport at Suvarnabhumi… something I’ll have to rectify in the near future!

  9. Madhu, we’ve been to Bangkok numerous times, and have yet to make it to this fantastic market. Such a lovely, gentle contrast from Bangkok’s more bustling, gritty corners.

  10. The colours in your images really gave me warmth! Here in Sweden we have (again/still) very greyish, monochrome and cold weather, and I’m sick about it….
    Longing for the sun and spring to come, your beautiful images was perfect, thank you!! 🙂

  11. THIS is an orgy of brilliance! What colors… what magnificence… like walking thru a Gauguin dream! Fly away… to another place, more colors….

  12. What an amazing kaleidoscope of colors! I believe we have decided upon a Southeast Asia vacation for next winter. I will be scouring your blog Madhu for ideas. 🙂

  13. What a wonderful post to enjoy after coming in from the gray and cold and snow!
    The colors lift my heart, and I can almost enjoy the scented air itself. Thanks, Madhu.

  14. I haven’t had time to comment on many posts these days, and now I’m playing catch-up! I love your floral display and wonder if the scent was as beautiful as the flowers.

    Elisa

  15. This is crazy colorful, Madhu, and such an uplifting visual feast. 🙂 Though I live in Southeast Asia, some of the flowers here are unfamiliar to me. Your post just inspired me to pay a visit to our local flower market this weekend and check out their offerings.

  16. How absolutely spectacular, Madhu! I was busy trying to identify things, but not a hope- they don’t exist in my world.
    Amazing clarity in the header. I’d better come with you to photography classes- they’re definitely working!

  17. Going through all posts in reverse chronological order… As much as I like the colourful mosaics of Antonio Gaudi, I like the natural mosaic better! 🙂

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