Adjacent to Talat Warorot, Talat Ton Lam Yai morphs from a covered household market into an animated flower market (gàht dòrk mái), flanking the river on Th Praisani. Florists here are almost architects, assembling blooms and banana leaves into fantastically elaborate sculptures for festivals and home shrines.
The smell of jasmine floats along the passageways, and drivers stop outside day and night to purchase strings of miniature roses and jasmine blossoms to sweeten their cabs. Though the market is open 24/7, the bulk of its trade takes place after dark, away from the wilting daytime heat, and goes into overdrive for festivals such as Loi Krathong and the annual Flower Festival.
During the day Talat Ton Lam Yai also features fresh and wet market sections as well as indoor stalls in a multistorey building filled with Buddhist decorations, toys, dried goods and clothing.
