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Markets are where Thai food culture is easiest to see: piles of fresh herbs and chillies, sticky rice steamed in baskets, curry pastes sold by weight, and ready-made dishes packed in bags to take home.

This collection covers fresh and food markets worth visiting, from Bangkok's Or Tor Kor, known for top-quality produce, and the food zones of Chatuchak Weekend Market to Chiang Mai's Warorot Market and the Hua Hin Night Market. Each page gives the address, a map, the best time to go and the things to eat or buy.

Go early for fresh markets and in the evening for night markets, bring small notes and coins, and take a bag: many vendors now charge for plastic.

If you only have time for one, choose by what you want to do: Or Tor Kor for the best fresh produce and fruit in Bangkok, Chatuchak for a long weekend browse with street snacks, Warorot to see how Chiang Mai shops for northern ingredients, and Hua Hin's night market for seafood dinners by the sea.