Naka Weekend Market Phuket is the island’s biggest weekend night market, open on Saturdays and Sundays from 4:00 pm, with free entry, on the southern edge of Phuket Town near Central Festival. It is where Phuket’s locals, expats and visitors go on a weekend evening for cheap food, clothes and souvenirs.
Most beach markets in Phuket sell the same souvenirs to the same tourists. Naka is different in scale and in crowd: hundreds of fashion stalls, a huge food area at the entrance, a pet zone and live music, with as many Thai families as holidaymakers. This guide covers the opening hours, what to eat and buy, how to bargain, the best time to go and how to get there from the beaches.
At a Glance
- Where: Wirat Hong Yok Road, Phuket Town, about 2 minutes from Central Festival
- Open: Saturday and Sunday from 4:00 pm; weekday street food Monday to Friday, 4:00 pm to 9:00 pm (as of October 2026)
- Entry: Free
- From Patong: 15 km, about 25 minutes by taxi
- Best time: At 4:00 pm opening, before the after-sunset crowds
- Good for: Street food, cheap clothes, souvenirs, families
In This Guide
- What Naka Weekend Market Is
- Opening Hours and Entry
- Food and Drink
- Shopping: Fashion, Souvenirs and Bargaining
- The Pet Zone and Live Music
- Best Time to Visit Naka Weekend Market Phuket
- Getting There
- Naka vs the Phuket Old Town Sunday Market
- Is Naka Market Worth It?
- Where to Stay Near Naka Market
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Sources
What Naka Weekend Market Is
Naka Weekend Market (ตลาดนาคา) is a large covered and open-air night bazaar in the southern suburb of Phuket Town, on the road towards Wat Chalong. Some long-time visitors still know it by its old name, the Chaofa Variety Weekend Market (Naka Weekend Market).
The market is split into food, fashion, souvenirs and crafts, a pet zone and entertainment areas with bars and live music. By its own count there are over 200 food and drink stalls and over 500 fashion and accessories stalls, so plan on two to three hours if you want to see most of it.
Opening Hours and Entry
Naka Weekend Market opens every Saturday and Sunday at 4:00 pm, and entry is free (as of October 2026). The official visitor pages give the closing time as 10:00 pm (Naka Market: plan your visit), while the market’s 2026 event posts say 11:00 pm, so plan to finish your shopping by 10:00 pm to be safe.
| Part of the market (as of October 2026) | Days | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Weekend night market (all stalls) | Saturday and Sunday | 4:00 pm to 10:00 pm |
| Naka street food market | Monday to Friday | 4:00 pm to 9:00 pm |
On weekdays only the street food part is open, with over 48 food stalls; the fashion and market stalls are weekend only. If you want the full market experience, a Saturday or Sunday is the only option.
Food and Drink
Food is the main reason to go to Naka Market, and the food area is right at the entrance, so you reach it first (Naka Market food and drink). Expect grilled meat on sticks, spicy sausages, fishcakes, satay, grilled seafood, sushi, Thai curries, mango sticky rice, banana pancakes and fresh fruit shakes.
Most of the food and drink area is under cover, with tables to sit at, and a new Food Zone with more seating and improved walkways opened in May 2026. For something you will not find at home, try one of the deep-fried insect stalls.
Food and drink prices are fixed, so this is not the place to bargain. Bring cash in small notes for the stalls. For the dishes worth hunting down, see our guide to the best food in Phuket.
Shopping: Fashion, Souvenirs and Bargaining
Naka Market has hundreds of clothing and accessories stalls: jeans, dresses, sports clothing, shoes and trainers, bags, watches, perfumes and jewellery, and some of the shoes and bags are used rather than new. Look for the stalls of local designers among the mass-produced stock (Naka Market fashion and accessories).
The souvenir and craft stalls are spread across the market, with hand-crafted carvings, pottery, soaps and Thai-style home decorations, many of them hand-made in Phuket.
Bargaining is expected at the market stalls, and the official site encourages it. A friendly counter-offer and a smile work better than hard haggling, and walking on is fine if the price does not suit you. From June to October 2026, the market also ran a sale with 30–50% off selected fashion and souvenirs (Naka Market sale).
The Pet Zone and Live Music
The Naka Market pet zone sells pet supplies and pets from local breeders, from dogs and cats to parrots, lizards and snakes (Naka Market pet zone). Children usually love it; some visitors find the small cages hard to watch, so skip it if that will spoil your evening.
Live music runs through the evening at the entertainment areas on the edge of the market, next to bars and small restaurants where you can sit with a cold drink. The market has regular musicians, and it posts its bigger concerts on its What’s On page.
Best Time to Visit Naka Weekend Market Phuket
The best time to visit Naka Weekend Market in Phuket is at 4:00 pm, when it opens: it is less crowded and parking is easier. After sunset the crowds build quickly, and the busy aisles get slow, although the market is spread over a large area.
Phuket evenings stay hot and humid, so wear light clothes and bring insect repellent. Rain is less of a problem than you might think: most of the market is under cover, so a shower in the wet season rarely stops it. Our guide to the best time to visit Phuket explains the seasons.
- Arrive at 4:00 pm and eat first, before the queues.
- Bring cash in 20 to 100 baht notes for the food stalls.
- Carry a reusable bag for shopping and keep valuables in a front pocket in the crowds.
- Agree a meeting point at the entrance if your group splits up.
Getting There
Naka Market is on Wirat Hong Yok Road, about 3 km from central Phuket Town and a 2-minute drive from Central Festival, so a taxi or tuk-tuk is the easiest way to get there (Naka Market FAQs). Every driver on the island knows it, and taxis and tuk-tuks wait outside for the trip back.
| From | Distance | By taxi |
|---|---|---|
| Phuket Town | 3 km | About 5 minutes |
| Patong Beach | 15 km | About 25 minutes |
| Rawai Beach | 15 km | About 25 minutes |
| Kata Beach | 16 km | About 35 minutes |
| Surin Beach | 23 km | About 45 minutes |
| Bang Tao Beach | 24 km | About 45 minutes |
| Phuket Airport | 34 km | About 50 minutes |
If you drive, arrive at opening time, when parking is easier. Larger groups can book a minibus, and you can ask your driver to wait for you.
Naka vs the Phuket Old Town Sunday Market
Naka Weekend Market and the Sunday walking street market on Thalang Road in Phuket Old Town are two different markets. Naka is the big one: food, fashion, pets and music on Saturday and Sunday, in the southern suburb of Phuket Town rather than the old centre.
Choose Naka for shopping and a big choice of food; choose the Sunday market for the setting and local snacks. Naka is about 3 km from central Phuket Town, so on a Sunday you can combine Naka at 4:00 pm with an evening in the Old Town; our Phuket Old Town guide covers the walking street.
Is Naka Market Worth It?
Naka Weekend Market Phuket is worth it if you enjoy street food, browsing and a busy, local atmosphere: it is free, it is big, and it shows how Phuket spends its weekends. It is the best evening plan in Phuket Town on a Saturday.
Naka Market is not worth it if crowds and heat wear you out, or if you are after quality brands. From Bang Tao or Surin it is a 45-minute drive each way, so pair it with a day in Phuket Town or a visit to Wat Chalong, rather than making a special trip.
Where to Stay Near Naka Market
Staying near Phuket Town puts Naka Market a few minutes away, along with the Old Town’s cafés, the Sunday market and Wat Chalong, and a villa kitchen is a good excuse to carry home a bag of market fruit.
This is where we at Silqhaus come into the picture. Silqhaus, a Phuket and Pattaya holiday-rental company, has Niva Villa near Phuket Old Town, with a lake view, and Treva Villa near Phuket Town, with three bedrooms and a private pool. Every home is run by our own local team, who you can message directly from day one, and booking direct is at least 10% cheaper than the same home on Airbnb, Booking.com or Vrbo.
Frequently Asked Questions
What days is Naka Market open?
Naka Weekend Market is open on Saturdays and Sundays from 4:00 pm. On weekdays, Monday to Friday, only the Naka street food market is open, from 4:00 pm to 9:00 pm (as of October 2026).
What time does Naka Market close?
The official Naka Market visitor pages give 10:00 pm as the weekend closing time, while its 2026 event posts say 11:00 pm (as of October 2026). Plan to finish by 10:00 pm.
Is Naka Market free to enter?
Yes, entry to Naka Weekend Market in Phuket is free; you only pay for what you eat and buy.
How do I get to Naka Market from Patong?
Naka Market is 15 km from Patong Beach, about 25 minutes by taxi or tuk-tuk; every driver in Phuket knows it.
Can you bargain at Naka Market?
Yes, bargaining is expected at Naka Market’s clothing and souvenir stalls, but food and drink prices are fixed.
Naka Weekend Market is Phuket at its most ordinary and its most fun: a Saturday crowd, a bag of grilled snacks and a T-shirt you did not need. Go at opening time, bring cash and an appetite, and let the evening run from there.
