Talat Sao Market in Vientiane, Laos
Talat Sao market opens at 7:00 am, stays open until around 4:00 pm daily, and is full of locals and tourists.
Another landmark of this busy morning market is the Vientiane main post office just in the Morning Market.
Talat Sao Market in Vientiane
Getting to this morning market is pretty simple; you can walk there if you stay in town. It would take about 10 to 15 minutes to walk here from the central fountain in the city.
The morning market has recently added a 4-story shopping centre connecting to the main Talat Sao market, which should be completed by 2009.
One of Vientiane’s modern structures will cater to the many locals and tourists to the area and add to Vientiane’s modernization.
The morning market consists of many small local shops and restaurants; you will find vegetable vendors outside.
Inside Talat Sao are shops selling gold, jewellery, silk and clothing (modern and traditional), wooden crafts, musical instruments, electronics, appliances, housewares, CDs and DVDs/VCDs and general grocery items.
Talat Sao Bazaar
The entire Talat Sao bazaar is split into various sections and is connected to the new mall section. Most of the interesting items are in the old wing of the building where you will find two floors of shopping.
The lower floor caters to handicrafts, fabrics, antiques and general items. In contrast, the upper floor is filled with goldsmith shops, jewellers, silver sellers and bags, clothes and shoes, an excellent place for souvenirs.
While exploring Talat Sao, there was an outdoor area where most locals go to. Looking like a local and yet tourist, I decided to explore this area. I noticed that there were a lot of goldsmiths here.
These local goldsmiths are lined up in a row in small make shift stalls and counters. Sadly, all the signage was in Lao, so I assume they were melting, repairing or designing gold rings, chains and bracelets.
As you walk the outdoor area of Talat Sao, you will also see many small shops selling VCD or DVD movies and music CDs.
Mind you that these are all in Lao, catering to the locals. So try something other than looking for the Beatle’s greatest hits there.
Several eateries are run down, so if you are up to trying the local food, go ahead if you have an iron stomach.
The outdoor area of Talat Sao will end at one point, and you need to go indoors. Here you will see rows and rows of stalls and shops selling various items.
I passed one row that sold general electrical household items like television sets, mixers, toasters, fans, and works.
Just the opposite, I saw vendors selling silverware. There were various silver bracelets, necklaces, belts, earrings and even silver containers. If you are a silver lover, this would be a fantastic place to buy some of them.
The Lao silver sold at small stalls is mostly 30% to 70% silver hence the low prices.
Another outdoor stall was selling all kinds of snake whiskeys and snake wines in various-sized bottles. Some are as small as a perfume bottle.
Some of the combinations include snakes, scorpions, geckos and centipedes. I still wonder how they get the critters into the tiny little bottles.
The prices of these snake wines and whiskey are low. The small ones go for as low as US$2.00 per bottle, while the medium ones are about US$5.00.
For the larger ones, expect to pay around US$8 to $15 depending on the size and type of snake or critter inside the wine.
Walking around the old section of the morning market, you will see many traditional Lao Sinh ladies’ costumes for sale. Some are well made and may cost a bit due to the fabrics and materials used.
However, I hardly saw any tourists buying them when I explored this place, and more locals seemed to be buying these Sinh dresses instead.
Other items of interest include Lao Silk Scarves, Lao cushion covers, traditional Lao bags and even Lao-designed bed comforters.
If you are in Vientiane, Talat Sao would be a great place to do your souvenir shopping and some bargaining.
The gold, silver and gems are found on the first floor of the old wing at Talat Sao. Rows and rows of jewellers will be found here with various gemstones. Primarily locals are seen here, but when
Several tourists were buying them too, not the gold but more silver. I got a bracelet for my mum, an 18-karat gold bracelet with synthetic rubies all around.
The price? A staggering US$15.00 after 30 minutes of haggling with the lady.
If you have no clue about gold, silver or gems, I suggest you get professional advice if you shop here.
Generally, most of the items here are synthetic and non-pure. Silvers are about 30% to 80% pure.
Gold generally looks lighter than standard gold; of course, the purity is less at most shops. Sellers will convince you they are pure, and so on, but then again, be aware. Again, seek professional advice if you are out to buy gold and gems.
Now, if you venture into the new building or the shopping mall, you will be amazed to see how fast Laos is developing. Mobile phone shops, play stations, electrical and other modern items are here.
One good shop I found was a Music Shop in the mall. The prices were crazy low, and they were also selling DVDs. I went straight for some of the box-set music CDs. I must have bought at least 10 double CD sets.
They are all counterfeit CDs from China that were imported into Laos. Then again, you never know what you might find at this music shop like I did.
Update 2017 – The area has a shopping mall, and CDs have been replaced with DVDs.
Things to Buy in Talat Sao Morning Market
There are many exciting things to buy at the Talat Sao morning market, depending on what you want to look for.
For tourists visiting here, they will go for the commercial items, and they include;
- T-Shirts
- Jewellery
- Antiques
- Traditional Lao Bags
- Silk Scarves
- Cushion Covers
- Snake Wines or Whiskeys (if your country permits it)
Tips for the Morning Market
Like any other local market, there are always things that can make your experience a much better one. You need local tips to assist you when you visit the market.
- Bargain, when possible; Lao people are very nice.
- The old market area can get hot and humid, so dress comfortably.
- You can spend around 3 to 4 hours here if you like markets.
- Restaurants in the mall area are clean and good food is available.
- A cafe is open in the mall area serving good coffee.
Things to watch out for
Again, just like any market worldwide, there are also things that you should look out for or be cautious about when buying local items from them.
- Fake gems in the jewellery section
- Low-quality gold and silver
- Fake antique French-era coins
- Pirated DVDs and CDs of popular English movies and singers/bands. (They look 100% real)
- If you buy DVD movies, they come with Lao subtitles or are dubbed in the Lao language.
How To Go To Talat Sao Morning Market
You may want to know how to get to the Talat Sao morning market for those travelling solo, and the best way is by walking or taking a tuk-tuk.
- Walking is possible from the town centre, about a 10 to 15 mins walk.
- Alternatively, you can take a taxi or tuk-tuk. Cheap, about US$1 to $3
- Address: Lane Xang Ave. at Khu Vieng St., Vientiane
General Lao information
- Visitors must pay US$35 cash and supply a passport-size photo to receive a visa upon arrival in Laos. The departure tax is US$10.00.
The best part about roaming around Vientiane city is seeing how natural and beautiful a small town without modernization works.
Even though technology is creeping in, many people still take like easy over there. And the best way to enjoy this is by visiting the Talat Sao Market in Vientiane, Laos.
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