Heaps of South Asian traders set up shop in this small but bustling Little India, where everything from Bollywood movies to bindis is sold by enthusiastic small-time traders. The emphasis is on cloth, and Phahurat proffers boisterous Bollywood-coloured textiles, traditional Thai dance costumes, tiaras, sequins, wigs and other accessories to make you look like a cross-dresser, a mŏr lam (Thai country music) performer, or both. Amid the colour spectacle there are also good deals on machine-made Thai textiles and children’s clothes.

Behind the more obvious storefronts are winding alleys that criss-cross Khlong Ong Ang, where merchants grab a bite to eat or make travel arrangements for trips home – it’s a great area to just wander, stopping for masala chai or lassi as you go.