JULY 3, 2000 VOL. 155 NO. 26

Detour
By JENNIFER GAMPELL

TRAVEL WATCH Leap Bangkok's Traffic With a Single Bound Bangkok's legendary traffic jams are of such epic proportions that they drive the average tourist from the capital in about two days Detour Skip the over-touristed early morning Floating Market and satisfy your floral and vegetal needs by heading to where Bangkok's merchants shop Short Cuts Take a trip to Dan Sai town in Loei province for some traditional revelry Hot Spot Your stomach will agree that this part of town is a victory of substance over style Upcoming Golf fans will be able to get a glimpse of Tiger Woods

In capital cities throughout the world, rising property values and gentrification have driven picturesque, centuries-old produce markets out into the burbs. Eliza Doolittle's descendants haven't sold flowers in Covent Garden since 1969; Paris bid adieu to Les Halles in 1974. In Bangkok, however, tradition lives on. For more than 40 years, the bustling Pak Klong Talaad has been wholesaling the city's freshest and cheapest cut flowers, vegetables and fruit.

Skip the over-touristed early morning Floating Market and satisfy your floral and vegetal needs--or just your curiosity--by heading to where Bangkok's merchants shop. The riverside godowns and shophouse-lined streets near the Chao Phraya River at Memorial Bridge never sleep (the liveliest times are between midnight and dawn). Along one side of the main street, bunches of gorgeous--yet strangely odorless--baby roses vie for sidewalk space with sprays of multicolored orchids, lotus blossoms and statuesque birds-of-paradise stalks. You can walk away with an armful of flowers for as little as 50¢. On the opposite side of the road, lightning-fingered vendors transform sweet-smelling jasmine and marigold buds into the intricate garlands used as Buddhist offerings, while food sellers serve up tasty Thai snacks and cups of sweet tea and coffee.

A wander through the cavernous wooden warehouses offers a fascinating window onto horticulture (admit it, you probably can't distinguish galongal from ginger root) and Thai life in general. Many vendors have turned their stalls into makeshift living spaces, complete with reliquaries and TV sets. When not picking through pecks of chili peppers, they can often be found snoozing on plastic chaise longues, waiting to peddle their fragrant goods.