Khlong Lot Market of Bangkok, Thailand

"I've got to get some money. Fast."

Black-marketing is Anton's profession. A middle-aged German who thought the gates to paradise could be opened with a few well-placed connections and a load of contraband, he realized he was now in a bind. Second-hand Levi's are what he runs, usually without a hitch. But this time something went wrong. Two of his four bags were confiscated at Don Muang Airport the night before.

He knew that someone else would end up making a killing by selling them on Thailand's thriving black-market. He knew he'd never get the merchandise back unless he could quickly come up with a big enough stack of bills to appease the authorities. He also knew where he had to go.

"I hear there is a market right here in Bang Lam Phoo that sells a lot of used Levis," The wishful entrepreneur said with a slight accent. "I've got to turn a profit big time and I think I can do it there."

Khlong Lot Night Market has a reputation as an outlaw's outlet. Smugglers from all over the planet blow through Bangkok just long enough to try their hand at Thailand's lucrative black-market. Americans, Europeans, and Asians all make regular stops. Some are small-time dealers that just try to make enough to cover their traveling costs. Others, especially the Asian dealers, are making a career out of it.

Despite the fact that Khlong Lot Night Market is infamous among modern-day bootleggers, you would be hard pressed to find any expatriates that know of it. The crowd that comes to browse over the second-hand jeans and numerous other items here is almost exclusively Thai. In spite of the market's prime location along Khlong Lot Canal between the Royal Hotel and Sanam Luang, only a stone's throw away from the Bang Lam Phoo area, it's difficult to find a western face among the shoppers.

"No, not many farang come here," claims a teenager decked out in a black tee-shirt with the logo of an American heavy-metal band splashed across the front.

"Mostly they (the customers) are teenagers who are interested in heavy-style clothes, ripped jeans and tee-shirts."

Anton opens up his bag a few inches and the Thai buyers anxiously peer at the contents. They decide that this sample of merchandise shows promise and agree to meet the next afternoon at the guest house Anton is staying at. All around them a bee-hive of activity is taking place. Buyers rummage through piles of jeans that are waist high as the proprietors keep one eye on their stock and the other on any potential customers who might amble by.

"Hey! You! You American? I got American jeans! Come see, come see." The salesman's voice pierces the din of the crowd as he starts to swing 'Old Glory' madly in the air. After nearly hitting the heads of a couple standing nearby, he decides to take 3 his friends advice and retreat back to his usual place behind a rack of jeans.

The reason that used jeans, especially Levi's, are so heavily touted here is because they can make a tidy sum for those that deal them. The merchants pay between 600 and 1400 baht for jeans that are over 20 years old. 'Red seams' and 'Big Es', not produced since the early 70s, are their bread and butter. They sell them here from 800 to 1800 baht a pair. A nice profit considering how low their costs are. Another reason is that there isn't much interference from the authorities.

You probably won't be too surprised to learn that Khlong Lot Night Market is actually an illegal market, which helps keep the prices low and the number of merchants high. But, like so many other things that have been outlawed in Thailand, enforcement is not always a top priority.

"licence?" a used-jeans seller laughed out. "No, we don't have a licence to sell. Nobody here has one," the merchant, a man in his late teens claimed as his arm swept an arc while pointing towards his fellow merchants.

"Things are very cheap and easy," he continued. "We come here at about six in the evening and start to set up. Then a liaison comes and collects some money. Then we're set."

"The amount you pay depends on how big your space is. My area is only four square meters, so I pay forty baht," he says with a smile.

"Occasionally the police have to come here and act like they are arresting people and cleaning things up," a young attendant at the make-shift parking lot to the side of the Royal Hotel explains.

"It's not serious, though. After the police leave everybody comes out and sells again. The only day that the market is closed is on Wednesdays, and that's because it's street-cleaning day," he assures.

A stroll up and down the banks of Khlong Lot provides a feast for the eyes. The bright colors of made-in-Thailand 'designer' clothes are to be found next to the light blue hues of faded denim, both real and imitation. The logos of football teams and American beers jump out at you from off the fronts of 'imported' hats. Shoes of every description are sprawled out on the sidewalks for all to admire.

Some of the products here are exclusive to this market, while others are of the more common persuasion. Hand-made Guitars from Ratchburi province, for example, are sold only here. Samurai swords appear to be another hard-to-find item which can be had here. Ran out of luck in your search for a Coca-Cola or Mig 29 Fighting Fulcrum patch? This is the place to get them.

One thing that makes this market different from others is the prominence of second-hand items. Normally, Thais are reluctant to purchase used goods due to a stigma of being low-class. But here that reluctance is put on hold. Second-hand is now trendy, and in today's world, fashion is far more powerful than class boundaries.

The merchants at Khlong Lot Night Market are different from most of the other street-market sellers in the capitol. For the most part,those who trade here do so exclusively, while at most 3 other venues the owners sell at one place during the day, another at night, and yet another on weekends. Another thing that distinguishes this market from others is the relaxed atmosphere that the merchants have. Most are young, either just out of school or still enrolled. They bring their acoustic guitars and fill the time between sales with renditions of the latest hits. Others seem to spend more time admiring one another's motorcycles than actually getting down to any serious commerce. Sino-Thai merchants, who have a large presence in almost every market throughout the country, are conspicuously absent from this one.

Anton eventually got his goods back from the authorities with a 'minimum of hassle.' However, he decided that next time he would try the more traditional black-markets of Japan and Taiwan. As far as a possible shortage of smuggled jeans goes, it doesn't look likely. Their are many others more than willing to take the risks to take his place.

Khlong Lot Night Market is located along the sides of Khlong Lot Canal, just south of Ratchadamnoen Klang Ave to the east of Sanam Luang. Selling begins at around 8:00 pm and continues until around 2:00 am. The only time it is closed is on Wednesdays, or when it rains.