Flipped Out for a Candy Bar

The Secret Market comes through

For the past 4-5 years, I’ve been using a trusty Samsung flip phone as my daily Bangkok carry.  I have a Thai telephone number and the phone has always been a quick and convenient way for colleagues to get in touch.  The phone always worked well and was clearly a relic of another age of mobile phones.  Against the backdrop of millions of smartphones, my phone seemed kind of retro cool.  The other day, it finally died.  The back of the phone fell off totally, along with the battery.  It had fallen off a number of times in the past, but I had taped the back on, but found that in the Bangkok heat, the tape became gooey and stuck to my hands.  That was annoying.  Anyway, the tape decided to finally give way.  The ultimate nail in the proverbial coffin came when the top part of the flip broke off from the bottom part.  That ended the life of my much loved flip phone.

I needed a new phone.  But I didn’t want or need a fancy smartphone. I also didn’t want to spend a whole lot either.  So I decided to walk over to one of my favourite places – the Secret Market – to get a bargain.  I have written a lot about this market over the years.  The latest entry was back in May and there was an earlier one in December 2014 as well as many before that.  The Secret Market, shown in the many photos above, is hidden in a maze of streets near one of Bangkok’s largest thoroughfares.  Tourists rarely venture there, as the market is almost invisible.  But it’s huge and everything from food, to clothes to haircuts to everything you can think of is sold there.  So are phones.

I walked over to the market, which is about 15 minutes from my place, to see if I could get a phone.  Flip phones don’t seem to be sold anymore, but I did immediately find a Samsung phone, which I think used to be referred to as a candy bar phone.  It uses the same battery that my flip phone used, so I could have a spare and it basically has the same screen, so I bought it.  I didn’t haggle, which is what you’re supposed to do in these markets.  At $15 dollars, I thought the phone seemed like a good deal.  It even has flashlight and an FM radio built in, so I can listen to Thai language traffic reports. Fortunately I don’t drive and since my Thai is hopeless, I guess the FM radio will go unused.  The flashlight could be marginally useful though.

The Secret Market came through again.  It looked and felt as wonderful as always.  I still worry that it will disappear, because of the encroaching number of new condos being built.  But I will keep my hopes up, as will I’m sure, the vendors and buyers who have used this market for many years.

My new phone works great.  It should because it’s just like my old phone, except without the flip.  But for $15 I don’t mind flipping out for a candy bar.