Tao Poon Market: Local Eats, Retro Ice Cream & Afternoon Food Stalls
Many of our visiting friends and family love exploring local markets when they travel, and Tao Poon Market (ตลาดเตาปูน) is one spot we recommend without hesitation. It is an established local community market that has been serving the neighborhood for over 50 years. The original structures and shophouses of Tao Poon Market—including the Manee Piman area—date back several decades as a historic trading hub tied to the area’s growth, which itself originated around Thailand’s first cement factory established in 1913.
Unlike traditional morning wet markets where the best window is at the break of dawn, midday through late afternoon is actually the ideal time to visit here!
Officially known as Manee Pimarn Market (ตลาดมณีพิมาน) and located right next to the MRT Tao Poon interchange station, this historic, mostly covered market features bustling sections for affordable fresh produce, textiles, shophouse eateries, and household goods. Most importantly, it hosts a vibrant local street food market operating from 3:30 PM to 8:00 PM (Monday to Saturday), serving delicious, authentically priced local dishes.
Having visited countless times over the years, we’ve built our own ritual of go-to stops. Here are two of our absolute favorites:
🍜 1. Traditional Thai Boat Noodles (8:00 AM – 6:00 PM)
(Guaytiao Ruea Rot Thai Sut Boran / ก๋วยเตี๋ยวเรือรสไทยสูตรโบราณ)
This humble shophouse serves deeply flavorful boat noodles with recipe from 1976, at just 50 THB per bowl, with your choice of beef or pork. You can easily customize your bowl to request specific cuts of meat or skip offal/organ meats entirely.
Don’t skip a side of their crispy fried dumplings (30 THB)—these are golden, crunchy dumpling skins (served without filling) that we always order as a side dish. As is typical at traditional noodle shops, you can adjust your broth at the table with condiments, including fermented red bean curd and fiery dried chili flakes!
🍨 2. Aor Prathin Ice Cream (9:30 AM – 7:00 PM)
(Opened since 1985)
After a warm bowl of noodles, head over to Aor Prathin Ice Cream (อ ประทิน ไอศครีม ตลาดเตาปูน), a beloved local staple that has been scooping homemade ice cream since 1985. The best part? The shop is fully air-conditioned, making it a wonderful cool-down stop!
- Prices: Incredibly budget-friendly at 25 to 30 THB per scoop (get 5 THB off when ordering 3 scoops!). Classic toppings are just 5 THB each, and you can upgrade to a waffle cone for +10 THB (fits 1–2 scoops). Takeaway tubs are also available if you want to bring some home.
- Our Regular Favorites: Coconut Milk (25 THB), Ruam Mitr (25 THB), Aromatic Coconut Sorbet (30 THB), and Rum Raisin (30 THB).
- New Flavors Tested: On our latest visit, we sampled the seasonal Santol Sherbet (30 THB) and Salted Caramel (30 THB)—both were fantastic!
- Dietary Note: Vegan/Jay flavors are clearly marked in yellow with the symbol “เจ”.
💡 Pro-Tip: Fair Weight Check Scale
Inside the covered market, you’ll find a public community weighing scale. If you ever feel like the fresh produce or fruits you bought might be short on weight, you can use this scale to double-check your purchase for peace of mind!
📍 Visiting Details & Getting There
- Location: Manee Pimarn Market / Tao Poon Market, Bang Sue, Bangkok
- 🚇 Nearest Transit: MRT Tao Poon (Exit 3) — Directly adjacent to the station exit!
- ⏰ General Market Hours: Open daily from 5:00 AM – 7:00 PM
- 🕒 Best Time to Visit: Midday to late afternoon (The evening street food market runs 3:30 PM – 8:00 PM, Monday to Saturday)
