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AirAsia is an established LCC that started in 2001 with only two planes under the leadership of current CEO Tony Fernandes, and has now expanded to almost all parts of Asia, as well as to regions outside Asia such as Hawaii, with a fleet of over 200 planes. Today, it boasts one of the world's largest networks, serving more than 130 destinations in more than 26 countries. It has won the "World's Best Low-cost Airline ( World's Best LCC )" award announced annually by Skytrax for nine consecutive years since 2009, and promises comfortable air travel with top-class safety and service among LCCs in various countries. With three direct flights a day from Tokyo (Narita) to Bangkok, it is the best choice for a weekend bullet vintage handing tour.

Thailand's vintage scene is said to be greatly influenced by its neighbor, Cambodia. Once exhausted by the Vietnam War and the Pol Pot genocide, Cambodia still receives enormous amounts of relief supplies from Europe and the United States, and it is said that the country developed as Thai connoisseurs picked only the best treasures from among the goods. The secondhand clothes purchased in the border town of Aranyaprathet are sent to countries around the world through various routes, and Chatuchak is said to be the most important base in the country.

However, Thailand is a country of everlasting summer. Short-sleeved shorts are the norm, and demand in the vintage market differs greatly from that in Japan. Popularity is concentrated on the seasonal royal items such as jeans, printed T-shirts, and Native American clothes, while heavy clothes such as knitwear and down jackets are naturally not so popular. If you are looking for bargains, it is best to start with winter items. The most common landmarks are section numbers and the number Soi, which means "alley. The area is huge, so be careful not to get lost or suffer from heatstroke.

Around Sec.16 Soi24. It seems that the US military is so popular in Thailand that there is a military specialty street in the old town. Especially in the vintage section, there were many items such as jungle fatigues and BDUs from the 60's and after the Vietnam War and before the Afghan War.

Left: Around Sec.16 Soi24. 70s jungle fatigues, commonly known as brown leaves, developed by the U.S. Army's Engineering Research and Development Laboratory (ERDL). 780THB. Right: Gore-Tex parka with ECWCS layering system developed in the 80s, found at a very low price only for winter wear. 450THB.

Everything from the 70's to the recent years is priced at 40 THB. There are also a number of staples familiar to vintage clothing lovers, such as "Beefy" from Haines and "Fruit of the Loom" from Fruit of the Loom.

Among the many brands, "Champion" is treated differently. Left: 70s football shirt with the old Trico tag, also known as a bar tag. 1150THB. Right: An orthodox piece with a three-tiered print on a wooden gray body. 650THB. 650THB in 80s with trico tag.

Around Sec.6 Soi60/3. As rumored, I saw many snap-type western shirts in Bangkok. Among them, poly-blend ones from the 60s and 70s were the main ones. From left to right: Levi's, Montgomery Ward, Sears, and H Bar C. 380 THB each.

Sec.6 US-made "All Star" by "Converse" found around Soi 60/3. Unearthed at a treasured price as in Japan. Vintage 3500THB, monochrome camouflage pattern from the 90's. Not so common in Japan these days.

This urban night market is held in the area around the parking lot further north on the main street along the park facing Chatuchak Weekend Market. As you can see from the neon sign, it is one of the few night markets that promote vintage goods, but the vintage items you are looking for are mostly concentrated in the northern corner near the entrance, and the rest are mainly food and drink stalls and general merchandise stores.

Compared to the Weekend Market, there are far fewer stores, but the quality of items is higher. There are many items to see, including denim, Hawaiian shirts, bandanas, old BMXs, and parts. On weekends, local bands perform, so it is recommended to visit the Weekend Market during the daytime and this market in the evening with a beer in hand.

At the bicycle stores lining the vintage area, one can find original frames made in 1982 by "Redline" and many dead stock parts from Japanese brands such as "Tange," "Nitto," and "Sugino. Prices are slightly higher than in Japan.

One local trend to keep in mind over the past few years is short-sleeved patterned shirts such as Hawaiian. The box silhouette + open collar type was especially popular, and it was really common to see both men and women wearing patterned shirts and damaged jeans. Here, we mainly carried shirts from the 1980s onward. The photo shows Gap and Old Navy, each priced at 200THB.

Various wool shirts from Pendleton. Left: Standard board shirt. This standard boat shirt has a boxy silhouette that tie locals seem to like. Right: Guide shirt with buttoned flap pockets on both chests. Wool melton shirts are a little hot, but the price is low. Both shirts are priced at 800THB.

Vintage bandanas, including the famous "Elephant Brand," which is widely known among vintage clothing fans, have shown signs of rising in price in recent years, and for some reason we found many in red. 400THB～

There were piles of denim here and there, but vintage denim was almost non-existent, and most of them were regular denim. The Levi's "501" red ear jeans I found in the midst of all this were very affordable, reminiscent of the 90s in Japan. 2000THB.

Talat means market and Lot Fai means railroad. The market, which used to be a garage of the Thai National Railways, was split into two. One was relocated to Ratchadaw in the city center and the other to the eastern suburb of Si Nakhalin.

The most distinctive feature of this shop is that a collector's mall is located on the west side of the shop, past the common stall area. Here, visitors can see a wide range of vintage products, from Harley-Davidson and Vespa motorcycles to neon tubes, industrial furniture, and other non-clothing items. While the scale of this shop is almost equal to that of JJ, the selection is more maniacal. There were also a few outdoor apparel items such as Patagonia, which were not seen in Bangkok.

We found many rare Champion T-shirts from the 70s to the 90s, such as seep prints, ringer prints, double-sided prints, and those without chest logo, commonly known as "eye-less" T-shirts. The condition is good, and the prices start at 1500THB, which is quite reasonable.

Left: A rare model from the 70's with a flocky print of the iconic sheep of the outdoor brand "Woolrich" on the body made by "Champion". 2000THB. Right: Also from "Champion". The "red moku," as it is commonly called, was found in a color heather, which is rarely seen in recent years. A good model with a further soaked print. 2000THB.

Left: Reversible Snap T Glissade Pullover with Synchilla Pile and Nylon Shell from Patagonia, a famous outdoor apparel company. 1500THB Right: Bi-color with Kangaroo Pocket. Right: 80s model of "Woolrich" pullover with kangaroo pockets. 850THB.

The soaring price of American-made "Converse" is one of the indispensable topics when discussing market trends in Thailand. The popularity of "Jack Purcell" shoes in particular can be seen from the fact that even used pairs are priced at 9,000 THB, and good-sized deadstock pairs are priced at 19,000 THB.

One of the new trends that came to light during our undercover visit was the high demand for so-called "baker pants," which start at 800 THB and have yet to soar in price, but we saw many people wearing them, including cutoffs, in various places.

Bangkok used to be known for its street food stalls. However, for reasons of order and hygiene, the authorities banned food stalls from major roads in the city last spring, and the main stalls have all been closed. However, some of the popular restaurants have moved to food courts in large malls, and the taste of the common people has been well preserved. One of the most popular places for both locals and tourists is the food court located on the 6th floor of MBK ), also known as MBK (, a large mall directly connected to the National Stadium BTS station. Traditional Thai street food such as gapao, khao mangai, and bammy naam can be enjoyed at street prices ranging from 40 to 80 THB across the board, and they are extremely tasty! Enjoying the most cost-effective street food at a clean and air-conditioned food court is the lunch style of today's Bangkok locals.

Located just a minute walk from Kamphaengphet MRT station, Autor Koh Market is a high-end market run by the Thai agricultural cooperative (=Autor Koh ). The market is popular among celebrities and expatriate madams in Bangkok because it gathers together only the best produce from all over Thailand, including fruits, vegetables, meat, fish, dry goods, and more. A food court is permanently set up on the premises where visitors can enjoy Issan cuisine from northeastern Thailand at a reasonable price.

Located at Siam Square Soi 7 near Siam BTS station, Mango Tango is a very popular mango sweets store widely known not only among Bangkok locals but also tourists. The shop offers a wide variety of mango sweets, including mango pudding, mango sorbet, and more, for both eat-in and take-out customers to enjoy regardless of the season. It is not unusual to wait in line for over an hour on weekend afternoons, so aim for weekday mornings and just before closing time.

The fresh-squeezed juice street stalls that used to be seen everywhere in Bangkok seem to be guerrilla operations only during the daytime these days, even in alleys one street off the main road and along the main boulevards. However, you can always find them at open-air markets and night markets such as Chatuchak Weekend Market, so if you see one, pomegranate juice should be your first choice instead of orange juice. 50THB is not cheap, but you get one and a half whole pomegranate squeezed into one bottle, which is definitely a better deal than buying the fruit. It is a great value for money. It is rich in vitamins C and B and is also good for skin and whitening.

Bangkok is famous as a city of immigrants and is one of the most globalized cities in Asia, with Chinatown and Little India in the Old City. Roti", an Indian sweet that reminds one of crepes, is made by stretching a firm and elastic dough with brilliant handiwork, frying it with a large amount of butter, and sandwiching bananas, condensed milk, and pomegranate as you like. It is not only extremely inexpensive at 20 THB, but also addictively delicious. However, roti stalls are as rare as metal slimes in Dracula, so if you find one, buy it immediately and be sure to remember where the stall is located.

AirAsia has increased the number of flights from Tokyo (Narita) to three per day, making it easy to travel to Bangkok and the rest of vibrant Asia as if you were flying domestically. A weekend trip to the Chatuchak Weekend Market in Bangkok, a snorkeling trip to Penang Island in Malaysia, and a stopover in Hanoi on your way back to Vietnam for a delicious bowl of pho are just a few of the options available with AirAsia's affordable flights. With the advent of LCCs, Asian countries have become much closer. This summer, enjoy a tour of Bangkok and the rest of Asia with AirAsia.