Aquarium plants shop (not Chatuchak)?

honestly skip Chatuchak, you're not missing much for plants anyway. Try the shop inside The Mall Bangkapi on the 4th floor near the pet zone, they've had marimo balls consistently for like 60-80 baht each. there's also a small aquarium shop on Ramkhamhaeng Soi 24, it's tucked in a soi but they order stuff in if you ask, might take a week tho.

fwiw i've had good luck with a Facebook page called "BKK Aquatic Plants" they deliver for like 40 baht anywhere in the city. just send them a line message, they reply in thai but google translate works fine.

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the aquarium section at Mega Bangna has a small planted tank corner, ground floor near the Index end. last time i checked they had marimo in a little glass bowl setup, think it was 70ish baht. bit of a trek from the northeast side but the mall is aircon and there's parking, so it beats sweating through Chatuchak.

for what it's worth, buying marimo in person is worth it just so you can check the ball is actually round and tight. the shopee ones sometimes show up as loose clumps that never really form a proper sphere.

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Bangkok's water is the real issue with marimo here, not the shop. They like it cool and clean, and our tap water comes out warm and hard, so they brown out fast unless you use RO or rain water and keep them out of direct sun. For the northeast side, try the aquarium stalls inside Klong Thom weekend market on Soi Itsaranuphap, a couple of vendors there keep marimo in chilled tubs, usually 40 to 60 baht. If you want a proper shop, Aqua Lab on Pradit Manutham orders them in, just call ahead since stock is hit or miss.

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Krua Dok Mai Kao is solid but I've always found their som tam a bit tame on the pla ra. If you want the real funky version, try the shophouse spots along Soi Udomsuk 26, near the night market end. They pound it fresh with fermented fish that'll clear your sinuses, and it's like 60 baht. Different style from the On Nut places, more Lao-leaning.

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for som tam specifically i'd say the Isaan spots in Chatuchak are underrated, weekdays only though since the weekend crowd ruins the vibe. there's a stall near gate 2 that does tam pa with fermented bamboo shoots, super sour and funky, not something you see much in On Nut. if you're already heading north for Or Tor Kor anyway its worth the detour.

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honestly the som tam at Krua Dok Mai Kao is good but what got me hooked is their nam prik pla raa dip with the raw veggies, that funk hits way harder than the papaya does. think most people sleep on it cuz they just order the som tam and gai yang. also pro tip, go before noon on weekdays, after that teh pla ra gets milder cuz they batch it for the lunch rush

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