Any shops or markets that sell semi-well made traditional instruments?

There's a little cluster of shops on Bamrung Mueang Road, near the old city gate, that most people walk right past. It's not fancy, but the second shop from the corner, no sign in English, has a wall of khaen in different sizes and a couple of ranat thum, the lower pitched cousin of the ranat ek. The old guy running it used to repair instruments for the national theater, so he knows his stuff. Mid tier khaen there run about 3,500 to 6,000 baht, and he'll happily let you sit on his stool and play as long as you like. He's got a set of worn mallets for the ranat that he doesn't mind you using, just don't swing hard.

If you want to see how they're actually built, take a day trip to Ban Phai in Khon Kaen province, that's the real khaen making town, but that's a whole trip. Closer in, there's a workshop in the old town area of Nonthaburi, near the pier, where a father and son make ranat bars from scratch. They don't keep much finished stock, mostly orders, but they'll show you the process and sometimes have a reject they'll sell cheap, like 5,000 baht for one with a hairline crack in the frame that doesn't affect the sound. Ask around at the pier, the boat guys

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You're after a khaen or a ranat ek, the boat shaped xylophone thing. For the khaen, your best bet is actually a shop called Khaen Thip in the Khlong Toei area, they've been making them for generations and have a range of mid-tier instruments that beat the tourist market stuff. For the ranat, try the instrument shops around Charoen Krung near the National Museum, a couple of places there carry used and new ones that are decent without being concert hall grade.

Most of these family shops are fine with you trying things, especially if you show some interest and aren't just snapping photos. Bring cash, a lot of them don't take cards, and expect to haggle a bit on the price. If you're only in town for a few days, the weekend market at Chatuchak has a couple of stalls with khaen, but the quality is hit or miss, I'd go to a dedicated shop first.

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honestly the khaen shop near Wat Phra Kaew is worth a detour, not the one right at the entrance but the small place on Na Phra Lan soi 3. the owner's a retired teacher who tunes each one by ear, mid range ones run around 3,000 to 5,000 baht, way better than the plastic stuff at Chatuchak. he's chill about letting you mess around with them, just don't expect to play a ranat there, those are mostly in the workshops out in Nonthaburi.

for the ranat specifically, there's a guy at the Pak Khlong Talat flower market side, second floor of an old shophouse, he makes the bars himself from rosewood. his lower tier ones are around 8,000 baht and honestly sound close to the 20,000 ones, the difference is mostly in the frame finish. he'll demo it for you but gets a bit protective if you try to hit it yourself, so ask first. bring cash and be ready to sit and chat a while, he likes that more than the sale.

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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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