Famous Thai night market gets Singapore twist

Have you always dreamt of experiencing a night market in Bangkok?

Shelve those travel plans for now as Artbox Thailand, a famous creative market in Bangkok, will be popping up in Singapore from April 14 to 16 and April 21 to 23, 3pm to 11pm.

Admission is free.

It will feature over 500 vendors and partners (each weekend will have a different line-up) and an expected turnout of more than 400,000.

Its organiser Haoming Lee, 29, co-founder of Artbox Asia and head of strategy at Invade Industry, a creative retail space activation and events management company, told The New Paper: "(We were) drawn to the values of Artbox, which was created to support and empower the local community of creative entrepreneurs.

"This is neatly in line with Invade's mission to provide makers, designers, artists and even buskers a platform to grow.

"Compared to other pop-up markets in Bangkok that focus on retail, Artbox offers a day of fun activities such as live music performances, Thai cultural activities and street art, on top of its diverse range of product offerings."

Located at Bayfront Event Space beside Marina Bay Sands, Artbox Singapore covers 50,000 sq ft of floor space.

It is Artbox's first stop outside Thailand and on the Artbox Asia Tour, and is billed as the first and largest creative market in Singapore, offering food, fashion, lifestyle products and home and decor.

On the similarities and differences between the Singapore and Thai versions, Mr Lee said: "Artbox Singapore is a local twist based on inspirations of the Artbox concept."

While retaining signature features from its origins, such as the fairy lights (5,000 of them spanning across 3km) and re-purposed shipping containers that vendors are housed in, the local edition "will incorporate familiar local elements to create a mash-up that showcases the soul of a unique Singaporean night market".

Mr Lee added: "Each city's installation of Artbox is customised with a local flavour that is unique to the city. The customisation ranges from the mix of vendors, partners and activity highlights. "

It took about three months to plan and execute everything, and the team flew to Artbox Bangkok twice to familiarise itself with the Artbox concept.

The team also had to make sure that it obtained permits and licences from government agencies to meet certain requirements for the event that cost over $200,000.

"We also had to build everything from scratch as the event venue does not provide us with infrastructure such as lighting, power, water piping and drainage systems," said Mr Lee.

---

Here are the most buzz-worthy, direct-from-Bangkok vendors to check out

MADOO MADOO

Madoo Madoo's fashion apparel features loud and exotic prints in every style and whimsical dreamcatcher necklaces that scream music festival-ready.

CATCHER BRAND

Who says tie-dye prints are out? Incorporate it into your wardrobe with Catcher Brand's iconic blue tie-dye apparel for a laid-back resort look.

PHONETICSYMBOL

The accessories brand caters to the female crowd, carrying customised straw hats, bags and sandals which are perfect for a beach getaway. It is also known for its precious stone bracelets and funky earrings.

I WISH

Founded in 1995, it is well known for making soaps using high quality natural ingredients in interesting designs, such as popsicles.