Phsar Leu Thom Thmey (Siem Reap's Great Upper Market)
Three kilometres east of the Pub Street bubble on National Road 6, Phsar Leu Thom Thmey is Siem Reap's oldest and largest market — and the only one that was never designed with visitors in mind. It is a sensory overload of the best possible kind: towers of tropical fruit, vats of fresh noodles, tailors bent over bright silk, and the mechanical hum of a city feeding itself before the heat of the da
What You'll Find Inside
The market is a sprawling indoor-outdoor complex offering textiles, fresh produce, electronics, jewellery, snacks and beauty products all under one roof, with an outdoor courtyard of lanes where local snack vendors set up their displays from the earliest hours.
The food sector is the real draw: rice vermicelli, fresh egg noodles, fish amok, crispy spring rolls and fried rice balls are all on offer at rock-bottom prices from stalls that feed the city's workers and shoppers twice a day.
Wander deeper and you hit the tailors' passageway, where seamstresses work on rich paisley-patterned fabrics in burgundy, green and gold — a living demonstration of Cambodia's enduring textile traditions that no souvenir shop can replicate.
How to Eat & Shop Like a Local
Arrive before 9 AM for the freshest produce and a cooler, more comfortable experience; the market heats up fast and the smells intensify as the morning progresses, so early risers get the best of both the food and the atmosphere.
Bargaining is expected and prices are already low — vendors are friendly and warm up quickly to a smile, even if almost no English is spoken here, making this one of those rare travel moments that is entirely non-transactional in spirit.
Look out for the jackfruit vendor near the outdoor corners and the rice noodle stall inside that reviewers return to again and again; both are perennial favourites and cost less than a dollar a portion.
Getting There & Context
Phsar Leu Thom Thmey has survived war, the forced silence of the Khmer Rouge years (1975–1979), chaotic reconstruction and the tourist boom of the 2000s — shopping here is, quietly, an act of solidarity with a city that has endured an enormous amount.
The market is located on National Road 6, about 3 km from central Siem Reap and roughly 8 km from Banteay Kdei, making it a logical last stop on a morning temple run before heading back to town for lunch.
Bring cash only — vendors do not accept cards. Wear comfortable shoes; the lanes are narrow and motorbikes do squeeze through, so stay alert and move at the market's own unhurried pace.
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