Bangkok Market — Thai Town grocery anchor

Bangkok Market (4757 Melrose Ave / 5170 Hollywood Blvd) was the first major Thai grocery store in Los Angeles, opened in 1972 by Pramorte Tilakamonkul and his wife Marasri Tilakamonkul ^[1][2][4]. The family immigrated from Thailand in the 1960s and saw an opportunity to supply Thai ingredients that were unavailable in Chinatown ^[5][8]. The market became a de facto community center and a crucial resource for LA’s burgeoning Thai restaurant scene, supplying hard-to-find items like fish sauce, curry paste, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, and a wide variety of rice ^[1][2][3].

To ensure year-round availability of fresh Asian produce, the Tilakamonkul family began farming in Nayarit and Sinaloa, Mexico, with Jet Tila’s father personally carrying seeds to Mexico ^[2][3][4][5]. This cross-border agricultural venture later evolved into a larger produce operation. The market’s success enabled the family to expand into seven LA restaurants, an import company, and a produce venture ^[1].

Jet Tila, the son of the founders, grew up working in the market and later became a celebrity chef ^[2][3]. As a teenager, he personally delivered groceries to chefs including Sang Yoon, Suzanne Tracht, Mary Sue Milliken, and Susan Feniger ^[1]. The market survived the 1992 Los Angeles riots when Jet Tila and about 30 people barricaded the store with rice sacks for three days ^[2][3][5].

Bangkok Market closed to the public on November 18, 2019, after 47 years, when Jet Tila’s mother retired at age 72 ^[1]. The building, zoned for multiple uses, was slated for possible redevelopment into apartments or retail ^[1]. The legacy of the Tilakamonkul family continues through Jet Tila’s culinary career and the family’s other business ventures, though the market’s closure marked the end of an era for LA’s Thai food community.