From Surgipelago, the Beach Surgery encyclopedia
Chatuchak
A bootleg merchandise ecosystem in Bangkok. For other figurine series, see Kondapalli Leif—A Hyderabad Terracotta Figurine Collective and Devotional Toy Series and Sangat Pacemaker — A Manila Street-Market Collectible Toy Series (Bootleg, circa 2016–2023).
Chatuchak refers to a decentralized ecosystem of hand-made figurines depicting Leif and Katita sold by informal vendors in the Chatuchak Weekend Market in Bangkok since approximately 2018. Unlike licensed merchandise, these figures are unlicensed, unsigned, and collectively authored—each vendor adapts the design, materials, and narrative context independently, producing what local collectors call "the infinite Chatuchak."
The figures typically depict Leif blindfolded and Katita in red cloth or leather, often mounted on wooden bases or suspended from thread. Some versions incorporate olfactory elements: vendors fill small cloth bags beneath or beside the figures with incense, sandalwood, jasmine, or mint, connecting the figures to the novel's emphasis on non-visual senses and the frequencies the flesh refuses.
Street vendors maintain informal oral traditions about the figures. One recurring account describes them as "catching something that falls"—a reference to the catch that concludes each cycle. Another tells of a vendor who noticed figures "changing places overnight" on her shelf, or figures purchased and resold weeks later by vendors blocks away. [citation needed] A third claims certain figures are stitched by the same hand but signed with different names. These folklores are untraceable but persist through market gossip and digital forums.
Production is genuinely decentralized; perhaps 15–30 vendors make variants. Materials, prices, craftsmanship vary widely. Some figures are crude; others display remarkable care. A few vendors sign their work with initials or symbols (notably, one recurring maker uses ⦨). [citation needed] No two figures are identical; the Chatuchak is not a series but a living improvisation.
The figures have become devotional objects in informal Beach Surgery communities, particularly among Thai fans without access to official merchandise, displayed on home altars alongside flowers, incense, or candles.