Sometimes shopping is as much about the experience as it is about the purchases. That’s definitely the case in Bangkok, where shopping is a 24-7 activity and the variety is endless. With low prices and good quality, Bangkok has virtually everything under the sun for sale, from fabrics and silks, handicrafts, art, and jewelry to electronics, silver, household goods, trinkets, and pretty much anything else you can name. It’s no wonder Thailand has become such a popular shopping destination in Southeast Asia. Along with souvenirs to bring back home, clothing is the city’s special draw, offering travelers designer brands as well as tailor-made garb which is easily accessible as well as inexpensive.
Siam
Street chic and high-fashion reign in the Siam area. Here you will find gleaming air-conditioned malls, perfect for escaping the heat, as well as a labyrinth of young designer stalls and stylish boutiques. Travelers are sure to find all their retail needs and then some. And once you find your outfit, you can have it hemmed and tailored while you wait (or shop elsewhere). You can even retreat into one of the movie theaters to rest if the shopping frenzy wears you out!
Chatuchak Weekend Market
One of the biggest and most famous markets in the world, this massive shopping site is a bargain-hunter’s paradise. It houses as many as 9,000 stalls, organized by themes, from clothes to pets to cookware to souvenirs to spices and more. Bargaining is the norm here. Even if you aren’t in the mood to shop, a walk through this market is recommended for its sheer entertainment value. The festival of colors, sounds, and smells will overwhelm and delight you!
Just Outside Bangkok
Had your fill of the big city? For a fun day-trip from Bangkok, take a bus tour to the Floating Markets of Kanchanaburi, as Realtraveler Miss Brown did:
“Yesterday I went on a day trip to the Damnoen Saduak Floating Markets…our first stop was a quick one - we saw coconut sugar being made from the flowers of coconut trees…my tour group arrived at the Floating Markets after 10am, so along with the other tourists we saw both the traditional fruit sellers and the souvenir stalls. Some of us took a wooden paddle boat up and down the market, while the others went to the Cobra Show.” (more…)
More Stories from Realtravelers
Niamh and Cathal captured the variety of shopping in their blog entry, Bustling Bangkok:
“If we come through here again I won’t be held responsible for the battering that my credit card will get. There’s a gorgeous shopping centre called Siam Paragon that has all the shiny designer brands and all the shops you see in London…we then went for more shopping to the Night Bazaar where Sabrina and I both fell in love with some shoes….on Sunday we went to a produce market and to Chatuchak market. We got up early and were back by midday. Chatuchak market is huge and great for household items, shoes, clothes and it also sells pets. Very cute ones.” (more…)
Caroline in Asia immersed herself in the Bangkok shopping experience as well:
“We had heard about some fantastic shopping in the area, so we decided to follow the crowds and ended up at the most gigantic mall I have ever seen. One entire floor of this multi-block mall was devoted to electronics. It was literally too much — all the techies out there would have been drooling.
We did a bit of shopping and walked off our meal and suddenly it was 7PM (no idea how that happened), so we decided to head off to the Patpong night market again via the Sky-Train. The market was crazy! Vendors lined this tiny road into 5 rows with their carts full of t-shirts, wooden pottery, DVDs, sunglasses, shoes, pashminas and so much more. Overall, this market was a pretty cool place to be. My favourite part was when I was negotiating with this woman and she said “You good shopper!” Mum, you would have been proud. She was enjoying the bargaining almost as much as me, but we definitely got a good deal.” (more…)
Jan & Lee found camera heaven, perfect for any traveler who needs to replace a lost or broken one:
“Next day we decided to take a tuk-tuk downtown to the shopping plazas. We had lots of little jobs to do before moving on from Bangkok. Managed to get a tuk-tuk for 20 baht - bargain - to the MSK shopping centre. After a visit to the 4th floor which apparently is the ONLY place in Bangkok to buy a camera - we are talking about over 100 tiny camera and mobile phone shops and stalls crammed into one floor and all selling the same thing…” (more…)
Shopping Tips
-Though most vendors and store staff will speak enough English, you can help your bargaining cause at the markets by learning how to say numbers in Thai. Non-fixed prices for those who don’t speak Thai are often bargained through a calculator method: the shopper and the vendor alternating with typing numbers into the machine. By speaking the basics, you can save this step and possibly even score a better deal.
-Know your standards: Street stalls often offer the same knock-off items as the stores, but often for lower quality. The prices reflect this, so decide ahead of time whether you’d like to sacrifice on the quality or the cash.
-Don’t want to carry all your purchases home in your suitcase, or to your next destination? Many of the larger and more specialized shops offer shipping abroad, and they will even help with the required documents and permits for doing so. Specialized companies also offer this service for a fee.
See more Bangkok shopping tips here.
Resources:
Bangkok Travel Guide
Thailand Travel Guide
Things to Do in Bangkok
Thailand Travel Deals
Khao San Road Official Site
A Shopper’s Survival Guide - Shopping Tips for Bangkok
