Bangkok Shopping Travel Guide

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Shopping in Bangkok - where shall we start? The Thais have a saying; "From pestles to warships", meaning whatever you want, you'll probably find it here. From the streets markets to air-conditioned malls, back street tailors to top price gems, and most places open early to late, Bangkok shopping is retail therapy at its best. [more]

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Dedicated Bangkok shoppers have a secret weapon in their hands; Nancy Candler's Map of Bangkok, a beautifully illustrated guide to the shopping areas in Bangkok. To make the most of shopping in Bangkok, it's best to decide what you want to buy first, and then head to the best area for your chosen objects of desire.

Markets in Bangkok, Thailand

If you want to do more looking than buying at first, head for a Bangkok street market such as the flower and vegetable market at Pak Khlong Talet, a riot of colour and scent. Once acclimatised, head for the massive Chatuchak Weekend Market, or "JJ" as the locals call it. Open Saturday and Sundays from 7am to 6pm, “JJ” has over eight thousand stalls selling everything from livestock to Lacoste shirts. Best buys, however, are the local items; lacquer ware, cotton shirts and colourful sarongs, handicrafts and generally lovely stuff, found in sections 22, 24, 25 and 26. The Suan Lum Night Bazaar, is a crowded but authentic Thai market experience with over three thousand booths selling great craft items and clothes, and with the Thai Puppet Theatre at its heart. The famous klong floating markets have become floating tourist traps, so don't expect bargains or a particularly good shopping experience.

Bangkok tailors shops will measure you up for a suit and have made and on your back for a ridiculous amount of money. However, you do get what you pay for. Cheap tailoring shops line the Silom, Sukhumvit and Khao San roads, but the better Bangkok tailors are found on Thanon Charoen Krung between the Post Office and Thanon Silom. Here, you should get a good outfit that is properly made to measure in 3 to 5 days, and have a good range of quality fabrics to choose from. Tailors in more touristy areas may offer tempting deals, but the resulting clothes will simply not last as long. If you want to buy silk cloth to have made up at home, head for the Pahurat market.

Fashionable Thais love to shop in the big, air-conditioned shopping malls of Bangkok, and these are ideal places to look for trendy clothing. Just remember that Thais are a petite race, and not everything may come in Western larger sizes. Surprisingly, shoes and leather goods are good quality and cheap, and become even more of a bargain in the Bangkok sales between June and July, and December to January. In addition, some shops hold 'midnight sales' whilst others have frequent special offers, so that's a perfect excuse to explore the 'mall strip' along Thanons Rama I, Ploenchit and Sukhumvit.

The one thing you can't avoid in Bangkok are the fakes; the Patpong market and traders along the Khao San road will provide you with more "Gucci", "YSL" and "Prada" than Victoria Beckham's wardrobe. Fake label clothing such as "Diesel" jeans, and "Rolex" watches are perhaps the most obvious 'must-have' buys, and you'll be invited to haggle over any purchase. The trader will often type a figure into a display calculator, and hand it to you. Look shocked, type in half the price and return the calculator, and carry on with the routine until a mutually acceptable price is agreed. Don't try to beat traders down to ridiculous prices; the baht exchange rate is generally favourable, and even fakes cost money to produce. Always pay in bahts in cash, and take care not to show the entire world how much cash you have while paying; you never know who is watching.

Counterfeit cds and DVDs in Bangkok also abound on the Khao San road, although the selection is usually limited to popular artists and albums. You'll also discover counterfeit computer software and games, although since most are sold without manuals or instructions, and the chance that the software may not be virus-free, buying these is not for the IT faint-hearted. The Khao San road traders will probably try to sell you fake student identity cards or press passes too, but these fool nobody in authority.

Unfortunately, there are too many scams and fakes in the Bangkok gem and jewellery trade, so be very careful of what you buy. The best retail gems shops, selling exquisitely cut-stones and jewelry, are along Thalon Silom (the actual workshops are down very uninviting alleys). Reputable dealers will usually be a member of the Thai Gem and Jewelry Traders Association, and Bangkok hotel outlets often have good deals available too. When shopping in Bangkok for gems, the rule is, if the price seems too good to be true, and the seller tells you how much money you'll make on the stones back home, smile and walk away...