Glossary of shopping in Bangkok - where to find what and for how much

Shopping in Bangkok

Bangkok is the commercial centre of Thailand and so has by far the greatest range of shopping options anywhere in Thailand. Whether it’s souvenirs and handicrafts you’re after, some fine Thai silk, a perfectly tailored suit or some of Asia’s best quality gems and jewellery, they can be found in abundance in Bangkok.

But Bangkok isn’t all about shopping for the premium goods described above, as there are many markets and street stalls selling imitation designer goods and pirated DVDs at knock down prices. These bustling places also have a great many products of a more legitimate variety, and can be great places to hone your haggling skills to acquire some real bargains.

You can almost shop 24 hours a day in Bangkok, as there are numerous night markets throughout the city, many located near popular bars and restaurants so you could even fit in a cheeky bit of post-dinner shopping before you move on to Bangkok’s later evening entertainment establishments.

So, to help you pick you way through the seemingly endless array of options, here’s a glossary of shopping in Bangkok and where to find everything.

Antiques: Thai antiques are steeped in colourful and interesting history, as well as being beautiful to look at and often very valuable. Bangkok is a great place to pick up some of these treasures, and particularly if you head for the River City Complex by the Royal Orchid Sheraton Hotel, or to Gaysorn. Paul’s Antiques, on Sukhumvit Soi 13 (Nana BTS station) is also recommended. Most of it is Buddhist art, and most of what you see are reproductions. They look like the real deal, but are much more affordable. True antique hunters should seek our proper antique dealers.

Books: there are bookshops all over Bangkok, but many sell Thai publications only. If you want to find English language books and magazines, head for Siam Discovery Center or Siam Paragon, both by Siam BTS station, where branches of Asia Books can be found, or to the Landmark Hotel on Sukhumvit Road. Another branch of Asia Books is found in the Emporium Centre on Sukhumwit road. There are also many second-hand bookshops in most tourist areas, and especially on Khao San Road. You can trade in your old books here also, but don’t expect to get much cash for them! They aren’t especially cheap but the range is good.

Camera equipment: for stocking up on films, memory cards or batteries, you never need to look very far in Bangkok. Convenience stores everywhere sell these kind of items, but if you want to get some more serious kit then you’re probably best off heading for the Pantip Plaza or Fortune Town where you’ll be spoilt for choice, or a more specialist camera shop such as Bask and others in MBK Mall at Siam Square. Prices are good but not as cheap as other places in Asia such as Singapore. Digital cameras are all the rage in Thailand and every department store or electronics retailer has a good selection. They are likely to be cheaper than Europe or the US.

CDS and DVDs: there are countless small stalls selling copied DVDs and CDs throughout Bangkok, especially in the Pantip Plaza and along Khao San Road, Silom Road and Sukhumvit Road. Although the selection is vast in these places, be warned that the quality does vary, especially for newer movies. If you see a movie at a cinema in Bangkok on the day of its release, don’t be surprised to see the DVD on sale next door! This will almost always be a camcorder in a cinema recording, and hence very poor quality. Legitimate DVDs and CDs can also be found at low prices, especially in the MBK shopping centre. We do not condone the sale of pirate movies and music, often the originals are marketed locally at very competitive prices, but if your are looking for anything other than mainstream pop you’ll have to resort to the pirate-vendors who have a bigger selection.

Clothing: you will soon become very familiar with the many sloganed t-shirts that seem to be the vogue among tourists in Bangkok, often bearing an amusing phrase or a company logo, either in Thai writing or doctored to make a statement of some kind. These can be found everywhere, along with football shirts and other cheap souvenir-type clothing items. But designer clothes can be found also (see later) and other more practical items, such as bikinis, shoes, shorts or swimming clothes. Clothing is the dominant product among street vendors and night markets, including the popular Chatichak Weekend market, and this includes brand knock offs and casual wear at cheap prices. Since many of the original, quality, brand garments are made locally they can be bought at half the international price from local stores such as Robinsons Gaysorn and in other malls.

Computer equipment: Asia is famous for having cheap electronics goods, and whereas Thailand isn’t the cheapest place in the region, there are many bargains to be found due to the sheer volume of goods on sale in IT malls such as the Pantip Plaza on Petchaburi Road and Fortune Town on Rachada. These places have dozens of shops clamouring for space and the competition can drive prices down, unearthing the occasional bargain. But for something as large and expensive as a laptop of complete PC setup, expect prices to be only marginally less than back home. Desktops and other hardware however, is excellent value since its manufactured locally.

Designer goods: Thai people are very fashion conscious, and most Thais like to dress as smartly and stylishly as they can. It should therefore come as no surprise that there are plenty of designer outlets in Bangkok, try Gaysorn Plaza by Chitlom BTS Station, the Emporium by Phrom Phong BTS or the massive Siam Paragon at Siam BTS station.

Duty free: is offered at Suvarnabhumi airport but due to a severe lack of transparency by the AOT, King Power is the only company permitted to retail duty free goods here and the prices aren’t particularly competitive even if they are tax free. Despite a vast retail space, the selection isn’t particularly extensive and only alcohol and cigarettes are good value.

Food: if you’ve taken a Thai cooking course and you will want to take back some of the ingredients with you, or perhaps if you are visiting a Thai home and want to bring the customary gift of some small food items, then you really should have no problems acquiring these items in Bangkok. There are food markets everywhere, so it seems a bit pointless to direct you to any particular one – although if you want a glimpse into village life from Bangkok then take a stroll down Petchaburi Road Soi 5 and see all the weird and wonderful market produce for sale. For gourmet items, the Siam Paragon Gourmet Food Market is extensive. Please note that you cannot take fruit or vegetables out of Thailand – only tinned, packaged or preserved goods.

Gadgets: with two large IT malls, Fortune Town on Rachadapisek Road and Panthip Plaza on Petchaburi Road, computer and IT buffs will be in their element in Bangkok. These large malls are stacked with gadgets, software, hardware, cameras and plenty of DVDs, software and games.

Gems: along with silk, are some of Thailand’s most well known and highly valued products. However, due to the high price tag that accompanies most jewellery items, you should shop around carefully before parting with your hard-earned cash. Gem scams are fairly common in Bangkok, and unsuspecting tourists can be duped into buying fake or very low quality gems, believing them to be a special not-to-be-missed offer. Buy only from a proper gem shop, not from someone who accosts you on a street corner! Head for Gemopolis (Tel +66 (0) 727 0020) in Bang Na for one of the biggest outlets, Benetone on Sukhumvit Road, the Gaysorn Plaza, or there is a whole floor of MBK dedicated to gold, silver and gems. There are many smaller shops around the Silom Road area where the real experts head for, but you have to be ‘in the know’. However, your hotel should be able to point you in the right direction.

Handicrafts: many attractive, yet affordable, handicraft items can be found in Chatuchak Weekend Market (open Saturdays and Sundays only) at very good prices. The 6th floor of MBK is also good for picking up some souvenir items, although a bit more expensive. Many smaller shops are scattered around Sukhumvit Road, Silom Road and Khao San Road, although you need to be a good bargainer. The Suan Lum Night Bazaar by Lumpini Park is more in the Chatuchak price range and is a good place to shop with its attached beer gardens and food courts. If you are heading for Chiang Mai then save your souvenir and handicraft shopping for there.

Mobile phones & SIM cards: if you’re travelling around Thailand, it’s a good idea to get yourself connected to the Thai mobile networks as you can save a great deal of cash by doing this instead of roaming internationally from your home network, or by resorting to payphones all the time (which also aren’t always available). A Thai SIM card can be purchased at the airport for the AIS network for 800 Baht (including 800 Baht of free credit, making this a very good deal!), and they also offer the phones themselves for very reasonable prices. There are many shops around town where mobile phones and phone accessories can be bought, especially in MBK where the whole 4th floor sells little else. Phones are cheap, and there is a large second-hand market.

Novelty items: if you’re after something a bit unusual to take home as a souvenir, then head for some of the more ‘funky’ stalls in Chatuchak weekend market where all kinds of fun, novelty items can be purchased including dancing flowers, ‘splattering’ rubber tomatoes, slithering snakes and many more strange and weird objects.

Plants: if you’re setting up home here for a while and you want to decorate your apartment, Chatuchak market has many shops selling plants. You can’t take these out of the country though.

Silk: it would be a great shame to leave Thailand without some of its most famous product, Thai silk. The market leaders in silk are Jim Thompson and the Shinawatra Company, both of which have many outlets throughout the city. For more information on silk, please read our Silk article. Silk is also widely sold by street vendors although be sure you are not buying the cheaper ‘Chinese silk’ which is synthetic.

Shoes: are great value in Thailand, since many a made here such as Ecco and other well known brands. Unfortunately only the savviest of shops and department stores in tourist areas bother to stock any sizes big enough for Westerners. Do try your luck however.

Sunglasses: both fakes and the real thing can be bought in Bangkok. We recommend that you buy the genuine article though if you’re going to be sunbathing for a long time as the fakes do not provide adequate eye protection. For knock-offs, head for Patpong night market or Khao San Road, for the real thing head for any one of the many opticians around the city, especially on the corner of Petchaburi Road and Phaya Thai Road (by Ratchathewi BTS station) or MBK. All are imported and not particularly cheap however.

Swimwear: Pratunam market has some very good deals with whole shops selling bikinis at knock-down prices. MBK should be able to help you out also, and if you’re staying on Khao San Road there are a few small shops along there that sell swimwear also. Thai women are modest so don’t expect to buy G-strings or revealing two-pieces in shops not specifically catering to foreigners.

Tailors: in Bangkok you’re in a perfect position to take home a perfectly tailored suit made from top quality materials, for a fraction of the cost back home. Tailors are everywhere that tourists are, and the chances are there’ll be one in your hotel if you’re staying in a mid to high end establishment. It’s difficult to recommend one above another as fierce competition drives standards up and prices down, but one we can recommend to you on Sukhumvit Soi 11 (near Nana BTS) is Narrys – which as a long standing international reputation. Many more are found in this area, they are perhaps cheaper than those in the hotels and usually offer a uniform package for a similar price, so you need to inspect the quality of their finished items to be sure. They can copy any brand name garment but sometimes the measurements aren’t always what you expected.

Toys: are a must if you are a family, since they are so cheap. Most are made in China and are considerably cheaper than back home. The big department stores such as Robinsons Gaysorn and in other malls have a dizzy selection that will send the kids wild with excitement. Cheaper but lower quality items are sold at Chatuchak market and by vendors at streetside stalls.

Watches: at some time during your stay in Bangkok you will probably be approached by a street hawker shoving handfuls of watches into your face, encouraging you to buy these cheap fake goods. By all means have a look, but don’t be surprised if a watch you buy from these guys breaks within days of buying it! For the real thing, many very high quality designer watches can be bout from outlets in Gaysorn or the Emporium.

Wines and spirits: Thai wine is still in its infancy and there aren’t many that can compete on a worldwide scale. To pick up a decent bottle would make a nice souvenir though, just don’t expect to be bowled over when you uncork it though! The very knowledgeable staff at Siam Paragon’s wine cellar should be able to help you, or try Prestige Wine near Silom Road (tel +66 (0) 2 285 4850, email info@prestigewine.co.th. Both these places specialise in non-Thai wines also, especially Australian. Wine is being imported more and more but it isn’t particularly cheap.