Thailand Shopping

Thailand offers a lot of wonderful shopping possibilities, the country had totally developed into one of the best and most popular shopping location in Asia for a
bunch of good reasons. Compared with other neighboring countries, prices here are low, the qualities of the products are generally of high standards and
there’s a wide range and variety of items to choose from. Shopping here is pretty amazing - silks, gemstones, tailor-made clothes and traditional handicrafts are
all highlights of Thailand shopping. It's difficult to narrow the choices down but here are some of the best and well known shopping locations in Bangkok, Hua
Hin, Khao Lak, Krabi and Phuket.

Bangkok Shopping

1.Mah Boon Krong (MBK) Near the National Stadium in Pratunam

About 2000 stores in this eight floor mall. Included in the mall is a huge Tokyu department store. Lots of clothing and fashion outlets. Jewelry, health & beauty, furniture, technology, and
office supplies are also in the mall. There are also theaters and a huge bowling alley in the mall. The top floor has an Internet cafe. At the intersection of Rama I and Phayathai.

2. Pantip Plaza on Petchburi Road in Pratunam

This is a giant technology mall. Pirated software has made a name for the mall; but there's been enough of a crackdown in recent years that now pirated software is rare at the mall. It
is a great place to buy personal computers, laptops, digital cameras, ipods, and the like. CD's, DVD's, and MP3's are common in the mall.

3. Siam Square in Pratunam

Best thought of perhaps as the Thai version of a strip mall, Siam Square is a cluster of alleys on Rama I Road. I can't even guess how many stores are here. Women's clothing is
probably the biggest item. There are other things - books and music, for example. The area has a Hard Rock Cafe, Starbucks, a Swensons, and plenty of other food. It's not all cheap;
you'll find a few high dollar boutiques. And while most of the clothing is for women, guys can find a pair of jeans and a t-shirt...

4. Siam Paragon on Rama I Road in Pratunam

One of the city's newer malls. There is a huge gourmet food market on the ground level. The mall has a floor dedicated to beauty, a floor for fashion and lingerie, one for sports, and one
for kids' stuff. There's a Starbucks, a Subway, a Burger King, a McDonalds, and a KFC in the mall if you're homesick. There's an aquarium complex in the basement, movie theaters in
the mall, and even an opera house.

5. Seacon Square on Srinakarin Road

Seacon Square is half a million square meters. There are over 400 shops. Thereare two department stores - a Robinsons and a Lotus Supercenter. Thailand's biggest book store, DK
Books, is in Seacon Square. There's a children's amusement park in the mall, "Yoyoland." There's also a bowling alley, 14 theaters, an ice rink, and plenty to eat. Big drawback: the mall
is some distance outside Bangkok. Basically a daytrip...

6. Peninsula Plaza on Ratchadamri Road

Sandwiched in between the Grand Hyatt Erawan and the Regent Bangkok hotels, Peninsula Plaza is a collection of upscale boutiques. No knock offs here. The merchandise is mostly
imported from Europe and New York. Designer labels in one of Bangkok's more exclusive settings.

7. Gaysorn Plaza in Pratunam

Almost 100 luxury fashion boutiques. There's also jewelry, a home decoration section, beauty and grooming, and the feel of luxury throughout the plaza. The plaza comes complete with
a doorman and valet parking service. Stores include an Alfred Dunhill, Christian Dior, Daks, Givenchy, Gucci, Swatch, Omega, a cigar store and plenty of upscale food. The plaza is also
home to Bangkok's Planet Hollywood. Gaysorn Plaza is at the Intersection of Rajaprasong Road and Ploenchit Road.

8. Central World Plaza on Ratchadamri Road in Pratunam

This complex is 550,000 square meters of shopping and is anchored by two department stores - an Isetan and a Zen. The 300 or so stores carry a broad variety of merchandise at the
moment. The recently reopened facility is gaining new stores weekly. The mall was renovated, expanded and renamed in 2006 after three years of being closed. It was formerly known
as the World Trade Center. Stop by the Jim Thompson silk store.

9. RiverCity Shopping Complex

Antiques, crafts, and silk are among the leading sellers at this riverfront mall on the Chao Phraya River. The facility also includes an auction house. The Royal Orchid Sheraton Hotel has
a walkway from the hotel to the shopping center. Many hotels on the river provide a free ferry service of some sort to River City.

10. The Siam Center and Siam Discovery in Pratunam

The Siam Center is moderately upscale. This was Bangkok's first American-styled shopping complex. The mall is a good fashion and women's appeal location. Siam Discovery was built
later but the two malls have merged. Siam Discovery draws a younger crowd.

Phuket Shopping

Central Festival Mall

Central Festival Mall is the largest shopping mall in Phuket Town selling a wide range of items. This 3 level modern shopping mall has its own department store. This is the place to go for
brand name products. There are also numerous restaurants and and an excellent cinema in the mall. Tops supermarket is also situated in this mall selling imported as well as local
products. Central has free underground parking in case you have wheels but if you arrive by Tuk-tuk or bus it's simple to alight outside and use the main entrance. There are many
satellite shops in Central but the logical place to start bargain hunting is Central Department store itself.

Big C Supercenter

This shopping mall is just 300 meters north of Central on the Bypass Road having an extensive range of mobile phone shops, opticians, VCD and DVD outlets and the supermarket itself.
The quality of the product here is lower compared with that of Central but then so are the prices. The main attraction lies downstairs where the electronic shops shine with the latest in
palm pilots, computers, TV's of all sizes and stall after stall after stall selling mobile phones and mobile phone accessories. There's also an extensive shoe shop and a good bookstore,
as well as a play area for kids and a food court. The top floor is of a little interest except for a bowling alley.

Tesco-Lotus

This mall is on the right-hand side at the next intersection further up the road. This mall was the first major modern shopping centre in Phuket and it has goods of a higher quality than Big
C. Indeed many visitors come from Patong to buy Tesco's colorful beach shirts and shorts. Tesco-Lotus also has a decent liquor/wine outlet. It's basically a supermarket with a decent
toys department and a pretty good electronics section. Tesco-Lotus mall also features perennials such as McDonalds, Boots, a good electronics shop, lots of fast food and more ATMs
where you can swipe your credit card.

Jungceylon

Jungceylon in Patong is considered monster of a shopping centre. It contains just about everything that shoppers could conceivably need and is a must-do if you're a bargain hunter.
Situated on Rat-U-Thit Rd. diagonally opposite the eastern end of Soi Bangla, you simply can't miss it. The two main stores in the complex are Robinson and Carrefour. The almost 200
other stores in this new shopping heaven sell brand name clothes, spectacles, sunglasses, colognes and perfumes, shoes, DVD-CD-VCD's, computer games, electrical goods, pewter,
gold and silver, sportswear and goods amongst myriad other items.

Robinson Ocean’s Department Store

In the global game of department store, Robinsons holds the winning hand! As the only up-market store of its kind on Phuket Island, it stands tall as the popular choice for both locals and
visitors. The bustling five-floor store incorporates a huge range of outlets, including the Tops Supermarket, a Body Shop store and numerous fast food restaurants. On an island of few
such shopping opportunities, Robinsons can truly be called the “one-stop” shop.

Super Cheap

Super Cheap is the cheapest place to shop in Phuket. This local market has no air-conditioning, sell almost everything from groceries, to motorbike, car supplies and electronics. The
best time to visit is in the evening.

Ranong Road Market

The large market is located on Ranong Road. A warren of stalls selling anything and everything, it can be a hot, sweaty and chaotic but an interesting experience if you've not been to
one before. A great place to buy fresh fruits and vegetable, it is open on afternoon.

Morning Market (Talad Kaset)

Located in a small road between Robinson and Ocean Plaza, the market is open in the morning selling fresh and dry food. You will find a lot of choices of local breakfast. At night, there
are lots of food stall serving cheap and tasty Thai food.

Hua Hin Shopping

Hua Hin Market Village

It is the first large scale shopping and entertainment complex in Hua Hin. It had its’ grand opening on 2006 of February and since then became popular among local people and visitors. It
has 3 major outlets; Tesco Lotus, Homepro and Major Cineplex. There are also a lot of small shops and restaurants. A lot of big clothing brands have stores here. Levi's, Lee, and
Lacoste are a few of the top stores located in the Market Village. Compared to the other shopping malls in Hua Hin, Market Village offers designer labels, cinemas, arcade halls, bowling,
restaurants etc. The restrooms are free of charge and are kept nice and clean. Some Thai youths and tourists are able to spend their whole day here.

Hua Hin Night Market

If you would like to experience night markets the best known will definitely be Hua Hin night market. A visit here is an absolute must during your stay. It is located in the centre of town
and runs up from Petchkasem Road to the railway line and opens from around 18:00pm. Most stalls will start to break down at approximately 23:00pm, however some selling food will
stay open until dawn. The market is a fascinating insight into Thailand and the way Thais like to live. You will find countless outlets selling delicious food that is freshly cooked and
served to you within a matter of minutes. Do also take a look behind the stalls on the pavements because there are plenty of restaurants there as well. Other than the food, you'll
discover an overwhelming variety of local handicrafts, souvenirs and clothing on sale. The night market can get very hot and busy at weekends, so take your time here. Prices can also
be a bit more expensive than other markets in Hua Hin, but they still represent good value.

Hua Hin Day market

For an experience of a real Thai day market, look no further than Chat Chai which is situated, undercover, right next to the night market. This is where locals will go to buy their daily
groceries and you'll see an amazing variety of meats, fish, seafood, vegetables and fruit being sold. The market has recently gone through a refurbishment and is even more of a delight
to visit than before. It starts to set up at between 04:00-05:00pm and stays open until around 19:00pm.

Market at The Grand Hotel

Another centrally located market can be found at The Grand Hotel, just a short walk south of the centre of Hua Hin. It is open from 16:00-22:00pm and from Wednesdays to Sundays.
You can shop for food, toys, clothes, plants, fish, pets and books here.

Pae Mai Market

It was located next to the golf driving range, over the railway tracks at the start of the canal road until recently, but has now relocated further down the canal road. When you reach the
first set of traffic lights, turn left and you're there. This is probably the most popular market with locals and you can find food, clothes and great bargains on electrical appliances,
household items, motoring accessories, tools and much more. The main day is Tuesday, with Wednesday being open, but only for fresh produce and clothes. Thursday to Saturday it is
closed, but Sundays have a large market again, although not as extensive as Tuesdays. Opening times are roughly 17:00-22:00pm. You just tell the taxi driver and they knew the place.

Khao Lak Shopping

Khaolak Shopping Bazaar, in Sawasdee Plaza 1 &2

Located along Petchkasem Highway or at the junction to the beach at Ban Bang Niang you can find many small shops, offering all kinds of souvenirs and clothing. Very special is
Marcel's shop "Clothes from Mars" beside the Emerald Suites in Bang Niang. All pieces are well designed, unique and not expensive at all. Off course, there are also cosmetics,
beverages, and foodstuff for sale. Most shops are open until 9 p.m. at least.

Daily Market in Bang Niang

The market is located in Bang Niang area - at N-3 on the Bang Niang Map - opposite and a bit north of the Thai Navy Boat - and just a bit south of the road that heads down to Bang
Niang Beach. While the market is open every day - Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays are the primary days for the market with a wider selection of goods on offer - and Saturday
is the biggest day for the market. As the primary consumer for these vendors are local Thais and Burmese laborers you will find plenty of inexpensive clothing, vegetables, spices,
trinkets, cheap electrical goods, watches, flowers and even edible bugs. Colorful, often noisy and frequently odiferous (depending on the goods for sale), visiting a local market is a
good way to get a taste of local culture. The market is an enjoyable way to spend an afternoon for many of the local folks and can often be a festive occasion.

Market at Takuapa

There is also a market in Takuapa - about 30 minutes north of Khao Lak. As the city is a regional center, you will find a much larger market there, with a wider variety of products.
Everyone will know where the market is, if you get lost, just ask.

Nang Thong Supermarket

If you need or are looking for Western products, Nang Thong Supermarket - on the corner of the main highway and the road that goes down to Nang Thong Beach - offers a wide
selection of goods from wines to snacks to books and newspapers.

Krabi Shopping

Ao Nang Market, Krabi

Ao Nang offers the best range of merchandise, from traditional Thai handicrafts (which present fantastic value for money and make excellent gifts), to false Gucci bags, and probably
the highest concentration of tailor shops in Thailand. When Shopping in Krabi, remember that, local people advise King's Fashion as one of the better tailors and the Thai tailors,
Kent on Ao Nang Beach Rd. There are many gift shops in Ao Nang where you can buy any tourist items like T-shirts and shell objects.

Night Markets in Krabi

Krabi has two night markets. Some stall open on Chao Fan pier, but the real market is in Thanon Sukhon opposite the city hotel and these night markets has different stalls where you
can find variety of goods all at very reasonable price.