About Shopping in Thailand

Of course, classic buys such as exquisite Thai silk and precious antiques remain timeless, while top international brand-name products are very much of the moment.

Running parallel with creative development has been the growth of a dazzling array of modern air-conditioned shopping plazas and malls, housing glittering department stores as well as select independent boutiques. Here, you shop for today’s buy, from designer clothes to computer discs, with complete comfort and ease.

Apart from staggering variety of local handicrafts in a wide rang of materials, from bronze to celadon pottery, Thailand also offers excellent shopping for shoes and leather goods, and men’s and ladies’ fashions both custom-made and off-the-peg, with Thai silk being, of course, the favored fabric.

Buying is only part of the fun, and just looking gives a wonderful insight into not only Thailand’s fascinating range of wares, but also quintessential Thai cultural traits. For example, the concept of “sanook” having fun’ is part and parcel of Thai life and is much in evidence in shopping.

Classic among Bangkok’s fun shopping venues is the Weekend Market at Chatuchak Park. Occupying some 35 acres, this is truly an exciting place to shop. Such is the maze of stalls that you can wander for hours without returning to the spot you started from, nor does the variety of buys pall and the market menu runs from handicrafts and objects d’art to fabrics and clothing.

Smaller but similar in offering a wide variety of buys, as well as dining and entertainment, is Suan Lum Night Bazaar on wireless road. Again, it is very much a fun place for shopping and browsing, as well as having the advantage of a central downtown location.

And remember, that wonderful age-old traditional of bargaining is still widely practiced and, with a smile and good natured haggling, you’ll find an additional thrill to the art of shopping in Thailand.