Shopping
There are numerous good buys in Thailand, manufactured goods as well as handicrafts and arts. There is the world famous Thai silk, almost a must for any visitor.
Thailand is the world’s leading exporter of gem stones. There are semi-precious stones (opals, jades, topazes, turquoises, amethysts, zircons, etc.) and genuine precious stones (sapphires, rubies, emeralds and diamonds) worked into jewelry in traditional Thai and modern designs.
Furthermore, the country offers good value in gold ornaments, gleaming silver and nielloware, bronzeware, pewterware, ceramics and specially high-fired celadon as well as wood carvings.
In term’s of price, Bangkok is one of the most competitive cities in the region, if not the world. If one doesn’t have too much time, hotel shopping arcades are the most convenient places for Bangkok’s most popular buys. Unlike elsewhere hotel shops in Bangkok do not necessarily charge more than outside stores.
Those who are content with fakes of world famous brand name articles can find a wide selection on sidewalks in tourist areas. Fake designer clothes and fake watches dominate this part of shopping in Thailand.
Bargaining is possible at almost all shops except department stores, and it is necessary to get good prices. A discount of 10 to 20 percent on the first asked prices is almost self-understood. When shopping for gems, antiques or handicrafts, much bigger discounts are not unusual. The higher priced an item, the more is bargaining expected.
When bargaining, it’s advisable to maintain a sense of humor. One sometimes has the impression that vendors see it as kind of a game. Establishing a friendly relationship with the vendor usually brings better result than a more formal approach. Bargaining in Bangkok is much more pleasant than for example in Hong Kong where storekeepers immediately build up pressure on the potential customer to buy an item for which the price has ben asked.
While in Hong Kong, nasty behavior of the shopkeeper is the rule when a customer doesn’t buy even after the shop keeper has agreed to a possible price the potential buyer has carelessly mentioned, it is accepted in Bangkok that a client will say that he will just return and buy the next day when a price has been agreed upon. This leaves to the buyer the option of comparing again prices at other stores.
It’s a faulty Western perception that bargaining is a skill in which only Asians can reach perfection. The basis for any successful bargaining is to know prevailing prices for the item or items one wants. Only the buyer who knows the appropriate value of the items he wants to buy will be able to judge whether an offer is good and appropriate or an attempt to overcharge.
Obviously, the time short term visitors can spend on checking out prevailing prices for items they like is limited. Therefore it does happen time and again that visitors are taken advantage of and charged too high prices. In cases of gross overcharging, the Thai Tourist Police may be able to help.
Sales staff in tourist oriented shops but also at department stores in tourist areas usually speak enough English for normal transactions.
Personal checks are seldom honored. Credit cards are accepted in major hotels and in shops that have window stickers, but cash is the more usual form of payment. For information on the risk of using credit cards, see the chapter Finance.
Numbers in brackets refer to locations as indicated in Bangkok maps (see Bangkok section).
Bangkok Shopping Areas
Depending on the items one wants to buy, the place to go to are markets, supermarkets, department stores or specialized shops. For fresh food, the best food as well as the best quality is found on markets. For low-tech household items and textiles, markets offer the best prices while the quality may often be less convincing. For shopping at open markets, it is advisable to wear old shoes as floors are often dirty, wet and slippery. Open markets are sometimes crowded and one can expect that possibly present pickpockets are attracted by foreigners more than by Thais, especially as they expect that foreigners watch their belongings less carefully than the locals.
Supermarkets are the place to go to for foods that need to be kept cool such as diary products and processed foods. Furthermore, imported foods are generally not available at open markets but only at supermarkets.
Department stores usually have the considerable advantage of shopping comfort as they have a good in-house selection and one can move around in their air-conditioned facilities without tiring as much as one would outside. One pays for this amenity through prices which are generally higher than in market areas. For imported household items as well as for large size garments and shoes department stores are the best places to go to.
Sukhumvit Road Area
While being the main tourist area as well as the preferred residential area for foreigners, the upper and middle Sukhumvit Road area (from Soi 2 to Soi 34) is not a major shopping district. Nevertheless, especially the stretch until Soi 13 has many sidewalk vendors for items usually bought by tourists, such as handicrafts and fake watches, fake designer clothes and other made in Thailand "brand name" fashion accessories. There is a branch of the Robinson’s Department Store chain, as well as a number of shops selling household items usually requested by foreign residents, such as rattan furniture. Furthermore, there are several supermarkets with especially good selections in Euro foods. Two big hotels, the Ambassador and the Landmark have large shopping arcades.
Phrakanong
In spite of its proximity to the main tourist area along Sukhumvit Road, this shopping district around Soi 71, Sukhumvit Road still caters almost exclusively to Thai households. There are several department stores, ATM , Asia , a wet market and shops for all kinds of daily needs. Prices are lower than at shopping districts such as Ploenchit Road or Siam Square. However, the selection of high quality products as well as garments in large sizes is limited. Nevertheless, we recommend the area especially for electronics. Foreign residents in the Sukhumvit Road area who try Phrakanong once are likely to go there more often than they might at first think. Attractive are not only the prices. The area is also easier to reach than downtown shopping districts as traffic is lighter. Those driving their own cars will also find parking space easier than in the Ploenchit Road and Siam Square areas.
Ploenchit Road Area
A modern shopping district between Sukhumvit Road and Siam Square. The area which is particularly easy to reach from Sukhumvit Road has a number of department stores, among them a large Central Department Store branch on Ploenchit Road, as well as the Rajaprasong Shopping Center. Further department stores are under construction. Like Siam Square it’s a good area to shop for fashionable items as well as high quality or imported household items. Nearby hotels with shopping arcades are the President, the Regent and the New Imperial.
Narayanaphand
Narayanaphand on Rajadamri Road (and at Dindaeng near the Thai-Japanese Youth Center) has handicraft shops, many of them joint ventures with the Ministry of Industry. Visitors may inspect and buy handicrafts from all parts of the country. Items available include Thai silk, ceramics, wood carvings, lacquerware, bronze objects and Khon masks. The stores are open daily from 10:00 until 20:00. (Tel 252-4670 to 9)
Pratunam Market
This market near the Indra Hotel , on the corner of Petchburi Road and Rajaprarop Road, on both sides of Rajaprarop Road, is particularly noted for garments. Not only local users buy here but in substantial numbers exporters and wholesalers as well. The textile prices at Pratunam market are as low as one can get in Bangkok. Outside the actual market area, especially around the Indra Hotel can be found the shops and offices of many export companies, most of them concentrating on textiles. A large number of the wholesalers are Indians or Indian Thais.
Siam Square
A large modern shopping area around the intersection of Rama I Road and Phaya Thai Road. There are several very large department stores and shopping arcades, as well as numerous boutiques, especially inside the Siam Center shopping arcade. All in all, it’s one of the best areas in town to buy fashionable items.
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