Shopping Part 2
Silom Road / Rama IV Road Area
While the Silom Road area is the main business district of the Thai metropolis, it’s not at the same time a major shopping area. Nevertheless, a number of art and antiques as well as jewelry shops are located there. There is a branch of the Robinson’s Department Store chain as well as a very tourist oriented night market at Patpong Road - otherwise rather known for trade in human flesh. Major hotels with shopping arcades are the Narai, Montien, Mandarin and Dusit Thani. The area doesn’t have a reputation for low prices.
Samyan Market
This small market at Chulalongkorn Soi 42, off Rama IV Road (opposite Mandarin Hotel) is known for seafood and its many seafood restaurants.
Talaat Soi Bank (Soi Bank Market)
This market in a small Soi next to the Head Office of the Bangkok Bank on Silom Road doesn’t have a particular large selection of anything available there but it’s the only real market in the upper Silom Road area and therefore a natural choice for those working or staying in the vicinity. The market has a large and fairly pleasant food stall section which is frequented heavily during lunch time by the lower brass of employees of companies with their offices on Silom Road. Just as in any Thai market there are, aside from the food part, sections with cheap clothes as well as household products.
New Road Area
The huge exclusive River City Shopping Complex is a good place, at least to window shop for antiques and to get some basic ideas on prices. Whether one actually buys there will depend on whether one has to look at prices or can afford two blind eyes. Antiques traders certainly prefer up country places to shop. Prices as quoted at River City are rather for admirers of art than those who want to make some profit on it. Along New Road are a number of handicraft stores, many specializing in bronzeware. Those who want to buy bronzeware at good prices are advised to compare offers from the New Road area with those at the Chatuchak Weekend Market (see below). The selection at Chatuchak is bigger and the competition fierce. Actually, a number of firms which have shops in the New Road area and the Silom Road area also have branches at the Chatuchak Weekend Market, and it is easily possible that the same piece is priced considerably lower at their Chatuchak branch than at their New Road or Silom shop. There are also a number of jewelry shops in the New Road area (no branches at Chatuchak Weekend Market). The part of town actually is the center for the gem trade in Thailand though not for its density in jewelry shops but rather because a number of internationally active gem trading companies have their offices there. There are many more jewelry retailers in Chinatown, and prices there are definitely lower. On Silom Road, near the intersection with New Road, is a branch of the Central Department Store chain. Around the Oriental Hotel, many street hawkers offer fake watches and fake designer clothes as well as handicrafts typically fancied by tourists. The selection is pretty much the same as along the sidewalks of Sukhumvit Road, so there isn’t really any sense in visiting the area if one stays along Sukhumvit Road.
Stamp Market
In front of the General Post Office on New Road, stamp dealers set up their stalls every Sunday.
Bangrak Market
At this market on New Road (Charoen Krung) towards the bank of the Chao Phaya River, between Sathorn Roads and Silom Road, early shoppers can usually find uncommon meats such as mutton and lamb. Big hotels of the Silom Road area shop there.
Chinatown
While it certainly is not the most comfortable shopping district of Bangkok, it is nevertheless worth a visit even if one isn’t interested in items bought cheaply there. The main roads of Chinatown are the New Road (Charoen Krung) and Yaowaraj Road. The most picturesque shopping street is Sampheng Lane (see below), parallel to Yaowaraj Road. While the amounts of merchandize in stock in many Chinese shops is amazing, the visitor may be disappointed when looking for items he would want to buy. Trade in Chinatown is oriented purely on the needs of locals. While there are a number of shops selling antiques and handicrafts, the selection isn’t very convincing. In the contrary, many Chinese merchants trade in hardware and machinery - but which foreigner in Thailand is really searching for water pumps or building materials? The most interesting for foreign visitors are probably the jewelry and gold shops, easily recognized because they all seem to be decorated with red velvet and gold colored foils. Gold jewelry is sold by the weight, with a surcharge depending on the craftsmanship that went into forming the metal into rings, bracelets or other designs. From the Sukhumvit Road area, Chinatown is easily reached on the aircon bus No 1 which passes through Yaowaraj Road. Chinatown has a number of individually named shopping areas and markets, some of which are described below.
Sampheng Lane (Chinatown)
The lane (also known as Soi Wanit) is the most famous strip in Chinatown, and it is interesting for it’s present day appearance as well as its social history. While today, it’s a retail and wholesale area for the cheapest and most cheapish merchandize, it used to be the classical red light district of Bangkok, lined with brothels and related establishments. According to historical sources, the women were mainly Chinese. While today, the trade conducted in Sampheng Lane is more honorable, those searching for a special flair can still be satisfied. The visitor will be amazed how crammed the lane is. In the shops, every available square centimeter is made use of, and at many places the displayed merchandize extends well into the lane. And still, there are street vendors setting up their suitcase shops in the middle of the lane. Delivery of merchandize is possible only on men’s backs, and the shopper or strolling visitor is constantly rubbing not just shoulders but his whole body with the crowds passing through the lane. As the area is ideal for pickpockets, one may as well leave large amounts of cash and other valuables in the hotel safe or at home. Anyway, the foreign visitor will not find much he would want to buy there. Aside from kitchen and dining utensils of the lowest quality and admittedly the lowest prices, goods to be found along Sampheng Lane are stationery, lowest quality toys, cheap clothes and textiles, fabrics and almost anything in haberdashery, as well as Chinese religious items, much of it made of plastic and foils - in the usual prevailing Chinese colors of gold and red. The lane is more crowded on weekends than during weekdays, though traffic on the route from the Sukhumvit or Silom Road areas is lighter on weekends. Sampheng Lane is easily reached from the Sukhumvit Road area on aircon bus No 1 which passes through Yaowaraj Road. Coming from Sukhumvit Road, Sampheng Lane is about fifty meters parallel to Yaowaraj Road on the left side.
Talaat Kao / Old Market (Chinatown)
As the name indicates, this is an old market area, about 200 years of age. It is located right in the middle of Chinatown on the corner of Yaowaraj Road and Yaowaphanit Road, half way between Yaowaraj Road and Sampheng Lane. From other wet markets in the Thai metropolis, this one differs in the assortment of strange foods offered. At Talaat Kao one can convince oneself that no other people of the world finds as many organic substances usable as food as do the Chinese. For details, please refer to the part on Chinese cuisine in the chapter Cuisine. The strangest delicacies described there are readily available in the Chinese restaurants and food stalls around this market.
Nakhon Kasem (Chinatown)
This market in Chinatown between New Road (Charoen Krung), Yaowaraj Road, Chakrawat Road and Boriphat Road is traditionally known as Thieves Market because of its large selection of secondhand merchandize. Officially, most of the items are from pawn shops. While there are secondhand and outdated household appliances, the most interesting items are so-called antiques and Chinese and Thai art objects, including porcelain, brassware, copperware and furniture inlaid with mother-of-pearl.
Klong Thom (Chinatown)
This is a hardware market in Chinatown around Mahachak Road and Soi Chong Charoen Panich.
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