Bangkok is understood for a lot of issues: ornate temples, delectable meals, and vibrant nightlife. All these make the Thai capital a juggernaut on the planet of tourism. But when there’s another factor you shouldn’t miss, it’s a chance to buy ’til you drop.
All all through Bangkok, you’ll discover colossal vogue malls and road markets, every providing a distinct buying expertise. Whether or not you’re searching for luxurious designer labels, world manufacturers, or distinctive homegrown favorites, there’s a buying heart for you. On this article, let’s break down a number of the metropolis’s largest and hottest buying institutions. (This listing is in no specific order.)
WHAT’S COVERED IN THIS GUIDE?
Chatuchak Weekend Market
Formally opened in 1942, the Chatuchak Market is a sprawling buying mecca that has been drawing each native and overseas consumers and distributors. Welcoming greater than 200,000 guests, it’s inarguably the busiest within the nation. Composed of over 15,000 stalls, manned by 11,500 distributors in a 35-acre land space, it’s dubbed as the most important and most numerous weekend market on the planet.
On the market here’s a full gamut of merchandise possible, grouped into 30 sections. A market map may be normally seen on the entrance gate areas. To maximise your time right here, you may take a photograph of the map to information you whilst you store. Be aware that there are three entrance gates: on Kamphaeng Phet 2 (Entrance 1), on Kamphaeng Phet 3 (Entrance 2), and on Phahonyothin Highway (Entrance 3).
To offer you an summary, listed here are the stuff you’ll see per part:
Part 1 & 29: Antiques, Equipment, Books, Thai Devices
Part 2-4: Teen Clothings and Equipment
Part 5-6: Used Clothings and Footwear
Part 7: Arts & Portray
Part 8: Carvings, Spa, Incense
Part September 11: Handcraft & Synthetic Flowers
Part 12, 14, 21-24: Clothes, Equipment, Footwear
Part 13: Postcards, Souvenirs, Pet/Animal Stuff
Part 15, 19-20: Tableware, Ceramic, Silver, Dwelling Decorations
Part 16-18: Clothes, Mountaineering Tools, Leather-based
Part 25: Ceramic & Silk
Part 26: Antiques, Dwelling Decorations, Photograph Frames
Part 27-28: Handcrafts, Books, Miscellaneous, Others
Part 30: Clothes & Miscellaneous
Meals stalls are largely clustered in a single space close to Entrance 1. Others are scattered across the market hallways. So, flex your bargaining muscle mass and store to your coronary heart’s content material!
In the event you ever get hungry from all of the bargaining, there are many eating choices round, serving varied Thai dishes. However what we suggest is Moo Yang Mae Sumontha, a hidden stall inside Chatuchak Market serving moo yang (grilled pork). However its model is roasted honey glazed, which is extremely tender, succulent, and correctly cooked.
Location: Kamphaeng Phet 2 Highway, Chatuchak, Bangkok
Nearest Stations: Chatuchak Park MRT Station, Chatuchak Park BTS Station, or Kamphaeng Phet MRT Station
Opening Hours:
Saturday-Sunday, 9:00 AM-6:00 PM (Complete Market);
Friday, 6:00 PM – 12:00 AM (Wholesale Solely);
Wednesday-Thursday, 7:00 AM-6:00 PM (Plant Part Solely).
Pratunam Market
With retail shops unfold throughout Ratchaprarop and Phetchaburi Roads in Ratchathewi District, Pratunam Market is likely one of the largest wholesale garment markets within the nation. It options each indoor and out of doors buying areas, touting largely garments and equipment. However different merchandise like toiletries, toys, medicines, and houseware are additionally out there.
Though the shops usually cater to wholesalers, they nonetheless fortunately accommodate retail consumers or those that purchase in small portions. Haggling is regular, so don’t be shy to barter the worth if you see one thing you actually like and really feel like you may nonetheless get it at a a lot cheaper price.
Don’t neglect to take a look at Pratunam Middle, a constructing on the coronary heart of Pratunam. In case you are extra comfy buying outdoors, simply watch out of the passing automobiles.
Location: Ratchatewi District, Bangkok
Nearest Station: Ratchathewi BTS Station
Opening Hours: The market is open 24/7, however most outlets begin working at 11:00 AM. The perfect time to buy is between 11:00 AM and 4:00 PM.
Platinum Trend Mall
On the opposite aspect of Petchaburi Highway and throughout the Pratunam Market space, Platinum Trend Mall entices shopaholics and fashionistas from across the globe. Showcasing a plethora of vogue kinds and merchandise, it is likely one of the largest and most favored wholesale and retail buying locations in Thailand.
From Thai designer collections to the newest worldwide traits, it delights consumers on the hunt for garments, equipment, footwear, and leather-based items. The vast majority of the outlets caters to ladies, however your entire Degree 4 is devoted to males’s put on. However on the primary three flooring, you’ll nonetheless discover males’s garments and unisex shops each dozen of stalls or so. It’s composed of greater than 2,500 outlets, housed in a multi-level air-conditioned constructing. It’s not nearly quantity, although. It’s additionally numerous. You’ll discover one thing for you no matter your age, gender or physique kind! You simply have to comb by every ground.
To your buying information, listed here are the merchandise classes per ground/degree:
- sixth Degree (Meals Middle): Meals & Beverage, Souvenirs, Cellular Equipment
- fifth Degree (Orchard): Youngsters, Leathers, Equipment
- 4th Degree (Camden): Males, Leather-based Merchandise
- third Degree (Nathan): Girls, Males
- 2nd Degree (Oxford): Girls
- 1st Degree (Soho): Girls, Info Counter
- Basement Degree (Ginza): Denims, Trend Garments, Meals & Beverage
You may get misplaced within the maze-like colourful hallways that look related. Simply set a particular place and time to fulfill your companions after your buying spree.
For foodies, you can find many of the eating locations on Degree 6 and the Basement Degree. The Meals Middle, the mall’s meals junction, and the eating places are on Degree 6, whereas the cafés and dessert locations are on the basement degree.
Location: 222 Phetchaburi Highway, Thanon Phaya Thai, Ratchathewi, Bangkok
Nearest Station: Chit Lom BTS Station or Siam BTS Station. From both station, take the elevated R-Stroll by Gaysorn Village.
Opening Hours: Monday-Sunday, 9:00 AM-8:00 PM.
Palladium World Buying Mall
Additionally situated within the Pratunam neighborhood, the Palladium World Buying Mall (or just Palladium) is the place to go for IT-related stuff — telephone equipment, tech devices, electronics, printing, cameras, and the like. However after all, vogue gadgets and equipment additionally abound right here: the newest kinds, classic garments, textiles, costumes, and even faculty uniforms!
Palladium’s basement additionally beckons blingholics and gemmaphiles who’re looking for their subsequent treasured jewellery — silver, gold, earrings, necklaces, bracelets, and extra! Therapeutic massage providers and eating locations are additionally out there.
Location: 555 Ratchaprarop Highway, Makkasan, Ratchathewi, Bangkok
Nearest Station: Chit Lom BTS Station, Siam BTS Station or Ratchaprarop Station
Opening Hours: Monday-Sunday, 10:00 AM-8:00 PM.
Siam Sq.
Situated within the Siam neighborhood, Siam Sq. is a buying and leisure vacation spot, immortalized in popular culture because the setting of the movie The Love of Siam. With over 400,000 individuals passing by this space each day, additionally it is generally thought to be the center of buying within the metropolis.
Combining huge trendy malls with humble road vendor stalls, it caters to each younger and previous and every kind of consumers, from discount hunters to luxurious chasers. The leisure and buying space spans from Phayathai Highway to Henri Dunant and from Rama I Highway to the Chulalongkorn Campus. A skywalk hyperlinks it to close by buying facilities and the Ratchaprasong buying district.
Listed here are a number of the malls which might be ready for you across the Siam Space:
- Siam Paragon, largely mid-range to high-end manufacturers
- Siam Middle
- Siam Discovery
- CentralwOrld
- MBK Middle
The flagship retailer of GENTLEWOMAN, a Thai model, can be inside Siam Sq..
Location: 388 Rama I Highway, Pathum Wan, Bangkok
Nearest Station: Siam BTS Station
Opening Hours: Monday-Sunday, 10:00 AM-10:00 PM.
iconSIAM
IconSIAM is a part of the multi-awarded mixed-use improvement property on the west financial institution of the Chao Phraya River. Since its opening in November 2018, it has already amassed a number of design awards. Protecting an intensive retail area space of 525,000 sq. meters, it’s hailed as one of many largest buying malls in Asia. Many of the eating places, retail manufacturers, and outlets listed here are on the luxurious or high-end aspect.
Listed here are a number of the sights ready for you at iconSIAM:
- Siam Takashimaya, the primary Takashimaya in Thailand. This iconic Japanese division retailer carries greater than 500 trusted manufacturers, round 170 of that are Japanese.
- Sook Siam, an indoor floating market with greater than 3,000 native companies from everywhere in the nation have been introduced right here to showcase the cultural roots of Thailand by their merchandise — crafts, meals, and extra — whereas paying tribute to the floating markets in neighboring provinces.
- Points of interest Corridor, situated on IconSiam’s sixth ground, which hosts varied occasions and displays. The final time we visited, DA VINCI ALIVE BANGKOK takes the spot. It options all of Da Vinci’s genius and legacy multi function place. Right here, you’ll get to marvel at replicas of and be taught an amazing deal about his masterpieces!
- Cruise Pier, the leap off level for a lot of boat cruises. IconSiam is located on the west financial institution of the Chao Phraya.
IconSIAM additionally takes pleasure in its total look and aesthetic. Since its opening in November 2018, it has already amassed a number of design awards. Its interiors are additionally dressed relying on the event. Our final go to was in the beginning of #PrideMonth so rainbow decors and promos are all over the place!
Location: 299 Charoen Nakhon Highway, Khlong Ton Sai, Khlong San, Bangkok
Nearest Station: Charoennakorn Station (Sky Practice Gold Line by way of Krung Thon Buri BTS Station) or Saphan Taksin BTS Station (then ferry from Sathorn Pier to IconSIAM)
Opening Hours: Each day, 10:00 AM-10:00 PM.
Union Mall
If you wish to avoid the gang, head over to Union Mall, situated on the Lat Phrao junction in Bangkok’s northern aspect. Union Mall is an eight-story retail heart, dwelling to over 1200 outlets and kiosks. However it’s nonetheless fairly spacious. Many of the clothes shops are on the primary two ranges, however a number of the prime flooring are usually not absolutely occupied, which make for a extra relaxed buying expertise.
You see, whereas most vacationers congregate in Platinum Mall and Chatuchak Market, Union Mall is extra frequented by locals. Once we final visited, it was a wet weekday afternoon, and there have been many instances after we have been the one prospects alongside a full buying alley! And after we discovered ourselves in the identical retailer as different consumers, they have been Thai.
The nice majority of retailers are geared towards ladies, however there’s an honest variety of males’s put on on the higher flooring. Actually, Vins was in a position to buy a few stunning graphic males’s jackets! He was additionally in a position to haggle a bit.
However like Platinum Mall, the sheer range of choices right here is kind of spectacular. You’ll discover a retailer for males, ladies, youngsters, grownups, skinny and plus-size!
Location: 54 ซอย ลาดพร้าว 1 Chom Phon, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand
Nearest Station: Phahon Yothin (MRT Blue Line)
Opening Hours: Each day, 11:00 AM-10:00 PM.
Siam Retailers Mall
Siam Premium Retailers is Thailand’s first luxurious outlet mall. It’s operated by the Siam Piwat Simon Co., the identical retail and improvement company behind Siam Paragon, Siam Middle, Siam Discovery, and IconSIAM.
It takes pleasure in its assortment of 145 premium vogue heavyweights together with designer luxurious labels, worldwide ready-to-wear staples, and native manufacturers, organized in a flat, outdoor-mall setup. However the very best half: you may count on a giant SALE at any time of the 12 months. Which shops and the way a lot low cost is up for grabs fluctuate per season, however there are promos year-round.
Once we visited, we have been greeted by these reductions for choose gadgets:
- Calvin Klein – as much as 80% OFF
- Michael Kors – as much as 70% OFF
- Havaianas – as much as 60% OFF
- Puma – as much as 50% OFF
- Below Armour – as much as 50% OFF
- American Eagle – as much as 50% OFF
- Adidas – as much as 40% OFF
- Coach – as much as 30% OFF
Some shops additionally provide further reductions if you buy a number of gadgets directly. Sure, these are on prime of the revealed promos.
You’ll additionally discover the next luxurious manufacturers at Siam Premium Retailers:
- Balenciaga
- Burberry
- Versace
- Ferragamo
- Boss
- Marc Jacobs
- Karl Lagerfeld
Additionally scattered across the website are a number of photograph spots, normally following the season’s primary event. Once we final visited, they have been celebrating #BangkokPride Month so rainbow decors have been throughout. They have been additionally giving freely free rainbow umbrellas to those that add images taken at these spots.
Right here’s the catch, although. Though it’s named Siam Premium Retailers Bangkok, it’s truly situated in Samutprakarn Province, simply outdoors town. It’s near Suvarnabhumi Airport, so you might do your last-minute buying right here, but it surely’s nonetheless fairly out of the best way.
Nonetheless, there are direct shuttle buses at Siam Paragon that may take you to Siam Premium Retailers.
Get to Siam Premium Retailers Bangkok: Take the BTS to Siam Station and head to Siam Paragon. Catch a shuttle bus to Siam Premium Retailers. Fare: THB 150 per individual.
Location: 989 moo 14, Tambon Bang Sao Thong, Amphur Bang Sao Thong, Samutprakarn Province 10570, Thailand
Opening Hours: Each day, 10:00 AM-10:00 PM.
What’s the finest buying spot in Bangkok?
Properly, that depends upon your preferences. Primarily based on my statement, amongst all these, the Chatuchak Weekend Market is probably the most budget-friendly and the workers entertain haggling extra, particularly if you happen to’re buying a number of gadgets. Chatuchak is touted as probably the most numerous market this aspect of the world, and it’s most likely true since you’ll discover different gadgets apart from clothes. However on the subject of simply attire and equipment, most of the stalls promote related merchandise. You’ll discover a number of institutions promoting the very same shirts, clothes or baggage. Plus, timing is essential right here as most shops are open solely on weekends.
In the event you’re serious about clothes, the Pratunam space is nice as a result of it has extra numerous choices. Platinum Trend Mall alone, whereas usually barely costlier than Chatuchak, is dwelling to quite a lot of distinctive and quirky designs. The adjoining markets additionally promote extra reasonably priced gadgets.
However if you happen to’re after branded and extra premium gadgets, it’s between Siam Paragon and iconSIAM. Siam Premium Retailers Bangkok has quite a lot of promos, which is nice if you happen to’re discount searching. However as a result of you must exit of your method to attain it, be sure they carry your goal manufacturers earlier than going.
What’s the Finest Space to Keep in Bangkok for Customers?
It’s a toss between Siam and Pratunam. Siam is surrounded by big buying malls, whereas Pratunam is a discount retail paradise. The perfect half, these two areas lie aspect by aspect and are inside strolling distance of one another. It’s a protracted stroll, maybe 15-25 minutes, but it surely’s not that dangerous.
That mentioned, Siam space is way more well-connected than Pratunam by way of prepare strains.
Listed here are a number of the prime motels in these two areas as reviewed by Agoda customers.
Prime Motels in Siam Space
Prime Motels in Pratunam
Seek for extra Bangkok Motels!
Essential Suggestions when Buying in Bangkok
- Watch out for pickpockets, particularly within the Pratunam space together with Pratunam Market and Palladium Trend Corridor. At all times keep watch over your valuables.
- Get greater reductions if you happen to’re shopping for as a gaggle. Though haggling is just not practiced at most Siam-managed malls like iconSIAM and Siam Premium Retailers, it is extremely a lot welcome at Pratunam institutions and Chatuchak Weekend Market. And also you’re gonna have way more bargaining energy if you happen to’re shopping for a number of gadgets directly. So if you happen to’re a part of a gaggle, store and haggle collectively.
- Agree to fulfill at a particular place and time. These buying facilities are like an enormous maze. They alleys crisscrossing Chatuchak Market, Platinum Trend Mall, and Pratunam Market are slim and crowded. It’s simple to get misplaced and confused. In the event you’re a part of a gaggle, select a meetup spot and time in case you get separated or if you happen to resolve to go on separate methods.
- Convey your passport and avail of VAT Refund. Most shops at Siam Paragon, Siam Discovery, Siam Middle, CentralwOrld, iconSIAM and Siam Premium Retailers are a part of the tax refund program so benefit from it for additional financial savings!
Written by: Yosh Dimen & Asta Alvarez