Shopping Thailand

Thailand is one of the best places in Asia for shopping and visitors will be spotlit for choice with the huge, glitzy shopping malls, department stores, small shops and bustling street markets. Both Bangkok and Chiang Mai have excellent night markets. 

Good buys include Thai silks and cottons, leather goods, batiks, silver and gold, pottery with celandine green glaze, precious and semiprecious stones (in particular rubies and sapphires are indigenous to Thailand), pearls, dolls, masks, painted umbrellas, lacquer ware, pewter ware, bamboo and wood artifacts and bronze ware. 

The weekend market at Chatuchuk in Bangkok is a regular cornucopia with hundreds of stalls stocking items ranging from genuine antiques to fighting fish. 

Tailor-made clothes are also good value and can be made in a matter of days, yet the standard is very high.

Duty free shops are located throughout the country and items can be purchased there and delivered to the airport in time for the departure flight. Value Added Tax ( 7% ) can be refunded on goods bought in shops labeled 'VAT Refund for Tourists', where there is a minimum transaction of ฿2,000 including VAT.

VAT Refund Application for Tourists forms are completed at the time of purchase and it is necessary to show one's passport.Cash refunds (minimum ฿5,000) can be obtained in the airport departure hall and often the goods purchased must also be shown.

Bangkok Markets

Chatuchak (or Jatujak)

Weekend market in Bangkok is the largest market in Thailand, and largest of the world. Frequently called J.J., it covers over 35 acres (1.13 km²) and contains upwards of 15,000 stalls. It is estimated that the market receives between 200,000 and 300,000 visitors each day. Most stalls only open on Saturdays and Sundays.

The market offers a wide variety of products including household items, clothing, Thai handicrafts, religious artifacts, collectibles, foods, and live animals for your shopping style at Thailand.

Chatuchak market is adjacent to theKamphaengphet station (MRT) of the Bangkok Metro, or about a 5-minute walk from the Mo Chit (หมอชิต) Skytrain (BTS) station and Suan Chatuchak(Chatuchak Park) station(MRT). Open Hours: 08:00 - 18:00 on weekends and Fridays (wholesale day). Plant shops are open Wednesdays and Thursdays too from 07:00 - 18:00.

China Town, Yaowarat 

Bangkok's Chinatown or the other name Sumpeng is located on Yaowarat Road in Samphanthawong district.

The Chinatown is an old business centre covering a large area around Yaowarat and Charoen Krung Roads. There are many small streets and alleys full of shops and vendors selling all types of goods to shopping. One of the best place to shopping in thailand.

Platinum Fashion Mall

The Platinum Fashion Mall is Thailand largest Fashion Mall and One Stop Wholesale shopping. This Fashion Mall is designed in the national wholesale shopping concept. This Fashion mall supports many services for fashion traders, retailers and people such as inventory cargo, outbound and inbound transportations, car parks, elevators and others. These services help everyone in the Platinum Fashion Mall to more convenient for shopping and trading.

Pratunam Market

The market is open 24 hours a day with various offers, from 9AM to 8PM (in reality, it's more like 11AM-6PM), the retail shops are open, and later on the evening, outdoor stalls mainly geared for tourists come to populate the street sides. It's located at the intersection of Ratchaprarop and Phetburi roads in the district Ratchathewi. This is maybe the cheapest market for buying clothes, fabrics and textiles in central Bangkok, while the Chatuchak Weekend Market probably is the low price leader. Other merchandise include watches, handicraft and others.