Shopping
in Bangkok. Unique, fun & cheap
New York has Fifth Avenue. Paris has the Champs Elysees.
London has Piccadilly. Ratchadamri represents Bangkok
as a local version of the world's glitziest shopping
streets. Lose yourself in the ease of air-conditioned
department stores lining both sides of the road, and
indulge your shopping fantasies with luxury goods
from the four corners of the globe.
Over
the fast few years, international designers have turned
Bangkok's prominent shopping plazas, World Trade Centre,
Gaysorn Plaza, Joyce, Amarin Plaza and Peninsula Plaza,
into their new fashion runway. At the same time, local
stylists proudly proclaim their own exclusive designs
at the same venues.
Thailand
Downtown Duty Free Shop:
Located on the 7th floor of World Trade Centre in
the heart of Bangkok, the shop showcases branded clothes,
leather goods, watches, cosmetics and other accessories.
Across the street, a specialised department store
- Narayana Phand Pavilion- rounds up an enormous and
enticing range of fine handicrafts from all around
the country, under one extensive roof. Ratchadamri
and Ploenchit roads can give you a breathtaking abundance
of choices. Open daily from 11 a.m. -8:30 p.m.
Silom Road: A
main artery of Bangkok's commercial heart, Silom Road
also presents great shopping opportunities. At its
lower end, close to the Chao Phraya River, dozens
of gem and jewellery stores line the footpaths while
temporary stalls offer an array of souvenirs from
T-shirts to handicrafts. Major department stores led
by Central and Robinson dominate the upper section.
The colourful night market of Patpong, which links
Silom and Surawongse roads, is thronged with avid
bargain-hunters until late into the night.
Soi
Lalai Sup: Office chic on the chaotic Silom Road
infused the boom of Soi Lalai Sup market years ago.
Now it seems as if every Bangkok woman has set their
shopping compasses to this famous alley, renowned
for its comprehensive collections of ready-to-wear
clothing. Other attributes of typical Thai markets-
food stalls sweet sellers and cheerful congestion-add
to the vitality of this emerging shopping street.
Chinatown
and Ban Mor: All that glitters is real gold at
Yaowarat, Bangkok's Chinatown, which accommodates
the largest concentration of gold shops in Thailand.
Traditional stores in the area will also excite the
imagination of intrepid browsers. A few blocks away,
you'll find the equally sparkling strip of Ban Mor,
where quality jewellery stores teem on the footpaths.
Sukhumvit: Like Silom Road, Sukhumvit is one of
Bangkok's major thoroughfares, with shops, boutiques,
stalls and modern shopping plazas, not to mention
hotels, bars and restaurants along both sides. Sukhumvit
is known for its abundance of tailor-made garment
shops, which offer custom-tailoring as affordable
and as easy as buying off the peg. Antique cognoscenti
flock to the section of Sukhumvit which houses a number
of antique shops specialising in Thai period furniture's,
genuinely old or reproduction, and exquisite wood-carvings.
Bang Lamphu: Bangkok's oldest one-stop shopping
market, Bang Lamphu is like a huge single-storey department
store. From basic necessities to exotic extravagance,
you can find it all here. The nearby area of Khao
Sarn Road is a gathering place of foreign backpackers.
Stores and boutiques catering to budget-conscious
shoppers are plentiful there.
Chatuchak Weekend Market: They say that if you
can't find it at Chatuchak, you won't find it anywhere
in Thailand. Nowhere else can portray the spirit of
the informal market more vividly than the maze of
Chatuchak. It's impossible to resist the urge to spend
money, to try on the garment, to taste the food, to
own the painting, to stroke this pet or talk to that
plant. Bargainers can demonstrate their skill to the
limit, no matter how low the price tag.
Above
all, the bustling atmosphere in which the transaction
is made is what makes the market a matchless shopping
experience.
Khlong
Thom Market: Always congested but ever popular,
Khlong Thom's charm is unrefined, yet undeniably worthwhile.
Second-hand goods are always valued at this old-fashioned
flea market, regardless of their condition. Hardware
and electrical appliances new or used, broken or functional,
guaranteed or buy-at-your-own-risk are Khlong Thom's
major commodities. It seems everything can be put
on sale here. No need to spend your money, a stroll
around Khlong Thom could be an experience in itself.
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