Bangkok – A Shopper’s Paradise

Bangkok is visited by millions of tourists each year, and it has become a shopper’s paradise rivalling Singapore and Hong Kong as the shopping destination of the region, thanks to its unique combination of prestigious malls, department stores, local markets, ubiquitous street vendors, and the bustling Sampeng Lane in Chinatown.

Bangkok has many malls scattered across its central area. These range from malls with hundreds of low cost outlets such as the Platinum Fashion Mall, or the famous Mah Boon Krung (MBK), to the luxuriously appointed, high end malls such as Siam Paragon or Gaysorn Plaza. MBK is aimed mainly at the locals, but is also often frequented by foreign tourists in search of bargains. On the other hand, Siam Paragon and Gaysorn Plaza are stuffed with expensive designer shops to attract a wealthier clientele. Most of these malls are designed to keep you fed, watered and entertained in between serious bouts of shopping as they house various entertainment activities such as cinemas, bowling alleys, restaurants, bars and karaoke establishments.

The recently opened Siam Paragon, which is aimed at the high end of the market, offers 5 themed shopping floors entitled Luxury, Fashion, Lifestyle Leisure, Living Technology and the combined floor of Paragon Passage and IT World. Most of the famous ‘designer’ label shops such as Versace, Gucci, Giorgio Armani and Thailand’s very own Jim Thompson are ensconced on either, or in some cases both, of the Luxury or Lifestyle Leisure floors. Additional floors are named Gourmet Paradise that features a wide variety of eating places from expensive restaurants to a food court; Siam Ocean World which is south east Asia’s largest aquarium, and Global Entertainment which houses a Cineplex, a bowling alley, the only IMAX and 3D theatre in Thailand which boasts the largest cinema screen in the country. The Royal Paragon Hall is also available for various entertainment events.

CentralWorld, previously known as the World Trade Centre has recently been extended and refurbished. It is now the largest shopping mall in South East Asia and is aimed more towards the mid range shopper. There are hundreds of shops and restaurants as well as the usual entertainment complex which includes a cinema, bowling alley and an ice rink. The department stores Isetan and Zen can also be found within this cavernous mall and the addition of a 5 star hotel in the near future will mean that you never have to leave the place!

MBK is usually hectic, full of young locals, incorporates the department store Tokyu and is the place for low cost clothing, cosmetics, jewellery, electronics and, especially, anything to do with mobile phones. The usual cinema complex can be found and there are food courts and restaurants galore.

Bangkok is also famous for its markets. Local markets such as Klong Toey can be found everywhere, but the most famous are Chatuchak, known locally as ‘JJ’, Pratunam, Suan Lum Night Bazaar and the infamous Patpong night market.

Chatuchak is primarily a weekend market and is just enormous. Served by both Skytrain and underground systems, it is easy to get to, and serves some 200,000 visitors per day who peruse the literally thousands of stalls offering just about anything you can think of. Art, clothes, pets, plants, furniture, antiques, household items, books, jewellery, ceramics, handicrafts etc., etc., can all be found in enormous variety at bargain prices. Impossible to cover in a single day, the full weekend is needed to even begin to explore the variety that this market offers.

Pratunam located across the road from the Platinum Fashion Mall, and incidentally close by the well known IT mall Pantip Plaza which offers the best in IT and electronic bargains, is the haunt of many locals seeking out garment and material bargains. Crowded and bustling, it is arguably the cheapest place for clothes. Jewellery and handicrafts are also well represented.

The Suan Lum Night Bazaar is due to close, but in the meantime, it is a haven for evening shoppers seeking Thai handicrafts, clothing, jewellery and locally designed products. Several restaurants, bars and a food courts are also incorporated into the complex.

Patpong, infamous for its go-go bars and seedy nightlife is equally famous for its night market selling all manner of ‘brand’ name goods. A tourist trap, but nevertheless a ‘must see’ area for the first time visitor to Bangkok, hard bargaining is required to get down to the prices that can paid elsewhere.

Street vendors populate the main tourist areas of Sukhumit and Silom roads to such an extent that it is often difficult to pick your way through them. Specialising in ‘tourist’ wares, they offer an interesting selection of articles and present a challenge to anyone’s bargaining skills. Bargain hard and you will probably be satisfied but make sure you check the quality.

Sampeng Lane slices through Chinatown and requires a certain amount of stamina to be able to withstand the crush and the heat that is a feature of the area. It is narrow and very crowded, but offers the shopper a wide variety of articles at the cheapest of prices. Some of the shops are ‘wholesale only’ but many allow you to ‘mix and match’. For example, you can buy 5 different pairs of earrings at the wholesale price for 5 pairs. As well as jewellery, this long lane offers, shoes, clothing, fabrics, accessories, paper products and much more. At one end of Sampeng Lane is the Paphurat cloth market. Predominantly Indian run, fabrics and Indian jewellery abound.

Shopping in Bangkok could well be the ultimate shopping experience. The number and wide variety of shopping opportunities make it an unparalleled destination – a Shopper’s Paradise.