Bangkok is understood for a lot of issues: ornate temples, delectable meals, and vibrant nightlife. All these make the Thai capital a juggernaut on this planet of tourism. But when there’s yet one more factor you shouldn’t miss, it’s a possibility to buy ’til you drop.
All all through Bangkok, you’ll discover colossal style malls and road markets, every providing a special procuring expertise. Whether or not you’re searching for luxurious designer labels, world manufacturers, or distinctive homegrown favorites, there’s a procuring heart for you. On this article, let’s break down a few of the metropolis’s largest and hottest procuring institutions. (This record is in no specific order.)
WHAT’S COVERED IN THIS GUIDE?
Chatuchak Weekend Market
Formally opened in 1942, the Chatuchak Market is a sprawling procuring mecca that has been drawing each native and international customers 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 this planet.
On the market here’s a full gamut of merchandise conceivable, 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 Street (Entrance 3).
To present you an summary, listed below 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 9/11: 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, Residence Decorations
Part 16-18: Clothes, Mountaineering Tools, Leather-based
Part 25: Ceramic & Silk
Part 26: Antiques, Residence Decorations, Picture Frames
Part 27-28: Handcrafts, Books, Miscellaneous, Others
Part 30: Clothes & Miscellaneous
Meals stalls are principally clustered in a single space close to Entrance 1. Others are scattered across the market hallways. So, flex your bargaining muscle tissues and store to your coronary heart’s content material!
If you happen to ever get hungry from all of the bargaining, there are many eating choices round, serving numerous Thai dishes. However what we advocate 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 Street, 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 among the greatest wholesale garment markets within the nation. It options each indoor and outside procuring areas, touting principally garments and equipment. However different merchandise like toiletries, toys, medicines, and houseware are additionally out there.
Though the shops typically 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 Heart, a constructing on the coronary heart of Pratunam. If you’re extra comfy procuring exterior, 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 Style Mall
On the opposite aspect of Petchaburi Street and throughout the Pratunam Market space, Platinum Style Mall entices shopaholics and fashionistas from across the globe. Showcasing a plethora of style kinds and merchandise, it is among the largest and most favored wholesale and retail procuring locations in Thailand.
From Thai designer collections to the newest worldwide tendencies, it delights customers on the hunt for garments, equipment, footwear, and leather-based items. Nearly all of the outlets caters to girls, however all the Stage 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.
On your procuring information, listed below are the merchandise classes per ground/degree:
- sixth Stage (Meals Heart): Meals & Beverage, Souvenirs, Cellular Equipment
- fifth Stage (Orchard): Children, Leathers, Equipment
- 4th Stage (Camden): Males, Leather-based Merchandise
- third Stage (Nathan): Ladies, Males
- 2nd Stage (Oxford): Ladies
- 1st Stage (Soho): Ladies, Info Counter
- Basement Stage (Ginza): Denims, Style Garments, Meals & Beverage
You may get misplaced within the maze-like colourful hallways that look comparable. Simply set a selected place and time to satisfy your companions after your procuring spree.
For foodies, one can find many of the eating locations on Stage 6 and the Basement Stage. The Meals Heart, the mall’s meals junction, and the eating places are on Stage 6, whereas the cafés and dessert locations are on the basement degree.
Location: 222 Phetchaburi Street, 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, style objects and equipment additionally abound right here: the newest kinds, classic garments, textiles, costumes, and even college uniforms!
Palladium’s basement additionally beckons blingholics and gemmaphiles who’re attempting to find their subsequent treasured jewellery — silver, gold, earrings, necklaces, bracelets, and extra! Therapeutic massage providers and eating locations are additionally out there.
Location: 555 Ratchaprarop Street, 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.
Positioned within the Siam neighborhood, Siam Sq. is a procuring and leisure vacation spot, immortalized in popular culture because the setting of the movie The Love of Siam. With over 400,000 folks passing by this space day by day, it’s also generally thought to be the center of procuring within the metropolis.
Combining huge fashionable malls with humble road vendor stalls, it caters to each younger and outdated and all types of customers, from cut price hunters to luxurious chasers. The leisure and procuring space spans from Phayathai Street to Henri Dunant and from Rama I Street to the Chulalongkorn Campus. A skywalk hyperlinks it to close by procuring facilities and the Ratchaprasong procuring district.
Listed here are a few of the malls which can be ready for you across the Siam Space:
- Siam Paragon, principally mid-range to high-end manufacturers
- Siam Heart
- Siam Discovery
- CentralwOrld
- MBK Heart
The flagship retailer of GENTLEWOMAN, a Thai model, can be inside Siam Sq..
Location: 388 Rama I Street, 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 growth 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. Masking an intensive retail house space of 525,000 sq. meters, it’s hailed as one of many largest procuring malls in Asia. Many of the eating places, retail manufacturers, and outlets listed below are on the luxurious or high-end aspect.
Listed here are a few 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 all around the nation had 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.
- Sights Corridor, situated on IconSiam’s sixth ground, which hosts numerous 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 functional place. Right here, you’ll get to marvel at replicas of and study an amazing deal about his masterpieces!
- Cruise Pier, the soar 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 general 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 at first of #PrideMonth so rainbow decors and promos are in all places!
Location: 299 Charoen Nakhon Street, 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: Day by day, 10:00 AM-10:00 PM.
Union Mall
If you wish to keep away from 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, residence to over 1200 outlets and kiosks. Nevertheless it’s nonetheless fairly spacious. Many of the clothes shops are on the primary two ranges, however a few of the prime flooring will not be absolutely occupied, which make for a extra relaxed procuring 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 once we had been the one prospects alongside a full procuring alley! And once we discovered ourselves in the identical retailer as different customers, they had been Thai.
The good majority of retailers are geared towards girls, however there’s an honest variety of males’s put on on the higher flooring. In actual fact, Vins was in a position to buy a few lovely graphic males’s jackets! He was additionally in a position to haggle a bit.
However like Platinum Mall, the sheer variety of choices right here is kind of spectacular. You’ll discover a retailer for males, girls, children, 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: Day by 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 growth company behind Siam Paragon, Siam Heart, Siam Discovery, and IconSIAM.
It takes pleasure in its assortment of 145 premium style heavyweights together with designer luxurious labels, worldwide ready-to-wear staples, and native manufacturers, organized in a flat, outdoor-mall setup. However one of the best half: you may anticipate a giant SALE at any time of the yr. Which shops and the way a lot low cost is up for grabs range per season, however there are promos year-round.
Once we visited, we had been greeted by these reductions for choose objects:
- 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
- Beneath 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 supply extra reductions if you are going to buy a number of objects without delay. Sure, these are on prime of the printed 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 picture spots, normally following the season’s important event. Once we final visited, they had been celebrating #BangkokPride Month so rainbow decors had been throughout. They had been additionally making a gift of free rainbow umbrellas to those that add photographs 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 exterior town. It’s near Suvarnabhumi Airport, so you may do your last-minute procuring right here, nevertheless it’s nonetheless fairly out of the way in which.
Nevertheless, there are direct shuttle buses at Siam Paragon that may take you to Siam Premium Retailers.
The best way to 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 particular person.
Location: 989 moo 14, Tambon Bang Sao Thong, Amphur Bang Sao Thong, Samutprakarn Province 10570, Thailand
Opening Hours: Day by day, 10:00 AM-10:00 PM.
What’s the finest procuring spot in Bangkok?
Nicely, that is dependent upon your preferences. Primarily based on my commentary, amongst all these, the Chatuchak Weekend Market is probably the most budget-friendly and the employees entertain haggling extra, particularly when you’re buying a number of objects. 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 objects aside from clothes. However in the case of simply attire and equipment, lots of the stalls promote comparable merchandise. You’ll discover a number of institutions promoting the very same shirts, attire or luggage. Plus, timing is essential right here as most shops are open solely on weekends.
If you happen to’re enthusiastic about clothes, the Pratunam space is nice as a result of it has extra numerous choices. Platinum Style Mall alone, whereas typically barely costlier than Chatuchak, is residence to numerous distinctive and quirky designs. The adjoining markets additionally promote extra reasonably priced objects.
However when you’re after branded and extra premium objects, it’s between Siam Paragon and iconSIAM. Siam Premium Retailers Bangkok has numerous promos, which is nice when you’re cut price looking. However as a result of you need to exit of your approach to attain it, be sure that they carry your goal manufacturers earlier than going.
What’s the Finest Space to Keep in Bangkok for Consumers?
It’s a toss between Siam and Pratunam. Siam is surrounded by large procuring malls, whereas Pratunam is a cut price retail paradise. The perfect half, these two areas lie aspect by aspect and are inside strolling distance of one another. It’s an extended stroll, maybe 15-25 minutes, nevertheless it’s not that dangerous.
That mentioned, Siam space is far more well-connected than Pratunam by way of practice strains.
Listed here are a few of the prime lodges in these two areas as reviewed by Agoda customers.
High Lodges in Siam Space
High Lodges in Pratunam
Seek for extra Bangkok Lodges!
Vital Suggestions when Buying in Bangkok
- Watch out for pickpockets, particularly within the Pratunam space together with Pratunam Market and Palladium Style Corridor. At all times regulate your valuables.
- Get larger reductions when you’re shopping for as a bunch. Though haggling just isn’t practiced at most Siam-managed malls like iconSIAM and Siam Premium Retailers, it is rather a lot welcome at Pratunam institutions and Chatuchak Weekend Market. And also you’re gonna have far more bargaining energy when you’re shopping for a number of objects without delay. So when you’re a part of a bunch, store and haggle collectively.
- Agree to satisfy at a selected place and time. These procuring facilities are like a large maze. They alleys crisscrossing Chatuchak Market, Platinum Style Mall, and Pratunam Market are slender and crowded. It’s straightforward to get misplaced and confused. If you happen to’re a part of a bunch, select a meetup spot and time in case you get separated or when you resolve to go on separate methods.
- Convey your passport and avail of VAT Refund. Most shops at Siam Paragon, Siam Discovery, Siam Heart, CentralwOrld, iconSIAM and Siam Premium Retailers are a part of the tax refund program so benefit from it for further financial savings!
Written by: Yosh Dimen & Asta Alvarez