 Bangkok
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 There are many who think of Bangkok as a shopper's paradise. There are indeed some great bargains to be had, and there is certainly a lot to choose from, but we would be remiss if we didn't put in a word of caution: while there are bargains, many things, especially anything imported, is likely to be more expensive than elsewhere. Check prices of any planned major purchases at home before you leave.
Markets
Jatujak Weekend Market
 This massive market is only open on Saturday and Sunday. Here you'll find everything from pets and plants to clothes and antiques. The market is open-air, though mostly covered, and can be incredibly hot on even a mild day. The small twisting aisles make it easy to get lost but it's hard to go too far in any one direction before hitting the open center area with its clock tower, or the drive circling the market. The market is ostensibly organized into sections for clothing, pets, furniture, etc. but you'll find anything anywhere. The market is located towards the northern edge of the city center, roughly half way between the old airport and the city center. The best way to get there is by subway to the Kampangphet station.
Garment District
This large rabbit-warren market sells mostly ready-to-wear clothes of the kind mass produced in Thailand. You can pick up clothes very cheaply here, but the styles are generally destined for Walmart. There are cloth and custom shops here as well.
Patpong Night Bazaar
It may seem odd for Bangkok's infamous red light district to be the site of a popular market, but, well, Thailand is full of such contradictions. Beginning around 7:00 p.m. every day, the sidewalks of Silom road as well as Patpong itself are filled with stalls selling clothing, trinkets, music and sundry other items. It can be quite crowded and there are of course a lot of touts on the prowl, so you need to be on your guard.
Shopping Centers (Malls)
There are a few shopping centers that may be worth a look for the tourist. Note that the first three occupy three corners of a major intersection and so can be visited in a single trip if you have the stamina.
Discounts
 Discounts of at least 5% are usually available at most stores, just for being a tourist!
Paragon/Emporium/The Mall
Sign up for a Paragon/Emporium/Mall card, you normally need your passport to do this.
Siam Discovery Centre
The card, which was previously available from the information desk, is no longer available, however, with your passport (or a copy of the information page) discounts are still available of at least 5%.
Central/Robinson/Zen
 5% Discount card available for a period of 30 days on production of your passport. Good at all branches.
New July 2006 The Central 1 Card, not only entitles you to 5% discount, but comes with a book of vouchers for up to 20% various manufacturers products - PLUS various extra discounts for cardholders, such as 20% off Lacoste. This card is free, and is issued while you wait from the desk on the 3rd floor by Greyhound Cafe. Ask for Expat Card application form, as all the ones on display are in Thai.
Well worth filling the form out for, I saved 1090 Baht on my first purchase alone! Purchases accumulate points that you can redeem for discount vouchers up to 50%.
Mahboonkrong (MBK) Center
 The "grand -daddy" of Bangkok's shopping centers, it mostly has a market feel to it, with many small shops and sometimes very narrow aisles. You'll find one floor devoted almost entirely to mobile phones and accessories. Two others have clothes as well as bags while another is furniture.
Siam Square
Outdoor cluster of shophouses which is currently given over to independent clothing designers, music stores and other things of interest to the young crowd attracted to Siam Square.
Siam Center & Siam Discovery
Set side-by-side across Rama I Road from Siam Square, these two centers have several designer shops and restaurants. The construction site next door to Siam Center will be another shopping center, to be called Siam Paragon.
Siam Paragon
 Opened in December 2005, Siam Paragon takes center stage, both literally and figuratively, in the heart of Bangkok's Shopping District.
Most of the shops are decidedly high end, with names such as Armani, Chanel and Mazerati on hand, but there are enough distractions such as movies and Asia's largest aquarium to keep the place packed on weekends.
The Emporium
High class center located on Sukhumvit Road at the Prompong Skytrain station. Very popular with foreign residents.
Miscellaneous
Shopping Street - Siam Square to Chidlom
Bangkoks Fashion City
This is the major shopping area of Bangkok. It is very popular with tourists and Thais, particularly young, fashion-conscious Thai girls. The area started to develop around Siam Square in the late sixties when Chulalongkorn University utilized its land bank adjacent to the university.
Since then, it has continued to progress with new shopping centers being built even now. Starting from the Pathumwan junction it stretches all the way to Wireless Road.
 The original development, Siam Square, is particularly popular with university students and young Thais who have just started their business careers. There is a well-used phrase on mobile phone calls Meet you at Siam. Opposite Siam Square is Siam Center which was the first western-style air-conditioned shopping complex in Thailand. Now this area has many other shopping complexes.
The next section in this area is around the Ratchadamri and Ratchaprasong intersection where there are a selection of 5-star hotels and major shopping complexes catering for the more up-market shoppers. Many of the worlds leading fashion designers have boutiques in this locale.
The Central World Plaza is the largest complex in this area and the site for Bangkoks New Year Countdown celebrations. During the cooler months of November to January, the major breweries sponsor the setting up of beer gardens on the plaza in front.
The last point on this Fashion City map is Central Chidlom, another upmarket department store. This is at the Chidlom and Lang Suan intersection. Soi Lang Suan has many condominiums and a variety of restaurants and bars catering to the more affluent members of society.
How to get there: Skytrain to Siam or Chidlom Stations
Bus routes 2, 15, 16, 21, 25, 29, 34, 40, 45, 47, 50, 54, 73, 79, 93, 141, 163, 204, 508, 511, 513
Suan Lum Night Bazaar
 A fun place to shop and dine
The Suan Lum Night Bazaar is a great place for an inexpensive night out that offers fabulous shopping, restaurant or food court dining, live entertainment and a superb choice of beers.
The shopping area is well laid out with neat streets lined on both sides with shops selling clothes, handicrafts, souvenirs, and a myriad of other items. There are alleyways between the main streets, which are crammed with smaller stalls offering great bargains. You'll be pleasantly surprised at what you might find here.
Spread throughout the complex, are many restaurants and bars. The range of cuisine is quite extensive including Thai and Chinese seafood, Indian, Japanese and German.
As you wander along the main street, you'll see The Joe Louis Puppet Theatre. This is truly unique. This is a puppet theatre presenting performances of the Ramakien. With three puppeteers manipulating each puppet. They are in full view of the audience and even come off the stage.
The main attraction at Suan Lum Night Bazaar is the huge beer garden and food court covering an area about the size of two football fields. On three sides there are stall selling a delicious variety of food cooked before your eyes. There are also beer stalls on the right hand side offering all the local beers, many imported brands and some local brews from micro breweries in Bangkok and Chiang Mai.
The center piece is a large stage where the latest local and foreign hit songs are performed by a variety of singers with their back up dancers. Great entertainment for free. All the food and drink stalls operate on a coupon system so it is easy to keep track of your spending.
How to get there: Suan Lum Night Bazaar is on the corner of Wireless and RamaIV Roads. There is a Subway Station at Lumpini and the nearest BTS Skytrain station is Saladaeng.
Bus routes 4, 13, 14, 17, 22, 43, 45, 46, 47, 50, 62, 76, 109, 115, 116, 149, 173
Sukhumvit Road
Where the foreigners live and hang out.
Sukhumvit Road runs all the way from the railway crossing at Ploenchit to the Cambodian Border in Trat. But the section from the first soi to Soi 55 is the one relevant to this presentation as it has much to offer visitors and locals alike.
There are restaurants all the way along Sukhumvit Road and in just about every side street. These cover just about every cuisine known to man. The area around Soi Nana at the beginning of Sukhumvit Road has many restaurants, particularly those serving Middle Eastern and Indian cuisine. This area is also well-known for its lively bar scene.
There are many hotels ranging from 5-star to cheaper establishment in the area from Soi Nana to Asoke Road. There are also a variety of international fast food restaurants as well as those serving French, Italian, Japanese and Korean in addition to Thai and Thai-Chinese meals. Another street of bars, Soi Cowboy, is just past Asoke Road.
The restaurants and hotels continue up Sukhumvit Road and all the side streets. There is a beautiful park, Benchasiri Park, just before you reach The Emporium, yet another high class shopping center. The condominiums in this area have a high number of expatriate Japanese families residing here, so there are more Japanese restaurants and bars in this locale. Some call it Little Tokyo.
Soi 55, also known as Soi Thonglor, is another street of restaurants and shops catering to the well-to-do. Opposite the entrance to Soi Thonglor on Sukhumvit Road, is a small soi that fills up at night with a multitude of food vendors and their carts serving supper into the early morning.
How to get there: BTS Skytrain has many stations. Subway Sukhumvit Station Bus routes 2, 23, 25, 38, 40, 48, 71, 98, 501, 508, 511, 513 |
