Shermans Travel has put together a list of top ten destinations for shopaholics, and – surprise, surprise – Bangkok's shopping centers make it on the list. From chic brand-name stores to out-of-the-way vendor stalls, Thailand’s capital is a paradise for the bargain-hunter.
Chatuchak Weekend Market- with its 35 acres of prime shopping space – is the most famous of Bangkok's shopping centers, but other markets also attract a fair amount of attention. Each of the markets featured below offer the tourist maximum bang for the buck, especially for shoppers who know how to bargain hard.
We’ve left out Suan Lum Night Market for the moment (its uncertain future makes it difficult to recommend at this time), but fear not, the shopping options in Bangkok are so numerous, you’ll hardly know you missed anything!
Banglamphu Market
A large market running along Phra Sumen Road and Chakrapong Road, Banglamphu Market offers a lot of shops catering to the young budget tourist crowd, but the low prices also attract a substantial local clientele.
Good buys at Banglamphu include clothing, silver jewelry, street food, leather goods, footwear, and fabrics – cheap stuff, nothing upmarket: you don’t come to Banglamphu for brand-name goods! Instead, you’ll find humorous T-shirts, hair dyes, fun silver bangles, baggy farmers’ pants, and everything you’ll need to complete the hippie backpacker look!
Be warned: the clothing sizes run towards the small, so if you’re particularly tall or wide, you’ll have very little luck finding something that fits. Stated prices are sometimes double the original price, but you can dicker down to half the price in some instances.
Banglamphu Market operates from 10am to 7pm. On nearby Phra Sumen Road you can visit Wat Bowon Niwet, the Buddhist temple that has served as the retreat for Thai nobility who take up temporary monkhood, the present King included.
How to get there: Ride ordinary buses 2, 15, 39, 44, 47, 59, 68, 79, or aircon buses 3, 9, 11, 39 and 44: all of these will take you to Ratchadamnoen Klang road, which is only a few minutes’ walk away from the market.
Nearby hotels: The Viengtai Hotel is the best of the lot, with the New World following close after; Bhiman Inn and Sawasdee Bangkok Inn are good budget accommodations.
Chatuchak Weekend Market
35 acres of pure shopping choices, with about 15,000 stalls, serving 200,000 visitors a day. That’s what Chatuchak Weekend Market is all about: a shopping mecca where you can buy religious amulets, live chickens, live snakes, herbal medicine, pet squirrels, Thai traditional clothing, silk, and so much more!
Alternatively known as “Jatujak”, or “JJ”, Chatuchak Weekend Market provides a wide range of good-quality Thai handicrafts at competitive prices. Antiques are also available, although you may need an expert’s eye to tell if your next purchase is actually a recent replica. A lot of handicraft shops in Bangkok’s tourist areas sell their wares at Chatuchak, particularly brass and bronze items at the lowest possible prices.
Locals appreciate Chatuchak’s choices as well; Thais come here for cheap household products, a wide selection of fresh produce, clothes, textiles, and garden wares.
Chatuchak is so big, one day isn’t enough to cover the place. The Market is close to the Skytrain, easily welcoming visitors from all parts of the city. Visitors can come on Saturdays and Sundays, 9:00am to 6:00pm.
How to get there: Ride ordinary buses 3, 8, 26, 27, 28, 29, 34, 38, 39, 44, 52, 59, 63, 77, 90, 96, 104, 108, 112, 122, 134, 136, 138, 145, 153, 157, 159, or aircon Bus 2, 3, 9, 12, 18, 29, 34, 38, 39, 44, 134, 145, 153, 157, 510, 512, 513. If you’re taking the SkyTrain, alight at the end of the line at Mo Chit Station; the market will be visible on your left hand side as the train is pulling in. Walk through Exit 1.
Nearby hotels: As the Market is very near a SkyTrain station, you’ll be well served finding accommodation near any SkyTrain station close by. Hotels that fit this description include the Siam Beverley Hotel, the Maruay Garden Hotel, and the Sofitel Central Plaza Bangkok.
Patpong Night Market
Located in Bangkok's bustling Silom district between the Silom and Surawong roads, Patpong Night Market offers a wide variety of goods geared towards the curious tourist. Its location makes Patpong the first stop for many first-time tourists in Bangkok.
Fake brand name goods, cheap clothing, pirated CDs and DVDs – it’s all here in Patpong. You’ll have more luck finding “Western” clothes sizes at Patpong than elsewhere in Bangkok. Bargain hard to get the best deals – you may be able to dicker down to about 50% of the regular price.
Patpong is also well known for its go-go bars; the streets are crawling with touts that will try to draw you into one of the establishments.
How to get there: Take the Skytrain and get down at Sala Daeng Station. Leave through Exit 1 and keep walking for about 600 feet.
