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A Shopper's Survival Guide
Shopping tips for Bangkok
You've heard about Bangkok's unique shopping culture and now you too want a slice of the action, to bag some bargains. Take a minute to orientate yourself with this practical guide, take heed of these useful shopping tips, and you're bound to have a pleasurable experience that will make you want to come back for more... 1. What to wear Most people love to look fabulous, but the key here is to be practical. Bangkok is hot and sticky, almost year-round. Wear cool clothes. You're going to be doing a lot of walking too, which makes practical shoes essential. Watch where you're walking too, because pavements often resemble obstacle courses with exposed manholes, potholes, vendor carts, the odd beggar and garland maker all spoken for. 2. Plan your shopping - timing is crucial Start by making a list of what you want to buy, and then match it with where to go. Markets are good to visit in the mornings or evenings when it's a little cooler and often less frantic. In the heat of the day, air-conditioned malls is a much better place to be. Simply venturing aimlessly into the city, hoping to find what you're looking for by chance, is not advisable. Plan your shopping around specific areas, say, Chinatown (outdoor) in the morning, and Siam (with its many malls) in the afternoon. Often, places within an area can be reached on foot, thereby eliminating unnecessary travelling. Have a look at the shopping highlights of various prime areas in our very comprehensive Bangkok Area Guides section. 3. Getting around
Options are plentiful. Taxis, tuk-tuks, public buses (not recommended), canal and river boats, motorbike taxis, the Skytrain (BTS) and underground (MRT). Bangkok's traffic is notorious though, which makes the latter two options by far the most viable. Get your hands on a really good map of Bangkok, and plan your excursion well. Though the two BTS lines and MRT don't cover the whole city, you can often work out a route with a combination of the different lines, and leaving just the final stretch to reach by taxi or tuk-tuk. Saving on traveling time will give you more time for shopping. Besides, being stuck in gridlock traffic is nobody's idea of fun. 4. Shopping Hours Most shops open from about 10:00 until 20:00 or 22:00, some even later. So you'll have plenty of time to shop 'til you drop. Small shops, even in large shopping malls, usually close on Sundays, while large department stores are open seven days a week. 5. Shop around and compare prices Any seasoned shopper will tell you that to buy blindly could mean having regrets later. If your aim is to get the cheapest possible prices, shop around. Also make the most of Tourist Discount Cards and VAT refunds. 6. Quality Check Look for flaws, especially at markets and pavement stalls. Highly discounted goods are often 'rejects', of highly questionable quality or inferior standard. Inspect items closely for any visible signs of imperfection. Also read our special feature about counterfeit goods. 7. How to bargain
The only places where prices are fixed are malls, department stores, supermarkets and large retail shops. As for the rest, bargaining is the norm, and it's almost expected. Merchandise at some touristy places like Patpong Night Market are marked-up heavily, and you can often slash off half the asking price. Your most important 'bargaining tools' are a big smile and polite approach. Never raise your voice. Or lose your temper. And don't offer a price unless you're prepared to pay it. After the seller has offered his price, offer less than you would expect to pay (with a smile of course) and gauge the reaction. A counter-offer will follow, and then it's over to you to make another move, so to speak. Once you've decided on a price, and if there are other items you're interested in, try to get a package price to cut the cost even more for the best bargain you've ever had! 8. Be streetsmart and safe All the basic traveling rules apply in Bangkok. Be aware, alert and safety-conscious. Look after your personal belongings. Pick-pocketing is common in busy areas like markets. Look left (twice) and right (twice) before you cross the road. 9. Don't talk to strangers Remember your mother's warning? Well, mothers are always right. If a stranger approaches you with any kind of story, be it with tales of fantastic jewels or something unusual only he has privileged knowledge of, chances are good you have been targeted for some sort of tourist scam. Don't even indulge that person with conversation - simply walk away. 10. Where to shop: Quick Links
Now that you've had a basic shopping orientation, the question is where to go? Malls or markets? Department stores or street vendors? You're in luck, because our Shopping section is the most comprehensive guide you will find online. Here are some quick links of all Bangkok's shopping highlights: Shopping Malls - Markets - Department Stores - Antiques and Collectibles - Thai Crafts - Wholesale Shopping - Furniture & Home Dcor - Mobile Phones - Fashion & Clothing - Fabric & Textiles - Jewellery - Art 11. Useful Thai shopping phrases Thai is a very tonal language, and it's very likely that nobody will understand you when you use these phrases. Nevertheless, we've thrown these in for good measure and fun... Hello I'm just looking Let me have a look first That's pretty How much? Too expensive! Can I have a discount? Do you have other colours? Do you have a bigger size? Do you have a smaller size? Is this from Thailand? No thanks, I'm not interested Thank you very much You're so sweet! * 'ka' if you're female, 'krub' if you're male 12. Where to stay: Hotels perfectly suited for shoppers If the purpose of your visit to Bangkok is solely to shop up a storm, why not stay at a hotel that's close to all the shopping action? |
