Bangkok Tours for Shoppers

Without doubt, two of the things Bangkok does best are shopping and sights. The following tours give you the chance to do both at the same time: to combine your love of Bangkok's bargains with the pursuit of its culture. With a little bit of luck - and some hard bargaining on your part - each of these should help fill your suitcase to bursting point while, at the same time, packing your head full of unforgettable memories.

Covering 35 acres of land with over 15,000 stalls and more than 200,000 visitors every Saturday and Sunday, Chatuchak Weekend Market in Bangkok is the mother of all markets - and possibly one of the biggest and most famous in the world. If bargain-hunting for everything under the sun gives you an adrenalin rush, then this tour is for you. Making conquering this massive market all the easier is your mini-bus and guide.

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This trip combines a visit to the Suan Lum Night Bazaar with a show at the nearby Joe Louis Puppet Theatre. After shopping for ethnic trinkets, CDs, lanterns, T-shirts and pretty much anything else appealing to its blend of suited Thais and holidaymakers, you'll leave behind low-priced commerce to soak up high-culture. The Joe Louis Thai puppet show preserves the ancient art of 'Hun Lakhon Lek' - in which small puppets' gestures, soul and emotions come directly from the movements of the puppeteer - and will leave you enchanted.

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The 'Bangkok Way of Life' tour takes you through the controlled chaos of Chinatown, offering you the chance to do business with noisy street vendors and vibrant market stalls while also learning about the way of life and heritage of Bangkok's influential Thai-Chinese community. Almost all the intoxicating sights and smells are up for grabs, with Chinese lanterns, gold jewelry, good luck charms, birds nest soup and everything in between going for a pittance. You'll then head for Pahurat Market. The centre of the Indian community, this is the place if you're into fabrics.

For more information and to book this tour, click here.