Bangkok, Thailand Travel Guide (Shopping)

It's every girl's dream to have a wardrobe full of new clothes. Well, if you are in Thailand or planning a trip there, here is a shopping guide from a fellow shopaholic.

Platinum Mall

The most popular when the Bangkok shopping comes to one's head but lately, the price of clothes there have shot up and due to the "popularity" of the mall, shopkeepers refuse to indulge in bargaining. They are not the least bothered if they lose a customer and the quality is not worth paying such prices for, especially when you are in the shopping haven aka Bangkok.

I suggest you go to other places. I wasted two days of my 3D2N trip at Platinum and definitely regretted.

Price: 2/5
Quality: 3/5
Variety availability: 3/5
Ease of getting there: 4.5/5
Overall: 3/5

Pratunam  Market

It is definitely a maze, woke up early in the morning to go visit this little street market but to my surprise and at the same time shock, it's H U G E. I did not venture in too much because according to reviews from other tourists, the clothes are repeated. It is a wholesale market, so expect price reductions if you purchase 3 or more items from the same shop. Of course it is wiser to buy more. When I did so, each of my clothing items came up to about 200 baht each which is SGD$8 or USD$6 which is incredibly cheap for dresses/tops/skirts anything.

It opens at 5am on weekdays and 3am on weekends from what I've heard but I went around 6am to be safe. How to get here? We were a little lost in the beginning with no signs or anything leading me to this market but eventually found it. Just take the overhead bridge from Platinum to the other side (opp Platinum Mall) and walk all the way into one of those streets and you'll see it. There are no signs so ask around if you are lost.

As far as the quality and designs go, for the price you cannot demand for quality but they are of satisfactory quality and the designs available definitely change year round according to the ever-changing trends in the market. Definitely value for money. 

Price: 4/5
Quality: 3/5
Variety availability: 2.5/5
Ease of getting there: 3/5
Overall: 3.5/5

Chatuchak Market 

Not in the Pratunam area but the best place to shop in my opinion. It has a myriad of different shops selling all kinds of things - from fried insects to clothes to furniture to pets. You get everything at one place here. It's larger than the Pratunam Market though, so beware of getting lost and print out a copy of the map (picture below) just in case.

Definitely recommend this place. I got even better quality clothes than I had gotten at Pratunam Market at the same price of 200 baht. Including formal tops for presentations at school. Unfortunately, after spending majority of my time at Platinum, I had only about an hour at Chatuchak Market and only managed to see bits of the clothing section, have the famous coconut ice cream and check out the home decor but found many good finds so in my opinion, tourists should at least dedicate one day of their trip for Chatuchak. Remember though, it is a weekend market so do not show up on weekdays or you probably wouldn't find anything.

There is also a Union Mall nearby, which I personally haven't been to but people have been flocking there now that Platinum prices have gone up. Since Union Mall is targetted at the local university students, the prices are much more nominal and has thus, been hyped about alot lately.

Price: 5/5
Quality: 3.5-4/5
Variety availability: 4.5/5
Ease of getting there: 3.5/5
Overall: 4.5/5

Siam 

There's the Siam Paragon which from the name itself you would know, is the mall with the high end stores like Marc Jacobs, Ferrari and Jimmy Choo but also has a few slightly more affordable stores like H&M and Zara. The prices are pretty standard so I did not find much of a discount when buying there instead of from Singapore.

Then there's Siam Centre with lovely stores like Charles & Keith and a big Food Junction with lots of variety of food to choose from. Personally, the pad thai is pretty good. Do not bother trying the green curry, it's very diluted and not very rich in taste. Something I would definitely recommend though (sorry, the topic suddenly changed to food but) if you like chocolate drinks like Nesquik or Milo, you NEED to try the Iced Milo from their drinks stall. Trust me, you will thank me later on. We went back once again on another day just for that Milo.

Siam Square is known for selling clothes made by local designers in little boutiques. I did not check this place out but according to friends, the prices are relatively higher than the usual 200/300 baht but it's worth it for the quality and workmanship.


Tips:

• Robbery and kidnapping is common in Thailand so beware of your belongings, and yourself too
• Try to always carry a bottle of water before leaving your hotel because with lots of walking comes thirst and to maximize your time there, water and little tidbits is going to come in handy
• GK but If you are planning a trip, look out for the exchange rates as they usually fluctuate quite alot and remember, you're going to need cash on hand for most shops since they don't accept cards
• Cabs and tuks tuks are quite safe. Sometimes though, some of the drivers do not know your hotel if it is new even if it is in a popular area (try to show them a map printout). Haggle prices with tuk tuk drivers, they usually quote a high price so ask before getting into one.
• Avoid Bangkok during riots for obvious reasons. (Riots are quite a common here though)