Bangkok - Shop until you drop...

Shopping for all in Bangkok

We all know that Bangkok is a metropolis of entertainment, festivities and of course shopping. Unfortunately, very few do know just how much variation Bangkok actually has and how well spread they are. Bangkok is hardly a small city and many seem to always land and stay at the same place when they arrive. Mostly because of rumors, recommendations or even the following of, -"where most people go, the best places are". Unfortunately, this is not true and by doing so, people miss out a lot of Bangkok and what it has to offer.

In this blog text I will try change this opinion. But to limit the text to one specific subject, I will focus mainly on the shopping.

First and foremost, I want to make one thing clear. Yes, Thailand does have copy material and of course this is illegal. But do not forget that they do have real products too. Many seem to think that only because it comes from Asia, it's probably a counterfeit or a copy made product, which in my opinion is a little ironic do to most of our own clothes, electronics or the like are actually made in Asia. Just take a look at the patch of origin on the product you have, most of them are made in Asia. So just by coming from Asia doesn't mean that it is an e.g. copy, and even if it's not made in Asia, but instead in another country, most of the fabrics and components are still imported from Asia. In other words, it does not mean that it is of bad quality, it might actually be just the opposite and for half the price! It's a little like generic medicine that we actually use in the west.

 

Another fun thing by shopping in Thailand is the possibility to discount. Do not forget that many Thai people seem to think that we do have a lot of money, which is true if you compare to them, but still not as much as they seem to think. So a raise of 2-300 % on the sell value of a product is not unusual, so try to discount as much as possible. But keep in mind that it is still extremely cheap even if you get what many call, "ripped off". Is an extra payment of 2 USD really that hard on you?

Another thing to keep in mind is that the seller is most often not the owner. So do not take out all your frustration on them when you do not get the price that you want. Just go to the next place with the same product, the seller will only wait for another customer with more money. And the owner rarely allows too much discount. But it is still very cheap!

So where do you go then for shopping in Bangkok? Every place has its own charm and stores. Here is a list with a few of them:
 

• MBK (444 Phayathai Road): Probably the most famous mall for us tourists. Here you can find literally everything and on the plus side, very cheap. Here you can find both real, copies and counterfeit products and you can discount in around 90 % of all the stores. You also got a lot of entertainment, massage, cinema, restaurants and more here. MBK also likes to arrange many events on the outside of the mall.

 

• Terminal 21 (88 Sukhumvit, Soi 19): This is more of a quality mall. No copies and more Thai people. You cannot discount here, but they have amazing looking clothes for both men and women. This mall also got decent singing, fashion and dance events now and then.
   
• Bangkapi Mall (3522 Lat Phrao Road): This is a huge mall. Here you can find real products for good prices. Even H&M and other well known stores can be found here. They also got restaurants, cinema, beauty saloons and much more here. Under the mall is a market with more copy material that you can discount at.
   
• Siam Paragorn (991/1 1st Floor, Rama I Road): For the one with more money. This is a mall that requires a bigger wallet. Huge mall with many events, well known stores and more. Here you can find e.g. Gucci, Armani, LV, etc. They also got a first class cinema, luxury hotels and much more.
   
• Emporium (622 Sukhumvit Road): Emporium is one of my favorite malls to shop for shirts, suits or other more qualitative clothes like e.g. Levis, Jack&Jones or the like. The mall has fine prices for great quality.

All the places includes cinema, restaurants, hotels and other entertainments. Another thing on the plus side is that all the malls are close to a BTS or MRT station, which is the comparison to our subways or trains. This is a recommended way of travel due to the traffic in Thailand being hard to get through. Well, that is if you don't want to take a fast motorbike taxi that drives like he stole it.

Do not forget as well that Bangkok offers a wide variety of street stores and many more malls that is worth to check out.

In other words, do not stay at the most common places like only Khaosan Road or Sukhumvit, spread your wings and take your adventure in your own hands and explore the fantastic possibilities in Bangkok!