Photo by Geoff Greenwood on Unsplash
All the globetrotters out there adore Bangkok as their most favorite shopping city in the world. Bangkok is a must-go destination in Thailand and besides other tourist sections, its shopping fraternity attracts most visitors. There is no place of second thought behind this fact, trust me! Step on the street once and you are free to shop anything to satisfy your shopaholic soul at the best of the international and local brand outlets, shopping malls, and night markets.
What will linger in your mind after your visit to Bangkok is definitely going to be the shopping experience, for sure! You can find virtually anything here to shop. By anything, we mean anything! Spending money here is a (hauntingly) easy task being on the jaw-dropping shopping malls, huge electronics stores, and frugal street markets. Make bargaining your Brahmastra (weapon) to save money for that another pair of tees or to try that tempting dish from the food court. Although a very difficult task, still we managed to prepare a shopping guide for Bangkok with the places that are our ultimate favorites and will be yours too, also, this will make you spend more money when you’re in Bangkok next time (*evil’s laugh*)!
Platinum Fashion Mall
Let’s get this straight – Platinum Fashion Mall is our all-time favorite! It’s trendy, wholesale, and a well-organized shopping hub in Bangkok. It has four entrances with each floor of the mall dedicated to a particular section. Thus, it’s small enough to get around but big enough to easily get overwhelmed. It’s a sweet spot for budget shopping maniacs. It stands out for the reasonable prices & great offers offered by the friendliest vendors. It is situated right next to Pantip Plaza in Petchburi, Ratchathewi. The nearest Skytrain station is Chidlom. To fill up the extra space in your bags, you can continue shopping around the same area like Pratunam Market and Indra Square Market.
#Tip: The shops are very similar and you can lose your way while getting around. Whenever you see something you like & plan to buy it later, take a photo of the stall with its number to spot it again easily!
Siam Center
With a unique ambiance of dark, deep and dim, Siam Centre is more popular among teenagers. It’s a four-storeyed shopping mall with high-end international brand outlets like Adidas, MAC, Sephora, Armani Exchange, and so on on the ground floor. The main highlight of this shopping center is waiting on the top floor i.e. the food court. You definitely need to stop there to enjoy a relaxing meal after all the shopping hustle indulging in some scrumptious Thai & Western cuisine. Siam is closest to Skytrain halt.
#Tip: If you’re a voracious consumer like me then you must carry a big bag with you. Otherwise, there is a chance to misplace the items and create organizational chaos later on. You don’t need to manage multiple small bags & it’ll also give relief to your shopping partner as well. :’)
Also read: Everything You Need To Know To Plan An Epic Trip To Bangkok
MBK (Ma Broon Krong) Centre
Being Asia’s one of the oldest shopping malls, the maze of tiny little stalls of local Thai brands selling every kind of product in MBK is all that can take a shopping lover to cloud 9. It’s a haggle-friendly place where you’ll be allured to buy stuff that you don’t even need at laughable prices. That’s the magic of MBK! If you are a sucker of everything electronics, then you have to explore the 4th & 5the floors – tech-savvy people will find nirvana there. Eateries at the MBK Food Island on the 6th floor serve some really good food and you can’t miss but savor them. You may also go for bowling, karaoke, and even for a movie on the 7th floor of the mall. MBK is walking distance from Siam or National Museum Skytrain stations.
#Tip: Try to bargain without any force. If it’s possible for them to offer you a discount, they’ll happily do it. If the situation is different, they may end up exhibiting ill-behavior. They usually discount on a purchase of multiple items to adjust wholesale rates.
Terminal 21
Terminal 21 is a one-of-a-kind experience. This place is relatively new, uber-cool, and a happy hunting ground for those who do it for the Gram. Each floor is decked up as a city and it includes London, Paris, Rome, Tokyo, Hollywood, Istanbul, and, San Francisco. It’s a huge shopping hub, with around 600 shops, that represents an amazing concoction of luxurious and homegrown brands. Looking for unique gifts and souvenirs to bring back home? Terminal 21 has got your back! You can get here by Skytrain to Asok BTS Station.
Night Markets
Apart from other cool things to do in Bangkok when night falls, eating & shopping in bustling night markets are very popular among the tourists. All the night markets aren’t good, but there are two markets that we can swear by – Night Market ay Pratunam and Patpong Market. Ritesh has been suggesting these markets to his clients for two decades and all of them appreciated this recommendation. Pratunam market starts at 8 pm and shuts at 1 am. You will always get things at cheaper rates here than the Platinum Fashion Mall and this market has an amazing collection of passport/laptop covers, tote bags that are great for gifting starting from 70 Bahts. During our last trip, I even bought a premium blanket that too at a stealing price of 200 Bahts. Patpong Market remains open from 7 pm to 11.30 pm. Well, this place is a paradise for faux accessories hoarders! High-quality exclusive dupe bags, shades, watches, and shoes are all over the market and it’s a golden chance for you oomph up your wardrobe by buying these.
#Tip: We always visit Patpong MArket on the last night of our trip to avoid buying things that we don’t need. This is a cautious alert for all the shopaholics out there!
Bangkok is a great city for shopping or maybe the best. And it does live up to the mania of shop-till-you-drop. This Bangkok shopping guide will definitely come in handy for you and you’ll most probably bring back 50% more stuff than what you came with for the trip. At the end of everything, you’ll absolutely LOVE it!
