Thailand Home > Shops and Shopping Thailand Shops and Shopping
Thailand is fast establishing itself as a shopper's paradise and beginning to seriously compete with Singapore and Hong Kong for the Western tourist market. Thailand has everything from night markets for bargain hunters to high end malls selling these season’s designer styles from the luxury European brand names.
There are large shopping centres in Thailand such as the Central and the Mall chains. These shopping malls are a one stop shop for anything from counterfeit clothes and jewellery to home cinema centres. They are also home to many food chains, and will often have there own inexpensive food courts, as well as cinema and bowling facilities making a day out shopping trip in Thailand a memorable experience.
Of course Thailand is a country known for its handicrafts and arts and these can be found all over the city from the malls and markets to the more specialist shops dotted around the city. Thai silk is an always popular choice for the tourist, as well as ceramics, furniture, silverware, art works and wood carvings.
Thailand has a mix of cheap textiles and labour force which makes Bangkok a bargain centre for clothes shopping. You’ll find a large range of cheap high quality counterfeit goods, to excellent quality tailor made dresses and suits that can be custom made within 48 hrs or even sooner. The quality of clothes here in Bangkok does vary though so be sure to shop around for the best you can find using your own judgement and not just listening to the seller.
Although electrical goods are not the bargain everyone expects them to be in Thailand, counterfeit games, computer programmes and DVDs and CDs are everywhere in the city, but again quality does vary so without testing the product first you can either go home to find you have a bargain or something worthless. There are no hard and fast rules about finding the good quality items but many vendors will let you test the product at the shop.
A large range of Asian antique goods are available also, not just Thai, but Chinese, Burmese and Khmer, but make sure you do buy these from reputable stores and a certificate is provided.
Thailand is one of the world's largest jewellery exporters and many bargains can be found here but again you will need to find a reputable supplier, as there are many gem scams here. Never let a stranger, Tuk Tuk or taxi driver take you to a discount gem store.
Many prices in the department stores are fixed but generally in most places a discount can be asked for and is expected to be asked for. A simple "Lod Noi Dai Mai Krup?" (Can you give a little discount please?) with a smile will often help you towards finding that bargain price.
Thailand is very keen on tourist shopping in Thailand and it is encouraged in department stores by offering a VAT refund for tourists, this is claimed by filling out a form at the store and claiming the discounted money back when you leave the country at the airport. A lot of department stores will also offer discount cards on production of your passport. To find out more contact the information desk at the stores and find out what their policies are.
| 
