The season for gifting is here, but if you are having little success at finding the right presents in Yangon, perhaps a trip to Bangkok is on the cards.
Only one hour away by plane, Thailand’s capital is a mecca for shopping fanatics and the perfect city to secure some great presents for this Christmas. The metropolis is also my home city, so here are some insider tips for your shopping spree.
Upscale Shopping
In Bangkok, you are spoiled for choice with shopping malls that are scattered across the city. Siam Paragon and Emporium are the top destinations for luxury products. These malls boast high-end brands’ flagship stores from Hermes, Rolex, Chanel to Jimmy Choo, Versace and many more.
Central World and EmQuartier Mall offer greater choice on affordable lifestyle products with high-quality and unique designs.
Midscale Shopping
Just opposite of Siam Paragon, Siam Square is one of the most legendary open-air shopping areas in Bangkok. It is known for catering to the trendiest fashion pieces. If you want to know what’s in, you have to head to this area.
Shopping without breaking your wallet, MBK is popular among tourists from across the world. Cloths, cosmetics, phones and gadgets are all here in one place. Bring your bargaining skills and shop till you drop.
About 15 minutes walking from MBK, Platinum Fashion Mall is a paradise for ladies. The mall is full of wholesalers for fashion clothing and accessories. If you want the complete look, you can get it all here at cheap prices. We advise you bring your friends along, as the prices will be cheaper if you buy in bulk.
More than 1,500 boutiques are lined near the river at Asiatique The Riverfront in Bangkok, with items including Thai souvenirs, handicraft, jewelry, and clothing. Brands here are more local and have creative approaches.
In the heart of the famous Sukhumvit/Asoke area, Terminal 21 feels like the world in one place. Each floor is decorated with designated themes such as European, Asian, and American. On the ground floor, you will find athletic brands, for example, Nike, Adidas, Roxy, and some other street fashion brands. The first floor is for women’s fashion, men’s fashion on the second floor, and gift, jewelry, and souvenirs on the third floor. In total it has 600 shops, with mostly independently-owned brands.
Local Markets
Chatuchak weekend market is the biggest weekend market in the world, with over 8,000 shops and 11 categories of goods, namely clothing, accessories, handicrafts, ceramics, furniture, home décor, food and beverage, plants and gardening, art and gallery, pets andpet accessories, books, antiques, collectibles, miscellaneous and used cloths.
You may need an entire day or two to fulfill your shopping needs here. The best way is to study the map and try to locate your desired products first before you visit. It will save you a lot of time.
Night Markets
Inspired by Art Box market in Singapore, Bangkok has adopted the new concept of artsy and indie markets called “Rot Fai Night Market.” Currently, the markets are in two locations: Srinakarin and Ratchada.
Wandering around the Rot Fai market, they have cloths and accessories at cut-rate prices, second-hand shops, shoes, handbags, handmade products, and tons of street food stalls. For the Srinakarin branch, you will find a lot of unique, rare, collectible goods. The markets are only open from Thursday to Sunday from 6pm to midnight.
New market alert: Changchui, which means “careless craftsman” in Thai, is the newest creative space in Bangkok. It has become talk of the town due to its unique concept of combining an art gallery, theatre, co-working space, café, street food and clothes and music stores, plus way more. Products here are guaranteed to be artistic, creative and unique. It is open everyday except Wednesday from 11am-11pm.
