17 Best Shopping in Bangkok, Thailand

The flagship location of Thailand's largest department store chain has a quality selection of clothing, jewelry, sporting goods, housewares, and fabrics, including a Jim Thompson silk shop. An elevated walkway connects Central Chidlom with the even more upscale Central Embassy mall next door.

Fashionistas will find much to explore at one of Bangkok's newer shopping malls; from high-end international brands to Thai designers like Boyy and Disaya. The Eathai section has street food nibbles and cooking ware displays, as well as Thai cooking classes at Issaya Cooking Studio. On Level 6 is Embassy Diplomat Screens, a state-of-the-art cinema house where staff bring snacks and beverages to your seat. 

At more than 1 million square meters (nearly 11 million square feet), this megacenter claims to be Southeast Asia's biggest mall. It's packed with local and international retailers, as well as a multiplex cinema, a hotel, and many dining options.

This upscale shopping center outshines many of the others with its white marble-and-chrome fixtures. You'll find European and local labels and lauded restaurants such as Paste and Riedel Wine Bar & Cellar.

One of Bangkok's oldest local fashion labels started out primarily in menswear, but now sells casual yet chic streetwear for both genders. The original branch in Siam Center showcases the most current collections.

Collections from this hip local designer are inspired by the cultural influences of Thailand, from Buddhism to ancient royalty.

One of the best custom-tailor shops in Bangkok, Marco Tailor sews a suit equal to those on London's Savile Row. It's not cheap, but it's cheaper than what you'd pay in London.

At an impressive seven stories high, this is one of the busiest malls in the city. It's well-worn and not nearly as stylish as nearby Siam Center—the main attractions are stores selling cheap clothes, camera, cellphones, and electronics—but there are many other shops, as well as a movie theater and two food courts.

This mall exists for the computer nerd in everyone. It houses an enormous number of shops selling computer hardware and software (some legal, most not). Shopping here can be overwhelming, but if you know what you're looking for, the bargains are worth it.  Remember that not all electronics will be compatible with what you have back home, so do your research.

Fashionistas will fall in love with this mall packed with endless rows of tiny shops selling clothing, shoes, and accessories at wholesale prices. If you buy more things at one shop, you'll likely get a discount—especially for the same model in different colors. The only downside is you probably won't be allowed to try anything on.

Hundreds of vendors selling inexpensive clothing jam the sidewalk each day here. The market is a popular destination for the Indian community and in the evening the surrounding Indian, Nepali, and Pakistani restaurants are bustling.

Napajaree Suanduenchai studied fashion design in Germany, and more than two decades ago opened this business in her mother's former dress shop. She makes stunning items in naturally dyed silks and cottons and in antique fabrics from the farthest reaches of Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia.

The seventh-floor spa at the Conrad Bangkok offers a full lineup of massages and other detox and stress-relieving treatments—some as brief as 30 minutes—along with facials, manicures, and other beauty regimens. The signature treatments all involve a bathing ritual. The 11 treatment rooms have fine city views.

Siam Center has been the epicenter of Thai fashion since it opened in 1976, and has reinvented itself several times over since then. Bangkokians come here to check out the latest Thai labels, along with one-of-a-kind pieces of handmade clothing, shoes, and accessories. The shops ooze style, but be forewarned that the clothes are all made to Thai proportions, so they often run small compared to Western sizing.

This seven-story mall is filled with shops selling funky international brands, with a heavy focus on fashion but also housewares and hobby items.

This giant mall has 250 stores, including all the big international brands from Porsche to Chanel, plus a multiplex cinema and tons of restaurants. Oh, and there's an underwater marine park where you can dive with sharks.

Three Thai sisters, darlings of the local design scene who have gone international, created Sretsis, a feminine design label that has fashionistas around the world raving.