39 Best Shopping in Bangkok, Thailand

You can buy just about anything at the city's largest market, including silk items in a mudmee (tie-dyed before weaving) design that would sell for five times the price in the United States. Despite its name the market is open daily, though it's best to come on Friday or the weekend—in the morning before the place gets too crowded and hot. An afternoon at JJ, as it is known by locals ("ch" is pronounced "jha" in Thai, so phonetically Chatuchak is Jatujak), is not for the faint of heart: up to 200,000 people visit each day, and there are more than 15,000 vendors. Keep your bearings by remembering that the outer ring has mainly new clothing and shoes, with some plants, garden supplies, and home decor. The next ring is primarily used (and some new) clothing and shoes plus accessories like jewelry, belts, and bags. Farther in are pottery, antiques, furniture, dried goods, and live animals. Be prepared with bottles of water, comfortable shoes, and make sure to print out a copy of the map of the market from the website. Strategically placed food vendors mean you don't have to stop shopping to grab a bite.

Silom Soi 5 was nicknamed Soi Lalai Sap, or "Melting Money Lane," because the shopping here is so good. The air-conditioned shops and sidewalk vendors sell a huge variety of inexpensive men's and women's clothes (including selections from up-and-coming Thai designers), handicrafts, and snacks.

In a prime spot by the Chao Phraya River, this complex of eateries, bars, and shops is in a group of renovated warehouses. The shopping focuses on local products, from clothes and handicrafts. You can get here via a free shuttle boat from the Saphan Taksin Pier next to the BTS station of the same name.

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.

You can get custom-made boots for around $200 here. The shop also stocks a large inventory of ready-made leather shoes, boots, and accessories. Liu's Bootery, farther southeast along Sukhumvit Road, is also recommended.

This glitzy mall was renovated and expanded to include EmQuartier, a separate building across the BTS line from Emporium, together called EM District. There are exclusive high-end shops and fine dining throughout and the sixth floor full of beautiful silks, incense, and glassware, all reasonably priced. 

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.

Opened in 2018 on the banks of the Chao Phraya River, IconSiam is one of the largest shopping malls in Asia. The sleek, multilevel, air-conditioned space is filled with shops and restaurants, including the first Apple Store in Thailand and Michelin-starred Blue by Alain Ducasse. There's also a 14-theater cineplex and a huge food court designed to resemble a floating market.

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

The shops of the pioneering company are prime places to buy silk by the yard and as ready-made clothes. The prices are high, but so is the quality and design, and staff members are knowledgeable. In addition to this Bang Rak shop there are numerous other locations throughout the city, including at the Mandarin Oriental, The Peninsula, CentralWorld, IconSiam, and many other shopping centers and five-star hotels.

If you call first, this long-established firm will send a car—a common practice of the city's better stores—to bring you to the shop near Wat Phra Kaew. The selection is massive, and you can order custom-designed pieces.

Thai lawyers Nuttaya and Paniti Chunhasawatikul founded Kad Kokoa in 2018 and quickly earned respect. Their chocolate made with beans from a Chumphon cacao farm won a gold medal in Paris as a preeminent example of showcasing terroir. Along with plain chocolate, there is chocolate flavored with black pepper, salted tamarind, and shiso seeds. There's a cafe here serving chocolate-based drinks, cookies, brownies, truffles, and more.

Yes, this is backpacker central, with harem pants and cheesy souvenirs for sale, and lots of cheap pad Thai street food, but the people-watching can be entertaining.

If you want the convenience of duty-free shopping, try King Power. You choose and pay for the items at the shop or online, then pick them up at Suvarnabhumi Airport when you depart Thailand (or simply take them with you). You need your passport and an airline ticket, and you need to make your purchase at least eight hours before leaving the country. The airport branch is open 24 hours.

The jewelry sold at this highly respected shop is more expensive than average, but so is the quality.

Among the knickknacks stacked floor to ceiling, this shop has some of the most finely crafted silver cutlery in town.

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.

If you're thinking about bringing home a taste of Thailand, Nittaya Thai Curry shop has premade curry pastes packed in durable pouches so that you can make authentic Thai curry in your own kitchen. 

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.

Bangkok’s oldest red-light district, once frequented by U.S. troops stationed here during the Vietnam War, is these days also known for a night market with cheap electronics, readymade dresses, T-shirts, sex toys, and fake designer goods. Be wary of pickpockets, as it gets very crowded.

The Little India market near Chinatown is known for its bargain textiles. A man with a microphone announces when items at a particular stall will be sold at half price, and shoppers surge over to bid. It's best to come in the evening, when it's cooler and many street vendors sell snacks.

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.

Photographs here show former heads of state proudly modeling their new suits made by Raja Fashions. Raja has a reputation for tailoring some of the finest men's and women's fashions in the Sukhumvit area.

Sampeng Lane, a narrow road running parallel to Yaowarat Road and bisecting Chinatown and Phahurat, is home to the city's oldest continually operating market. The Chinatown half of Sampeng is lined with shops selling wholesale beauty salon accessories, pens, stickers, household wares, and small electronics. Once it enters Phahurat, the lane becomes a fabric center mostly rung by by Sikh merchants. Weekends are ultracrowded.