shooshy

We will have 24 hours stopover in Bangkok in late January on the way home.Where would be the best place to stay in terms of best shopping?Don't want high end Prada,Gucci etc.but would like to be walking distance to good malls with interesting mix of stores.
There will be 5 of us so will need 2 rooms.
Thanks in advance!

rhkkmk

someplace near to the skytrain would work....chateau de bangkok might work for you and it is reasonable....or if you could get it a two bedroom apartment at one of the centre point complexes, like silom or wireless rds...i think silom will take you for 1 nite but may have to be 3???

shooshy

Thanks for the reply but we would probably rather be walking distance to shopping rather than negotiating skytrain.Is the Four Seasons well positioned?Any other suggestions?

hobbes

Stay near Central Chitlom - IMO Bangkok's best department store - and Siam - Siam Center and Siam Discovery have amazing shops as do the small shops across the road from the 2 malls. Don't know your budget. At high end Four Seasons, Intercontinental are at Chitlom BTS station. Siam is 1 BTS station away from Chitlom.

hobbes

Sorry - I think we posted almost simultaneously. The Four Seasons is an AWESOME choice. I love the hotel. It is not at Chitlom station but very close hence walking distance from Central Chitlom which I mentioned and Gaysorn, the mall which has mostly designer stuff but also a great home/lifestyle floor with Thai shops. ONe stop away from Siam or a short taxi ride. W.r.to negotiating sky train given Bkk traffic it is often faster to take the sky train rather than a taxi for short distances. Other hotels in the same vicinity a little farther are the Conrad (which is nice in a very new, modern way) and Plaza Athenee (which I do not like). All these hotels are also close to the Night Bazaar which is open 7-10:30 and is a great flea market/crafty type experience.

Guenmai

I agree with Hobbes. I stay at the Four Seasons and its absolutely wonderful. And the shopping in the area is GREAT. You can walk to the malls of Gaysorn, Amarin Plaza...go to the store called"Come Thai" on the third floor, where they have great pieces of fabric...thousands of pieces that can be used for anything from table runners to sarongs to other clothing items. The owner is Nong and she's been there for 10 years. If you stay at the Four Seasons, you can also walk to Central World Plaza...formerly World Trade Center and Gaysorn. Plus the Thai handicrafts store is directly across the street from the Central World Plaza...it's called Narayphand(sp?)...everything Thai under one roof. Then the skytrain is directly across the street from the Four Seasons and just go ONE stop to SIAM...the main station and it will let you out at Siam Center and Siam Discovery Centers...malls which are excellent. So, do Central World Center, Gaysorn, Amarin Plaza, Naryanphand, and the two Siam malls and... MBK mall also at Siam stop if you have time for MBK. I'd do the others first. Aside from my regular career, I do professional shopping so when I'm in Bangkok, on vacation, I shop for a few selected people. Happy Travels!

Guenmai

Oh, I stayed at the Chateau de Bangkok for one night in August...very nice and only 1400 Baht for a Jr. Suite... but that's TOO FAR from walking to the malls. Check into the Four Seasons or the Erawan Hyatt next door to the Four Seasons. You only have 24 hours. Happy Travels!

Guenmai

Oh, I forgot to add that two must-do stores in Bangkok are of course Jim Thompson and NeOld(New/Old). The Four Seasons has branches at the hotel...located in its tropical garden mall/restaurant area. The main branches of these two stores are down on Suriwongse Road, but you needn't go way down there. NeOld has wonderful new and old items from Thailand and other Southeast Asian countries...beautiful stuff. I also forgot to add Emporium mall which is at the Phrong Phong sky train stop. You can get on at the Chitlom stop...where Gaysorn mall and Amarin malls are and get there then you have a straight line all the way there. A lot of times Emporium has craft/clothing shows with independent Thai designer's boutiques set up on its ground level. Back in August there were some amazing artist doing clothing...jewelry...crafts etc. Plus other stores in that mall a very good. I like the Jim Thompson there best as they get the latest collections in. That's where I buy handbags that I usually can't find in the hotel Jim Thompson boutiques.But the hotel boutiques are great for the basics...including great T-shirts.If you go to the Emporium mall, there's a great cake restaurant on the top level next to the towel department and Greyhound Restaurant/Cafe is very good. I would highly suggest that you order Nancy Chandler's map of Bangkok before you go...the hotels and malls are marked on it...plus restaurants,too. nancychandler.net Happy Travels!

shooshy

Sounds like The Four Seasons is the place to be!Any children and husband who dont want to shop can hang out at the pool.Hotel website is tantalising.
Thank you Hobbes and Guenmai for detailed shopping tips.So little time and so much shopping to be done!Now,I'll just go and get those credit cards ready........
Shooshy

Guenmai

You go girl...get those cards ready...Bangkok is shopping paradise!Yes, leave the kids and the husband at the pool or send them down to the gym and hit the streets!Please post when you return in late January and let us know how things went. I think Hobbes is also a pro shopper as I am. I've read her Bali shopping posts.Oh, add the January boutique for shopping. It's got great gemstone necklaces usually under $100. There's one in the Central World Plaza/World Trade Center...one in the River City mall attached to the Royal Orchid Sheraton on the river and one at the mall right in front of the Oriental Hotel which is absolutely my favorite January boutique branch.Gorgeous stuff. It's in the OCC shopping center... I think it's called which is tiny.They buy their gemstones from Brazil and then do Thai style jewelry. Just taxi to the street the Oriental is on and it's a white, colonial style building.You can't miss it. If there's anything else that crosses my mind regarding shopping, then I'll post to you. Happy Travels!

rhkkmk

i guess i misunderstood you....i thought you were looking for budget hotels...the four seasons is at the opposite end of budget....seems to me that chateau is just as close to shopping as is 4 seasons from the address they list...but i have not been there...

Guenmai

As for the Chateau de Bangkok...it is over two hundred meters just to get to the Ploenchit skytrain station. I would not want to have to walk that far just to get to the skytrain station and then schlepp all the shopping bags back. Plus it's a very long, dark street to have to walk down to get to the skytrain station if one wants to go out at night.The Four Seasons is much better situated. Happy Travels!

hobbes

If you are a Jim Thompson fan make the effort to go to the MAIN store on 1 Suriwong Road - is AMAZING. Range is far better than anywhere else - is 3 floors of shopping madness. Not far from the Four Seasons by taxi.

whiteon

Hi, we stayed at the Nairai Hotel on Silom Road. It was an excellent location close to the river, shops, Patpong nightlife and some excellent REAL Thai road-side eateries ! !
We had a lovely room with king-size bed, nice bathroom, very quiet with breakfast included for approx. 70 dollars per night. The hotel also had shops, massage/beauty, bars, restaurants etc.
Have a good trip.