I leave tomorrow (finally) for Bangkok, Hanoi, Samui, and Tokyo. I am so excited for the shopping aspect of the trip, but I don't have any specific recommendations on shops. I am interested in buying anything from clothes to fabrics to electronics...Does anyone have any suggestions?

Thanks!

In Hanoi, I highly recommend CraftLink, a fair trade crafts shop located across the street from the Temple of Literature (and next door to KOTO). They have a wide variety of wonderful crafts.

I don't recommend buying electronics in Asia. You'll pay more than you would in the US, and you often don't get an international guarantee.

hang gai street in hanoi a wonderful place to shop....we found tablecloths to be an especially good buy....know the size you need...

jim thompson is of course the best place for silk in bkk....its main store on suriwong rd is especially nice and worth a visit--it has a wonderful cafe for lunch on the 2nd floor, btw....

the nite market is good for crafts and quick shopping---wireless rd and rama IV rd....

mbk for cheap stuff---at national stadium stop of skytrain....or siam stop....

we like the rasi sayan shop on soi 33, sukhumvit for home decorative things...

samui is really not a shopping place...

tokyo will be expensive...

I found lots to buy in Japan. Eg cutesy trinkets like compact mirrors, combs, note wallets, purses, fans in Japanese design fabric. Then there's kimono type cotton robes and second hand kimonos. There's one or two craft shops along Omotesando from memory.

My son goes to what he calls, The 100 Yen store in Japan and brings back interesting trinkets - a bag in a bag that is a spare nylon cloth shopping bag tucked into a 2inch square holder- very clever and useful - and check out the Japanese Fly Swatter - complete with attached tweezers to pick up the dead fly and a self-storing 'dust pan' to put it in for disposal!!