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Many tourists are drawn to Bangkok for its relatively cheap silk, gems, and tailor-made clothes. But there are many other goods worth seeking out: quality silverware, fine porcelain, and handmade leather goods—all at prices well below those in western shops. The already reduced prices can often be haggled down even further—haggling is mainly reserved for markets, but shopkeepers will let you know if they're willing to discount, especially if you start walking away.
Don't be fooled by a tuk-tuk driver offering to take you to a shop. Shop owners pay drivers a commission to lure in unsuspecting tourists. Patronizing reputable dealers will help you avoid getting scammed on big-ticket items like jewelry .
Thai antiques and old images of the Buddha require a special export license; check out the Thai Board of Investment's Web site at www.boi.go.th/english for rules on exporting and applications to do so.
The city's most popular shopping areas are along Silom Road and Surawong Road, where you can find quality silk; Sukhumvit Road, which is rich in leather goods; Yaowarat Road in Chinatown, where gold trinkets abound; and along Oriental Lane and Charoen Krung (New Road), where there are many antiques shops. The shops around Siam Square and at the World Trade Center attract both Thais and foreigners. Peninsula Plaza, across from the Anantara Siam Bangkok hotel in the embassy district, has upscale shops. If you're knowledgeable about fabric, you can find bargains at the textile merchants who compete along Pahuraht Road in Chinatown and Pratunam Road off Phetchaburi Road. You can even take the raw material to a tailor and have something made.
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 cookware displays. On Level 6 is Embassy Diplomat Screens, a state-of-the-art cinema 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. Alongside the main building is the largest outdoor activity square in downtown Bangkok, covering an area of 8 square kilometers and used for cool-season beer gardens, concerts, and a New Year's Eve countdown party.
This massive complex started as Emporium shopping mall, then expanded to EmQuartier, a separate building across the street. In 2023, a third mall with an additional 200,000 square meters of retail space opened just up Sukhumvit Road next to Benchasiri Park. Together as EM District, the three luxe malls boast endless high-end shops, fine dining, and upscale cinema halls.
Gaysorn Village is the collective name for Gaysorn Centre, on the north side of Ploenchit Rd. at Ratchaprarop Rd., and Gaysorn Amarin on the south side of Ploenchit Rd. These two upscale shopping centers outshine many of the others, with their Greco-Roman columns and white marble-and-chrome fixtures. You'll find luxury European and local labels and lauded restaurants such as Paste Bangkok (Gaysorn Centre) and Gaggan at Louis Vuitton (Gaysorn Amarin).
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.
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 or any of the other fancy malls in the neighborhood—the main attractions are stores selling cheap clothes, camera, cellphones, and electronics—but there are many shops, as well as a movie theater and two food courts.
Siam Center has been the epicenter of Thai fashion since it opened in 1976, and it 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 tend to be 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 like Siam Center next door, 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. In the basement, there's SEALIFE Bangkok Ocean World, an underwater marine park where you can dive with sharks.
Connected to the BTS Asok station via a broad walkway, the various levels at this upper-middle-class mall represent different parts of the world. There's a San Francisco section, for instance, complete with cable cars and a miniature Golden Gate Bridge, plus a London floor, an Istanbul floor, and many others. The food court on the top floor is one of Bangkok's best, and there's a multiplex cinema. There's another Terminal 21 branch on Rama III Road.
