BANGKOK

Bangkok, the city of angels:
Shopping in Bangkok

Bangkok's strategic location makes it one of the worlds major crossroads and the most important air traffic hub in Southeast Asia. This "Land Of Thousands of Smiles" is not only richly steeped in history and culture but it has a maintained reputation throughout the world that makes its name synonymous with fine shopping as well. From world famous "Thai Silk" to handicrafts, "The City of Angels" is in the true sense of the world, a veritable shoppers paradise.
Thailand is a leading tourist centre in Southeast Asia.
Bargaining is an art well established in Thailand and is applicable in most all shops, the exception being, fixed price department store. So, when shopping around the best deals in town use your bargaining power. There are several clearly defined shopping areas in the city you should investigate.

SIAM SQUARE & SIAM CENTER

This compact shopping complex consists of restaurant, coffee shops, bakeries, brand-named clothes, textiles shops, and modernized movie theatres. Thai Silk and Handicrafts shops are found here in abundance. The MBK (Maboonkrong Department Store is crowed by Bangkokian teenagers), Siam Paragon (the Prestigious world's Shopping Department Store, Siam Centre (the latest of young generation needs full of hall), Siam Discovery (The connecting building shopping mall of Siam Center--holding more than 200 shops showing leading in and out fashion brands). The famous shopping centres are located in this area as well. Siam Square is a shopping and entertainment areas in Bangkok, Thailand. Within Siam Square itself, there is a wide range of shops and services, including tutorial schools, (cause it near the most famous university, Chulalongkorn University), restaurants, cafes, designer clothing boutiques, record stores, bookshops, Hard Rock Cafe' and many banks. The customers vary from young-aged school and college students to office workers and foreign tourists. It is sometimes referred to as the "Shinjuku of Thailand". The central area of Siam Square is an open area named Centre Point, which normally hosts activities or special events every weekend.

RAJDAMRI ROAD-PLOENJIT ROAD

This is said to be the largest shopping district in the city. Here you can find at least 10 of the biggest Department Store. Bangkok has to offer several shopping arcades, countless smaller shops and 15 or so cinema theatres comprise the area. Pratunam Market, Baiyok Building 1&2, Pratunam Centre, The Platinum which site along both sides of the street. Here is fully displayed with cheap ready made garments but export quality ones for you to select, locating in this area alike. Though not of the western standards, it's a place well worth to visit for enlightenment into the very day life of the ordinary Thais. Another spot of interesting nearby is the computer centre of both Software and Hardware, Pantip Plaza, the centre of all office equipments. Many big department stores can be reached on foot

in this area as it is not too far away, such as The Central World Plaza or ex-Thai Duty Free Shops on the 7th floor of them and on the opposite side are Gaysorn Plaza, Prada- Louis Vuitton(the largest store in Asia)- Gucci- Armani and so much more hi-end prestigious brand names are housing in this building, Central Department Store--Chidlom (the leading department store for the elite in Thailand), Big C Countless Department Store and Erawan Plaza where you can find imported goods of very famous brands on sales here. Soi Langsuan, off Ploenchit Rd. is home for some Bangkokians' finer western restaurants.

SUKHUMVIT ROAD - NEW PETCHABURI ROAD

Represented in this district and numerous fashionable residences, hotels, apartments or modernized condominiums, guesthouses and a number of excellent Thai and Western restaurants. The area caters to foreign tourists and most everything available in the city is easily located in the many shops lining these two streets, such as Ploenchit Centre on Soi2, Ambassador Plaza of Ambassador Hotel, Sukhumvit Plaza and Time Square on Soi12 and Robinson Department Store on Soi19 and the hi-end very wealthy department store "Emporium Department Store" on Soi 24.

SILOM-SURAWONG-PATPONG ROADS

This area is a Bangkok business and financial and also appropriately nicknamed "Wall Street". Distinguished by its big blocks of multistoried buildings, this area offers innumerable shops dealing in jewelries, gemstones, antiques, ceramics, leather goods, boutique shops, handicrafts, art objects, woodcarvings, Thai Silk shops, silverware showrooms,

MAHAESAK ROAD-NEW ROAD

Located in direct proximity to this area is River City Shopping Complex, a unique and exclusive shopping centre. A side from the usual offerings listed above, you will find art galleries, Thai style markets and a branch of Central Department Store. Also in this vicinity, on New Road, is Bangkok's main Post Office.

YAOWARAJ ROAD (CHINA TOWN), (GOLD STREET)

Known as "China Town" features gold shops for presenting the shoppers in the market for gold, with the cities widest selection. The workmanship is excellent, the design is beautiful and the gold matter is pure.

CHATUJAK(JATUJAK) WEEKEND MARKET

This large open public ground on Phahonyothin Road is known as Suan Chatujak Park. It hosts the popular weekend market where local buy and sell thousands products. Items include exotic fresh fruits, organic vegetables, handicrafts, dresses materials, clothing, shores, toys, domestic utensils, and lovely pets. There is a particularly fine section for plants, It is estimated that there are more than 5,000 shops which you cannot visit them all in one single day. Here is opened from 6.00 a.m. to 6.00 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.