10 Best Places to Go Shopping in Bangkok
Where to Shop in Bangkok and What to Buy?
Shopping in Bangkok is so much more than a stroll in a mall or a morning spent browsing a market. This popular pastime is a day-and-night activity that runs parallel with the best in the West, while also giving visitors a flavor of the cultural uniqueness of the East.
Work your way through these entirely different shopping experiences, and you’ll soon come to realize why Bangkok is such a famous retail mecca. From department stores lined with luxury brands to indie boutiques selling unusual goods, Thailand’s capital can’t be beaten.
What are the best places to go shopping in Bangkok?
1. Bangkok shopping malls
You’ll find them everywhere
Good for: Luxury, Shoppers
In a city blessed with some of the world’s most sumptuous malls, how do you choose? If you want bargains galore head to MBK Center. After the biggest and most trendy shopping complex? CentralWorld is your ticket. How about classy? Make your way to The Emporium.
Of course, if high glamor makes you wobbly at the knees, you may have already stumbled upon EmQuartier, Icon Siam, and Siam Paragon—they’re the epitome of high-class shopping malls here in Bangkok. Peruse designer brands like Giorgio Armani, Celine, DKNY, Valentino, and Saint Laurent. Read more
Location: Bangkok, Thailand
2. Chatuchak Weekend Market
The largest market in Thailand
Good for: Budget, Food, Shoppers
The market of all markets, Chatuchak Weekend Market is the ultimate outdoor Bangkok shopping experience. You will be amazed by its sprawling size, but perhaps even more so by the unbelievable variety of wares available.
Stumble across vinyl records and beads, suits of armor and Buddhist images, and plenty of clothing and jewelry. Haggling is encouraged—just do so politely. It’s possibly the most exhilarating, chaotic, and lively shopping experience that can be had anywhere in the world! Read more
Location: 587, 10 Kamphaeng Phet 2 Rd, Khwaeng Chatuchak, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand
Open: Tuesday–Thursday from 5 am to 10 pm, Friday–Sunday from 5 am to midnight (closed on Monday)
Phone: +66 2 272 4270
Chatuchak Weekend Market
3. Night Markets
An atmospheric evening out
Good for: Budget, Nightlife, Shoppers
In most cities, nighttime means closing time for retail outlets. Not in Bangkok! Come dusk, Khao San Road teems with visitors in unkempt travel wear scouring for bargain clothing, kitschy souvenirs, and tasty street food, while Patpong Market’s tarpaulin-covered stalls brim with counterfeit items and curious exotica.
Elsewhere in the city, throngs of tourists and eagle-eyed locals pour themselves into Pratunam Night Market and Train Night Market Srinagarindra. Both teem with all kinds of goods including tropical fruits, knock-off sunglasses, deep-fried insects, high-top trainers, cuddly soft toys, and artisan prints. Read more
Location: Bangkok, Thailand
4. Floating Markets
An authentic Bangkok experience
Good for: Photo, Shoppers, Unusual
Every day, the longtail boats in Bangkok’s floating markets are piled high with tropical fruit and vegetables, ready-to-drink coconut juice, and regional food cooked right on the boat. To enjoy the atmosphere without haggling over prices, book yourself on a guided boat tour of Damnoen Saduak Market, about 100 kilometres southwest of the capital.
Closer to Bangkok, visitors can venture to floating markets like Amphawa, Taling Chan, Khlong Lat Mayom, Bang Ku Wiang, and Tha Kha. The hat-wearing sellers, along with the vibrant colors of the clothing and produce, make for some seriously evocative photos that looks stunning on Instagram. Read more
Location: Bangkok, Thailand
5. Asiatique: The Riverfront
Open-air mall on the Chao Phraya River
Good for: Food, Nightlife, Shoppers
Asiatique: The Riverfront has successfully combined two of the most popular shopping experiences in the city: a night bazaar and a mall. Just 10 minutes downriver from the Saphan Taksin BTS Skytrain Station, this huge replica warehouse complex is home to more than 1,500 boutiques and 40 restaurants.
In the evening, the night market is packed with people scouring for bargains and haggling with sellers for the best price they can get. Meanwhile, The Factory is filled with upscale fashions and designer accessories. You can also watch a Muay Thai fight or a cabaret extravagnza.
Location: 2194 Wat Phraya Krai, Bang Kho Laem, Bangkok 10120, Thailand
Open: Daily from 11 am to midnight
Phone: +66 92 246 0812
Asiatique: The Riverfront
6. Icon Siam Shopping Mall
Home to hundreds of high-end shops
Good for: Families, Food, Shoppers
ICON Siam Mall is often called the “Mother of All Malls” due to its 500 shops and 100 restaurants that serve delectable cuisine from more than 30 different countries. Developed by the same tycoons that oversaw Siam Paragon and EmQuartier, ICON is home to upscale brands, an indoor floating market, an art gallery, and a beautiful riverside location with views of Downtown Bangkok.
Shop global names like Massimo Dutti, Victoria’s Secret, and Zara, or hit up family favourites like Levi Strauss, Nike, and H&M. When you’re feeling peckish, swing by Gordon Ramsay’s Bread Street for his famous Beef Wellington or grab a table at Starbucks for a panini and a vanilla latte. Read more
Location: 299 Charoen Nakhon Rd, Khlong Ton Sai, Khlong San, Bangkok 10600, Thailand
Open: Daily from 10 am to 10 pm
Phone: +66 2 495 7000
Icon Siam Shopping Mall
7. Pratunam
The heart of Bangkok’s rag trade
Good for: Budget, Shoppers, Unusual
Pratunam is well-known among locals as Bangkok’s wholesale fashion district. It’s where urban streetwear meets tomorrow’s ready-to-wear trends. Shopping here is fun because there’s a whole gamut of apparel and accessories, often at bargain prices.
The original wholesale market is outdoors, around the Indra Hotel and Baiyoke Sky Hotel, while the air-conditioned malls are located along the main street. Head to Pratunam Market when you want to shop tees, footwear, kaftans, dresses, shirts, jeans, and trousers. Don’t forget to haggle for the best price possible. Read more
Location: Soi Phetchaburi 21, Thanon Phaya Thai, Ratchathewi, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
Open: Daily from 5 am to 9 pm
Pratunam
8. Siam Square
Sprawling shopping and entertainment area
Good for: Families, Luxury, Shoppers
Siam Square, like the city in which it’s located, is an area of contrasts. In essence, it’s the hub of all things cool, an individual expression point where fashion styles surface (and resurface). The district’s actual square can be found on the corner of Phayathai Road and Rama I Road, just moments from Siam BTS Skytrain station.
In terms of shopping, hit the Siam Center mall for trendy brands like Adidas, Sephora, Vans, Dickies, Nike, and Crocs. Next door you’ll find two more malls: Siam Paragon and Siam Square One which are filled with international stores and designer boutiques like Jimmy Choo, Prada, Cartier, and Fendi. Read more
Location: 1 Siam Square Soi 7, Pathum Wan, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
Open: Square is open daily from 10 am to 10 pm. Shopping mall hours vary.
Siam Square
9. Sampeng Lane
Wholesale market in the heart of Chinatown
Good for: Budget, Food, Shoppers, Unusual
There’s something oddly kitsch, charming, and nostalgic about Bangkok’s Chinatown. Walking through its maze of streets, one can easily find themselves in a market, a shophouse-lined alley, or a crowded road that’s jam-packed with hawkers of every ilk. The epicenter of shopping in Chinatown is the warren-like Sampeng Lane which boasts a famous wholesale market.
Along with its many gold shops, you’ll also find sacks of roasted chestnuts, glittery sequins, feather boas, eccentric virility boosters, and martial art weapons for sale. There are also plenty of tasty snacks and curious gadgetry. Keep your eyes peeled for cut-price sales. Read more
Location: Chakkrawat, Bangkok 10100, Thailand
Open: Daily from 9 am to 5 pm and 11 pm to 5 am
Phone: +66 95 891 4442
Sampeng Lane
10. Pak Khlong Talad Flower Market
Brilliant blooms in the Old City
Good for: Photo, Shoppers, Unusual
Among the many fresh produce markets in Bangkok, the jewel without a doubt is the Pak Khlong Talad Flower Market. The colors, fragrances of jasmine, and the sight of garland weavers busily at work makes for a dazzling sensory experience.
Prepare yourself for a really late shopping experience, but one worth staying up for. Located in the Old City, the market lies south of Wat Pho (Temple of the Reclining Buddha). Shop orchids, lilies, roses, as well as baskets of exotic fruits. Read more
Location: Khwaeng Wang Burapha Phirom, Phra Nakhon, Bangkok 10200, Thailand
Open: 24/7 (peak activity is between 2 am to 6 am)
Pak Khlong Talad Flower Market
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