Bo Bae Market : While the Rama I Road area is renowned for its high-end fashion and trendy nature, you don't have to go far to find the Asian market experience. Bo Bae Market has over 700 shops catering to the wholesale fashion and fabric markets and is known as the biggest garment wholesale centre in Thailand.
Chatuchak Weekend Market : offers a fabulous cross section of Thai produce in a covered market. Not for the claustrophobic - a minimum of space is reserved for walkway and wallets and purses should be closely guarded. Open from 9am-6pm and easily accessible by Sky Train exit at Paholyonthin Road.
Central World Plaza : Formerly known as the World Trade Center, Central World Plaza is home for the Isetan and Zen department stores as well as the King Power Duty Free store. You can also find a selection of shops selling sporting goods, furniture and antiques here, as well as the city's biggest ice-skating rink.
The Central Department Stores : (Central Lad Phrao, Central Chitlom, Central Silom) The Central Department Store is Thailand's own chain of malls stretching across the country. You'll find a range of international and local brands here as well as a selection of restaurants.
China Town / Yaowarat : Bangkok's China Town is an old business centre covering a large area around Yaowarat Road and Charoen Krung Road. There are many small streets and alleys full of shops selling all types of goods. The area is always lively and market stalls abound. It has been the main centre for trading by the Chinese since they were moved from their old site some 200 years ago. Nearby is Phahurat Market, one of the city's renowned cloth centres.
The Emporium : Situated at the heart of Sukhumvit Road, the Emporium offers a range of luxury brands, an entertainment complex and several good restaurants and cafes. This is the place to go for beauty salons, jewelry shops and all the international fashion houses.
Khao San Road : offers everything to suit all budgets from internet cafes, stalls selling fake goods, jewellery and tie-dye to cosy boutiques and travel agencies offering competitively priced air-tickets. Restaurants spill out onto the streets creating a very laid back Mediterranean atmosphere. Formerly devoted solely to the student/backpacker market, in recent years, this area has changed much of its image to accommodate many different tastes and budgets.
Bang Lamphu : Nearby Khao San Road, Bang Lamphu extends over several roads in the area - Phra Sumen Road and Chakkraphong Road are the two main ones. Essentially it is an area where locals do their shopping with all sorts of goods available, from clothes and fabric to household accessories available here. Worth a look as part of a trip down Khao San Road.
Mahboonkrong Center (MBK) : 1000's of air-conditioned shops and is conveniently located next to the National Stadium Sky Train station. It is also only a few minutes walk from Siam Square. Here you will find literally hundreds of smaller shops and stalls, selling many goods at bargain prices. You will find many things here from clothes to electronics.
Pak Khlong Talat : This huge wholesale market has everything from spices and vegetables to flowers and fruit. The best time to visit is in the evening when the whole place is a huge busy mess of produce and people. In fact between the hours of 2am-4am is the busiest time of the day as this is when trucks arrive with the next day's produce.
Panthip Plaza : Panthip Plaza is the most amazing place. Five floors packed with hundreds of electronic shops. You can find anything here, at great prices. Remember to get a discount and a receipt. Please be aware that many of the goods on sale here are copies, (DVD, VCD etc) but equally they are so cheap, and are often as good as the original. Enjoy this place, it's my favourite.
Patpong / Silom Road : Patpong Road is famous all over the world for its night market that covers two streets running parallel to each other between Silom Road and Surawong Road. The variety is much the same as anywhere else with clothing, watches and handicrafts taking centre-stage amongst a big range of other goods. It wouldn't be a trip to Bangkok though without visiting at least to take a look. Be prepared to bargain hard however, because while the goods may be the same, the prices are inflated even more than other places.
Pratunam : is a great place and best known for its inexpensive ready-made clothing, which is sold partly in a street market, where determined bargaining is required for best prices.
Siam Centre : Offering all the usual mall shops, the Siam Centre has something for all age groups amongst its plethora of shops. It's also right next door to the Siam Discovery Centre and across the road from MBK and Siam Square, making it a good place to start your shopping spree.
Siam Discovery Centre : Next door to the Siam Centre, Siam Discovery Centre holds over 200 shops and touts itself as Bangkok's first lifestyle centre. You'll find all the high-end brands here as well as plenty of souvenir shopping amongst the trendy brands. You can also find a multiplex cinema and a bunch of restaurants and cafes here if you need a little time out.
Siam Square : Sukhumvit Road and Siam Square have it all, from sanitised government approved handicraft shops and night markets to flashy department stores carrying designer labels. Mostly catering to the younger crowd, Siam Square is a series of interlocking streets filled with clothing, shoe and fashion stores. You can also find a few internet cafes, bookstores, and fast-food restaurants here.
Silom Village : One of the best shopping centres in Bangkok because of its focus on the traditional Thai experience, we recommend you put Silom Village near the top of your list for shopping in the city. The shopping arcade is open from 10am-10pm every day selling all sorts of Thai antiques, silk products, silverware, leather goods, woodcarvings and souvenirs. After dark the arcade also opens up its restaurants that also feature traditional Thai dancing and music performances.
Suan Lum Night Market : Not as well known, but infinitely better than Patpong Road, the Suan-Lum Night Market should be your first choice of night market shopping in Bangkok. All undercover, the market is a tangle of tiny passageways with over 3500 stores offering all the usual night market fare, but without the sleaze that surrounds Patpong. Instead, there are a number of quality restaurants offering a range of international cuisine at affordable prices. The Lumphini Muay Thai boxing arena is here as well meaning you could mix the two for a night of entertainment.
