SHOPPING!!!! It is probably a woman's favorite therapy (retail that is!) and cardio exercise, haha!
Bangkok is a good destination for shopping (and eating, such a perfect combination!). It has a plethora of shopping places that won't break your budget, from malls to different kinds of markets.
Here are some shopping places in Bangkok which we went to:
1) Siam Paragon Mall - If you plan to do some luxurious shopping (along the lines of Balenciaga and Chanel), this place is for you (not for us, haha!). There are also popular clothing brands found in this mall like GAP, Zara and H & M.
We went to this mall was because we took the kids to Kidzania (where they had a LOT of fun! If you have young kids who don't care about food and shopping, this is a good place for them to bring to). I wasn't able to take lots of photos but here are some of those I took.
They have a food court at the Ground Floor (my favorite among all the food courts we've been to) and nice restaurants on the 4th level (pictured below) of the mall.
*The floor levels in this mall can be tricky because Ground Floor is different from the Main Floor and 1st Floor.
I would love to come back to this mall to check out their Gourmet Market and for some food tripping!
Besides Kidzania, this mall also houses the Sealife Ocean World located at the Basement of the mall.
By the way, fyi, there is another mall which is called SIAM CENTER. Just in case you want to go to either of them, just be clear if it is Siam PARAGON or Siam CENTER.
For more details about Siam Paragon (and the mall directory), please visit their website.
2) Krung Thong Plaza
If you think Bangkok is just for slender women, HA! Those days are overrrrr! Haha!
I think majority of the stalls here in this mall cater to plus-size women. I like that there is a wide variety of choices for dresses, tops, pants, shorts, casual and lounge wear, etc. that are fashionable, modern and stylish.
To get a wholesale price, I suggest you buy at least 2 items (I think this will not be a problem, haha). I got some tops which average around US$7). Just to give you a heads up, no fitting is allowed. But you know what, some of the sellers have a good eye (and how I wish that they are friendlier, some are) because they know what size you are just by looking at you.
At the main entrance of the mall, you will see a stall which sells gold plated earrings (among many others) that are of good quality.
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| Khun Pramote, the owner, super nice guy! |
You can say that this is my favorite mall because looking clothes for my size is not a problem! Haha!
Krung Thong Plaza
(across Platinum Mall)
813/8, Petchaburi Rd, Phaya Thai, Ratchathewi, Bangkok
3) Platinum Mall
Platinum Mall is one of the more popular shopping places in Bangkok. By the way, there is a bridgeway connecting Krung Thong to Platinum Mall.
We got some shawls from this very nice Thai lady who was one of the nicest people we have met in our trip. She gave us a discount because she said we were her lucky customers. She was happy because after we came, there were like 4 or 5 customers that came in after us, haha, such a sweet lady.
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| I found these accessories that have initials in them in one of the stalls. |
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| We also got some Thai souvenirs in one of the shops. |
4)MBK Center
MBK is another popular shopping mall in Bangkok. Personally, I like this better than Platinum Mall.
There is also another department (Tokyu) store attached to MBK Center.
For Thai souvenirs and crafts, this is a good place to go to because they have more shops (all together in one floor) which sell different kinds of things compared to Platinum.
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| I got some throw pillow covers and tissue box covers from here. |
MBK Center
Phayathai Rd, Pathum Wan, Khet Pathum Wan,
Krung Thep Maha Nakhon 10330, Thailand
5) Big C Supercenter
I know some people who don't like grocery shopping, but for me, I looovve it! I can just go around and browse the aisles and check out stuff. So whenever I travel and visit a place, I love going to the its supermarket because it is a good place to buy local goods like food, snacks, etc. And in Bangkok, Big C (one of the biggest supermarket chains in Bangkok) is the place to go to.
Eyes open wide . . .
Heart palpitates. . .
My happy place! Haha!
So we brought home a luggage (or two?) full of goodies!
We also bought Thai flavored instant noodles (I know instant noodles are bad but we just have to try, haha) and different Thai dish mixes and sauces.
Beside Thai arts and crafts souvenirs, the supermarket is a good place to do some pasalubong shopping.
Oh by the way, you have to buy Nestea's Thai Milk Tea Powder because it is good! I am not fond of Thai Milk tea in general but I like Nestea's because it has a milder herbal taste. If you want to have a taste before buying it, there are some food courts that sell this as a drink.
You can also get a VAT refund in the supermarket but you need to bring your passport to do so.
Big C Supercenter
(opposite Central World)
97/11 Rajdamri Rd. Lumpini, Pathumwan
Bangkok
6) Pantip Plaza
This is known as Bangkok's IT Shopping mall. I haven't been to this mall and I just got these pictures from hubby who checked out the place.
Pantip Plaza
604/3. Ratchathewi, Bangkok
6)Suvarnbhumi Internationl Airport
For last minute shopping, you can find different things at the airport. You will see shops like the one pictured below that sell Thai snacks and food. We even bought Sticky Rice Mango to bring back home, haha!
More shopping choices . . .
In this post's title, I wrote "Mini Guide" because this is not an extensive guide to the different shopping areas in the city. These are just the places we have been to and believe me, we have only been to a few (and we didn't even get the chance to fully explore each place!).
There are just so many things to do, so many shopping places to conquer! Haha!
There is definitely a lot more to cover. . . which we will. . . in the future!
My dear Bangkok, I will see you again!
