Markets and independent shops in Bangkok

Markets and independent shops in Bangkok

1. BuySiam Square

   All Seasons Place

   ออสซีซั่น เพลส

   Another elegant and large shopping centre. Four floors of the usual clothing boutiques, department stores, jewellers and antique shops. The food court on the second floor is good value

   09:00-18:00 daily

2. BuySiam Square

   Amarin Plaza

   อัมรินทร์พลาซ่า

   This impressive colonial-style shopping centre has five floors of high-end stores, selling fashion, furniture, jewellery, electronics, books and handicrafts. The fourth floor has a good food court, and even a spa, health centre and yoga studio.

   09:00-21:00 daily

3. BuyRattanakosin

   Amulet Market at Wat Mahathat

   ตลาดเช่าพระ วัดมหาธาตุ

   Right beside the Chao Phraya River is the amulet market, an indoor warren of alleys with dozens of vendors selling amulets, charms, talismans and other religious objects. They come in all shapes and sizes, and represent various Hindu or Buddhist deities. The amulets ward off evil spirits or bring good luck and fortune. Each amulet gives a specific kind of luck, so inquire with the vendor. You can get one for as cheap as 5 baht. Better looking ones cost around 20-100 baht, or as much as you want to spend on it. More amulets can be bought at the street market at Maha Rat Road, where many sellers line up along the pavement. There are also many traditional medicine shops along this road.

   09:00-17:00 daily

4. BuyRattanakosin

   Amulet Market at Wat Ratchanaddaram

   Probably the largest religious market of Bangkok with more than one hundred stalls selling everything a good Buddhist would need. You can find thousands of tiny Buddha images here, as well as Hindu figures, in all colours, shapes and sizes. Prices are generally higher than the Amulet Market at Wat Mahathat, but so is quality.

   10:00-17:00 daily

5. BuySukhumvit

   Asia Books

   Every nook and cranny is packed with books in this Sukhumvit branch of Bangkok's oldest English-language bookstore. It remains a good source of maps and books on Thailand and Southeast Asia although the original shop has grown to a chain that seems to have an outlet in every big shopping mall in addition to online sales.

   Mon-Fri 09:00-20:00, Sat-Sun 08:00-20:00

6. BuySilom

   Asiatique The Riverfront

   A newly opened night market and shopping mall. Already among the best areas in Bangkok to go shopping, as it's not too crowded, there is a lot of variety and it has a good mix of foreign visitors and locals. The area is huge and divided in four "districts": the Chareonkrung district for over 1000 small boutiques, the Factory district for upscale clothing and gadgets, the Waterfront district for restaurants and the Town district for bars and outdoor events. It also hosts the Calypso Cabaret and the Joe Louis Theatre. Once this area was an international trading quarter, and Asiatique takes pride in it by having an overdone 1900s theme.

   Daily 17:00-00:00

7. BuyRattanakosin

   Bamrung Muang Stores

   The road along Wat Suthat has plenty of stores selling religious items. Awesome human-sized Buddha images are on sale here, but don't even think about bringing those on the plane. You can also get item-filled buckets here to donate to monks. These buckets contain daily necessities monks might need, such as soap, toothpaste, candles, etc. Be careful when shopping here as the road is lacking a pavement in some areas.

8. BuyYaowarat and Phahurat

   Ban Mo

   บ้านหม้อ

   Hundreds of shops selling electronics and home appliances. There are numerous repair shops and replacement parts on sale. Counterfeit and pornographic CDs and DVDs galore. There are few foreigners here, most visitors are Thai males looking for cheap electronics and spare parts.

   09:00-17:00 daily

9. BuySilom

   Bang Rak Market

   ตลาดบางรัก

   A beacon of cheapness among the luxurious hotels in Bang Rak, this is essentially a flower market. There are flowers on sale for all occasions and for every budget, including wholesale prices. There's especially a large supply of orchids and cut flowers. If you're hungry, there's an ample supply of meat, seafood and fruit. Also the usual clothing stalls available.

   Daily 06:00-21:00

10. BuyThonburi

    Bang Ramat Market

    A local outdoor marketplace filled with food, refreshments, clothing, souvenirs and miscellaneous items by various independent local vendors. The market has a variety of clothes for sale, including new, used, Western and Eastern style clothes. Also for sale are CDs/DVDs/VCDs, children's toys, phone accessories, purses, weapons (handguns, hunting knives, ammunition), toiletries, ceremonial gifts, souvenirs and other small accessories. Children can go to the large inflatable playpen. It is popular and well-known by locals, but barely-known or visited by tourists. It is best to visit the market in the middle of the afternoon when it is most lively.

    afternoon-evening daily

11. BuyRattanakosin

    Bobae Market

    ตลาดโบ๊เบ๊

    Bobae Market is very similar to the Pratunam Market — it's a huge garment market with wholesale prices. You must buy in bulk as that gives the best deals. And just like Pratunam, it has its own Saen Saep Express Boat pier, so it's easy to get to. The nearby Bobae Tower has 700 shops that sell the same clothes as on the market, but caters to those looking for single items. Prices are somewhat higher, but at least you are able to fit your buys in your suitcase. Not a lot of foreigners know about this place, though Russians seem to have found out about it (as the Russian signs indicate).

    06:00-18:00 daily

12. BuyRattanakosin

    Carpentry and Wood Stores

    The northern end of Boriphat Road is lined up with carpentry and wood stores. These are very skilled workers, just take a look at the detailed patterns they create in the wooden doors. Taking one home is probably stretching your airline's 20 kg baggage limit though.

    09:00-18:00 daily

13. BuySiam Square

    Central Chidlom

    เซ็นทรัล ดีพาร์ทเม้นท์ สโตร์ - ชิดลม

    The flagship store of the Central department stores and thus it is much more luxurious and prices are higher. Catering to affluent Thais and Western expats, it has good selections of pricey watches, cosmetics and clothes. There are also numerous eating options.

    10:00-22:00 daily

14. BuySiam Square

    Central Embassy

    The new flagship shopping mall of Thai retail giant Central Group, build on the site of the former British embassy, hence its name. Many of the big name luxury brands have branches here, and the basement is home to a food court. The Open House is a bookstore known for its pleasant interior design, with workspaces and coffee bars incorporated into the design.

    10:00-22:00 daily

15. BuyRatchadaphisek

    Central Plaza Grand Rama 9

    ศูนย์การค้าเซ็นทรัลพระราม 9

    A massive shopping mall built on top of the MRT station with 9 floors of shopping topped with 3 floors of beauticians and 2 floors of schools teaching subjects ranging from languages to yoga to music to taekwondo. In addition to shops and dining offers a branch of SFX Cinema, a gym and an ice skating rink.

    10:00-22:00 daily

16. BuyPhahonyothin

    Central Plaza Ladprao

    Huge mall with a good food court on the basement level and a phenomenal selection of cosmetics on the first floor.

17. BuyThonburi

    Central Plaza Pinklao

    เซ็นทรัลพลาซา - ปิ่นเกล้า

    The largest shopping mall and office tower complex of Thonburi, it includes six floors (with a basement floor) with stores, stalls, restaurants, banks and a karaoke lounge. The Central Department Store is inside and takes up many floors. The other usual chain stores are present as well, as are stores selling books, electronics and clothes. The easiest way to get there is by taxi, but there are also buses and songthaews available.

    Mon-Thu 10:30-21:30, Fri-Sun 10:30-22:00

18. BuySiam Square

    CentralWorld

    เซ็นทรัลเวิลด์

    An enormous complex and the only shopping centre in Bangkok that can give the Paragon a run for the money in both style and size. It is the third largest shopping centre in the world by leasable floor space, and the second largest building in the world if you include the skyscraper on top of it. It's marketed as a middle-class shopping centre with prices cheaper than Siam Paragon. Lots of restaurants make this a good destination for lunch or dinner. The top floor has a supermarket and a multiplex. The large Isetan and ZEN department stores are also included in the complex, as are two book shops and plenty of photo and electronic stores.

    10:00-22:00 daily

19. BuySilom

    Chamchuri Square

    This shopping mall still feels quite empty and spacious. Clean, modern with many chain stores. Some shops particularly cater for students from the nearby Chulalongkorn University, and so there are many bookshops, ice cream parlours and restaurants.

    Daily 10:00-22:00

20. BuyPratunam

    City Complex

    ซิตี้คอมเพล็กซ์

    While walking along Phetchaburi Road, you definitely cannot miss the enormous six-storey City Complex. It is one of the most popular malls in Pratunam that is specifically marketed towards teenage girls and 20-somethings. Most of the shops are selling fashionable clothing, shoes and accessories, but there are also a few of them dedicated to cosmetics, jewellery and crafts. The fifth floor has a modest food court.

    Mon-Fri 11:00-21:00, Sat Sun 10:00-21:00

21. BuySukhumvit

    Dasa Book Cafe

    Great collection of used English, French, German, Scandinavian, and Finnish books, 15,000 in all. General fiction and guidebooks can be found on the ground floor; mystery, children’s, history, politics and non-fiction are on the first floor; horror, true crime, sports, philosophy, psychology, nature, and language books are found on the third floor. Prices range from 50 to 3,000 baht, although most books are priced around 200 baht. Used books are usually priced at half the price of new books. Owners are Kaweewut Wuttiwibhu and Donald Gilliland.

    Daily, 10:00-20:00·THB 30-5000

22. BuySukhumvit

    EmQuartier

    After opening in 2015 EmQuartier remains the newest upmarket mall in Bangkok after the plans for EmSphere have been shelved. The mall uses unusual architectural features to differentiate itself: there is a 40 m waterfall, an indoor tropical garden, the SkyCliff view point on the 45th floor, and a hanging garden enclosed in a spiral walkway that connects 9 floors of restaurants topped with a Japanese one with a rooftop terrace. Otherwise the mall has the usual stuff: restaurants, shops with hundreds of foreign and Thai brands and an IMAX cinema.

    10:00-22:00 daily

23. BuySukhumvit

    Emporium

    This upmarket mall, with selections of everything in design, including watches, cosmetics and clothes, is the top competitor to Ratchaprasong's Gaysorn Plaza. The lower floors are dedicated to brands like Louis Vuitton and Rolex, but (unlike Gaysorn) it has more affordably priced goods on the upper levels. Kinokunyia book store has a large selection of English language books, including travel-related ones. The top floor is home to one of the nicest cinemas in the city after Siam Paragon (and somewhat less pricey than that one) and the Thailand Creative and Design Center. Emporium also has a popular food court and a good selection of restaurants on the fifth floor. A very upscale happening (and crowd), this place challenges the idea of food courts as being simple places to have a snack after shopping. Park Food Hall serves an extensive three-course meal with wine in a dimly-lit atmosphere. You can also go to the regular food court, which is comparatively small and hidden behind the other restaurants, but cheap and often packed. At peak hours it's difficult to get a seat if you're alone. The prices have been increasing over the past years though.

    10:00-22:00 daily

24. BuySiam Square

    Erawan Bangkok

    เอราวัณกรุงเทพ

    Linked by skybridges with the Amarin Plaza and Gaysorn, this is another luxurious shopping centre with boutiques. Chic clothes stores are distributed at all four levels. The second level has an excellent tea room. Go to the lower lobby for food.

    10:00-22:00 daily

25. BuyRatchadaphisek

    Esplanade

    ดิเอสพลานาด

    Seven storeys of phone shops and beauty stores with some cinemas, restaurants (mostly Japanese), cafés and gyms added in-between. The most stunning features here are the ice skating rink and the bowling alley, the only features that differentiate this mall from the others. It is quite unorganised and feels a bit chaotic (in that way, the atmosphere has some in common with Pantip Plaza). All in all, it lacks personality and the only real reason to visit is if you happen to be in the area.

    10:00-23:00 daily

26. BuySilom

    Excelsior

    A tailor who has been in business since the 1975. Armani-style suits for around 10,000 baht. You can even call them and ask for a free pick-up. One of the better places for suits in Bangkok.

    Daily 09:00-22:30

27. BuyRamkhamhaeng

    Fashion Island

    แฟชั่นไอส์แลนด์

    A large shopping mall that, as the name indicates, mostly focuses on fashion stores. But it's not just clothes, shoes, and design, as there are plenty of books, gems, jewellery and furniture on sale. The usual chain restaurants, cafes and cinemas are also present, as is Robinson Department Store. There's even an amusement park with an ice skating rink and a monorail running around the mall..

    Mon-Fri 11:00-21:00, Sat Sun hols 10:00-21:00

28. BuyRatchadaphisek

    Fortune Town

    ฟอร์จูนทาวน์

    Just like Pantip Plaza in Pratunam, but much less touristy with better prices and fewer scams, this is one of the best places in Bangkok to buy computer gear. It has an extensive mobile phone section on the second floor and computer sections on the third and fourth floors. Also has computer and phone repair shops. The supermarket Tesco Lotus is here, as are many barbers, restaurants and a food court.

    10:00-22:00 daily

29. BuySukhumvit

    Gateway Ekamai

    This mall is the southernmost one on Sukhumvit Rd before the border with Samut Prakan. It titles itself as a Japanese lifestyle mall and houses some peculiar businesses like a weird maid cafe with a concept imported from Japan and Snow Town theme park where you can play with snow and even get downhill skiing lessons.

    10:00-22:00 daily

30. BuySiam Square

    Gaysorn

    เกษรพลาซ่า

    Gaysorn positions itself as Bangkok's premier luxury shopping mall: this is where you can get your fill of Armani, Gucci, Louis Vuitton and Tiffany. The top floors have a good selection of antiques and Thai handicrafts of high quality, but at fairly high prices too. Most Thais cannot afford these prices.

    10:00-20:00 daily

31. BuySilom

    House of Chao

    This mall is filled with dusty antique shops. Many of the items on sale are junk, but maybe you'll find an odd interesting teak treasure.

    Daily 10:00-18:00

32. BuyThonburi

    Iconsiam

    By far Thonburi's largest and glitziest shopping mall, parked on a prime riverside location with Vegas-style fountain light shows at night. Divided into themed zones: Takashimaya brings the Japanese department store to Bangkok, Iconluxe caters to all your branded shopping needs, while the Sooksiam indoor floating market is a destination in itself, offering a vast array of street food (see ) as well as handicrafts and more from all around the country.

33. BuyYaowarat and Phahurat

    India Emporium

    อินเดีย เอ็มโพเรี่ยม

    This four-storey Indian shopping centre is a lot more modern than others in the area. It is mostly interesting for fabrics and Indian-style clothing, though they also have a good restaurant at the ground floor (which closes late at 23:00).

    10:00-22:00 daily

34. BuyPratunam

    Indra Square

    อินทรา สแควร์

    Indra Square is an indoor shopping mall with more than 300 retail and wholesale outlets. The first floor is mostly about fashion, silk and accessories, and has some fast-food outlets. The clothes here are remarkably cheaper than elsewhere in the city, and unlike City Complex, there is a decent supply for men and children as well. The second floor has a more diverse set of products, including arts, crafts, toys and mobile phones. If you're getting hungry, there's a food centre on the second floor. There are some clothing shops at the ground level of the nearby Baiyoke Tower II as well.

    Daily 08:00-20:00

35. BuySukhumvit

    J Avenue

    Opened in 2004, this four-story upscale "lifestyle mall" that is typical for the swanky Thong Lo neighbourhood. It is an open-air mall with giant rain trees inside. Its modern architecture and hip designer shops are catering to Thong Lo's Japanese crowd (that's what the J stands for).

    07:00-00:00 daily

36. BuySilom

    Jim Thompson Store

    The flagship store of the famous Thai silk brand, offering well-designed pieces of high quality silk at equally high prices. Spread out over four floors, this store offers the full range of Thompson's products, including lengths of raw silk.

    Daily 09:00-21:00

37. BuyYaowarat and Phahurat

    Johny's Gems

    Known among Bangkok's expats as one of the more trusted gem shops. It focuses mainly on rubies and emeralds and has something for all budgets. The original owner, whom the shop is named after, has since died, but the store has been taken over by his son.

    Mon-Sat 09:30-18:00

38. BuySukhumvit

    K-Village

    The so-called "lifestyle malls" are popular in Bangkok. K-Village has been around since 2009. Touted as a "neighbourhood lifestyle mall", apparently this should be a small village where you can meet and know people. In practice, it's just another upscale mall with supermarkets, restaurants, cafés, spas and (of course) a lot of fashion stores.

    10:00-22:00 daily

39. BuyThonburi

    Khlong Lat Mayom Floating Market

    ตลาดน้ำคลองลัดมะยม

    This is a major attraction, with a pleasant and shaded atmosphere. The floating market corresponds to both sides of the Lat Mayom canal on Bang Ramat Road. This floating market dates from 2004, and is not frequently visited by boats. However, it does have many shop stalls, a small boat museum, several walking paths around the market, small toilet, a few outdoor restaurants and a variety of foods and merchandise for sale. Occasionally, it does feature live outdoor performances by local children or organisations. It is only open on weekends and easily accessible (and used as a prolonged stopover) on some tourist tour boats from Taling Chan Floating Market.

    Sat Sun hols 09:30-16:00

40. BuyRattanakosin

    Khlong Lot Night Market

    When dusk kicks in, the night market at Khlong Lot is set up. It starts around 18:00, but only gets interesting after 20:00. The market has been at the roads surrounding Sanam Luang for years, but was moved to its present location in 2010 when Sanam Luang was sealed off due to construction work. It's a bit like a flea market as locals put a blanket on the ground and wait for customers to buy their stuff. Expect toys, dolls, pets, shoes, bags, pants, mobile phone chargers, remotes, and other stuff. All the sellers have lamps placed besides their ware so it's easy to browse.

    18:00-04:00 daily

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Listings from the Wikivoyage guide to Bangkok (CC BY-SA 4.0).