Bangkok

There are lots of great cities in the world for shopping but Bangkok is one of the best!!

The tourist areas of Silom Road and the city centre night market at Lumpini Park or the huge MBK centre offering some great trinket gifts and the obligatory copy products but if you want to go further afield there are some amazing areas for the more adventurous shopper.

The amazing Chatuchak Weekend Markets, open Friday to Sunday, which you can get to by Bangkok’s easy to use Monorail system offers the most incredible range of clothes, homewares and some fantastic bargains.

There are over 1500 stall holders offering all of the goodies you will find at the city markets, but even cheaper and some of the most incredible homewares you could dream of. Fantastic dinnerware, cutlery to die for and some really luxurious serving plates, vases, bowls, high quality candles and beautiful statues and dress pieces for your home.

If you are worried about getting them home there is a DHL and FEDEX office in the market area and they have a packing and shipping service that really will work well price wise not too expensive if you are clever about your purchases.

Off the main tourist streets in the city there are some incredible shops offering items for your home and garden you could only dream of, like statues and ornamental pieces that will blow your mind price wise when you bargain hard.

The way I found these stores was at the recommendation of an international homeware buyer for a major Australian retailer – he told me, find a decent cab driver with good English skills and just get him to drive you around the city for a few hours, or the day and just “look”. He said keep an eye out for landmarks or bigger stores to find your way back to them and just let your mind run free to take it all in. I took his advice and brought home pieces that nobody has ever seen before....

Don’t be afraid to bargain, it is a Thai custom to bargain down the price.

By Chris Prouting

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