Bangkok Shopping Guide

Whenever you hear Bangkok, the first thing that comes to every woman's mind is shopping! From glistening air-conditioned malls to busting street markets, Bangkok offers every shopaholic more bang for their baht. If you're planning to go to Thailand, make sure you reserve 2-3 days (and a spare suitcase) for all your shopping. It’s no secret that shopping is an integral contributor to Bangkok tourism. This posts lists malls that stock Thai apparel so I'm not including malls which have international brand stores like Forever 21 or Zara as those chains are present in all major countries and keep the same kind of stock everywhere.

Important tourist attractions to make the most of your holiday:

Platinum Mall

Platinum Fashion Mall is the largest and most famous wholesale shopping destination in Bangkok. There are hundreds of stores selling women's fashion and super cheap prices. Being a wholesale mall, you get better deals if you buy larger quantities. However, note that there are no changing rooms here but they provide measuring you with tapes. You can also check with the shop owners if an exchange is possible in case what you buy doesn't fit you. In case you plan to visit Bangkok, you have to file in your application for Tourist Visa. With the visa you can stay in Bangkok for a span of 30 days or maximum up to 60 days.

Union Mall

Union Mall is similar to Platinum Mall, but is more spacious and well organized. It's a popular spot for hangout for Thai college girls because its designs are different compared to Platinum and it's less crowded. Items are slightly more expensive but their quality speaks for itself. There are many dressing rooms unlike Platinum and MBK so you can try out everything before you buy it.

Chatuchak Weekend Market

Chatuchak Weekend Market is also known as Jatujak or JJ Market, and it is the largest market in Thailand. The market has more than 5000 stalls selling a wide array of products including clothing for men and women, accessories, footwear, household items, handicrafts and much more. It is hot here so do wear light clothing. If you are able to conquer the heat here, I’m sure you will be able to get a lot of stuff. The Chatuchak is a tourist attraction in itself, with over 200 000 people visiting each day! It is popular among both local Thais, foreigners living in Bangkok and tourists.

MBK Shopping Centre

MahBoonKrong or MBK, is one of the oldest and best known shopping malls in Bangkok. MBK Center is Bangkok's most legendary shopping mall, popular with both tourists and locals, and busy with shoppers every day. There are eight floors packed with 2,000 shops that sell everything from clothing, fashion accessories, handbags, leather products and luggage to furniture, mobile phones, electric appliances, cameras, stationery and DVDs.

Siam Square

Popular with young, funky looking Thais, Siam Square is known for its youthful and trendy selection of fashion items. This is where you can find the coolest shops and indie boutiques that stock local designer labels as well as clothes, accessories, shoes, electronics and beauty products. The square consists of a number of small, indoor shopping centres and markets, separated by high streets and little boutique shops outdoors. Unlike Platinum Fashion Mall, the material and design of the apparels here are of higher quality and are usually available in limited pieces

Terminal 21

Terminal 21 is an upmarket shopping mall located next to Asok BTS Station. This mall has a unique airport theme where each floor of the mall is based on the theme of well-known cities like London, Rome, Paris, Tokyo and Istanbul. Both tourists and locals flock to this mall for its wide variety of unique stores & local designer apparel.