PHUKET
Old Phuket Town can be done on foot. Start at Rasada Road and walk the surrounding blocks and you’ll find many interesting shops and buildings – bear in mind, some shops close on a Sunday. For keepsakes or decorative items for the home, start at Rasada Handmade (29 Rasada Road, Tel: 076 355 439) where you’ll find a vast array of Asian ceramics, ornaments, textiles and handicrafts. For pricier art and antiques, head next door to Soul of Asia (37 Rasada Road, Tel: 076 211 122) and select a special item to send home! For clothing, visit Lilac (19 Yaowarat Road) for beautiful Thai silk embroidered blouses, wraps and poolside garments. Island Paradise (8 Phang Nga) also has a nice array of pretty, girly items, silk dresses and tops. For a pit-stop away from the hustle and bustle, visit China Inn Café (20 Talan Road) situated in a renovated shophouse. Relax in a quaint little courtyard, sip a cocktail and try some Thai delights.
If you’re after jewellery, a visit to Gems Gallery (99/35 5 Moo 5 Chalermprakiat 9 Road. Tel: 076 255 001) is a must. But if you’re planning to make a purchase, visit earlier in the day. Start in the workshop and watch the jewellers at work and then proceed to the enormous jewellery viewing room, where an eager assistant will soon arrive at your side.
For cheap shopping and lots of activity head to Patong and ask your driver to drop you off anywhere along Thaweewong Road or Patong Beach Road. You’ll find many stalls along this strip and down numerous alleyways. Be ready to be hounded by locals trying to sell you their wares! This is great spot if you like counterfeit goods, but not ideal if you have young children in tow – due to all the activity.
A more enjoyable shopping experience is Kata Noi Road behind Kata Beach. Start with a sunset cocktail and international flavours for dinner at Mom Tri’s Boathouse (Tel: 076 330 015) – bookings recommended. And then walk the blocks of Kata Noi Road for floral dresses, T-shirts, bikini’s, DVDs, carved soaps, ornaments and much more.
BANGKOK
With over 15,000 stalls, Chatuchak Weekend Market is Bangkok’s largest market. Start early at around 8:30am to avoid the crowds and the heat. Divided into shopping zones, you can find just about anything here – from sterling silver jewellery, semi-precious stones and home utensils, to clothing, Thai silk and crafts and collectables galore. It’s the place for bargain shopping and bartering. The easiest way to get to the market is either by sky train (BTS) to Mo Chit station or the subway (MRT) to Chatuchak Park station and follow the crowd!
If you still have energy for bargain shopping, try the air-conditioned Platinum Fashion Mall (Petchburi, Ratchathewi, next to Pantip Plaza). Discover many small outlets specialising in women's clothing and fashion accessories at reasonable prices. The nearest sky train station is Ploenchit.
If you want the shopping street concept but prefer air-conditioned comfort spend a day at CentralWorld, offering international brands such as Zara, Miss Sixty and Timberland. Drop the kids off at Thailand Knowledge Park (www.tkpark.or.th/index_en.aspx) while you get a good dose of retail therapy. And make sure you visit Zen within CentralWorld – a trendy department store with six floors of groovy clothing and accessories, including a special section showcasing local fashion. Located at Ratchaprasong intersection, Pathumwan – alight at either Chitlom or Siam sky train stations.
If you want luxury goods, Siam Paragon is your one stop up-market shopping complex, home to more than 250 international and local luxury brands – including Gucci, Prada, Louis Vuitton, Dior, Versace, Burberry and Hermes. Located in the heart of Bangkok’s shopping district, alight at Siam sky train station.
Posted Mar 09
