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Article and photos: Chi Linh, Thanh Truc, Que Lan, Duong Thuy
Outstanding shopping spots in Bangkok
Visitors should not miss the 10 shopping malls that are holding year-end Sale Off programs, including: Siam Paragon, Central World, MBK, Siam Center (in Siam area), Terminal 21, Central Childlom, Gaysorn Shopping Mall, Platinum Fashion Mall, Pantip Plaza (in Childlom area) and The Emporium (in Phrom Phong area). All shopping malls start operating at 10am, end at 10pm and accept payment by cash or credit cards. Besides the function of shopping malls, these centers are also entertainment complexes with cinemas, aquariums, games and diverse restaurants located next to each other inside.
Means of transport
Hotels in Bangkok do not organize shopping tours for tourists. Just ask the receptionists, tourists will be guided enthusiastically with a smile on their faces. For shopping centers in the Siam center, tourists can use the BTS to move. For shopping centers in the Childlom or Phrom Phong areas, tourists can use local buses, tuk tuks or taxis.
What to buy there?
The year-end Sale Off program at the 10 centers mentioned above usually lasts for about 2 months (from December to the end of January of the following year). The Sale Off level ranges from 10 - 80% depending on the center and the item.
+ Siam Paragon, Siam Center, The Emporium: These are Bangkok's major shopping centers for world-class fashion brands and beautiful traditional Thai handicrafts of silk and silver. With 250 stores inside each center, visitors can choose for themselves luxurious and elegant fashion designs or perfumes and cosmetics from famous brands such as: Hermer, Louis Vuitton, Lancome, Christian Dor, Prada, Hugo Boss... The Sale Off rate here is 10%. The number sounds small, but for high-end items, 10% is not a small amount of money. Particularly for Thai handicrafts, the sale off rate can be up to 20% such as silk fashion of brands: Fly Now III, Koset, Greyhound Original...
+ Central World: This is the largest shopping mall in Bangkok in terms of area with 500 stores inside for fashion brands at a moderate level or newly entering the market such as Zara, Miss Sixty, Timberland, Uniqlo, English Brand Next... For those who love modern tools for gardening or interior decoration models for their home can visit here. The sale off level here can be up to 50%.
+ MBK: With 2,000 stalls inside, MBK can satisfy the shopping needs of all classes for fashion products, fashion accessories, handbags, leather products or electronic devices such as: mobile phones, cameras, DVDs... Fashion stores are located on the last floor while electronic stores are located on the 3rd and 4th floors. The sale off level at MBK ranges from 30% (electronics) to 80% (fashion).
+ Terminal 21: Located near Suvanarbhumi Airport, it is very convenient for tourists who do not have much time in Bangkok but love to go shopping during the sale season. Inside the center, there are separate areas for fashion items from Tokyo, San Francisco, London and Istanbul. The sale rate here is about 30%.
+ Central Childlom, Gaysorn Shopping Mall, Platinum Fashion Mall: Suitable for all classes of people who love fashion, especially Thai fashion brands such as: Sretsis, Zenithorial, Senada, Theory... Gaysorn Shopping Mall with elegant designer fashion brands for gentlemen and Platinum Fashion Mall with classy fashion brands for ladies. The sale off level here ranges from 30 - 50%.
+ Pantip Plaza: If you are an electronics "fan", you should not miss Pantip Plaza when coming to Bangkok. This is the largest shopping center in Bangkok for electronic devices. From laptops, tablets, phones, software, DVDs, TVs... the latest versions are all available here. The stores serve enthusiastically and thoughtfully in packing goods for shipping. The main disadvantage of the center always confuses visitors because they cannot check the "real" or "fake" electronic accessories inside. To avoid the "unreasonable" enticements of DVD sellers, visitors should go straight to the 5th floor, which is called the "IT" city that focuses on selling genuine products with clear origins. The sale off rate at Pantip Plaza is usually 10% but depending on your bargaining skills, it can reach 20 - 30%.
A general note is, don’t rush into buying something you like even if it’s on sale. Take your time to shop around and compare prices.
| Ms. Chutathip Chareonlarp - Director of Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Office in Ho Chi Minh City:
“Thai people understand very well the role of the tourism economy that has helped them escape poverty from trading local products to cuisine, village products... As a manager, consulting on tourism strategies to help stabilize the lives of Thai residents, TAT has built many tourism programs combining shopping, medical treatment, honeymoon... With attractive and innovative presentation styles, diverse goods, good prices and bringing maximum convenience to tourists, we believe that shopping centers in Thailand will satisfy all tourists, whether they are new or have been to Thailand many times”. |
THAILAND SHOPPING CELEBRATION
At the end of the year, Thailand attracts tourists from all over the world with a big promotion called "Thailand Shopping Celebration" applied at all large and famous shopping centers in the country's top tourist cities.
In Bangkok, you can hunt for products in the program at typical shopping spots such as: Chatuchak market, Siam Paragon shopping center, MBK center, Platinum fashion center, Siam Discovery, Central Childhom, Gaysorn Plaza, Erawan Bangkok, Emporium, Central World, Pantip Plaza center, Or Tor Kor market, Taling Chan floating market, China Town, Nai Lert Market, Pratumam-Phetchanburi, Silom-Surawong-Patpong...
In Chiang Mai, the Night Bazaar is located on Chang Klan Road along avenues such as Nimmanahaeminda Road, Wua Lai Walking Street, Tha Pae Walking Street, San Khamphaeng, Bo Sang, Ban Thawai Village... and is the largest shopping address that you cannot miss when you are here.
Meanwhile, if you choose Phuket for your year-end travel, you can satisfy your shopping needs at the most famous place: Walking Street in the Patong beach area. Here, discounts of about 10% -15% are applied to products. After wandering among the colorful and sparkling stalls surrounded by the invitations of sexy-clothed salesgirls, you can stop right on the roadside to enjoy a hot plate of Pat Thai from the three-wheeled carts selling traditional Thai food.
