Great Tips on How to Have the Perfect Bangkok Shopping Experience

Bangkok is a shopper's paradise. Anything you want, you can buy here and usually at prices much cheaper than other countries. The quality of Thai goods is excellent and the variety is huge. To make your shopping experience simpler though, there are some things you should know - where to shop, how to bargain, how to ship items you buy, and how to get a VAT refund.

Where to Shop

There are literally millions of places to shop in Bangkok. From high-end shopping malls like Siam Paragon and The Emporium, to lower priced mallssuch as Mahboonkrong (MBK) or Future Park. Malls in Thailand have everything you have ever seen in the West and more, but many times at similar prices or higher. Don't forget, Western goods are imported into Thailand so prices are higher to take care of things like import costs, taxes, transportation etc.

If you're looking for things from your own country, you are likely to get them cheaper at home. But if you're looking for items from Europe or other Asian countries, it's all available in the malls here. Credit cards are accepted everywhere and Thai shop assistants are some of the most helpful and nicest in the world. Their English language however will be limited, so expect a little frustration along the way. All part of a holiday abroad!

Smaller independent shops are all over Bangkok. Many of them have items you will not see anywhere else, and most of them have inexpensive prices. I have bought t shirts, bags, wallets, books, gym clothes, art prints, handscreened clothing, handmade paper products, shoes, jewelry, school supplies, toys, household items, lamps, pillows, vases, wood carvings etc. from independent shops. All have been excellent quality and at a good price.

The biggest tip I can give you in Bangkok is, if you see it and like it, buy it. Your chances of finding many of the little shops among the winding lanes of the city are slim. You are also not likely to find the same things in another place.

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