Make the Most of Your Bangkok Trip: What to Buy from Bangkok and the Places to Buy Them from (2019)

There’s an abundance of souvenirs to buy in Bangkok, from lip-smacking Thai snacks to distinctive jewelry to gorgeous handicrafts. There’s more to Bangkok than just buying cheap clothes! When they said, ‘the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach’, they were perhaps implying the yummy Thai delights that Bangkok boasts of. One of the country’s local delicacies, Phad Thai is very popular among tourists, whether it is at restaurants, street stalls or in packets, which you can take back home with you. Similar to Phad Thai, the Mama Brand Instant Noodles are super yum and easy to stack in your luggage!

Then there are fried shallots which make for a delicious sweet and savoury condiment for various dishes at pocket-friendly prices, not to forget the Bento Squid, another top Thai snack with a strong squid taste. The Koh Kae Peanuts are an iconic snack in Thailand, available in an assortment of flavours that include coconut cream, tom yum and barbeque. The Royal Chitralada Milk Candy is an immensely popular milk biscuit that comes in two flavours and is a guaranteed crowd puller. The Thai Iced Milk Tea is a refreshing tea with Nestea’s instant sachets, perfect for a scorching day.

Bangkok’s also known for a variety of household items like fairy lights shapes like cotton balls or flowers, footballs, angry birds and more; Thai soap ornaments are delicately carved and elegantly shaped with different fragrances.

Fervently popular for its huge shopping complexes, innumerable street shops and its penchant for cheap clothes, Bangkok is a shopper’s paradise, a self-proclaimed Mecca of custom made clothes. Tailor apparel at bargain prices in a matter of days is every shopper’s delight. Besides, clothes, Bangkok has a plethora of ornate silk and fabrics with assorted table linen, silk scarves and more for souvenir shopping.

There are different medicinal products also that Bangkok’s popular for, like the famous Tiger Balm, the perfect remedy for all kinds of muscle aches and pains, cold and cough, the anti-cough pills - the local remedy is known to work wonders! The siang pure oil works up a miracle for some of the common ailments like mosquito bites, blocked nose, stomach ache, muscle ache or dizziness. The Pim Saen Nam roll on is good for motion sickness.

Thai Silk speaks volumes about the traditions of Thailand and is considered the cultural touchstone, a gateway to Old Siam and heritage that’s disappearing quick! The finest variety of Thai Silk is hand-woven in the North East part of Rural Thailand. It is woven around old wooden looms. Of all the places you’d find the finest quality of Thai silk, here are some you can explore – Queen Thai Silk specializes in tailoring dresses in a few days and provides authentic Thai Silk that’s hand woven to perfection. They can be contacted at 10 Sukhumvit 13 Alley, Khwaeng Khlong Toei Nuea, Khet Watthana, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon, Bangkok, Thailand +66 02 168 7389.

China World Fabric Outlet is where you’ll find an assortment of fabrics and an entire complex dedicated to Thai Silk and you can contact them at 677 Chakphet Road, Khwaeng Wang Burapha Phirom, Khet Phra Nakhon, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon, Bangkok, Thailand +66 02 226 3000. Exotic Thai is perfect for all Thai souvenirs of which the Thai Silk is the best! Given the quality of silk available here, prices are quite steep, rest assured you wouldn’t find Silk so fine on the streets of Bangkok. You can contact them at Siam Paragon, 991 Rama 1 Road, Pathumwan, Bangkok, Thailand +66 02 690 1000. Narai Phand is known for some of the best handicrafts that come from different villages and areas across Thailand. The Silk available here is handmade and hand-painted, each with a unique colour and design and you can find some of the best silk dresses, skirts, bags and scarfs here at 17-18 President Tower G Phloen Chit Rd, Lumphini, Pathum Wan, Bangkok, Thailand +66 02 656 0398.

A fabric company which has evolved from being a small shop in Bangkok to a multi-million dollar establishment, NaRaYa offers a wide range of unusual gifts to choose from. Its assortment of products, at reasonable prices and premium quality with a huge variety that’s worked on with new ideas, NaRaYa uses beautiful fabrics and creates unique items that are rarely found elsewhere. NaRaYa stores are at Central Ladprao mall, Central World Plaza, Asia Hotel, Baan Silom, Sukhumvit 24 (next to the Emporium mall) and in several other locations.

Fabric Handbags are NaRaYa’s specialty, most lined with plastic liners which can be cleaned easily. With over 50 designs in handbags, each handbag design’s available in over 100 different fabrics! Further, from small evening bags to huge shopping and diaper bags, NaRaYa has a variety of sizes as well. The price range is as cheap as $3 and as expensive as $14 approx. You will also find other products like wallets, photo frames, cosmetic bags, wine bottle covers, fabric toys, glass cases, tissue boxes, pencil cases, kitchen gloves, fabric baskets, aprons and more.

To recover from a long journey overseas, you might want to relax your body and mind with scented candles and essential oils. One of the best places to pick up spa products from and bring back something for yourself and your loved ones, Bangkok has a variety of herbal massage packs, foot soaks, body scrubs, carved soaps, soothing balms and more in the price range of $1 to $28. Some of the best spa products in Thailand come from a company called Jevah with its offerings of products made of organic and natural ingredients.

Jevah’s spa collection includes a range of three different aromatic products under the names, ‘Jasmine Spell’, ‘Rose Embrace’ and ‘Beach Bum’, each crafted with a unique fragrance, aimed at relaxing and rejuvenating the mind, body & soul ensemble with ingredients that are sourced locally and selected with careful consideration by expert alchemists. Jevah has a variety of hand creams, body lotions, massage oils, aroma oils and body scrubs at pocket-friendly prices and is available at select Boots stores.

Thailand is known to be the authentic place for Coconut oil and since it is considered one of the most useful sources for health and nutrition, coconut oil is found easily everywhere. With its increasing popularity in the recent years, Coconut oil is used not only in cooking but also as a natural beauty product that moisturizes the skin and prevents hair damage, it also acts as a sunscreen. This magical oil is commonly found everywhere in Bangkok and includes virgin coconut oil, coconut oil hair products and bath items in its list of popular products.

Aside from hotel gift shops, coconut oil products with high prices imply a premium quality of the oil. Look for English packaging to understand you’re picking cooking grade oil for one meant for external use.

Popular for its unique taste and an amazing balance of sweet, sour, bitter and salty flavours, Thai cuisine is easy to make at home. Bring in a taste of Thailand back home with some Thai Spices. The unique blend of spices and herbs used in the preparation of Thai dishes is what lends it a distinctive character. With nearly 20 varieties of herbs and spices, which form the basis of Thai cooking, most cooks don’t use food processors, micro-sieves or ovens or even measurement, but pure instinct in their style of cooking. Further, Thai cooking is very engaging, with expertise in not overwhelming the taste buds with ingredients but knowing what’s required in what quantity!

There are a number of places you can get genuine Thai Spices in Bangkok like the Chatuchak Market where you’ll get dried spices of a variety with cinnamon sticks, cinnamon powder, nutmegs, cloves, cumin powder, garlic powder, mustard seeds, onion powder, coriander, dried or ground ginger, lime powder, basil, thyme, star anise and more. Popular as Bangkok’s Little India, Pahurat, Phra Nakhon district, west of Chinatown is known for selling nearly everything from India, including an amazing range of food and spices. Spice Store, Siam Paragon, across Gourmet Market is a specialty spice shop with freshly ground as well as prepared spices, and whole spices. Big C, Foodland, Tops Supermarket is a hyper-mart which sells bottled spices at competitive prices.

With talent and skills that have evolved from generation to generation, the art of Thai Crafts has been a reflection of its people and their creativity for long now. The delicate detailing and careful processing indicate the innovation and perseverance in the way they design their goods. You will find an extensive variety of arts and crafts sourced from various parts of Thailand, everywhere from street vendors to luxury shopping malls.

Popularly known as Jatujak by the Thai, Chatuchak Market’s a weekend market in Bangkok with over 13,000 stalls and one of the best places to get Thai Handicrafts ranging from silk, handcrafted wooden furniture, traditional Thai apparel, wooden or paper lanterns, pottery items, leather, hand embroidered linen and more. The Doi Tung Development Project, set up by Her Royal Highness, the Princess Mother, now operates coffee shops all over Bangkok, which also retail an amazing selection of high-quality Thai handicrafts like rugs, handmade bags, lamps, curtains, silk apparel and more.

Another popular place to get your hands on Thai handicrafts is the Suan Lum Night Bazar which opens at 4 pm and closes at 11 pm, with a variety of hand-carved wood, tuk-tuk showpieces made of coke and beer cans, table linen, furnishings, Thai silk, silver jewelry, paper products, etc. The Silom Village with varied small shops is another lovely place to source Thai Handicrafts. With a wide range of Thai silk, traditional attire, Thai art, wooden handicrafts, precious gemstone jewelry and more, the prices at Silom village may be a bit steep comparatively, which still can be negotiated on.

Shopping for souvenirs is one of the most popular activities tourists engage in, when travelling and rightly so, for it forms an important part of retaining your travel to a beautiful destination far from home! Amongst other things you’d love shopping for, Gourmet shopping is one aspect of visiting Bangkok, you wouldn’t want to miss. Most frequent travellers to Bangkok know of the edible souvenirs available here that include tom yum goong pastes, rice cracker or dried mangoes, available in nearly all supermarkets and snack stores.

From a variety of Gourmet and Snacks available, here are a few you should definitely pick up – Dried Food using Thai like tropical fruits are rich in variety and taste good, available in different flavours; rice cookies are made in different flavours, unique to Thailand and deliciously addictive for their sweetness and texture; Thailand Black Tea, most commonly consumed as iced tea is quite popular among the Thai community; Mangosteen soap is made of Thai herbs and has a high level of whitening effect, quite popular in Thailand.

From the snacks category, you can choose from Kaii fried chicken, a crunchy snack, fragrant and crisp which is like indulging in deep-fried chicken wings, minus the meat or bones! The JP Crispy Pork is another popular snack which tastes more like crispy bacon and is available in 3 distinct flavours; The Garden Tea Lemongrass Pandan is made of organic ingredients and is light herbal tea, most commonly served in Spas and Massage Parlors; Crunchy Coconut Chips are sliced into strips from real coconuts, are really tasty and vegan friendly.

Bangkok has a lovely variety of premium quality Silver Jewelry at reasonable prices and makes for excellent gifts for back home. With prices from cheap at street market stalls to expensive at boutique galleries, there’s something for everyone in Bangkok. In a country full of gorgeous things, the jewelry in Bangkok is the core of Thailand’s fashion arena.

The Wang Lang Market boasts of a wide variety of pocket-friendly jewelry, much of which is handmade. You can haggle your way through during sales, so make the most of it! Then there’s Chinatown which is popular for Gold Jewelry in all kinds of forms, ranging from delicate rings to semi-precious stones or necklaces that come chic expensive! Rockme boutique retails unique & handmade jewelry which is rare, including dainty gold/silver rings, delicate colourful chains and gemstone pendants in different geometric designs. The Montra Café and Gallery is a trendy place with a gorgeous purple and gold exterior, filled with unique artifacts and jewelry, with the necklaces hugely popular here.

A collection of shops in the fashionable Thonglor neighbourhood has to offer a wide range of handmade jewelry designed both by Western as well as Thai artists at different prices with an extensive variety of other Thai souvenirs and keepsakes, which can be quite addictive.

When it comes to souvenirs, you can look at various knick-knacks which are equally unique and make for excellent gift choices for your loved ones. They include accessories, coin purses, small elephant designed products or key chains across all Souvenir Shops in Bangkok. Given the increase in prices in all areas of business, it is best to know where you can buy Thai trinkets at competitive prices.

An absolute must shop place, the weekend market in Chatuchak has all kinds of cheap Thai souvenirs which you can bargain on heavily, more so for bulk buys. This is where you should start your shopping spree from ideally! Another popular and cheapest place to shop at in Bangkok is the MBK mall which sells everyday products like apparel, cosmetics, shoes, accessories, jewelry, etc on its first few floors, with budgeted/cheap Thai souvenirs at the 7th floor with a huge Thai Handicrafts section. Here you’ll find scores of Thai silk items, wooden handicrafts, lacquer items, Buddha figurines, Thai paper lamps and eco-friendly souvenirs.

The Talad Lot Fair night market sells a wide variety of unique Thai antiques, kitsch from the 70’s and 80’s era, Thai T-shirts, and even old auto parts/radios.

Home to fine artistry and a rich cultural legacy, Thailand is a treasure trove for antique admirers around the world. With stringent government regulations and continuous efforts to prevent illegal trade of rare and genuine artifacts, finding genuine antiques is very difficult. However, Antiques now imply modern reproductions of genuine crafts! Only an expert with a keen eye for detail and ability can distinguish a genuine piece from a fake item and hence when buying antiques, it is wise to keep a lookout for any faults in the finishing or decorative aspect of a product, or peeling paint in the antique.

Many stores in Bangkok have a stock of authentic and modern-day reproductions available for interested buyers. And a universal choice is the Buddhist Art, which reflects characteristic styles of the ancient kingdom. River City Shopping Complex is one of the popular venues for antique shopping with most shops run by people who have in-depth expertise and genuine passion for their wares. Another place to explore your antique interests is the Silom Galleria.

There’s Old Siam Trading Company, 5th floor, Nailert Building (Between Sukhumvit Soi 3 and 5) which offers a large collection of collector’s items related to travel and regional exploration, including old stamps collections, Southeast Asian Dance Masks, illustrated newsprints from the 1840s’, etc. The Oriental Plaza is resplendent with Neoclassic architecture and houses several floors of galleries with exquisite collections of antiques in all shapes and sizes.

The shopping experience in Bangkok isn’t limited to a stroll in the mall or roaming around a market. Instead, it has evolved to a day/night activity that runs parallel encompassing the best from the West, with a unique cultural flavour of the East.