SHOPPING

  • Chatachuck Weekend Market.   This is a must stop if you are in town for the weekend.     Most stores open by 9 am on Saturday & Sunday.  Most prices are fixed, but I can occasionally find vendors that will bargain a little (except on clothes).  If you buy a lot, a taxi will take about 45 minutes to 1 hour to get back to the apartment (cost will be about B100-135). BTS (Skytrain)  -- Mo Chit The market is visible from the platform.    MRT (Subway) Chatuchak Park OR Kamphaeng Phet Stations
  • Prattunam (Indra) Market:  This is a great place to shop for clothes.  It is located near the Indra Hotel so simply tell the taxi - Indra Hotel or Prattunam.  There are hundreds of shops in the alleys, under the buildings and out on the sidewalks.  Prices are generally fixed but very low.
  • Pantip Computer Center:   This is located on Petchaburi Road about 2-3 blocks from Prattunam.  It is a 5-6 story complex that sells computer & computer related items.  It is popular for foreigners because you can buy virtually any computer software (B120 a disc) VCD movies (about B100 a movie) and DVD's (Asian region - B180). 
  • Boabae:  This is a clothing wholesale market.  It is located in the Boabae Hotel and it consists of hundreds of small stores on about 7 floors of the building.  Most of the outlets sell in increments of 6 or 10 for a really good price.  Almost all will sell a single item at a much increased price.  For example you can buy 6 shirts (not necessarily identical) for 65 each, but if you only want one it will be B95 or B100!  There is a street market in the parking lot, but it is only open from midnight to 6 am!
  • MBK:  This shopping area is called Marbakron.  Take the BTS to the National Stadium (train change at Siam, then one stop to the end of the line).  You walk into a department store in  MBK from the skytrain platform.  Go through the store to the left and you will enter into the heart of  MBK.  One floor (about the 3rd or 4th) is almost all cellular phones.  The next floor up has lots of clothing, stuffed animals and other goodies at the extreme southern end.  There is a great Thai food court on the 5th or 6th level.  There is a movie theatre complex on the level above the food court.  Movies are about B100 and you can get huge deluxe seats for about B200. (Even the cheap seats are great).  On the movie level there is KFC, McDonalds, etc.
  • Chinatown:  There is one alley in Chinatown that is a great place to buy cheap gifts to take home (pasalubongs).  Generally everything is sold in wholesale lots from 6 to 12 pcs for a fixed price.  I seldom find anyone here that will bargain, but the more you buy, the better the price gets.  It is very hard to determine which stores will sell retail (one item only) so you just have to ask.
  • Lotus/TESCO:  This is like a Wallmart.  The easiest one to find is at BTS Station ON NUT which is the last stop at the eastern end of the skytrain.  There is another one on Rama IV just a short taxi ride from the apartment.
  • Carefore:  Also like Wallmart with a French influence.    Closest one is on Rama IV across the street from the Lotus.   Great prepared curries, fried rice, and noodles near the meats in the grocery section.  Taxi stand is in the parking garage on the main floor. Also good one at MRT Thailand Cultural Center.
  • Emporium:  Great department store. Two good book stores, CD store, movie theatre, home supplies, grocery store, food court and more.  Doesn't open until 10:30 am.  One station east of Asoke platform at BTS Station Phrom Phong. 
  • Central Department Store:  Two stations west of Nana is a stop that has a walkway directly into Central Department Store.  Good selection of hardware, electronics, and home items at department store prices. BTS STATION Chit Lom
  • Home Depot:  Small one at BTS Phloen Chit station west of  Nana Station.  Big Home Pro is located in same building as Carefore at MRT Thailand Cultural Center.  Good selection of hardware & household supplies.  Slightly expensive and frequently OUT OF STOCK.  Deliveries require hours of paperwork!
  • VENUS Jewlery:  Dis be da place for gold!  Get the card from the business card holder and give them a call.  They will send a car for you for free and also take you home - no purchase required.  They are the only jewelry store in Thailand supplying the AAFES catalog sales.  There stuff is absolutely good quality and guaranteed.  I prefer to do business with Apple.  Just tell her JC sent you.   (Note: Venus deals in limited styles.  If you want something exotic in gold necklaces, earrings, bracelets, etc just check one of the BIG gold shops in the main street in Chinatown.  If you want something custom made like a ring or pendant, then Venus is the place.  It will take 4-7 days for custom stuff.)   Want a nice walk?  From our apartment you can see a walk-way over the klong (canal).  Unfortunately, you have to walk out to Sukhumvit and then over to Soi 10 to get on the walk-way.  But then it is a nice walk to Lumpini park.  At Lumpini park you need to cross back over the street at the elevated crosswalk about 300 feet south of the walkway.  Just 150 feet south of the crosswalk is Venus jewelry. Close to MRT Lumphini Station
  • Patpong Night Market:  On the street between the bars there is a pretty good night market with tourist trinkets from VCD's to t-shirts.  Sometimes on Sunday night they close Silom road and that entire road fills up with vendors.  That makes Sunday night a great time to go to Prik Kee Nu for dinner and then stroll around the street vendors.
  • Sun Lum Night Market:  This is on the corner of Rama IV & Wireless Road just down from Venus & the American Embassy.  There are about 100 semi-permanent vendors here and not many bargains that I saw.  The food court looked like a great place to experiment with unknown Thai dishes. MRT Lumphini Station