SO/ BANGKOK - Luxury hotel - Best Shopping Places in Bangkok

Shopping in Bangkok has only one rule: Shop till you drop! From eclectic multi-level Bangkok shopping malls to traditional Thai night markets and street stalls, you’ll find everything here from the latest fashions to books and high end accessories. Trying to decide where to shop in Bangkok for souvenirs and gifts to take home? Popular finds include Thai silk products, Thai spices, Thai coconut oil products, Thai handicrafts, Thai snacks, Thai silver jewelry, Thai trinkets and other goodies that you simply must buy in Bangkok and SO/ Bangkok will help you find them.
 
The City of Angels is chock-a-block with markets and mega-malls, from the Siam Square Bangkok to the equally humungous Chatuchak Weekend Market, so here is our quick list of some of the best choices on where to shop in Bangkok.
 

Siam Square Bangkok

Siam Square Bangkok is considered the heart of the shopping district, with some of the largest Bangkok shopping malls all directly linked to the Sky Train’s Siam Station. An elevated walkway connects you to many shopping options, including Siam Center, Siam Paragon and CentralWorld, with an open-air boulevard making it possible to go shopping in Bangkok among hundreds of fashion boutiques, market stalls, and trendy cafés.
 

 
Siam Center Bangkok is the trendy side of Siam Square Bangkok, with its fashion malls attracting mobs of young and fashion-conscious shoppers. Dozens of boutiques by up-and-coming and renowned Thai designers, along with international fashion brands can be found here. Half the fun is just exploring – Siam’s decorators have obvious fun convincing you where to shop in Bangkok, creating branches that emerge from canvases and trees made from blonde wooden blocks, while making ample use of LEDs, TV screens, and stairways that light up in series of bright colors screaming “must buy in Bangkok”!

 
Siam Paragon is the go-to place at Siam Square Bangkok for well-heeled Thais and international visitors with cash to burn. This glass-and-steel luxury mega-mall has over 250 shops, one of Southeast Asia’s largest aquariums, a 16-screen cineplex, and plenty of gourmet cafés and restaurants. Looking for that perfect Ferrari in just the right color? You’ll find it at Siam Paragon.
 

 
CentralWorld has pretty much everything that you simply must buy in Bangkok, from brand-name clothing to funky fashion, a 15-screen SF World Cinema, high-tech gadgets, bookshops and designer furniture, imported groceries, over 100 restaurants and cafés, even an ice skating rink. It offers a well-rounded collection of shops and entertainment centers that attract aficionados of the modern lifestyle. The mall is always buzzing with life, so it’s where to shop in Bangkok if you want to catch a free live event or concert on special occasions and holidays.
 
You can get to Siam Square Bangkok from SO/ Bangkok by taking Sky Train from Sala Daeng station to Siam Station, about 27 min. You can also get to Siam Square Bangkok on the MRT subway, just take the BlueLine from Lumphini Sam Yan Station, figure on 34 min.
 

MBK Center

If value for money is your watchword of the day then the MBK Center is the Bangkok shopping mall for you. It’s not as glitzy as the Siam Paragon, but it’s an excellent place to treat yourself to a leather hand bag, or a new phone, with its very reasonable prices. Electronics are on the 4th floor, so head there for that new phone. In between shopping blitzes you can relax with a bite to eat in the food court on the 6th floor, then continue perusing the rest of this 8 level shoppers’ paradise. If you’re shopping in Bangkok on the weekend, MBK Center can be a busy place as the locals descend by the thousands in search of bargains, so it may be best to visit during the week if you want to avoid the biggest crowds.
 

 
The fastest way to get to MBK from SO/ Bangkok is by public bus #47 – 15 minutes. Or, using BTS, exit the Bangkok Skytrain at the National Stadium Station. Take exit 4 and then follow the Skywalk to the MBK Center.

Platinum Mall Bangkok

The Platinum Fashion Mall is a five billion baht Bangkok shopping mall in Pratunam which specializes in retail and wholesale fashion clothes and accessories. It’s a six-story complex with an 11-story condominium building above the complex.

 
Platinum Mall is like an indoor version of Chatuchak Weekend Market, the place to go shopping in Bangkok for wholesale fashion clothing and accessories among its 4 floors of shopping space, packed with around 1,300 shops. Here, haggling is part of the fun, and you’ll save even more by buying in larger quantities. The simple rule to saving your baht is to buy 3 pieces or more at the same shop. The price should end up about 10-30% lower per piece, and some shops will allow you to mix different types of items, for example, purses and bags, shirts and trousers.
 

Platinum Mall comes complete with a large food court as well as cafés and fast-food chains, making it a one-stop Bangkok shopping mall for reasonably-priced clothes and accessories.

Platinum Fashion Mall is a 10-minute walk from either Ratchathewi or Chidlom BTS Stations. Or, you can get to Platinum Mall on the MRT BlueLine from Lumphini to Sukhumvit Station, and then hopping on bus 511 at Soi 12 to Pantip Pratunam, which takes about 35 minutes. There’s also a direct bus departing from opposite Sono Lumphini and arriving at CentralWorld. It departs every 30 minutes and operates every day. The journey takes approximately 17 minutes. Alternatively, the quickest way to get from SO/ Bangkok to Platinum Fashion Mall is by taxi which costs ฿80 – ฿95 and takes about 4 min.
 

Union Mall

Union Mall is a hidden gem for budget shopping in Bangkok on the north side of the city, just one BTS station away from Chatuchak Weekend Market. It’s where to shop in Bangkok if you like shopping in a less crowed environment.
 

 
Among this Bangkok shopping mall’s 1,000 retail shops, there are many boutique stores selling unique and trendy apparel by young local designers that you must buy in Bangkok because you won’t find them anywhere else. Most of the fashion shops cater to young women, with a myriad of stalls and boutiques selling locally designed clothes, leather goods, shoes, suits, bridal dresses, cargo pants, and print shirts. Level 5 is the beauty zone, so be sure to stop and pamper yourself with a mani-pedi.
 
Get to Union Mall from the MRT Lumphini station, Platform 2, on the BlueLine to Phahon Yothin Station, and then take Exit 5. Including 9 minutes of walking, it’s 37 min. Or, via BTS go from the Sala Daeng Station to Ha Yaek Let Phrao, then walk 9 min. to Union Mall. 55 minutes from SO/ Bangkok.
 

Chatuchak Weekend Market

Are you in the market for vintage sneakers? Maybe a baby squirrel? If so, you must buy in Bangkok at
Chatuchak Weekend Market, it’s where to shop in Bangkok for everything from hip-hop and skate fashions to spices and antiques. In the same location since 1942, Chatuchak is one of the largest open-air markets in the world, uniting seemingly everything buyable under the sun. Plan to spend a full day here, as there’s plenty to see, do and buy.
 

 
Schematic maps and toilets are located throughout the market. Once you’re deep in the bowels of Chatuchak, it will seem like there is no order and no escape, but the market is arranged into relatively coherent sections. Useful tip: use the clock tower as a landmark.
 

From the MRT Lumphini Station, Platform 2, take the BlueLine to Phahon Yothin MRT Station and then take Exit 5 and walk 9 minutes for a 1-way trip of 37 min. Or, you can take the BTS Sky Train from Sala Daeng Station to Ha Yaek Let Phrao Station, then walk 9 minutes to Union Mall. 55 min.
 

Victory Monument Market

Victory Monument is where to shop in Bangkok to experience the city at its classic Thai-ness, bustling with life throughout its big shopping malls, outdoor markets, restaurants and pubs. Victory Monument is a major transportation hub so it’s easy to get from one tourist attraction to the next here, and do a little shopping in Bangkok along the way.
 

 
The best time to shop here is from afternoon onwards to avoid the hottest part of the day. Victory Monument is a good choice for budget shopping in Bangkok because of the wide array of options – in malls, street markets and small shops along the small sois. Victory Point and Ratchathewi Soi 3 to 9 are good places to find some of the best bargains.
 

Fashion clothing, bags, belts, shoes, costume jewelry, mobile phone accessories, and food & drink are some of the ‘must buy in Bangkok’ items commonly found at Victory Monument.
 
From SO/ Bangkok Victory Monument can be reached via MRT/BTS: first on the MRT BlueLine, Lumphini Station to Tao Poon, then walk 3 minutes to BTS Asok, transfer to the Sukhmvit Line and take it to Victory Monument, another walk of 2 minutes will get you to the market area, 35 minutes in total.