Like most families, I imagine shopping anywhere is an ordeal, but add in the heat, humidity, stifling traffic and crowds, shopping in Bangkok isn’t something most would consider if they were traveling with a family. However, my family will not miss the opportunity to make a bargain, and Bangkok is full of bargains.
Most shopping experiences in Bangkok begin as the sun sets and night markets spring up like long lines of mushrooms lining the already busy streets. Night markets are not what they used to be and in my opinion the infamous Patpong is best avoided if he is looking for a bargain. The products offered here are not worth submitting to the place! Many other street stalls will have the same things for a lower price and with much less hassle.
Night markets are not the only or the best places to shop in Bangkok. With so many different western style malls like Mbk, Gayshorn, World Trade Center etc, you can spend all day shopping in Bangkok and never have been outside except to travel from one place to another. Traveling to the different malls is my role in any shopping expedition our family undertakes. Transportation organizer is a role, I think, that is greatly underrated.
The BTS or Bangkok Skytrain has reasonable coverage of major shopping malls and many of the skytrain stations are connected to an adjacent shopping mall, making it easy to change. Unfortunately, not all of them are connected in this way and some kind of road trip may be necessary. If this is the case, don’t even consider the tuk-tuks on offer if you value your children’s lives! I’m not just kidding… I’ve traveled by tuk-tuk many times and had my kids with me and I’ve never had any scary experiences. I’d say try to avoid rush hour taxis or you’ll end up sitting in rush hour traffic, not really something you’d want to do on your vacation right? The local bus system is NOT for tourists, yes it is cheap, but it would take most of your vacation to understand how it all works.
If you get saturated with all the malls and night markets, you don’t have to stop shopping! Bangkok has thought of everything to help the intrepid shopper spend their money. The Chatuchak Weekend Market is the world’s largest open-air market with over 15,000 stalls. I haven’t counted them all, but I’m sure we’ve visited them all on separate visits. You can also leave Bangkok for a day of shopping on the canals of the famous Damnoen Saduak. This floating market takes place every day at sunrise, so you need to start your day very early, something that many people do not like to do when traveling with children.
With so much shopping to do in such a short amount of time, you need to be prepared even before you arrive in Bangkok. Get yourself a map of the city and mark all the shopping destinations you want to visit and know what you want to buy. Work out a route between these and decide which mode of transportation would be best. Plan where you want to be at what time of day you’ll avoid rush hour traffic and the midday heat. In short, plan your shopping trip like a military operation; Bangkok is not for the faint-hearted and its shops are not for browsing!
One last thing to mention about shopping in Bangkok is the art of when and how to haggle. Don’t be embarrassed and try this at any of the major shopping malls, tourist discount cards or VAT refunds are often available at these stores. Haggling is best left for the market stalls, in fact it’s the most anticipated and vendors may not be so happy if you don’t join in the fun. Keep a smile on your face, be courteous, and have a little fun with the stall owner, but if at any point you’re not happy with the procedure, move on, don’t start arguing with the stall owner. Remember that the first price you get will be overly inflated and it’s up to you to get the best price by haggling.
