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SHOPPING MainlandThailand
BEING ONE OF THE MAIN HUBS FOR TRAVEL IN SOUTHEAST ASIA, BANGkOk LOCATED IN THAILAND IS A POPULAR STOPOVER FOR A FEW DAYS. AS WELL AS RECLINING BUDDHA’S AND THE GRAND PALACE, IT’S ALSO HOME TO SOME OF THE WORLD’S BEST SHOPPING ExPERIENCES. HERE’S HOW TO MAkE THE MOST OF YOUR STOPOVER IN BANGkOk.
More Bangkok for
Try to head out early each day to make the most of your time. Order your breakfast using room service facilities or head to the food court at the Emporium. With heaps of choices, this is a more upscale affair than other mall food court options – and you need to fill your stomach because your shopping adventure starts here.
East meets West on Khao San Road, which gets going at around 10am. This
is the place to snap up all the cheap sundresses and hair braids you can get
your hands on. Chatuchak Market is a sprawling weekend alternative with some of the best street food in Bangkok at the end of the Skytrain line. If you want to travel
further, try a half-day unique shopping experience at the Damnoen Saduak Floating Market home to colourfully
clad merchants who paddle along canals
in sturdy canoes laden with fresh fruit and vegetables to sell to shoppers on the banks. This buzzing market is at its best in the early morning before the crowds arrive and the heat of the day builds up. The tour further includes a visit to Phra Pathom Chedi in Nakorn Pathom, supposedly the largest pagoda in Southeast Asia.
For vintage wares, you’ll find all the retro glam you desire at Siam Vintage. You’ll find slightly more accessories than clothing here, not a big deal given that the rest of
Siam Square, the hub of all things cool is filled with the latest boutiques, high-end brands and independent traders so there’s shopping to suit all budgets and tastes.
You may need to set aside an entire day for the MBK – arguably Bangkok’s most famous shopping mall. With thousands of different shops, food outlets and even cinemas, you’ll find anything you could ever need – and many at bargain prices. Just like the markets, prices at MBK are negotiable, so put your bartering skills to good use in air-conditioned comfort.
For the real shopaholics, the fun needn’t stop when the sun goes down. Bangkok’s night markets are a flurry of amazing
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PhOTO: kushch Dmitry / Shutterstock.com