Retail therapy on the streets of Bangkok
By Yong Sze Mun
The first word that pops out in the minds of everyone when “Thailand” is mentioned is “shopping” and “food”!
So, what can you get in Thailand which is cheap and good? Stuff you buy off the streets, of course. The clothes sold here in Thailand are quite fashionable and there are so many things to buy ranging from shoes to clothes to accessories to cushions to display items, and the list can go on and on.
I think you can really shop till you drop if you have lots of cash… or until you are broke, as is likely the case. If you are not careful you might not even be able to pay for the airport tax to get home. So make sure you have at the least 600 baths and above left to get to the airport and pay for the tax.
Well, for now, the cheapest pair of ‘happy pants’ I have seen so far is 90 baths, whereas the prices of skirts vary according to material. The cheapest bikini you can get is about 199 baths. A normal sized samurai sword will set you back about 1500 baths and the cheapest rubber slippers is 45 baths. Lastly, the most economical pair or earrings I have nabbed are 19 baths whereas necklaces are going at 100 baths for two.
I noticed that the prices of stuff quoted in Khao San Road are around the prices of things you can get in Malaysia. In other words, it is a little bit on the expensive side. Perhaps this is because it is a tourist area. As an alternative, I suggest everyone wait for the weekend to shop at a market called Jatujak. Shopping advice: Buy things in bulk, and you might be able to get your haggled price through… so long as it is reasonable, of course.
I also noticed that some things you can find and want to buy from Jatujak might not be as cheap as hoped. I remember things used to be cheaper when I came to Bangkok a few years ago. The only reason I can think of is because the ‘Farangs’ (foreigners) have been hood-winked into paying more and the shopkeepers have reacted wisely to this opportunity to increase their profits, thus lessening our chances of getting ourselves a good bargain.
Having said that, some of the items in Khao San Road is actually more fashionable than the ones in Jatujak. I think each place has its own individuality. With our very own queen of shopping, Kwan Suet Yeing with me, I was fortunate to buy most of the things at quite reasonable prices.
All in all, I have really shopped till I practically dropped in Jatujak… a record seven hours straight; walking up and down Khao San Road numerous times. My purse is officially empty and I am now broke all because of shopping!
Yong Sze Mun! Wth happened to your english after you went bangkok? U spelled bahts as baths -.-” You earrings are worth 19 ‘baths’?! Cool! =p
Comment by Annonymous =p — July 11, 2005 @ 9:58 am
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