Averages Costs In Thailand

Posted on June 25, 2014 by koomatzu

How much does an average holiday cost in Thailand? Food, drink and shopping is all very cheap in Thailand so you don’t need to worry about breaking the bank while enjoying your travels…

You tend to get much better value for money in mainland cities such as Chiang Mai, Kanchanaburi or Bangkok, than you do at beach resorts. The Thai islands are particularly expensive – I’ve found that, although you may pay double the price for a restaurant meal on an island as you do on the mainland, the food is usually not so good quality either. Anyway:

How much does food cost in Thailand?

If eating locally at the street stalls, you can buy a meal from just 25 baht – that’s well under $1 or 50p. If you are travelling on a budget, or just want to sample some authentic, local Thai food, then street food is a must.

However, if you’re staying in tourist areas and eating near popular sightseeing attractions, expect costs to be a little higher (but still super cheap!). A standard meal in a restaurant in Thailand will cost between 100 baht and 350 baht on average – this works out to about $3 to $10.

As a general rule of thumb, usually, if you’re spending 250 baht or more for a meal, it should be a pretty nice place. When on holiday, eating out at the nicer establishments is very affordable and easily within the average person’s budget.

How much does a beer cost in Thailand?

At a cheap and casual bar, beers can cost from 60 baht (£1.50 or $2.50) for a large bottle of Tiger, Chang or Singha beer. A drink at one of the western style pubs in the city will cost up to 250 for a pint of Guiness or a bottle of cider like Magners. Cocktails tend to start from around 150 or 200 baht. Cheaper clubs and bars may sell cocktail buckets for around 300 baht.

How much does a T-shirt cost in Thailand?

You can get some really cheap clothing and shoes in the markets of Thailand. T-shirts typically cost around 200 baht, flip flops from 40 baht, women’s denim shorts from 80 baht and sarongs for around 100 baht.

How much does an average hotel cost in Thailand?

There are some nice, modern and clean hostels in Thailand available from 200 baht a night in most areas. In Bangkok, Khaosan Road is home to many of the more cheaper, backpacker hotels. While you’re staying in a country with such a low cost of living though, you might want to make the most of it and upgrade to a more luxurious hotel. From only 1500 baht ($45) per room, you can find some amazing hotels. For a guide on where to stay and the top hotels for different budgets, check my Bangkok guide here.

To avoid getting ripped off by greedy stallholders, I recommend checking my shopping price guide and street food guide for more prices before you go. You might also want to check out a more detailed account of the costs of living in Thailand here.

Top 5 Markets In Bangkok

Posted on May 10, 2014 by koomatzu

One of the most popular reasons that people come to Bangkok, is for the shopping! Bangkok has some amazing markets, famous for their variety of Street food, cheap knockoffs and pretty ethnic souvenirs.

My best markets in Bangkok offer a great variety of shopping and different atmospheres. If you only have limited time in Bangkok, check out my list:

Best Markets In Bangkok

1: Chatuchak Weekend Market – Bangkok’s Biggest Outdoor Market

Chatuchak Market is by far Bangkok’s most popular market with both tourists and locals – the huge crowds you’ll find flocking to the market on weekends is the perfect proof of it’s greatness as the best market in Bangkok! The market is huge and offers something for everybody: from puppy dog pets and authentic Thai furniture, to the newest Asian trends and bohemian clothes.

The market is made up of both indoor and outdoor sections and it’s easy to get lost for hours within the labyrinth of street stalls – not a popular market with expat men in Bangkok! Despite its popularity with tourists though, the market still manages to keep fair and cheap prices, making it a great place to pick up some fantastic bargains. Be warned though, this crowded, sun-trapped market gets super hot!

2 Asiatique – Riverfront Shopping Village

Reachable via free shuttle boat along the Chao Phraya River, Asiatique is a lovely riverfront market to enjoy an evening of fine dining, boutique shopping and cabaret entertainment. Designed in a modern shopping village layout, this beautiful Bangkok market is strewn with quirky decorations, fairy lights and unique little shops selling handmade jewellery and cheap clothing. You can also enjoy a Ferris wheel ride which gives you a great opportunity to see the Chao Phraya river and the rest of Bangkok city from above.

3 Talad Rod Fai – Vintage ‘Train Market’

Talad Rod Fai is one of Bangkok’s lesser-known markets, mainly popular with young Thais and hipsters of Bangkok. The market has a prominent vintage theme throughout with a nice dose of camper van boot bars and old skool Beetle cocktail hangouts. Shopping is cheap at Talad Rod Fai, however the market also makes a great simple hangout without having to buy anything at all.

Merely enjoying the music at one of the bars, or taking in the antique sights is entertainment enough. This is by far one of Bangkok’s best, most interesting and laid-back markets to check out.

4 Khlong Lat Mayom – Weekend Floating Market

In my opinion, Khlong Lat Mayom is the best market to visit in Bangkok if you are looking to sample all the local delicacies and treats of Thailand. One of the quieter floating markets located on the outskirts of Bangkok, Khlong Lat Mayom offers peaceful boat rides along the canal, charming little trinket shops and, best of all, an abundance of fresh seafood and authentic Thai dishes.

This floating market has a much more subdued and mellow atmosphere compared to other ones, and because of its lack of tourist visitors, items tends to be price tagged and more fairly priced. You can buy anything here from embroidered cushions and handmade crafts, to girly accessories and cheap clothing.

5 On Nut Night Market – Bangkok Beer Garden

One of Bangkok’s smaller night markets, On Nut Market makes for a much more relaxed shopping experience. It even has a little beer garden area where you can enjoy a beer and some cheap food while listening to one of the Thai cover bands. By Bangkok standards, there aren’t many stalls in the market overall, however there is still a great selection of super cheap T-shirts, accessories and knockoff items.

If you’d rather shop at a more quiet market in Bangkok, On-Nut is the best market for you – there is a great choice of food to snack on as well, Thai and international alike!

Where’s your best market in Bangkok? Share your thoughts and drop us a line.

Baiyoke Tower Shopping Bangkok

Posted on December 24, 2013 by koomatzu

Bangkok shopping budget: $$-$$$

Average clothes prices: 200 – 450 baht

Baiyoke Tower, the tallest building in Bangkok, consists of a rooftop bar, a hotel, a multitude of buffet sky restaurants, and a shopping mall on the lower floors.

Shopping at Baiyoke Tower Mall

The mall at Baiyoke Tower is mainly for wholesale shopping, however you can still buy single items from the mall at a slightly higher price. The first two or three floors on entry to the mall are nothing special. Full of cheap wholesale shirts, commonplace t-shirts, hippy dresses and tourist souvenirs, everything you’ll find for sale there can easily be found at all the other big malls and markets of Bangkok for the same sort of price.

But! Despite these boring couple of floors on first glance, don’t give up on shopping at Baiyoke Tower Mall. If you like different and unconventional clothing, or alternative and indie styles, there are still a lot of good shops hidden among the other floors of Baiyoke Tower Mall. Make sure you check out the 4th level and the lower ground floor levels B1 and B2.

These levels have some great shops selling cool t-shirt prints with graffiti patterns, cult images and nerdy parodies; retro style 50’s swing dresses with DC comic prints; colourful, hand made bikinis, Catkinis; gothic tops and band hoodies; and other awesome streetwear clothing.

Shopping for Men in Bangkok

Baiyoke Tower mall is especially useful for men’s shopping as it has so many cool selections of shorts and t-shirts compared to other malls in Bangkok. On the 4th floor, Minute Mirth seems to be a particularly popular wholesale shop in Bangkok for it’s men’s tattoo print shorts and streetwear t-shirts. Melting Pot Design, also on the 4th floor, sells some particularly creative and funny t-shirts.

How to get to Baiyoke Tower in Bangkok

You can take the airport city line to get to Baiyoke Tower. If you’re not staying near any of the airport link stations, you can take the BTS Skytrain to Phayathai station, and then change to the airport link there. You need to then get the city line train to Ratchaprarop station.

Once at Ratchaprarop, you should be able to see Baiyoke Tower from the station. Cross over the railway tracks and walk along the main road for a minute or so. Baiyoke Tower is down the next main road on your right. If taking a taxi, most taxi drivers will recognise ‘Baiyoke Tower’.

Chatuchak Weekend Market Bangkok

Posted on November 24, 2013 by koomatzu

Bangkok Shopping Budget: $

Average clothes prices: 200 baht

Standing proudly as the most famous of all Bangkok’s shopping markets and shopping centres, Chatuchak Weekend Market’s huge maze of stalls and shops will surprise even the most seasoned shopper with it’s huge size (man, if I had 100 baht for every time I’ve gotten lost and stranded in the clutches of Chatuchak market…). Being strictly only a horticulture market during the weekdays, Chatuchak market is only properly open as normal on the weekends.

So, what with Chatuchak market’s huge popularity with both local Thais and tourists from all over the world, I’m sure you can imagine just exactly how crowded it gets during this small window of shopping opportunity on the weekend. This is a slight drawback of Chatuchak; the market complex seems to just suck up all the tropical Bangkok heat like a giant sun trap and get’s super crammed full of shoppers jamming up the paths while taking selfies on their iPhones. Not a good combination if you have a distaste for overcrowded labyrinths of trinket shops.

Shopping at Chatuchak Weekend Market

But, and it’s a big but, despite these frustrations of Chatuchak, the weekend market does sell some really cool stuff with decent prices. The atmosphere is nice and friendly, with genuine sellers that don’t pressure you or charge ‘foreigner prices’; many of the shops actually have written, set prices, unlike other Bangkok markets where you may be expected to haggle or pay whatever the seller feels like charging you at the time.

The market complex consists of a large outdoor section, set out in a kind of ring shape. This outdoor section is surrounded by a maze of sheltered indoor shops which eventually lead outside of Chatuchak market. On the outskirts of the market and within the outdoor central part, you can find some cool bars and food stalls to sit and chill out away from the crowded main street.

What to buy at Chatuchak Weekend Market

Chatuchak is a pretty good all rounder market – you can buy anything from home furnishings to knockoff sunglasses; handmade silver jewellery to colourful, bohemian accessories; and second hand, retro clothing to cute, likkle puppy dogs (yes, real puppy dogs). Everything is conveniently organised into sections to make it easy to find what you’re looking for but, if you do get lost at Chatuchak, you could easily miss a whole section of goods.

Clothes for sale at Chatuchak weekend market include a large amount of second hand items, Levi jeans, used sneakers & converse, bohemian dresses, indie design clothing, street-style caps, knock off brands (Hollister & SuperDry), sunglasses (fake RayBans) and the latest Thai fashions.

Prices at the Chatuchak Weekend Market range from 20 baht for a cheap pair of earrings, to 500 baht for an intricate, hand made pair of earrings; or 150 baht for a simple top or t-shirt, to 400 baht for a unique design dress. There are some really cool clothes designs and cute accessories for sale; men have a pretty decent selection of printed T-shirts to choose from too (not the tacky Chang beer style T-shirts you might find in other markets either).

How to get to Chatuchak Weekend Market

Both the MRT and BTS lines run directly to the market at Chatuchak: Take the BTS to the terminus station, Mo Chit, or take the MRT to Chatuchak station. The stations are absolutely crammed full of people making their way to the market on the weekends, so it’s easy to just follow the crowd of people there. However, the stations are clearly signposted for the market as well.

Once you exit either station, you’ll notice people walking into Chatuchak park – walk on into the park and follow the pathway to the left hand side until you exit again through the opposite gate. Cross the road from the park and you’ll find Chatuchak market directly in front of you – just find one of the shop arcades to enter.

*I hate to nag, but beware of pickpockets when shopping at Chatuchak – pickpockets have been known to slash open bags from behind shopper’s backs.

Asiatique Riverfront Market Bangkok

Posted on October 30, 2013 by koomatzu

Bangkok shopping budget: $$

Average clothes prices: 100 – 300 baht

Asiatique is a charming riverside market in Bangkok, very similar in layout to the designer shopping villages found across Europe. With it’s wide range of entertainment, bars, restaurants and unique boutique shops, Asiatique attracts a mixture of both local Bangkok Thais and tourists from all over the world.

Not only do the shopping arcades of Asiatique provide a romantic setting of quirky decorations and creative shop exteriors, but the riverside market also offers Thai cabaret shows and deluxe ferris wheel rides for 250 baht a go. As for the food at Asiatique, there is a huge choice of ice cream parlours plus pizzerias, kebab vans, chicken spit roasts, French gourmet and Japanese restaurants to choose from.

When it comes to the shops of Asiatique, the shopping experience is rather similar to that of Bangkok’s famous Chatuchak Weekend Market – plenty of cool, indie clothes and accessory shops; cute hand made jewellery boutiques; and numerous textile and souvenir shops. The only difference between the two markets really, is that Asiatique is considerably smaller than Chatuchak and therefore less frustrating. On top of this, the charming style and pretty lights also add to Asiatique’s more chilled out ambience.

Asiatique Market is conveniently divided into different sections: the first section closest to the Bangkok riverside is dedicated more to unique boutiques and fashionable clothing. Here, you can find cool dresses, casual tops, funky fedora hats, punky caps and cute, handmade jewellery. You can pick up a unique pair of elegant, hand made earrings from 95 baht; a pair of denim shorts for 99 baht; or a cool, printed men’s t-shirt from 150 baht a piece.

The other half of the shops at Asiatique, nearest the roadside of the shopping village, cater mainly to tourists. Shops in this section tend to sell a repetition of bohemian style clothing, ethnic jewellery, colourful bangles, soft furnishings and Thai trinkets.

There are a particularly high number of pashmina shops which sell beautiful scarves and wallhangings in this area. The only drawback with these, is that the salesmen are unpleasantly over-keen and, although the pashminas are high quality, the prices aren’t so cheap. Pashminas will typically sell for around 400 baht while wall hangings will cost from 1200 baht for an elaborately embroidered small size.

Do make sure not to accept the first price offered in these shops though, as the salesmen working in this chain of stalls tend to start at an extremely high amount – expect to haggle the price down a lot. They’re very greedy! You can’t really innocently have a nose and window shop at these stalls either – they’ll pounce on you as soon as you stop to take a sneaky peek. Shame, I do love to have a nose at pretty things…

Anyway, this roadside section is highly useful for souvenir shopping or buying home furnishings – there are some lovely ornaments, lights and soft furnishings kicking around. In this part, expect to pay from 20 baht for the cheapest pair of earrings, 150 baht for a standard scarf and from 60 baht for some of the wooden bangles. There is also a decent range of better quality, ethnic jewellery at a higher price too if you prefer – around 400 baht for a hand made leather and charm necklace, for example.

How to get to Asiatique Riverfront

Asiatique is open from 6pm until midnight, 7 days a week. The weekend gets super busy at Asiatique, however week nights at the riverside market are pretty quiet. The easiest way to get to Asiatique Bangkok is to take the free shuttle boat; this leaves from Sathorn Central Pier which also happens to be attached to the Saphan Taksin BTS station.

So, you can either take the BTS to Saphan Taksin or, if you’re staying near the Chao Phraya river in Bangkok, you can catch a ferry to the central pier. The pier is very clearly signposted for the free shuttle boat – it runs from 6pm until 12pm.

Talad Rod Fai Train Market Bangkok

Posted on October 25, 2013 by koomatzu

Bangkok shopping budget: $

Average clothes prices: 100 baht

Recently relocated after it’s abrupt and saddening closure at the old Chatuchak railway grounds, the new Rod Fai Train Market has now officially reopened in a new area of Bangkok – Seacon Square.

The Rod Fai train market has always been especially popular in Bangkok for it’s chilled out atmosphere, good music and unique vintage displays. Off the beaten track for tourists and primarily catered towards a young, Thai hipster hangout, Rod Fai Train Market offers a shopping experience with great nightlife and quirky finishing touches that make it stand out from the rest of the standard Bangkok markets.

The New Talad Rod Fai

Walking down Srinagarindra 51 road, you’ll notice a rustic looking alley marked by train station-style benches at it’s front. The pathway has a number of small, old fashioned-style bars and interesting burger joints along the way, all of which come alive with live music during the later hours of the evening.

Past here, you’ll come across a large, stall section of the train market, jam packed with numerous clothes stalls, toy shops, street food snacks, ice cream parlours and small restaurants. This section is mostly under cover and has hundreds of small shops selling some of the cheapest goods in Bangkok.

Once you’ve passed this area, you’ll notice what looks like an open parking lot full of street food stalls and vans. Behind this area is perhaps the most interesting and charming section of the whole market: this outdoor, fairy-lit section is huge, crammed with busy market stalls, quirky bars serving drinks from the trunks of vintage cars, and eccentric antique shops that line the back and sides of the market.

Shopping at Talad Rod Fai

One thing you won’t find at Talad Rod Fai Train Market, is tacky tourist clothing – this is what defines shopping at Talad Rod Fai from some of the other popular markets of Bangkok. The styles here cater more for the younger, Thai teen and hipster fashions such as oversized, casual shirts; colourful, wide brim hats; second hand vintage clothing; pre-owned converse and other sneakers; and popular anime and Thai cartoon memorabilia.

Talad Rod Fai is possibly the cheapest, non-wholesale market that I have come across in Bangkok so far. Some of the items for sale offer great value such as earrings from 10 baht a pair, cute tops from 35 baht, hats from 39 baht, denim shorts from 49 baht, scarves from 79 baht and bras from 100 baht each.

Nightlife at Talad Rod Fai

My favourite thing about Rod Rai Train Market is that, despite the huge amount of shops and stalls, it is great for simply hanging out at the cool bars without shopping at all. As a whole, Talad Rod Fai has a nice, easy going atmosphere with plenty of little restaurants, bars, ice cream shops and Thai snacks to nibble on along the way.

In addition to this, the random vintage cars, rustic-industrial buildings, VW camper trunk stalls, nerdy collectibles and delightful antiques make Rod Fai Train Market great for merely wandering around. The stalls and bars play some cool tunes from old classics, to laid back pop tunes like Jason Mraz, and to random tunes from lesser known alternative bands like Sublime. Many of the bars at Rod Fai Train Market host some great live music in some cool and unconventional, vintage buildings.

How to get to Talad Rod Fai Train Market Bangkok

The Train market is only open on the weekends (update: and apparently Wednesdays & Fridays also). It opens in the evenings at around 6pm until late.

Talad Rod Fai is now located at Seacon Square Mall, which is a few miles away from the nearest transport station. The closest station to get anywhere close to Seacon Square is either Udom Suk or Punnawithi BTS stations. From here, ask a taxi to take you to Seacon Square – this will cost about 60 to 70 baht.

Once you’ve made it to Seacon Square, head to right of the building – there should be a crowd of young Thais headed that way that you can follow too. The first road you come to will lead down to Talad Rod Fai market. You can’t miss it – on the main junction of this road, there is a large structure with a sign pointing towards Talad Rod Fai that you can’t miss.

Central World Shopping Mall Bangkok

Posted on October 2, 2013 by koomatzu

Bangkok shopping budget: $$$$

Average clothes prices: 250 baht +

In my opinion, Central World is one of the better gigantuan malls of Bangkok. Central World really is absolutely huge; on the upper floors it has it’s own red carpeted cinema, a luxury hotel, various rooftop bars and a plethora of restaurants – in fact a whole floor dedicated to all-you-can eat buffet restaurants. Suffice to say, it’s very easy to get lost within Central World’s many floors and sections.

Personally, what I like most about Central World, is that it doesn’t have a snobby aura about it like the other big Bangkok malls (*cough Paragon*); there’s a nice, balanced selection of designer shops and budget, big brand outlets. For those with a bit of extra cash, there are some cool brands such as DeFry01, Fox and SuperDry, as well as department stores with mini outlets selling Roxy and Billabong clothing.

However, those on a budget can enjoy shopping at Central World too. The H&M and XXI Forever stores at Central World Bangkok are particularly big and spacious with a great selection of clothes without being too crammed. H&M and XXI Forever often have sales on with cute clothing from around 200 baht.

Zen at Central World

The large section of Central World called Zen is great for some quick designer shopping in Bangkok. The Zen department store consists of different floors containing different designer sections – usually with decent sales on. If you’re lucky enough to catch one of the bigger sales, you might be able to pick up big brand clothing or designer shoes from 500 baht a piece.

If you’re on holiday in Bangkok though, you’re probably better off waiting until you get back home to buy these brands, as they are not any cheaper than in the west as many people believe. If anything, designer brands cost more in Bangkok. But for expats in Bangkok who are in need of clothes that are not just Thai style, it has a nice selection of international brands.

The cinema at Central World is perhaps one of the better ones in Bangkok. Kitted out with red carpets and luxury furnishings, it’s worth a visit on the top floor if you need a break from shopping. The nearby food court offers some pretty good food with great views out of the huge windows as well. Even if you’re not into shopping so much, Central World has loads of buffet and a la carte restaurants to choose from such as Yayoi, Fuji, Mos Burger and Bistro 7.

How to get to Central World Bangkok

You can take the BTS to either Siam or Chitlom depending on which direction you are travelling from in Bangkok. It’s very easy to follow signs to Central World from within the BTS station. The mall is just a 5 or 10 minute walk along the skywalk from either station.

Other places worth visiting near Central World in Bangkok are the Erawan Shrine, the Phallic Shrine, Amarin Plaza, Platinum Mall and Baiyoke Tower.

Siam Square Bangkok

Posted on September 30, 2013 by koomatzu

Bangkok shopping budget: $$$

Average clothes prices: 250 baht – 2500 baht

Siam Square is perhaps the coolest place to shop in Bangkok. Popular with young, funky looking Thais, the shops at Siam Square offer a real nice range of indie boutique shops and alternative brands for both men and women. The square consists of a number of small, indoor shopping centres and markets, separated by high streets and little boutique shops outdoors.

Siam Square definitely makes a pleasant change to shopping in one of the Bangkok malls – you can admire the cool graffiti dotted around the walls outside, take some time out in the peaceful park nearby, or chill out in one of the cute cafes such as the outdoor Travel Library Cafe. Siam Square allows you to shop both outdoors and indoors without feeling too claustrophobic like it tends to get when shopping at Chatuchak Weekend Market or the MBK.

Shops in Siam range from cheaper Thai fashion dresses and tops costing from 250 baht, to individually made, unique clothing at around the 2500 baht mark. The shops outside on the high street tend to be the more expensive ones, but they do stock more interesting and unique fashions.

In the indoor shopping centres, for example underneath the Lido Theatre on Soi 2, you will find cheaper high heel shoes, second hand sneakers, second hand vintage dresses, cool T-shirts and pretty maxi dresses – all very reasonably priced and a little more different to the standard clothes you’ll find in the more touristy markets of Bangkok.

There are a whole choice of styles in clothing, accessories and jewellery in the maze of indoor boutiques: from hand made bling or elegant and simple jewellery, to leather bohemian necklaces or studded alternative accessories.

If you love sneakers and street fashion, you will love Siam Square. If you check out Soi 1 and Soi 2 in particular, you will find numerous shops that sell a huge choice of really cool looking sneakers costing from 2000 baht and upwards. You can find Vans, Converse, Nike, Adidas and a whole lot of other brands in loads of different designs.

If you head through the True shopping centre from the BTS to get to Siam Square, you’ll also find an official Converse store at the back entrance. Many of these shops on soi 1 and soi 2 sell some really cool caps and accessories too – check my section on sneakers in my Bangkok shoe shopping blog to find out more details on specific street fashion shops.

Siam Square Night Market Bangkok

If you head along to Siam Square in the evening, all the hight street shops will be closed and the Siam Night Market will be open instead. The Siam Square Night Market is located right on the main Sukhumvit Road at the foot of Siam BTS – you can’t miss it. The market gets really busy during the night after the locals have finished work, but it sells some really cheap clothing and shoes.

Clothes for sale at the Siam Square Night Market are pretty much your typical, cheap Bangkok street market type; nothing particularly special – the t-shirts, tops and dresses for sale there tend to be the bulk-made fashions you see all over Bangkok. The night market is great for some carefree bargain hunting in Bangkok though. You can buy clothes from just 50 baht for a top there.

How to get to Siam Square Bangkok

Take the BTS to Siam and exit the station on the opposite side to Siam Paragon and Siam Center. If you walk along to the right of the BTS and past the building works, you’ll come across various maze-like walkways and roads which all lead into the square – Just don’t go to Siam Square too early – shops don’t tend to open until late morning or early afternoon.

Other popular areas nearby Siam Square in Bangkok include the MBK shopping Mall, Siam Center and Siam Paragon.

Bangkok Shoe Shopping Guide

Posted on September 27, 2013 by koomatzu

If you want to buy some specific kind of shoes in Bangkok – cheap shoes, sexy shoes, designer shoes or sports sneakers – look no further than my Bangkok shoe shopping guide.

I also have guides for clothes shopping, souvenir & gadget shopping, and a general guide on the malls and markets of Bangkok.

Where to buy cheap shoes in Bangkok

If you’re looking to buy dirt cheap shoes in Bangkok, then look no further than the stalls on the Bangkok streets. The street walks and markets in most of the busier areas of Bangkok will sell some really cheap shoes, flip flops starting at around 30 baht a pair and office shoes, ballet pumps or high heel shoes costing from 199 baht.

The busy streets of Bangkok areas such as Silom, Saphan Taksin, Victory Monument, Siam and Pratunam will have some of the best selections. Many of these super cheap shoes on the Bangkok streets aren’t particularly stylish or cool though, and comfort may be a problem as well – particularly if you have wider feet. If you just need a quick, cheap pair of shoes for a costume or interview though, these places definitely serve this purpose.

In Silom, search along the main streetwalks around Sala Deng BTS on an evening. At Saphan Taksin, check out Charoen Krung Road around the BTS and central pier area – there is a small, particularly good shop for cheap flip flops right next to the BTS station, just across the road from the songtaews. Head to Siam after around 7pm and you’ll find street stalls opposite Siam Paragon and many more up Ratchadamri Road next to Central World.

For some better quality, good value shoes in Bangkok, I highly recommend the shops Footin and Bata. You can find these shops in many of the more local Bangkok shopping complexes as well as The Mall Thapra in Talat Phlu, and the MBK at National Stadium. Bata in particular sells some comfortable, decent sports trainers for between 500 and 1000 baht while Footin sells a great range of cute, sturdy and comfortable sandals and flip flops from 199 baht per pair.

Another cheap place to try for better quality shoes in Bangkok is Siam Square. Siam Square have a variety of shoe shops selling high heels, pretty sandals and cool sneakers. You can buy colourful, handmade leather heels for 750 baht, fashionable Thai ladies shoes from 250 baht, and second hand, big brand shoes for around 200 baht a pair.

Where to buy cool high heel shoes in Bangkok

As above, for some cheaper high heel shoes in Bangkok, head yourself down to MBK or The Mall Thapra where you can buy some decent heels from Footin and Bata. For those looking for something a little more expensive, fashionable and with more of a WOW factor, the designer shops at Siam Center stock some really awesome designs.

You’ll find the bold designs of Villain SF on the first floor, Havaianas, Steve Madden and the slightly more affordable VNC on the second floor. In my opinion, Siam Center is by far the coolest place to shop in Bangkok for ladies shoes. Shoe prices vary from around 1000 baht to 20000 baht per pair, maybe less if you’re lucky enough to catch a good sale.

Where to buy cool trainers/ sneakers in Bangkok

Siam Square in central Bangkok is home to many indie boutiques and Thai fashion shops. You can find some cool, alternative sneaker/ trainers from both international and Thai brands costing anything up to 10000 baht per pair. Check out Sneaka Villa in Soi 2 Trendy Zone – you can find the stairs inside a small shop called London Brown, Sneaka Villa is just on the 2nd floor.

Also nearby Sneaka Villa is Humankind Factor on the second floor of the Lido Theatre near Soi 2, and INFRD (also on Soi 2). On the next main road, Soi 1, you can find the Outcast Store, and the king of all sneaker shops, Vii Athletic Club. As well as some really unique and awesome Thai brand sneakers, you’ll find a good range of Vans, Adidas, Nike, Converse and Reebok in most of these shops.

In particular, Bangkok’s Vii Athletic Club has a huge choice of cool, pimpin’ design sneakers for both men and women, plus a few t-shirts, hats and accessories. It sells New Balance, Supra, Vans, Converse, Adidas, Nike, Nike 6.0, Mad Foot, Victim of Vanity plus a whole second floor dedicated purely to sports shoes. This is my favourite sneaker shop in Bangkok – hands down. Sneaker prices range from 2000 baht up to nearly 10000 baht.

I’ve not visited myself, but Superrzaaap!! just on Soi 9 apparently has a decent stock of sneakers in Bangkok as well.

Humankind Factor

MBK shopping mall is another useful place to shop in Bangkok for big brand trainer and sneaker shops, with various sneaker shops scattered throughout. Keep your eyes peeled for Genesis which sells some awesome designs. For sports shoes on a budget at the MBK, Bata sells decent, basic sports trainers for less than 1000 baht.

For those who don’t mind the concept of second hand shoes, there are few markets with large sections dedicated to used trainers such as Converse, Vans and Nike. Chatuchak weekend market in Bangkok has a particularly huge section selling second hand sneakers, or you might like to try the Train Market and street stalls of Siam (try around the Pratunam area where the river meets the Ratchadamri Road – Petchaburi road intersection). Again, Siam Square has a few small shops scattered around that sell small selections of cool, second hand sneakers.

Terminal 21 Shopping Mall Bangkok

Posted on September 24, 2013 by koomatzu

Bangkok shopping budget: $$$

Average prices: 250 baht – 3000 baht

Terminal 21 shopping mall is one of the quirkier and more light hearted malls of Bangkok. Popular as a chilled out hangout and as a meet up point for casual food in Bangkok, Terminal 21 flaunts an interestingly decorated interior that, alone, is worthy of visiting without the doing any shopping at all.

With an ongoing airport theme running throughout, Terminal 21 has some cute airport style signposts on each floor marking the various departure and arrival escalators.

There are a total of 9 floors altogether including a London floor, decked out with double decker buses and red phone boxes; a Japanese floor, complete with oriental lanterns and giant hello kitties; an Istanbul floor, which boasts exotic lighting and colourful decor; and San Francisco floor with replica Golden Gate Bridge. Just don’t forget to check out the toilets on at least one of the floors -these intricate and marvellous themes don’t stop in the shops!

Terminal 21 has plenty of cafes, coffee shops, ice cream parlours, patisseries and restaurants to dine in for a simple hangout in Bangkok. With international style restaurants from all over the world, the choice is huge. If you head all the way to the top floor, you’ll find the mall canteen with Thai meals costing from just 3o baht a dish – it’s probably one of the best mall canteens in Bangkok.

Finally onto the shopping at Terminal 21… Floors are conveniently organised and shops grouped together into types of shopping – for example on the first floor you’ll find all the big brand designer shops (such as Quicksilver and SuperDry), on the second floor you’ll find men’s clothing, and on the floor above you’ll find accessories and jewellery. Most of the floors of Terminal 21 consist of cute, indie Thai boutique shops selling a whole range of different styles and clothing tastes.

The boutiques at Terminal 21 are especially useful for pretty dresses, evening dresses and unique Thai fashions in Bangkok. You’ll find each individual shop differing in price range; one shop selling t-shirts and skirts from 250 baht a piece to another shop selling intricately designed dresses for 3000 baht. Many of the fashions are of a unique design and great for buying gifts for female friends back home. There are a couple of souvenir shops selling anime and other cute Thai merchandise which are ideal for gift buying in Bangkok too.

Despite it’s loveable interior furnishings, great quality shopping and fantastic choice of restaurants, Terminal 21 is very quiet and lacking in customers most days. This is great if you prefer a stress-free shopping experience – many of the Bangkok malls and markets such as Chatuchak and MBK can get pretty hectic and unpleasant to shop around… I just hope Terminal 21 will be able to stay open in the future – it’s probably one of my favourite places to shop in Bangkok.

How to get to Terminal 21 Shopping Mall

Terminal 21 is super easy to find in Bangkok. Just take the BTS sky train to Asoke station on the Sukhumvit line. Once you reach Asoke station, you’ll find signs that point to Terminal 21. Terminal 21 actually has a 2nd floor walkway leading straight inside directly from the station.

Other useful areas nearby Terminal 21 worth checking out are the tranquil Benjakiti Park and the bars and restaurants of Nana Soi 11.