Thailand is a shopper’s dream come true, with a variety of shopping options to suit every preference and pocket. You can enjoy the thrill of haggling at the colorful street markets, or indulge in some retail therapy at the elegant luxury malls. Along the way, you can shop for unique souvenirs, trendy fashion pieces and beautiful local crafts.

Tax refund

VAT refunded purchases in Thailand can be made at international airports in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Hat Yai, and Phuket with purchases of at least 5,000 Baht per day (total amount can be combined from many bills of the day).

When purchasing goods, ask the store to issue a VAT refund form when buying. If you are at a general store, you need to get a receipt to the VAT counter for a tax refund.

The receipt must be subject to a tax reduction on the day of purchase. When leaving Thailand, visitors need to pay a tax refund form at the customs VAT checkpoint before boarding the plane. For goods that have declared VAT refund, customs staff will check them before receiving the tax refund form. When passing through the passport checkpoint, visitors will be processed by Thai customs officials and refunded VAT.

Time to shop

Weekends are an ideal time for shopping in Thailand because there are markets selling clothes and accessories that are only open on weekends. Besides, you need to remember that all stores and supermarkets are only open from around 10 am or 10:30 am (a few open from 9.30 am), markets open earlier. Therefore, you should not go too soon, unless you have to stand outside and wait for a long time.

Outfits when shopping

Thailand is known as a shopping paradise, so you will wander all day long to shop without getting bored. So when traveling to Thailand you should wear comfortable clothes, wear low heels or sandals, sports shoes, bring a large backpack, water bottle. In addition, because the sun here is very strong, do not forget to bring a tube of sunscreen, an umbrella to prevent rain and shine.

Vehicles

You should not choose a taxi because, in Bangkok, traffic jams happen, it takes a long time to wait. While traveling between markets and shopping centers, you should travel by air train very quickly, conveniently and cheaply. If you stay for about 5 or 7 days, buying a weekly ticket will be much more economical than a daily ticket.

Shopping for clothes, accessories

Many tourists take advantage of Thailand tours to buy goods. If you want to buy affordable clothes, then Pratunam market is recommended. The prices here are quite cheap and the more you buy, the cheaper you get. If you buy branded goods, you should buy them at Siam Paragon or Central because of the variety of goods for you to choose from.

In Thailand, there are big discounts in the summer and the end of the year, so you can take advantage of this occasion to hunt for cheap brands. For young people who love accessories, you should buy them at handmade shops and Chinatown in Bangkok. The products here are very stylish, stylish, and affordable.

Bargain when shopping

Shopping in Thailand you can bargain comfortably on unlisted purchases at 10-40% lower than the original price. The shopkeepers can speak English at an average level, open up, do not force or compete with customers. You should go to the stores to check prices and then buy and should get receipts, check carefully before leaving the store.

Smile when buying

When traveling in Thailand, you should always smile even when shopping. Thailand is known as the land of smiles and they value those with a sense of humor and politeness. With a smile on your lips, you can buy goods at a cheaper price!

Notes

In addition to the shopping experience in Thailand that we mentioned above, visitors should also pay attention, when shopping in markets, the number of visitors here is very crowded, so you need to pay attention to preserve the jewelry, money in case of theft, pickpocketing.

• In some markets that are open from morning to night, the morning time will be when the market is crowded, if you want to get the best price, you can go to the market at this time.
• In some shopping centers, there will be no fitting area, so you need to consider carefully whether this item is suitable for you and if you intend to buy many items, bring a big bag to hold.
• The shopping malls in Thailand are divided, there will be places specializing in clothes, silk fabrics, jewelry, electronic devices, technology toys, and even wholesale markets. Therefore, make a suitable shopping plan to go to the right place with the items you need to buy, avoid moving around time-consuming places but still have not chosen the product you want.

Some shopping addresses in Thailand

Shopping malls in Thailand that you can visit such as Siam Square, Siam Paragon, Central World, Gaysorn, MBK (MahBoon Krong), CentralDepartment Stores, The Emporium, Platinum Fashion Mall with lots of clothing items, jewelry, cosmetics to electrical appliances, furniture. Or you can visit markets in Bangkok such as Pratunam Market, Chinatown, Flea Market, Chatuchak Weekend Market with many items, affordable prices, and quite good quality.

Source: Living the Jo Life Youtube Channel

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