What to buy in Bangkok? The best buys are Thai silk, handmade crafts and homeware, inexpensive clothing, Thai snacks and cooking ingredients, and, with care, gems and jewelry. For fair prices, buy crafts and homeware at Chatuchak Weekend Market, clothing at the Pratunam wholesale malls, silk from established silk houses, and snacks from supermarkets rather than tourist stalls. Spend 2,000 baht or more in one store on one day and you may also be able to claim back VAT at the airport.
This shopping list goes item by item, with where to buy each one, how to pay a fair price, and how the tourist VAT refund works.
Thai silk
Thai silk is the classic Bangkok purchase, sold as scarves, ties, cushion covers, fabric by the meter and clothing. The name most associated with it is Jim Thompson, the American who promoted Thai silk internationally after the Second World War and is known as the Thai Silk King. His former home is now the Jim Thompson House Museum, near BTS National Stadium, where the guided tour explains how he worked with the Cham weaving village of Ban Krua across the canal. The Jim Thompson brand sells silk through its own stores; check its official website for current locations.
Ask whether a piece is 100 percent silk and check the label before you pay; a price that seems too low for silk is a reason to ask.
Crafts, homeware and gifts
For carved wood, ceramics, woven baskets, soaps, candles and home decor, go to Chatuchak Weekend Market on Kamphaeng Phet 2 Road, open on Saturdays and Sundays. The Tourism Authority of Thailand counts it among Asia's largest open-air markets, so decide what you are after before you arrive.
If you prefer air-conditioning and fixed prices, ICONSIAM on the Chao Phraya in Khlong San has ICONCRAFT, an area that collects crafts by Thai artisans from across the country. MBK Center, near BTS National Stadium and Siam, has a dedicated Souvenir Zone for handicrafts and mementos.
Clothing and accessories
Bangkok is a good place to buy inexpensive everyday clothing. The biggest concentration is in Pratunam, where Platinum Fashion Mall describes itself as a wholesale and retail fashion mall with more than 2,500 shops selling menswear, womenswear, bags, leather goods, shoes and accessories. Chatuchak has independent designers and vintage stalls as well as basics.
At the other end of the scale, the malls around Siam and Ratchaprasong carry international and Thai designer labels. See our Bangkok shopping guide for the main malls and markets.
Thai snacks, sauces and cooking ingredients
Dried fruit, snack packs, curry pastes, sauces and tea make light, inexpensive gifts. Supermarkets are the easiest place to compare prices and read ingredients; MBK Center, for example, has a supermarket and convenience store zone. Check your home country's rules before packing food: fresh fruit, meat and some plant products are restricted by many customs authorities, and liquids and pastes over the cabin limit must go in checked luggage.
If you took a cooking class, such as at Baipai Thai Cooking School, buying the same pastes and sauces you cooked with is a practical way to recreate the dishes at home.
Cosmetics, beauty and duty-free
Thai herbal balms and inhalers, spa products and skincare are sold in pharmacies, supermarkets and mall beauty halls. For international beauty brands, King Power's downtown store at Rangnam Road near Victory Monument sells duty-free goods, and King Power says purchases made downtown or online can be collected at the airport pick-up counter when you leave Thailand.
Gems and jewelry: buy carefully
Thailand has a long gem trade, and gem scams aimed at visitors are common enough that the tourism authority publishes advice on avoiding them. The Tourism Authority of Thailand's advice is clear:
- Look for the Jewel Fest Club (JFC) logo, a scheme set up in 1995 by TAT, the Thai Gem and Jewelry Traders Association, the Tourist Police and the Department of Export Promotion.
- Ignore strangers who claim to be officials offering a special one-day sale, and taxi or tuk-tuk drivers who promise a great deal at a shop they know.
- Research shops and items before you buy, and do not be rushed.
- Get a detailed receipt listing the type of stone, color, weight, size, cut and quality.
Note too that the Revenue Department excludes unset gemstones from the tourist VAT refund.
How to pay a fair price
- Markets: bargaining is normal at stalls, and TAT advises doing it politely and agreeing a price before you buy. Carry cash in baht.
- Malls and department stores: prices are fixed, and larger stores take cards.
- Compare before you buy: the same item often appears at several stalls, so a few minutes of browsing tells you the going rate.
VAT refund for tourists
Thailand's Revenue Department runs a VAT Refund for Tourists scheme. The main conditions:
- You are not a Thai national or permanent resident, and you are leaving Thailand from an international airport.
- You buy from stores displaying the VAT Refund for Tourists sign, and spend at least 2,000 baht (VAT included) in one store on one day, with the store completing a VAT refund form (P.P.10) for you.
- You take the goods out of Thailand within 60 days of purchase, counting the purchase date as day one.
- You show the goods to Customs at the international airport before check-in. The Revenue Department also asks for high-value luxury goods and carry-on goods above set values to be inspected again.
Keep the forms and receipts together, and leave extra time at the airport for the Customs check.
What not to bring home
Before buying antiques, religious images or anything made from animals or plants, check the export rules in Thailand and the import rules at home; some of these need permits or are banned outright. When in doubt, ask the shop for the paperwork, or skip it.
After a day of shopping, our Bangkok restaurant guide can point you to dinner near the malls.
Sources: Revenue Department, VAT Refund for Tourists eligibility, Revenue Department, VAT Refund for Tourists procedures, Revenue Department, VAT Refund Application (P.P.10), Tourism Authority of Thailand, buying gems and jewelry, Jim Thompson House Museum, Jim Thompson, MBK Center, Platinum Fashion Mall, ICONSIAM, King Power Rangnam. Checked September 26, 2026.
Thai silk, handmade crafts and homeware, inexpensive clothing, Thai snacks and cooking ingredients, and spa and beauty products. Gems and jewelry are also sold widely, but buy them only from trusted shops.
Chatuchak Weekend Market has the widest range of crafts, homeware and gifts on Saturdays and Sundays. For fixed prices, MBK Center has a Souvenir Zone and ICONSIAM has ICONCRAFT, an area of Thai-made crafts.
Non-Thai visitors leaving from an international airport can claim a refund on goods bought at stores showing the VAT Refund for Tourists sign, spending at least 2,000 baht (VAT included) per store per day. Goods must leave Thailand within 60 days and be shown to Customs at the airport before check-in (Revenue Department, checked September 26, 2026).
At markets and stalls, yes: bargain politely and agree a price before buying. Prices in malls and department stores are fixed.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand advises buying from shops with the Jewel Fest Club (JFC) logo, ignoring strangers or drivers who promise special one-day sales, taking your time, and getting a detailed receipt listing the stone's type, color, weight, size, cut and quality.
Pratunam is the center of inexpensive clothing. Platinum Fashion Mall there says it has more than 2,500 wholesale and retail shops. Chatuchak Weekend Market is the other main option.
King Power says goods bought at its downtown stores or online can be collected at its airport pick-up counter on your departure flight from Thailand.
