If you want to buy a camera in Bangkok with a Thai warranty, the simplest places are the Big Camera Galleria stores in the central malls, including CentralWorld, Siam Paragon, EmQuartier and ICONSIAM, and Fotofile, which has two shops inside MBK Center. Both chains publish their prices online, so you can compare before you go. Visitors leaving by air can also reclaim VAT on purchases of at least 2,000 baht from a store that displays the VAT Refund for Tourists sign.
Big Camera Galleria in the central malls
Big Camera is a Thai camera chain with branches across the country, and its larger Galleria stores sit in the malls most visitors pass through. The chain's branch list gives the CentralWorld store on the 4th floor and the Siam Paragon store on the 2nd floor, both open daily from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., with further Galleria stores at EmQuartier on Sukhumvit, on the 4th floor of ICONSIAM across the river, and in the IT gadget zone on the 4th floor of Central Park at Dusit Central Park on Rama IV Road.
The range goes well beyond camera bodies: lenses, video and audio equipment, filters, memory cards, batteries, bags, straps, tripods, dry cabinets, binoculars and photo printers. The chain advertises official Thai distributor warranties and runs photography workshops as well. Siam Paragon is also home to SEA LIFE Bangkok Ocean World, which helps if you are shopping with children in tow.
Fotofile and MBK Center
MBK Center is the large mall on Phaya Thai Road near the National Stadium and BTS Siam station. Fotofile, a camera retailer that advertises official Thai distributor warranties, lists two branches inside it, on the 1st and 5th floors, as well as branches at Central Rama 3, Central Bangna, Central Ladprao and The Mall Bangkapi. Its website shows current prices for Canon, Sony and Nikon bodies and lenses, and the shop answers questions by phone and on LINE.
The Jim Thompson House Museum and the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre are in the same Pathum Wan district, and both make good first outings for a new lens.
Which store is closest to your hotel
If you are staying around Siam or Ratchaprasong, the CentralWorld and Siam Paragon stores and the two Fotofile shops at MBK are all within the same shopping district. On Sukhumvit, there is a Big Camera Galleria in EmQuartier. By the river, the ICONSIAM store is on the Thonburi bank, and for Silom and Sathorn there is the Galleria at Central Park on Rama IV Road, which Big Camera lists in Silom.
What to check at the counter
- Confirm the model and kit (body only or with lens) against the price you saw online.
- Ask which warranty the camera carries and for how long, and get it in writing.
- Check that the serial number on the box matches the camera and appears on your paperwork.
- Ask for a full tax invoice and the VAT refund form at the same time, before you leave the store.
Warranty: ask before you pay
Both chains sell cameras with an official Thai warranty from the brand's local distributor. That is the one to have if you live in Thailand. If you are taking the camera home, ask the shop whether the warranty is honored in your country or only in Thailand, and check the brand's own warranty terms. Keep the tax invoice, which you will need for a VAT refund anyway.
Claiming the VAT refund
Thailand's Revenue Department runs VAT Refund for Tourists. The steps are straightforward:
- Spend at least 2,000 baht in a store displaying the VAT Refund for Tourists sign, and ask for the P.P.10 form (or e-P.P.10) together with the original tax invoice.
- On your departure day, show the goods, forms and invoices at the Customs office to get them stamped before you check in your luggage.
- After passport control, hand the forms and invoices in at the VAT Refund office.
The goods must leave Thailand by air within 60 days of purchase, from one of the international airports with a VAT Refund office, including Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang. Refunds are not available to residents of Thailand or anyone who has stayed more than 180 days. Items the Revenue Department classes as luxury goods, which include phones, laptops and tablets worth 40,000 baht or more per item, must be carried by hand and shown again at the refund office after passport control, so ask the store whether your purchase falls into that group.
Tips for buying
- Check the price online first: both Big Camera and Fotofile list current prices on their websites.
- Bring your passport when you plan to claim a VAT refund, as the refund form is issued in your name.
- Buy memory cards, spare batteries and a bag at the same time; both chains stock them.
- Stay somewhere central if you plan a shopping day. Siam Kempinski Hotel Bangkok is beside Siam Paragon, and our Bangkok hotels guide has more.
For other shopping ideas, see our Bangkok shopping guide.
Sources: BIG Camera branches, BIG Camera, Fotofile, MBK Center, Revenue Department, VAT Refund for Tourists FAQ. Checked September 26, 2026.
On the 4th floor of CentralWorld on Ratchadamri Road, Pathum Wan. Big Camera lists the store as open daily from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
On the 2nd floor of Siam Paragon, 991 Rama I Road. Big Camera lists it as open daily from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Fotofile lists two branches in MBK Center, on the 1st and 5th floors. MBK is on Phaya Thai Road near the National Stadium and BTS Siam station.
Yes, if you spend at least 2,000 baht in a store showing the VAT Refund for Tourists sign, ask for the P.P.10 form and original tax invoice, have them stamped by Customs before check-in, and submit them at the VAT Refund office after passport control. The goods must leave Thailand by air within 60 days.
The Revenue Department lists Suvarnabhumi, Don Mueang, Chiang Mai, Phuket, Hat Yai, U-Tapao, Krabi, Samui, Surat Thani and Mae Fah Luang-Chiang Rai. Refunds are for air departures only.
It depends on the brand. Big Camera and Fotofile both advertise official Thai distributor warranties; ask the shop, and check the manufacturer's terms, whether the warranty applies in your home country.
Fotofile lists its phone number as 097-175-6000 and its LINE account as @fotofile on its website.
