I’m pretty sure people in Bangkok have a hoarding problem. How else can you explain the dozens of malls and markets, scattered across the city?
We stayed around Siam Square, home to three huge and interconnected malls. Once you go in and after you show your bag to the security guard (no, I do not carry a gun with me), you will get hopelessly lost for at least a few hours.
Asian malls and markets are somewhat of a surreal experience to most Westerners. Upon entering the maze of shops, people usually go through several stages, notably “oh my God everything is so cheap,” “oh my God I have to bring that back home” and “oh my God I need to buy another suitcase to bring all that back home.” But take a deep breath and think it twice. There is a catch. Well, three catches actually.
First, even though the mall looks huge and even though there are literally hundreds of stalls, you will soon notice that they all sell the same stuff. Products are usually groups by category: level one of the mall could be all shoes, level two all bags, level three electronics and so on. So yes, malls are huge but once on a specific level, there is a very limited range of products. Have a look around and check out the prices (they will likely all be the same) and then pick a stall. Any stall. In Bangkok, salespeople were much less pushy than in Beijing’s Silk Market and there was very little bargaining.
Second, most clothes won’t fit, unless you are Asian and/or have very small feet. Even petite women may have trouble finding clothes because of their body shape. Oh, and you can’t try clothes on, at most you may be able to check if a t-shirt fit but that’s about it. And don’t think for a second you can return the goods if they don’t fit. Get real. And yes, I’ve heard people trying to return a $2 shirt because it was too small. So when it comes to clothes, t-shirts may be your best bet but you may want to pass on jeans and underwear. Feng tried to tempt me into buying some cheap jean shorts (“it’s only $2, come on!”) but frankly, I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t have been able to get my knee through (I guess love is blind because Feng actually thought they could fit).
Finally, not everything is a bargain. The malls can be divided into two kinds: posh malls that sell Western fashion and local malls that also sell souvenirs and cheap goods. Louis Vuitton in Thailand or Malaysia is still Louis Vuitton, don’t think for a second it will be cheaper. So unless you are really dying to buy stuff you could get at home for the same price, don’t even bother (although these malls usually have good air-con and clean bathrooms, so it may be worth a stop). Cheap goods, such as souvenirs (hundreds of plastic elephants in Thailand), t-shirts, embroidered scarves, etc., are usually between $2 and $30. But you usually get what you pay for and like I said before, there are only so many Singha Beer t-shirts you can buy (two for me, mostly because I was too lazy to do some laundry).
So when I see Westerners carrying huge suitcases and shopping bags in these malls, I can’t help thinking “what on earth did they buy?” I guess in a way it’s a shopaholic dream but really, there are only so many plastic elephants you can bring back home… right?
So, you went to mall selling clothes for hobbits then? I guess “a consuming being will always be a consuming being” but I can’t but shake my head in disbelief thinking Westerners trying to carry all the things they don’t really need home:). Well, as a fellow guy in love I totally “get” Feng’s attitude, but I suppose when you need a magnifying glass to see the jeans you are about to try on, better steer clear or you won’t be able to steer at all wearing it, LOL!
Good to know you are still around:).
Ha yes, somehow there’s this urge to buy things whenever one travels, to the point that almost every guidebook I encountered had a “shopping” section in it. I mean, aside from souvenirs, why would one shop in a foreign country, especially when airlines are tightening their check-in luggage requirements.
I think the best present you can bring back is a selection of awesome photos shots. 🙂 Very interesting! I have tried to adopt the notion that if I can’t put it somewhere for good use, I cannot buy it.. Trying at least!
When I traveled I tried to limit myself to one T-shirt for each of my kids (4) and something for my wife that would fit in my pocket. The exception to this was chocolates or other goodies that I could consume before going home.
Still prefer flea markets. Missed Chatuchak last time though, as it only opened during the day when I had other plans.
Whoa, I’m still reeling from the contrast between those delightful glass animals (gorgeous!S) and the gruesome pig’s head (ugh!)
Chatuchak was amazing!!! We came home loaded with gifts. The pig’s head is a nice touch 😉
@Deadpoolite – Good to see you are still around too! How is the girl doing? I’m sure you are the kind of guy who think we can fit into tiny clothes as well 😉
@Linguist-in-Waiting – I know! Every time I’m flying I see people checking in huge suitcases and I wonder how much they pay for the extra luggage.
@expatraveler – I’m the same. I hate to buy souvenirs just for the sake of it… I like things I can actually use.
@Tulsa Gentleman – T-shirts are always great gifts and they are actually useful. I bought a few myself! Chocolate would have melted though 😉
@khengsiong – I don’t think you would have been that impressed, they sell the same stuff as in MBK for instance. It’s mostly for tourists.
@Margaret – Ah, sorry! I was going to post a warming for graphic pig head and then I forgot 😆
@Melanie – I should have bought the pig head. Should have.
Yeah the pig head does seem to be the odd one out in that set, doesn’t it? Haha.
Great tips, Zhu! Good points about the sizes and the non-refundability, especially.
And congrats! This article is going to be included in the 7th Byteful Travel Blog Carnival! It goes live July 26th at Byteful.com, and I’ll be sure to mention @Xiaozhuli in a tweet about it. If you could retweet and help spread the word, it would mean a lot. 🙂
Thanks!
Thank you! I’ll be sure to tweet about it.