Dear readers,
Just a few more weeks and then we will go to Thailand for the first time. My friend and I. Very excited, can't sleep at all.
We have been following Thailandblog for a while and love it. We have already picked up many good tips from it.
We do have a question for you as Thailand experts. What should you absolutely buy in Thailand? What is a nice keepsake? We also want to bring some souvenirs for our friends and family. What do you recommend and where can we buy it?
We love shopping. We are of course looking for something that you cannot easily get here or that is much cheaper in Thailand. We're not looking for fake watches or anything.
Who helps us.
Thanx and regards,
Denise
About this blogger
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Known as Khun Peter (62), lives alternately in Apeldoorn and Pattaya. In a relationship with Kanchana for 14 years. Not yet retired, have my own company, something with insurance. Crazy about animals, especially dogs and music.
Enough hobbies, but unfortunately little time: writing for Thailandblog, fitness, health and nutrition, shooting sports, chatting with friends and some other oddities.
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Perhaps a rather odd suggestion: at Savarnabhumi Airport there is a small shop called 'Doi Tung' that sells products made by people from that organization. This is a royal project that tries to provide hilltribe people with alternatives to drug cultivation and trafficking. The products vary, but there is beautiful silverware, local coffee, macadamia nuts in wasabi and stuff, beautiful scarves, pottery. Still, see if you have a hole on the way back.
The silk plain colored cushion covers from Jim Thompson are of course never gone, but they are pricey. I think Hmong cushion covers are very beautiful, and they are easy to find in the North. There are also quite a few temples where weaving is still done by hand and where you can buy beautiful fabrics (eg Chan Sen, Nakhon Sawan).
Furthermore: do markets! Also 'Buddha markets' where mainly antique (well ..) and religious items are sold. Do the Sunday market in Chiang Mai and ask for the street of the silversmiths. Cycling to one of the pottery factories in Sukhotai. And haggle!
As mentioned before, I don't know if you are coming to Chiang Mai. Visit the Wualai road night market on Saturday and the central night market between Taipae gate and Wat Phra Singh on Sunday. Here you can find gifts in all shapes and colors. What ladies like to get are the artfully carved soap pieces. Beautiful, colorful and also perfumed. This is what I keep taking from friends' wives. Always appreciated and costs around 2,5 euros.
If it can cost more Anything is possible in these markets. Also outside these markets many shops to buy gifts.
Recommendations: Malls. In Bangkok Siam Center, MBK, Chatuchak weekend market, these locations everything is for sale. For computers etc. Panthip Plaza not far from Central World.
Further in BKK Kao San Road, here were 2 or 3 silver jewelry manufacturers, many different . At the river Chao Praha you have Asiantique, new center not cheap. For car photos and all kinds of gadgets: Klong Tom, every taxi driver knows this, is close to China Town. In China Town gold jewelry and everything, no no for sale. Also antiques. Furthermore, Thailand is known for its gemstones, rubies, sapphires, etc.
I would do some googling to find out more. Money everywhere: haggle, start bidding with half. I never bid if I don't want to buy. There are people who offer an idiotic low price, that is fooling the merchant, they are there for their living. I enjoyed giving some tips and still enjoy looking at markets, for about 20 years now. Have fun and good luck.
A special and valuable souvenir is a pearl necklace of freshwater pearls. Very expensive here in the Netherlands. In Thailand for a pittance. For 400 bath (About 10 euros) you already have a beautiful cord. They are available in various sizes and colours.
A very famous place where you can buy pearls very cheaply is Rawai on the island of Phuket near Patong.
Pay particular attention to what you can take with you into the Netherlands. Before you know it, you will also be buying souvenirs that are on the prohibited list of customs. Such as certain religious objects that you are not allowed to export without permission and permit. Take a look at the websites of the Dutch and Thai customs to be sure.
Dear Dennis,
First take a look at what is already for sale in the Netherlands in terms of Thai products.
Eg Xenos and Blokker and some specialty shops.
What I did have a lot of success with, were round (silver colored) boxes on the outside
beautifully decorated and when unfolded on the inside a normal mirror and a
magnifying mirror, also the aforementioned beautifully carved soap pieces in one
wooden holder. Nice giveaway things! Silk ties (if still worn) with matching cufflinks for men.
What you absolutely must buy in Thailand??? That determines your own taste!
Have fun!
Sincerely,
Lodewijk
Dear Dennis,
My favorite place to shop is definitely Chatuchak weekend market, everything is for sale there. I come there twice a year to do my shopping.
My advice go on Friday (even then a large part is already open) then it is a lot quieter and if you do go at the weekend, make sure you are there around 9.30 am. If you go later in the day it is too busy and much too hot!
I also like to visit the amulet market, which is located past What Po on the river.
I myself will leave for Thailand on August 16, if you are there in the same period and want to be taken in tow for a day… no problem. Likes to guide people way too much.
Have fun in Thailand!
Regards, Maureen
Good luck with your souvenir choice, they have plenty in Thailand, but what I have heard several times is that it is forbidden to bring religious, Buddhist figurines from Thailand, certainly not antique Buddha statues to protect Thai culture against "looting".
Dear Dennis,
Depending on what you like, such as souvenirs I especially like elephants, you have them in all sizes and weights, very beautiful and still a symbol for Thailand, where there has been a lot to do lately.
Soap and candles also appeal to me enormously .
Clothes, you can also do nice things in them, such as shirts with beautiful drawings on them, I also bought them myself, such as with a tiger, elephants and the like.
Then there are the painters' canvases that you can have framed in your home country.
Costs around 400 to 500 baht, they get by on the beach.
In Pattaya there is a street, I think soi 5 or soi 6 near the Mike shopping where there are a number of painters at work where they deliver really nice work, you can see them at work yourself. Bring a photo of something you want to remember forever,
family photo or a place that you want to be remembered forever. Depending on the size of the canvas and quality, because you have enough choice (number of painters), the prices can differ from person to person, quality, etc. between 1000 a 2000 baht.
The markets, especially in the evening, are an important point to buy souvenirs and the like. Don't always assume to take half off as several people will say. For some things they ask for 3 or 4 times. own feeling how much you like it, most tourists have sometimes paid too much. What I usually did was ask the price in different places, people of Thailand themselves, see what they paid. Another thing, the more you buy from the same person, the more you can offer.
Greetings and happy holidays,
David
As already mentioned choice in abundance. We ourselves have scored very well this year with the Fam. With a satin short morning coat in beautiful designs for the women. Available at BAYOK market for about 200 baht each (the more you buy the cheaper it gets). You can find very nice handmade things on the market for very little. Iron wire bicycles, large paperclips with a figure at the top, many articles made from soda cans. You can buy all these items for between 10 and 200 baht. The advantage is that it is easy to carry and does not take up too much space in your suitcase.
The Chachuchak is of course the Valhalla among the markets. When you first get there it can also be overwhelming and confusing. Do not forget to do the outside on the side of the road because there are also nice things to see here. Go as early as possible. It's hot and busy! MBK, market in the evening at Central World and Pratunam great (to my taste) Thailand is also 1 large open-air market with everything to choose from. Enjoy and bind yourself to something beautiful or fun, decide for yourself what it is worth to you and what you are willing to pay for it. This is how you determine the price and how far you want to go. Lots of fun and there is 1 danger lurking. Thailand can pack you in so that you can't stay away!
I started here 15 years ago and I can't get away from this land of smiles with all the fun and less fun things. Where are you going in Thailand?