I love shopping. All forms of it. In a group, by myself, with a friend, for family, for a friend or for a friend's friend. Obviously, I enjoy it the most when the shopping is being done for me! For women, shopping works like chocolate! Chocolate and shopping, even better! Shopping can be the result of any reason. Shopping is not an outcome of necessity.
Now, shopping off the streets has its own flavor and zest! Mostly, I enjoy that more than shopping indoors. Most street markets, have a local flavor. Locals mill about in native clothing, local musicians sit around playing something fresh and melodious, small street-food stalls are interspersed with the shops and one can literally smell and see the flavors of the country as one shops. Occasionally stop, to discover a new taste, a new art form, new patterns, and new rates even!
Bangkok is a shopping maniac's paradise! Pretty much as in India, you will find street markets (a la Causeway, Hill road, Karol bagh, Fashion street, T Nagar) organised open markets, swanky malls, more malls and the government controlled local handicraft outlets.
In Bangkok one can really bargain! And the stuff is really good. That's the best part.
There are several malls and markets that I will probably touch upon later. My favorite destination is Suan Lum Night Bazaar, in South Eastern Bangkok. I make it a point to visit it every time and will continue to do so. I discovered it quite accidentally actually.
Suffering through a very dull presentation, during the post lunch sleepy session at a training committee conference, I sat in the absolute last row chatting up with an equally bored American. He was transferring photographs onto his laptop, while he told me about this fantastic "bazaar" that he'd shopped at the previous evening.
Soon we were nose deep into a road map of Bangkok, tracing the route from my hotel to the "Suan Lum Night Bazaar". He even told me what the taxi fare would be. By the end of the presentation, my plan for the evening was set.
The gentleman turned out to be the treasurer of the training committee. I felt a lot less guilty about planning my shopping during the conference then!
The bazaar supposedly open from 7PM to 7AM only, is two giant adjacent squares stuck together by a common lane. All along the three sides of one square, are the food stalls, seating in the middle of the square and a huge open air stage on the fourth side. Its a carnival. There is food and drinks, and usually a local music band performing live on the stage. What an ambiance.
The adjoining square is where all the shops are.
The bazaar is a matrix of rows and columns. A 10 by10 matrix I think. Colorful, bright and airy.
I went berserk the first time. And it wasn't much different the second and the third time :)
The silk sarongs, silk pants, blouses, scarves, skirts. The colors and patterns. I was salivating! I wanted it all! NOW!! Oh and the silk cushion covers, bed spreads, purses, bamboo lamps, baskets, wooden masks, brass Buddhas, elephant tooth-pick holder, lifestyle goods in the most aesthetic oriental designs, handicraft junk, incense sticks in million colors and smells, pretty shoes, bags, more clothes, exotic cosmetics, aroma salts, more bags in all shapes and sizes! Phew!! I HAD to have it all!!!!
What makes it even more tempting are the prices! You get more for less. You can talk to the vendors just with the calculator. They punch in their number, and you punch in yours. It just goes on till you both like what you see. And Indians are incorrigible bargainers anyway, so I am sure the Thai markets by now, know what they're up against (evil grin!!)
Its such a rush! So many shopping bags for so little money. It is my deduction, that the greater number of shopping bags you carry, the more respect there is for you as a shopper, amongst the vendors. They know you intend to buy if the rate is right. And so, bargaining gets even simpler towards the last lap of shopping.
The first time I shopped, I ended up with SO many shopping bags, a lady actually called me in and helped me put all the bags into a 2ft by 3ft large plastic carry bag. Bless her good soul! It was a lot easier just dragging the loot around like a carcass, than balancing close to twenty stuffed carry bags, a water bottle and a handbag in two tiny hands.
I was a little disappointed that the second and third time I couldn't be as crazy a shopper as I was the first time, but I left with a true shopper's promise, to be back with a vengeance.
Now, shopping off the streets has its own flavor and zest! Mostly, I enjoy that more than shopping indoors. Most street markets, have a local flavor. Locals mill about in native clothing, local musicians sit around playing something fresh and melodious, small street-food stalls are interspersed with the shops and one can literally smell and see the flavors of the country as one shops. Occasionally stop, to discover a new taste, a new art form, new patterns, and new rates even!
Bangkok is a shopping maniac's paradise! Pretty much as in India, you will find street markets (a la Causeway, Hill road, Karol bagh, Fashion street, T Nagar) organised open markets, swanky malls, more malls and the government controlled local handicraft outlets.
In Bangkok one can really bargain! And the stuff is really good. That's the best part.
There are several malls and markets that I will probably touch upon later. My favorite destination is Suan Lum Night Bazaar, in South Eastern Bangkok. I make it a point to visit it every time and will continue to do so. I discovered it quite accidentally actually.
Suffering through a very dull presentation, during the post lunch sleepy session at a training committee conference, I sat in the absolute last row chatting up with an equally bored American. He was transferring photographs onto his laptop, while he told me about this fantastic "bazaar" that he'd shopped at the previous evening.
Soon we were nose deep into a road map of Bangkok, tracing the route from my hotel to the "Suan Lum Night Bazaar". He even told me what the taxi fare would be. By the end of the presentation, my plan for the evening was set.
The gentleman turned out to be the treasurer of the training committee. I felt a lot less guilty about planning my shopping during the conference then!
The bazaar supposedly open from 7PM to 7AM only, is two giant adjacent squares stuck together by a common lane. All along the three sides of one square, are the food stalls, seating in the middle of the square and a huge open air stage on the fourth side. Its a carnival. There is food and drinks, and usually a local music band performing live on the stage. What an ambiance.
The adjoining square is where all the shops are.
The bazaar is a matrix of rows and columns. A 10 by10 matrix I think. Colorful, bright and airy.
I went berserk the first time. And it wasn't much different the second and the third time :)
The silk sarongs, silk pants, blouses, scarves, skirts. The colors and patterns. I was salivating! I wanted it all! NOW!! Oh and the silk cushion covers, bed spreads, purses, bamboo lamps, baskets, wooden masks, brass Buddhas, elephant tooth-pick holder, lifestyle goods in the most aesthetic oriental designs, handicraft junk, incense sticks in million colors and smells, pretty shoes, bags, more clothes, exotic cosmetics, aroma salts, more bags in all shapes and sizes! Phew!! I HAD to have it all!!!!
What makes it even more tempting are the prices! You get more for less. You can talk to the vendors just with the calculator. They punch in their number, and you punch in yours. It just goes on till you both like what you see. And Indians are incorrigible bargainers anyway, so I am sure the Thai markets by now, know what they're up against (evil grin!!)
Its such a rush! So many shopping bags for so little money. It is my deduction, that the greater number of shopping bags you carry, the more respect there is for you as a shopper, amongst the vendors. They know you intend to buy if the rate is right. And so, bargaining gets even simpler towards the last lap of shopping.
The first time I shopped, I ended up with SO many shopping bags, a lady actually called me in and helped me put all the bags into a 2ft by 3ft large plastic carry bag. Bless her good soul! It was a lot easier just dragging the loot around like a carcass, than balancing close to twenty stuffed carry bags, a water bottle and a handbag in two tiny hands.
I was a little disappointed that the second and third time I couldn't be as crazy a shopper as I was the first time, but I left with a true shopper's promise, to be back with a vengeance.
1 comment:
Hi Ash,
I had a tiresome journey from Bangkok and back to Chennai. :D
I was transformed to that night market. I could visualise the smells from the incense sticks, food shops, other shops, shop keepers inviting customers, customers bargaining with calculators (something quite familiar, having done that myself in China :-) )
A good write up.
I really burst out laughing at that event at presentation
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