Bangkok’s best shopping

You’ll find gorgeous tactile ceramics on the shelves of this Japanese-inspired pottery shop just off Chinatown’s main drag. The owners make the vases, mugs and plates in the studio upstairs, and guests are welcome to take a look.

Over the past few years, forward-thinking creatives have transformed Bangkok’s riverside Bang Rak area into the city’s de-facto design district.

Here, boutique concept stores and art galleries blow new life into dilapidated shophouses, while wall-spanning street art by some of Thailand’s top artists infuses the winding alleys with a much-needed pop of colour.

Most galleries congregate around the Thailand Creative & Design Center in the Grand Postal Office, the creative hub that kick-started the artistic renaissance back in 2017, but new ones pop up almost monthly.

Highlights include Warehouse 30, a multi-use creative space in a WWII-era industrial complex; artsy concept store-meets-tea parlour Citizen Tea Canteen; and ATT19, a contemporary art gallery taking over a 120-year-old former school building.

Rising from the ground like a giant swirl of steel, this ultra-luxurious mall in Phloen Chit houses the typical Chanel, Hermes and Jimmy Choo, but is also an excellent spot to pick up smart (albeit pricy) souvenirs from homegrown luxury labels like Jim Thompson, Siwilai and S’uvimol.

Whether you’re after a salad bowl or a pair of vintage sneakers, you’re almost guaranteed to find it at the Chatuchak Weekend Market – in ten different colours and sizes. This is the world’s largest weekend market, and even the most determined pathfinders are bound to get lost in its labyrinth of clothing shops, massage joints, souvenir stalls and coffee corners.

While most shops lining its main path specialise in tourist tat, the thousands of stalls beyond them sell everything from antique furnishing to quirky fashion by homegrown designers.

Flaming woks balancing on tiny canoes, mountains of fresh fruits – Bangkok’s floating markets are a kaleidoscope of Thai-tinged wonder. That said, their old-timey charm has long faded as souvenirs shops have replaced most noodle joints. It’s a fun day out, but no longer an authentic experience.

Heaving with jasmine, orchids and marigolds, Bangkok’s flower market is a mesmerising riot of colours, floral scents and boisterous vendors. Visit after midnight, when wholesalers drop off their wares and the market is at its liveliest.

Tucked away in an unassuming street snaking off Ratanakosin, the little-visited Nang Loeng Market feels frozen in time. It’s a street food hotspot, especially in the early mornings – don’t miss the crispy roasted pork at Jib Ki and the traditional Thai desserts at Nanta.

Part furniture rental studio, part cabinet of curiosities, Papaya Studio in the little-visited Lad Phrao suburb is a kooky spot to browse everything from life-sized Spiderman figures, Rococo mirrors and vintage pinball machines. Four stories filled with a million pieces of furniture and decoration.

Tucked behind Siam’s air-conditioned mega-malls, this labyrinth of alleys is a creative hub for artsy boutiques, trinket stores and beauty salons frequented by Bangkok’s hip young things.

Taking over a set of warehouses in the Prawet suburb some 30 minutes from downtown, this 2,000-stall night market is a magnet for Thai hipsters on the hunt for vintage film posters, second-hand sneakers and Japanese collectibles.