Shopping in Thailand
Thailand is considered a dream of a shopaholic. This country is traveling for jewelry with wonderful multi-colored precious stones, behind the electronics, for souvenirs with a thin skilled carving, for silk, for products from skin of exotic animals, for cosmetics with natural ingredients and medicinal balsames – in other words, in this country You can buy anything!
At any resort you will find everything you need, however, if you want to buy things profitable, it is better to get to Bangkok and stay there at least for a couple of days – it is in the capital who are the largest shopping centers and markets.
Shops Thailand
In each major city and at the popular resort, several large shopping centers will be deleted, such as Bangkok Siam Paragon and Central World Plaza or Royal Garden Plaza in Pattaya, reminiscent of European Malls familiar to us. It is believed that prices in such places are fixed, however, if you buy a lot, you still have to try to ask for a discount – the owners of individual outlets often go for concessions. In such centers there will be not only network stores of major Western firms, but also from boutiques with popular Asian brands and clothing from Thai designers, with local leather goods and jewelry.
However, the jewelry is better to buy at large factories: there the choice is very large, if necessary, the ring you like can immediately increase or press, and it is completely able to completely remake, when you buy several products, it will be possible to agree on a good discount, and there you will definitely be issued a certificate.
Some products (especially for equipment and electronics) that you purchase in large stores can be asked to write down the check of Taks-Free, and then at the exit you will be returned about 7% of the purchase price.
Drinks and food (except fruits) is better to buy in network supermarkets, such as 7leven or Family Mart, which are found everywhere.
In Thailand come for its markets. It can be located on the canals of the bazaars filled with souvenirs and cheaper clothes for tourists, and quite authentic night markets opening in the city center with the onset of darkness and playing the role of a kind of club for local residents who raise a snack there, buy some necessary in the farm things trimmed, or even just scratch the languages and discuss the latest news. Of course, in you there immediately admit a foreigner and hurry to overestimate prices – do not forget that you are in the bazaar: you need to bargain merciless!
Alas, such traditional chaotic dirty markets, where you can buy a lot of useful for a shipment, in Thailand less and less. They are replaced by stylized vessels or under some topic shopping centers: instead of tents there are identical faceless shops, and prices leave the best and increasingly hears the phrase "Fix Price".
Opening hours of stores
Malls usually open at 10-11 in the morning and operate until 21-22 pm without a lunch and weekend. W "Equity" Markets, essentially turned into such shopping centers, approximately the same work schedule, while regular markets opened hours at 7 am and complete the day about 18 pm, sometimes they arise in the squares only on certain days of the week. Night markets appear on the streets with the onset of darkness and disappear when the flow of buyers believes – usually it happens around midnight.
Discounts and sales in Thailand
Sales in large shopping centers are held constantly, information about them can be obtained on the sites of malls. Often stocks are timed to different holidays. Typically, prices fall at the height of the rainy season – in July-August and in November. These months can be compared with the European Seasons Sales. Discounts can reach 30-70 percent.
Tips on shopping in Thailand
In Thailand, a lot of fakes are sold or, as they are customary, "Replica" products of world famous manufacturers. Do not believe the stories about "Present Gucci" – Markets are overflowed with copies of excellent quality. It’s no secret that many tourists do not brancue to buy for frivolous money "Almost Swiss" watch or bag from "Louis Voitton". Very rarely, but it happens that customs officers, wanting to get a bribe, begin to find fault in such acquisitions, threatening to send unlucky shopaholic to prison.
Sometimes try to cheer and sellers. Especially often it happens in popular resorts, such as Pattaya. Tourist comes to the store and asks to try out some thing. He is brought to him. But when he, without buying anything, wants to leave, the store owner explains that, at the request of the buyer, opened the packaging, and therefore "Farag" Must pay. If a foreigner is trying to indignant, it can begin "second act" – The arrival of the passing policeman. The outcome of the fight depends on the level of arrogance and the ability to bluff each of the participants. Options for this scenario countless.
It is necessary to pay a very carefully plastic card: try not to let it out of sight and do not keep a large amount of money on the account of this card, because it is often doing transaction in "Country smiles" and returning home, the tourist begins to receive reports that someone actively uses his credit card.
