leonardodavinci Posted July 29, 2009 Share Posted July 29, 2009 Hello, I'm coming for the first time in thailand, and due to the favourite change, I would like to buy something to bring home. What is really cheaper and worth to buy in Thailand? a new mobile phone? I would like to have one with a touch screen.... but here in Europe they are EXPENSIVE I will spend my first night in chiang mai and I'll visit the night bazaar, any advice? Plus anyone know where to find the Twins shop in chiang mai? Is there any kind of yellow pages for chiang mai? thank you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loong Posted July 29, 2009 Share Posted July 29, 2009 The last time I visited Chiang Mai night bazaar, I found the initial prices asked were way too expensive and often the vendors were unwilling to drop to a reasonable price. I think you have to haggle aggressively nowadays as they are looking for customers like you, New to Thailand and with no idea of the correct price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daoyai Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 Everybody needs a wooden frog. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeaceBlondie Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 I never noticed phone shops in the night bazaar - more like at the big malls; Airport, Kad San Kaew. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trainman34014 Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 I never noticed phone shops in the night bazaar - more like at the big malls; Airport, Kad San Kaew. I buy sweat shirts there but I will only pay what I want to and if they don't agree I move on to another trader until I get what I want at the price I want to pay. Never seen a phone shop there but there are dozens of them all over town. Never bought one here so don't know about prices. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
venturalaw Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 I never noticed phone shops in the night bazaar - more like at the big malls; Airport, Kad San Kaew. I buy sweat shirts there but I will only pay what I want to and if they don't agree I move on to another trader until I get what I want at the price I want to pay. Never seen a phone shop there but there are dozens of them all over town. Never bought one here so don't know about prices. Don't know about prices in Europe, but the price of most, if not all, electronics in Thailand is higher (quite a bit) than the prices in the US. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freddy123 Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 What to Buy in the Night Bazaar Nothing If you have to buy something touristy, I suggest you buy it at the Sunday walking market, where the prices are somewhat less than the Tourist Bazaar. You may even see some locals walking around the Sunday market aswell. Would not recommend buying any electronics over here, they are usually the same price or more than in wester countries. Plus good luck getting any warrenties fullfilled from your home country, plus you might buy a fake if your not careful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bojo Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 Hello,I'm coming for the first time in thailand, and due to the favourite change, I would like to buy something to bring home. What is really cheaper and worth to buy in Thailand? a new mobile phone? I would like to have one with a touch screen.... but here in Europe they are EXPENSIVE I will spend my first night in chiang mai and I'll visit the night bazaar, any advice? thank you If you really have to buy electronics while in Chiang Mai, then I would suggest Panthip Plaza on the Chan Klang road, just up from the centre of the bazaar. However I think the price will be at least the same as Europe. If you've got time and would like to see some great handicrafts and small cottage industries, head down to Ban Tawaii, far more genuine stuff down there. The night bazaar seems to have lost it's originality, most products nowadays are T.shirt copies and the like. Regards bojo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patriciachas Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 Hello,I'm coming for the first time in thailand, and due to the favourite change, I would like to buy something to bring home. What is really cheaper and worth to buy in Thailand? a new mobile phone? I would like to have one with a touch screen.... but here in Europe they are EXPENSIVE I will spend my first night in chiang mai and I'll visit the night bazaar, any advice? Plus anyone know where to find the Twins shop in chiang mai? Is there any kind of yellow pages for chiang mai? thank you Only pay what you are happy to ,reduce the price offered by about 40% .mobile phones here cost more than in uk if you are from their. Most goods in the night bazaar are of good quality. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Agenda Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 Night bazaar is too expensive, prices are ridiculous! Better go to Sunday or even Saturday market for souveniers. And phones are to be bought in shopping malls, that's true. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
balo Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 Night bazaar is too expensive, prices are ridiculous! Better go to Sunday or even Saturday market for souveniers. And phones are to be bought in shopping malls, that's true. My advice is to stay away from the tourist markets. Do you know if there is a daily local market in Chiang Mai ? Where all the locals buy their clothes and stuff? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
orang37 Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 Do you know if there is a daily local market in Chiang Mai ? Where all the locals buy their clothes and stuff? Sawasdee Khrup, Khun Balo, Talat Warorot (the area) for one. And Lots of Thais buy the cheaper goods on sale by vendors who rent space on the floor of the shopping malls (in other words they are not employees of Central or whatever). And lots of Thais buy the cheaper goods at Carrefour and Lotus. best, ~o:37; Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alant Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 Hello,I'm coming for the first time in thailand, and due to the favourite change, I would like to buy something to bring home. What is really cheaper and worth to buy in Thailand? a new mobile phone? I would like to have one with a touch screen.... but here in Europe they are EXPENSIVE I will spend my first night in chiang mai and I'll visit the night bazaar, any advice? Plus anyone know where to find the Twins shop in chiang mai? Is there any kind of yellow pages for chiang mai? thank you hello to you! here is the info i can add, phones as they say, go to a mall, dont know where you are from i dont think branded phones are cheap here but they are not tied to a specific network provider so that is why i like them. the night bazaar and the anusarn market are a little pricey unless you can haggle on a win win basis. for something unique i would go to the bazaar and get some photos done in traditional costume with the family if you have them with you if not back home they will love them or go down wua lai road (not on saturday, market time) and have a look at the silver. whats the twins shop, nothing to do with minnisota or is it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donnyboy Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 i get my jeans/tees from the night bazaar, copies but good ones, i got some copy Crocs and theyre good for wearing in the garden Not sure about genuine Twins, but there are Muay Thai shorts there Just go and have a look,my first time there was 5 years ago as a tourist and I thought it was reasonably priced, and it aint that bad as some ppl here suggest *electronic goods, if you do buy~ my advice would be buy from a larger outlet store like Nokia, or similiar and check if goods come with international warranty, should it be defective. Also if you do buy, you can get a VAT refund.(7% ?) Remember to ask! You need to have yr passport when purchasing the goods when they issue you the paperwork. Refund is given at the international airport departure, u need to show goods there. Yellow Pages is in thai, but has pictures and phone numbers. But then if you do track down the place, you will most likely need someone with you to speak thai. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmrooms Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 Twins is a brand of boxing equipment. They told me that there should be an official shop near the market... I have to found it or I won't be able to train.... Could please someone help me? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
balo Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 Do you know if there is a daily local market in Chiang Mai ? Where all the locals buy their clothes and stuff? Sawasdee Khrup, Khun Balo, Talat Warorot (the area) for one. And Lots of Thais buy the cheaper goods on sale by vendors who rent space on the floor of the shopping malls (in other words they are not employees of Central or whatever). And lots of Thais buy the cheaper goods at Carrefour and Lotus. best, ~o:37; Thanks for your help , thats the market I was looking for . I will have a look when I arrive there on Saturday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmrooms Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 one more question: Where to buy insect repellant in chiang mai?!?!?!?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanForbes Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 What to Buy in the Night Bazaar Nothing If you have to buy something touristy, I suggest you buy it at the Sunday walking market, where the prices are somewhat less than the Tourist Bazaar. You may even see some locals walking around the Sunday market aswell. Would not recommend buying any electronics over here, they are usually the same price or more than in wester countries. Plus good luck getting any warrenties fullfilled from your home country, plus you might buy a fake if your not careful. I agree with freddy. Look, but don't buy. The walking street markets that happen on weekends are usually cheaper, but you really need to shop and compare. Walking street markets are when the city closes sections of the city to vehicle traffic in the evening. I would ONLY buy hand crafted goods that I can't find at home. Clothing you can usually buy cheaper at home when it goes on sale. The same goes for footwear. I get stuff from Walmart in Canada that is much cheaper than what I would spend in Thailand. As others have already mentioned, electronics are usually cheaper in North America. I can't speak for the UK or Australia. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sassienie Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 (edited) The last time I visited Chiang Mai night bazaar, I found the initial prices asked were way too expensive and often the vendors were unwilling to drop to a reasonable price. I think you have to haggle aggressively nowadays as they are looking for customers like you, New to Thailand and with no idea of the correct price. loong is absolute right. And to add: Most of the stuff sold in the Night Bazaar is junk, the sort of items that after a year or so may end up being sold at a car boot or jumble sale. But there are some nice fancy items worth having. The problem is these items are mainly manufactured for the tourist trade and sold at rip off prices. As loong correctly points out, haggle if you can. Insist on a price at least 50% lower than the stallholder’s asking price. You may be in for a surprise if hoping to buy cheap electrical goods in Thailand. Many are more expensive than in Europe and America, also these will not be covered under any guarantees once outside of Thailand. If buying any movies on DVD or VCD, Thailand uses the pal 25fps system. If the OP is from the States, the American system is ntsc 29fps, meaning that DVD movies bought in Thailand may not work in America. If wanting to buy souvenirs from Chiang Mai, the Umbrella factory is well worth a visit, or there are shops that sell brass Buddha’s, beautiful figurines and candleholders, all at reasonable prices. There is a limited type of Yellow pages covering Chiang Mai. But the contents are mostly in Thai and doubt if this would be of any use to you. Edited July 30, 2009 by sassienie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevinHunt Posted July 31, 2009 Share Posted July 31, 2009 The last time I visited Chiang Mai night bazaar, I found the initial prices asked were way too expensive and often the vendors were unwilling to drop to a reasonable price. I think you have to haggle aggressively nowadays as they are looking for customers like you, New to Thailand and with no idea of the correct price. Due to the economic downturn, I think that they are a lot more reasonable now. I actually went for a rare wander round the night bazaar the other night and I was surprised how varied the range of goods was. I know a lot of it is repeated every 50 metres or so but there is still a quite wide variety of products. Not just fake T-shirts and dodgy DVDs. There is a fair bit of haggling to be done on more expensive items but the smaller stuff is usually not too bad. I agree that it is more expensive than other markets in town but not enough to deter a lot of people used to western prices. Personally, I don't go along with the rip-off arguements that some people use. It is mostly a system of bargaining here, so you either agree or disagree on eachothers valuation. Since most items are not unique there is always someone else to haggle with. On my little sojourn the other day, I bought a shirt for 250 baht that I know I could have got for 180 elsewhere, but the reason I paid more was - first of all I liked it and I thought it was still worth it, secondly I can't be bothered with shopping usually so I wasn't prepared to look elsewhere and thirdly, I felt sorry for the cute girl who sold it to me because I know how slack business has been of late. I'm still a sucker for a cute face and a winning smile. Panthip Plaza on Changklan Rd (night Bazaar) does computer stuff and cameras etc but I have no idea as to whether it is cheaper than your country. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beacher Posted July 31, 2009 Share Posted July 31, 2009 For souvenirs, see if there's a big shop around around that specializes in this stuff. For example, in Pattaya there's a place called Luk Dok that sells much of the stuff available at markets but much cheaper. I've seen things in there that are priced as low as 25% of what they ask in the markets. As someone else warned you, the markets are often looking for "marks". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uptoyoumyfriend Posted July 31, 2009 Share Posted July 31, 2009 12 $ rolex and some 3 $ ray bans some nice handicrafts and other presents at low prices if you bargain ,which is easy enough. my friends were always happy with the stuff i brought back Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elektrified Posted July 31, 2009 Share Posted July 31, 2009 What to Buy in the Night Bazaar Nothing If you have to buy something touristy, I suggest you buy it at the Sunday walking market, where the prices are somewhat less than the Tourist Bazaar. You may even see some locals walking around the Sunday market aswell. Would not recommend buying any electronics over here, they are usually the same price or more than in wester countries. Plus good luck getting any warrenties fullfilled from your home country, plus you might buy a fake if your not careful. I agree with freddy. Look, but don't buy. The walking street markets that happen on weekends are usually cheaper, but you really need to shop and compare. Walking street markets are when the city closes sections of the city to vehicle traffic in the evening. I would ONLY buy hand crafted goods that I can't find at home. Clothing you can usually buy cheaper at home when it goes on sale. The same goes for footwear. I get stuff from Walmart in Canada that is much cheaper than what I would spend in Thailand. As others have already mentioned, electronics are usually cheaper in North America. I can't speak for the UK or Australia. Huh? IanForbes you apparently have not had to purchase clothes in Europe. Clothes are way cheaper here than in Europe or America. I can't say about Canada since the last time I was there was 1975. But if you shop at Central or Robinsons then of course prices are high. I love shopping for clothes or shoes in Thailand because they are dirt cheap! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thakkar Posted July 31, 2009 Share Posted July 31, 2009 Insect repellent: available in every drug store and supermarket. Although you really shouldn't wait till you get here to buy that. Wear long sleeves and long pants while here. For some reason, newcomers seem more susceptible to mosquito bites. Maybe it's the regular eating of Thai food with ingredients like lemongrass that gives the long-stayers a degree of protection. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmsally Posted July 31, 2009 Share Posted July 31, 2009 In the summer sales in the UK, so far the things I have seen are cheaper than Thailand and also better quality. There are also shops that are still far more expensive, but in general clothes are pretty cheap in the average store. Bottom of the rung being Primark which could give a local Thai market a good run for its money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anonymouse Posted July 31, 2009 Share Posted July 31, 2009 I might be wrong as I normally just visit the one DVD seller in the Night Bazaar and that's my lot but I do recall seeing a shop, not a stall selling Thai Boxing pads, gloves etc. Failing that you can buy all your equipment at the Lanna Thai boxing camp in Chiang Mai do a google search for there website. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanForbes Posted August 1, 2009 Share Posted August 1, 2009 Huh? IanForbes you apparently have not had to purchase clothes in Europe. Clothes are way cheaper here than in Europe or America. I can't say about Canada since the last time I was there was 1975. But if you shop at Central or Robinsons then of course prices are high. I love shopping for clothes or shoes in Thailand because they are dirt cheap! I can't speak for the UK, but I do know that when I comparison shop for similar clothing I like it seems I can buy goods in Walmart and other discount stores in America for similar or lower prices than Thailand. Much of the stuff is made in China in any case. I prefer plain cotton shirts with large breast pockets for my glasses etc. I get them at Walmart for $12 to $15. The brand of shirts I like in Thailand is "Camel" and they cost me from 400 baht to 650 baht. The same with jeans and shorts if I don't insist on brand names. They all look the same anyway. On a Wallmart sale day I got 3 pairs of long pants for one dollar each. I took them to Thailand with me and a seamstress turned them into shorts with a cargo pocket, all for 150 baht. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elektrified Posted August 1, 2009 Share Posted August 1, 2009 Huh? IanForbes you apparently have not had to purchase clothes in Europe. Clothes are way cheaper here than in Europe or America. I can't say about Canada since the last time I was there was 1975. But if you shop at Central or Robinsons then of course prices are high. I love shopping for clothes or shoes in Thailand because they are dirt cheap! I can't speak for the UK, but I do know that when I comparison shop for similar clothing I like it seems I can buy goods in Walmart and other discount stores in America for similar or lower prices than Thailand. Much of the stuff is made in China in any case. I prefer plain cotton shirts with large breast pockets for my glasses etc. I get them at Walmart for $12 to $15. The brand of shirts I like in Thailand is "Camel" and they cost me from 400 baht to 650 baht. The same with jeans and shorts if I don't insist on brand names. They all look the same anyway. On a Wallmart sale day I got 3 pairs of long pants for one dollar each. I took them to Thailand with me and a seamstress turned them into shorts with a cargo pocket, all for 150 baht. Pants for one Canadian Dollar each? Hard to imagine how they make any money.... Any way you might try the "Export Shop" next time you go shopping. They have branches in Kad Suan Kaew and Airport Plaza. They have all the name brands that are popular in North America and Europe. Some have the tags cut out. Most nice cotton shirts (I don't know about Camel brand) are about 300 Baht. They have a huge selection to choose from. They have endless choices of cargo pants, shorts, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeaceBlondie Posted August 1, 2009 Share Posted August 1, 2009 my Walmart backpack died a few weeks ago - less than US$20 with sales tax, bought in early 2002 and used daily. my friends from Shanghai say chinese shirts are cheaper in USA Walmart. after living here I found a shirt and blouse shop at the Wat Harinphunchai compound for Lanna stuff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmsally Posted August 1, 2009 Share Posted August 1, 2009 As for one specific example - my friend bought a shirt in BKK for 600 BT Went shopping in UK and found exactly the same (same label too) for 4 pounds (just over 200 BT). Now both of these shirts same brand/label and made in Cambodia. Try and figure that one out. We are supposing that the one in BKK was exported to UK and then sent out to Thailand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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