Thailand is a shopahlic’s paradise! Thailand’s key cities are home to large malls as well as local street markets, night markets and floating markets. You will never be far from a crowded market to burn your baht. With an extensive choice of souvenirs, be sure to have enough time on hand and don’t forget to act like an unabashed bargain hunter with a smile.
Shopping in Thailand can be tricky and exhausting, but there are some hot favourite souvenirs that foreign travellers to Thailand remain most interested in buying.
Let’s start with the safest bet. Thai silk is extremely popular with tourists. It is sold all over the country and is rather inexpensive. And of course, it is incredibly easy to carry. You can go for silk clothing, scarves or fabric purses. Jim Thompson House, a hugely popular tourist destination in Bangkok, is a good place to buy high quality silk in Thailand.
Take home with you the amazing taste of Thailand; buy some Thai curry paste packets and impress your friends and family back home by preparing yummy Thai curries. Available at all supermarkets these are easy to use and are light on pockets.
Thai silverware has always been in great demand in Europe. The making of the silverware is an ancient art in the country. Moreover, silver jewellery can be a wonderful gift for friends and family. Chiang Mai, in northern Thailand, is quite famous for its silverware and has several authentic silver shops.
Elephant is a major symbol of Thailand which, according to the locals, brings good luck. You can find the elephant figurines and paintings in hundreds of forms and sizes and on all kinds of items; they are carved in the wood, printed on fabric, embossed on bags and so on. But perhaps the most interesting souvenir of them all would be a painting done by an elephant artist! Much as it may surprise you, there are places in Thailand where elephants are trained to paint and these paintings make great pieces of souvenirs and gifts.
