Shopping in Pattaya

Pattaya has a fabulous range of shops and markets catering for all tastes. From the very expensive to the incredibly cheap (particularly by Western standards), you can find it all here. While the quality of some of the goods can vary greatly from stall to stall and shop to shop, even those who usually hate shopping will find a bargain here. It’s pretty difficult to leave Pattaya without some extra luggage, whether you’re looking for local handicrafts, precious gems or just a fake Rolex to show off at home. Remember, however, that you get what you pay for and the quality of goods here is far lower than you would expect at home. Money-back guarantee is a vague concept, so check the goods thoroughly first and avoid buying the cheapest models.

Plenty of night vendors offer relaxing shopping in among the bars Pattaya’s geography as a seaside resort makes shopping particularly easy for visitor and ex-pat alike. Most of the tourist type shops are located on Beach Road or the parallel Second Road, and on the many sois (lanes) in between, particularly in South and Central Pattaya. Here you will find bewildering displays of local handicrafts, ceramics, carving, Buddhist art, clothing for all tastes and the occasional real antique. But be prepared to bargain, particularly in the tourist areas where the opening gambit is always several times more than you should be paying.

Running the entire block between Beach Road and Second Road are Mikes Shopping Mall, next to Soi 11, and Royal Garden Plaza, between Soi Post Office and Soi Pattayaland (Soi 13/1), which both have free toilets and air-conditioning. Here you’ll find a mixture of traditional craftwear, fashionable labels, clothes shops, an English bookshop, internet caf?, camera stores, endless mobile phone vendors, and even a Boots pharmacy. Be warned however, bus tours from Taiwan, China, Korea and Japan deluge the place from 7 pm until about 10 pm.

Regardless of what you are shopping for, Thailand is very cheap, and this includes clothing, electronic goods and general household items, which is why the shopping malls are tourist attractions themselves. Big C is a large mall opposite Soi 3 on Second Road and consists of four air-conditioned floors with a Multiscreen cinema, large supermarket downstairs (catering for Thai and foreign customers) and a large retail area with everything from the latest TVs to some very reasonably priced designer clothing. The rest of the complex is full of small and large shops and stalls full of clothes, cameras, mobile phones, handicrafts of all types, printers, pictures, good restaurants and pretty much everything ‘buyable’. It’s open until 11.00 pm.

Thais love to shop too! Walking Street, more famous as the ‘International Meeting Place’ at night, transforms during the day to a quiet street with some very expensive shops catering for the more discerning antique lover, and has some really lovely up-market establishments full of exquisitely carved jade, Buddha statues, high class jewellers, delicate wooden ship models and more gold.

If you thought of overhauling your business wardrobe, then Thailand is your answer, and you can get a tailor-made suit made up in less than 24 hours for knock-down prices. While the quality does vary, some of the best (and more expensive) tailors can be found in Walking Street, and there are also some very good tailors on Beach Road and Second Road, South Pattaya. They can make almost any style (even the famous labels) and offer a wide range of fabrics to choose from. Tailors here usually promote a set which includes three suits, and a couple of tailored silk shirts, plus ties thrown in for as little as $250. Thai silk is not only good quality but comparatively cheap. Thais are superb craftsmen, and this applies to clothes just as much as the more traditional skills. These tailors certainly are good value and able to replicate any famous label design (chosen from a catalogue) within 24 hours. Don’t forget to bargain hard!

In Pattaya you’re rarely more than a hundred metres from a 7-11. There are 93 of them here and more opening every day. This is convenient for grabbing a few beers for the beach, changing that 1000 baht note or picking up a quick snack.

The further you get away from the beach, the more you enter the real Thai community and the shops reflect this. Gift shops are replaced by gold shops, fake watch stalls replaced by dentists and cosmetic surgery clinics, McDonalds by 20 baht noodle shops and stalls, go-go bars by karaoke eateries, and 7-11s by real supermarkets, particularly once you reach Sukhumvit. Further away from the tourist area are the large department stores such as Big C and Tesco-Lotus, which are very useful for long staying residents who need to stock up for their apartments and like to find some Western familiarity.

If you’re staying in Naklua or Jomtien, you will probably find that South and Central Pattaya have the best shopping.