There are many shopping areas in Bangkok. These include: Silom, Siam Square, Ratchadamri, Pratunam, Ploenchit and Bang Lamphu. The main markets include Chatuchak Weekend Market, Nailert Market, Pratunam Market, Banglamphu Market and areas around Chinatown.

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Siam Square is a good place to start. It is conveniently located at Central Station on the BTS Sky Train route. There are hundreds of small shops at street level scattered aroud a maze of lanes, but if you like air-conditioned shopping then walk straight into Siam Center from the main concourse. Next door to this and connected by an enclosed walkway is Siam Discovery Center. These two shopping centers have many up-market brand label shops. But, you will also find here the large Tower Records for music lovers and Asia Books for people looking for a good read. On the top floor of Siam Discovery Center there is a cinema complex with some of the most comfortable seats to be found in the world. After a hard days shopping, relax and lie down as you watch a movie!

Another favourite in this area is Mahboonkrong (MBK) shopping center. It will take only 10 minutes to walk there from Siam Square or alternatively one stop on the BTS Sky Train to the National Stadium station. From here you can walk straight into the Tokyu department store without going down to street level. We usually walk straight through here and out into the heart of MBK. Here you will find literally hundreds of smaller shops and stalls, selling many goods at bargain prices. You will find many things here from clothes to electronics.

Just one stop eastbound to the Chit Lom BTS Sky Train station you will find another collection of department stores and shopping centres. The largest is the eight floors of the World Trade Center. As well as hundreds of smaller shops it also houses ZEN, Isetan and Thailand Duty Free shops. On the top floor there is an ice skating rink and movie theatres. Closer to the Sky Train station is Central Chit Lom Department Store. This is the flagship store of the Central Group and is very large. Other shopping centers within walking distance from here include Sogo, Maneya Centre, Gaysorn Plaza, Narayana Phand (handicrafts) and a little further away down Ratchadamri Road is Peninsula Plaza.

A short tuk tuk or taxi ride away is the large Pantip Plaza on Phetburi Road. This is computer heaven for many people coming to Thailand. Hundreds of shops on every floor sell hardware and software, both originals and pirated. Many people go there to buy copy software and VCD movies for as little as 100 baht.

Continuing eastbound on the Sky Train along Ploenchit Road and Sukhumvit Road there are a number of small shops and larger shopping centers. These include Ploenchit Plaza, Robinson, Landmark, Times Square and Emporium.

South of the Siam Sqaure area is Silom Road which is also partly served by the BTS Sky Train route. Starting at the Lumphini Park end, there are Robinson and Central department stores, Charn Issara, Patpong Night Market, Thaniya Plaza, Silom Center, Silom Plaza, Silom Village, another Central department store and Holiday Inn Crown Plaza.

Sooner or later most people head for Chatuchak Weekend Market. This is convienently located at Mo Chit BTS Sky Train station. This is a massive outdoor market selling practically everything you can think of from handicraft to livestock. There are over 8000 vendors and up to 200,000 people visit a day. We find it hot and tiring but many people spend all day there. Maps of the market can be bought at book shops such as Asia Books.