Patong Beach Shopping
Patong Beach transforms into a large night bazaar every evening, when all the main roads become clogged with stalls selling handicrafts, silk scarves, sarongs and a variety of beach clothes, leisure wear, leather goods and luggage, CDs, computer games and electronic gadgets and toys.
It's chaotic but fun if you approach it with the right attitude -- just remember that bargaining yields the best results when done lightheartedly and with a smile. Most of the shopping here is aimed at the tourist market, so prices are a bit higher than they are in Phuket City.
Patong Beach
The main night market stretches all the way down the beach road and into small secondary soi (lanes) on all nights of the week. In front of the Paradise Complex, another market sets up 2-3 nights a week, in high season, usually Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Lots of stuff aimed at the teenage market - recycled jeans, funky shoes and clothes, but also Thai sweets, orchids, ornaments and hair accessories. Set-up time is usually around 6-7pm until late and remember to bargain!
Bangla Shopping in Patong Beach
Another market, selling much of the same types of goods plus One Tambon, One Product (OTOP) items, is just down the road behind the Holiday Inn. OTOP is a national program that encourages self-sufficiency in Thai villages through the development of small-scale manufacturing and design businesses. A range of high-quality and beautiful new products have emerged from this initiative, so look for the OTOP logo at shops and retail centres all over Phuket.
Seeka in Patong Beach
For souvenirs, crafts, luggage, tailor made clothes, sportswear and jewellery there are lots of small shops open during the day - but don't go shopping until after 11am, they're not usually open until late morning. Specialty stores such as Rosewood Lamps & Seeka are great places to browse for unique, well-made items. Although the tailors can make garments from magazine photographs, for best results, it's best to take an item to copy.
On the way out of Patong, on Rat-U-Thit Rd (at the back) heading towards Karon and Kata beach, is a selection of furniture stores, art galleries and artifact shops.
Ocean Plaza and Ocean Bangla Shopping Center
The two Ocean Plaza department stores in Patong, one on the south end of the beach road and the other on Bangla Rd, are good spots to escape the heat while shopping. The Bangla Ocean also has a bowling alley to keep the kids occupied. For snacks and travel essentials, there are several small supermarkets, 7-Elevens and drugstores including Boots and Watson's along all the main roads. (Read more...)
Jungceylon
Jungceylon is a monster of a shopping centre. It contains just about everything that shoppers could conceivably need and is a must-do if you're a bargain hunter. Situated on Rat-U-Thit Rd. diagonally opposite the eastern end of Soi Bangla, you simply can't miss it. The two main stores in the complex are Robinson and Carrefour. The almost 200 other stores in this new shopping heaven sell brand name clothes, spectacles, sunglasses, colognes and perfumes, shoes, DVD-CD-VCD's, computer games, electrical goods, pewter, gold and silver, sportswear and goods amongst myriad other items. . (Read more...)
Kata & Karon Beach Shopping
Kata Beach Shopping
Kata Beach lies south of Patong on Phuket's west coast. The shopping area stands back from the beach. Kata offers quite a varied selection of shopping opportunities for visitors and, although somewhat sleepy during the day (everyone's on the beach), many souvenir shops open in the early afternoon and shop owners are there to barter with until late at night. Kata offers two distinct shopping areas:
Northern Kata
Starting opposite Marina Phuket Resort and going up the main street, you will find souvenirs, handicrafts, valises and travel bags (check out the shops opposite Marina Phuket Resort for this particular item) and sports T-shirts as well as fake this-and-that goods, including DVD's and CD's.
Kata Beach is superior to Karon Beach when it comes to relaxed shopping, in that it is more compact and the atmosphere here is less seedy. Walking around is less arduous in the 'helloooo-you-wan'-massage?' department. Still, people seeking a tailor-made suit should be in seventh heaven around here. People looking for good imitation paintings - from tacky and teary Pierrots to Andy Warhol copies won't be disappointed as these items are to be found opposite Marina Phuket Resort.
The main street
The main street itself in the central part of Kata has stands offering the usual tourist standard fare of imitation goods and souvenir handicraft wares but one particular shop commands the attention. It is full of the usual curios; silk cushion covers, wooden games and unusual monster creations made out of used motorcycle parts. The shop has no name but it is to be found 100 metres from the T-junction with the Beach Rd., on the right-hand side of Kata's main street.
Further up is 'Sawasdee', a shop featuring superior souvenirs, clothes and nick-nacks. On both sides of the T-junction you will find two decent shoe shops with a wide variety of styles, from high heels to sneakers to beach wear. There are also two supermarkets here.
Southern Kata : Shopping in Kata Beach
This area is from Kata Beach Resort to Mom Tri's Boathouse Wine & Grill, around the corner. Opposite Kata Beach Resort is an Adidas shop offering knockdown prices. The shop closes at 11 at night so there's plenty of time to browse there.
There are opticians here and some of the brands on offer at knock down prices are Rodenstock, Polaroid, Versace, and Silhouette. If you're into hippy beads and paraphernalia a store selling just that stands on the corner of the street leading to Sugar Palm Resort. The two streets near the Adidas shop (Soi Option 1 and Soi Option 2) contain a wealth of goods.
Here, in a small area, you will find the largest range of merchandise in Kata. There is an attractive handbag, wallet and jewelry store, several tailors, stands selling sunglasses, hats, beachwear, beach toys, souvenirs, copied name brand sports shoes, costume jewelry, suitcases, travel bags and even blue jeans.
In short, there is no need to wander around covering a long distance; this area has it all. If you like a beach read, the Pop Mart next to the Adidas shop has a large selection of up-to-date international newspapers.
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Phuket Town Shopping
Shopaholics and bargain hunters should not miss Phuket City. The historical downtown area, 'Old Phuket', has some of the most interesting shops for traditional Thai crafts and textiles, as well as antiques, clothing and souvenirs -- with the beautifully restored Sino-Portuguese buildings and exotic sights and smells, the busy streets are a fascinating place for a stroll.
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Night Markets
The best finds are found along Yaowarat, Dibuk, Thalang, Phang Nga and Rassada roads -- good places to satisfy your hunger too, with everything from basic noodle shops to trendy Thai cafes to classy Italian restaurants lining the streets. High-quality shops with collectables, art and antiques such as Baan Boran and Soul of Asia are among the highlights of a shopping tour here.
Dining at the Night Markets
Ranong Rd has a colourful early morning and night market, selling mostly fruit, vegetables and fresh meat -- you might not find much to buy but it's fun to see a lively Thai market in action. There are also a few little Chinese-style Mom and Pop shops loaded to the brim with all sorts of cheap household items such as baskets and brooms, as well as some inexpensive vegetarian restaurants near the Jui Tui Chinese shrine.
Robinson Department Store
Robinsons and Ocean department stores, just a few minutes from 'Old Phuket' on Tilok-U-Thit 1 Rd, have a good mix of name brand and handicraft shops, plus numerous stalls selling bargain clothing and shoes. Next to Robinsons, a fresh food market sets up every evening -- a great place to take in the sights and smells of a real Thai market even if you're not inclined to eat there.
Robinson Department Store
The bypass road, just outside of the city, is the place to go for shopping in air-conditioned comfort in Central Festival department store, Big C Supercentre or Tesco-Lotus Supercentre -- all of these noisy and very busy shopping centres feature large supermarkets, drugstores, electronics outlets, local handicrafts, name brand and bargain clothing shops, bookstores, fast food restaurants and specialty shops. Central Festival also has a movie multiplex that shows English-language films daily.
Chatuchak Phuket, a weekend market modelled after the famous bazaar in Bangkok, has sprung up along Phang Nga Rd, near the long-haul bus terminal. All kinds of clothing, shoes, knick-knacks, jewellery, live fish, plants and more, plus offerings of fresh and tasty local food, are found in the many stalls lining the market. Best to go in the evening to avoid the heat.
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