Saturday, September 4th, 2010•Pattaya, Thailand
Just about anything you can get in Thiland you can find in Pattaya, from traditional handicraft products to Western brand-name merchandise, from amazingly inexpensive garments to the very finest gems and jewelry. Open-air night market, air conditioned malls, street stalls, supermarkets and speciallized stores make Pattaya a veritable paradis for local and visiting shoppers. Most shopping is locl and visiting shoppers. Most shopping is concentrated in Pattaya itself, especially the strip at concentrated in Pattaya itself, especially the strip at South Pattaya and the Walking Street area although most cut-price hypermalls and discount centers are further out along Sukhumvit Road.
Generally, bargaining is expected except in shopping malls and convenience stores. Be aware that in tourist areas, quoted prices may be double the actual price. After bargaining you should be able to settle for 10-40 percent less than the initial asking price. Smiling and keeping cool helps a lot. Beware of touts who will happily rip you off if you let them. Use credit cards for payment only in reputable “well-known” stores, where there is usually no handling charge. Remeber that you cannot take Buddha images and certain antique items out of the country without a permit from the Department of Fine Arts.
The tourist-type shops are mainly located on Beach Road, 2nd Road and the small lanes linking the two. These stalls are among the best places to pick up locally produced clothes, carved products, local art, Thai handicrafts and souvenirs. During the daytime, Pattaya’s famed Walking Street is also a magnet for shoppers with antique shops, jewelers and gold retailers, and tailors which can put together a complete wardrobe of closthes at a fraction of the cost overseas and is double-quick time, usually within a day. Thailand’s famous silk and silk garments are also available in shops in this area.
Recent years have seen an explosions in the number of shopping malls and hypermarkets in Pattaya as the city steps up efforts to cater to the large number of expatriates, tourists and new-generation Thais. Malls are of course great places to get out of the heat and relax in a coffee shop or brand-name restaurant. Pattaya’s shopping malls generally include a supermarket section (usually in the basement), food center and several have the latest multiplex cinemas on the top floors showing Western movies with Thai and English soundtracks. Unlike at home, malls here usually stay open late till aound 11:00 pm. Bargaining is not an option.
Mike Department Store and Mike Shopping, both located on the stretch between Beach Road and Pattaya 2nd Road, retail clothing and items for the home. These malls are on the Asian tour-bus shopping route (be warned). Tel. 038 423523-4 and 038 412000-10.
Royal Garden Plaza between Beach Road and 2nd Road and next to the Royal Garden Hotel, is a long, 3-storey air-con complex in South Pattaya, with underground parking and all the international brand name shops you would expect to see in any big city. A large concentration of franchise restaurants can be found here, including Starbucks, Au Bon Pain, Sizzler, Dairy Queen and all the usual fast-food outlets and ice-crem parlours. Food center, SF Multiplex cinemas and a Ripley’s Believe it or Not Museum are located on the 3rd floor. In the evenings the top-floor food outlets with outdoor eating areas offer a great view over Pattaya Bay with cooling sea breezes. Tel. 038 710287.
The Avenue, on 2nd Road, South Pattaya, is one of Pattaya’s newest and trendiest shopping centers, set up in a modern “Soi Thonglor” style and reflecting Pattaya’s new image. Here you can find a Blo-O 22-lane bowling alley and karaoke club, multiplex cinema, California Wow! fitness center, and outdoor beer garden. Many upscale international franchise shops and restaurants are located here. The new-look McCafe is perhps Thailand’s most impressive McDonalds outlet. Villa Supermarket supplies those hard-to-find imported items that you so miss.
Central Festival (Big C), Pattaya 2nd Road, Central Pattaya, is a sprawling mall based around a Big C “cut-price” supermarket, smaller boutique-style shops and fast-food restaurants, with a cinema, outdoor festival area and large parking lot. This air-con mall is a very popular meeting spot for Thais and visitors alike. Tel. 038 361443, 038 361445.
Outlet Mall and nearby Outlet Village on Sukhumvit Road, South Pattaya, offer locally produced genuine brand-name items such as Adidas, Nike, Esprit, etc., at factory prices. Very popular among visiting Thais. Tel. 038 427764-7.
Tukcom, South Pattaya Road, is Pattaya’s IT center retailing everything electronic – cameras, phones, computer gear, etc. Also has Tops market and food center. Tel. 038 724162-2.
Pattaya Basa Shopping Center, on the corner of North Pattaya and Pattaya 2nd Roads retails a range of Thai handicrafts and homeware items.
Ruen Thai OTOP Pattaya, on North Road, is a spacious shopping mall selling OTOP goods (One Tambon One Product).
Several other hypermarkets and supermarkets can be found around Pattaya including Foodland on Pattaya Central Road, two brances of Tesco Lotous, two Big C Supercenter, Carrefour on Central Road and also a Robinson Department Store and Laem Thong I Department Store at nearby Sri Racha. Another large shopping center is under construction between Sois 9 and 10.
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