Shopaholic in Bangkok #2: Cheap & Chic

I have promised to write about this blog some time back, but never got to it. I was into this topic so much that I went to Suan Lum Night Bazaar and took pictures to post on the blog. So let’s get to it, shall we?

Before getting into the what and the where, I want to start with the how. Here are some tips for shopping cheap and chic in Bangkok. You should dress appropriately. Let’s say you make a promise to have a girls-day-out shopping at Suan Lum Night Bazaar or Platinum Mall or Jatujak, you’d better get into the right kind of gear. Wear a fitting tank top and a skirt, so that you can try clothes on easily. A skirt is convenient for you to try on shorts, or jeans, or other skirts. Shoes? Up to you. If you’re the kind that gets tired easily, then wear something comfortable. But my reco is to wear something you usually wear, a bit of heels don’t hurt. Coz you want to know how you look exactly when you try on clothes. Remember that in these places, dressing room is hard to find. At most they might have a long cloth for you to change, but nothing more than that.

What else? Tie up your hair. Don’t forget how humid it gets at Jatujak. You don’t want to sweat like a pig. Also, bring a nice cloth bag to put the stuff you buy. The world is getting warmer and we, shopaholic chic, shouldn’t take so many plastic bags that we will throw away once we get home. For those who are extra cautious, you might want to put only the necessities into the bag, you know, so that you don’t necessarily carry too much stuff. They can weigh you down and make your shopping less fun. Don’t bring your wallet. Just bring cash and an ATM card. Many pick-pocketters are out there trying to take your wallets. Bring a small bottle of mineral water spray to refresh yourself, a pack of cleansing wipe which becomes handy when your hands get dirty, and you are ready to go!

Now let’s do the where and what. Let’s start with Suan Lum Night Bazaar. What’s good there? Suan Lum is the mix of everything. You’ll find clothes some up-and-coming designers who don’t have other outlets but here. You’ll find some few shops with designer clothes that flew from China or Vietnam. You’ll find some few shops with clothes taken from other wholesale markets like Bobae or Pratunum. You’ll find some accessories shops, ranging from hand-made, taken from wholesale markets, second-handed, etc. You’ll also find many other things like home furniture, souvenirs, CDs, DVDs, etc, getting in your way of shopping fashionistically. So be patient. My reco is to stick with only 2 zones, no need to go everywhere. Just stick to Lopburi and Ayuthaya. My picks are:-

1) Lopburi soi 1, 2, 3: you’ll find interesting stuff all the way. You’ll find original design of tops, shorts, pants, and dresses.













2) Do stop at the corner shop of Lopburi Soi 1 (D401). They have a nice rack of eclectic tops and dresses. If you get something from this shop, you’re pretty sure you won’t bump into someone wearing the same thing. The price is nice too. Tops are under 700B, and dresses under 1,400B.













3) Another stop is D397, same soi. The owner has taste. Great choice of designer clothes ranging from Chloe, Jill Sander, and the likes. Dresses, tops and some accessories.











4) At another end opposite Ayuthaya is my friend’s shop: Head-to-toe. Here, you’ll find exotic clothes from India, Korea, and wherever she gets a chance to fly to. Again, one-of-a-kind dress. But you should have a nice body coz not all pieces are body-tucking.















5) My new favorite, D457, the Palette. This little shop is full of goodies! I talked to the owner and she told me that she orders clothes from online, mostly from Korea. So you won’t find them anywhere else. The materials are great, and the cutting is absolutely wonderful. You find great colors and style too. Check this vintage-look yellow dress number (that I almost got). And check this all-over embroider emperor-waist dress I got. It’s a made-from-Soda-look (without actually copying from Soda) at less than 1000 B.










6) Stop at two great earring shops, which I can’t tell you where exactly. They are in soi 3-5 of Lopburi, closer to Ayuthaya end. You’ll know when you are there. The earrings are priced around 50 – 100 B/pair and looking absolutely fabulous. At P’ Golf’s, things are a bit dressier. His stuffs also are available at Paragon at double price. So just buy as many pairs as you want. They’re worth the money.

7) Once you are done with Lopburi, cross the street to Ayuthaya, and go directly to Ayuthaya Soi 5. You’ll find P’ Top’s shop. P’ Top’s shop is full of clothes she daily collects from all over the places. Here you have to use your skill to really dig to find the right pieces. Coz they are so many! You’ll find everything here, the tops, bottoms, dresses, and accessories at the prices so cheap you can’t believe it. But of course, you won’t expect chiffon or silk material, will you? Aside from the clothes, check the CD shop next door. They’ve got nice little collection of cool jazz, bossa, soul, funky, and rock CDs that you’ll probably spend more than at P’ Top’s.

That’s my picks of Suan Lum Night Bazaar. Hmm, actually it’s much more fun writing with pictures. OK, next stop, I’ll do a thorough search of Thai Airways Market and the complicated Jatujak and write about it. For sure it will be much longer since there are so many great shops there. Oh, about the time you should slot for your shopping? At Suan Lum, slot about 2.30 hrs post dinner. Start around 7.30 to 10 would be my reco.