Pattaya Shopping Guide & Shopping Directory

Shopping In Pattaya

Pattaya Shopping Directory A-Z

Second next to Bangkok, Pattaya is probably Thailand's premier destination for shopping "fanatics". As Thailand-experienced tourists know, it is possible to board an airplane to Bangkok without literally any luggage except for your passport and some cash, traveller cheques or credit-cards. They know that whatever item they might fancy, or expect to be in need of during their stay, can be found anywhere along Pattaya Beach at a much cheaper price than
in their home countries.
From contact lenses to a set of shining new teeth, from precious gemstones to fake Rolex watches or plastic Ray Ban sunglasses, from fake designer or football shirts to tailor-made cashmere suits and original brand-name clothes at wholesale prices - Pattaya's simply got it all!
Except for the local markets and large shopping malls, the best shopping opportunities can be found along Pattaya Beach and Second Road. These areas are packed with hundreds of small tourist-oriented shops and street side stalls that offer such various items as Thai handicrafts, copy CDs and DVDs, fashion jewellery, souvenirs, cheap clothing "made in China" and all sorts of counterfeit goods. Furthermore there is an ever increasing number
of opticians, drugstores, pharmacies and dentists, art galleries, Thai gold
and tailor shops, run by immigrants from the Indian subcontinent.
Being used to foreign tourists, most vendors speak some basic English (or at least a few business-typical phrases) and are equipped with calculators - the perfect medium for negotiations. Except for when shopping in non-private run stores that have price tags attached to their articles, it is always possible to bargain.
Shopping is a favourite pastime both for tourists and residents, Farangs and Thais alike, and whereas it's easy to go on a Pattaya holiday without literally any luggage except for one's air ticket, passport and some cash, it's almost impossible to depart from here without some additional luggage. By the way: no need to worry if your suitcase should not be large enough to contain your complete collection of newly purchased souvenirs - just add an extra suitcase to your shopping list!

Be warned, however. Even when sunbathing and snoozing on the beach or when slurping a bottle of liquid amber in one of Pattaya's open-air beer bars you're not protected from beach and street vendors who will basically try to sell you anything - from copy watches and leather belts, porn DVDs, flowers and pseudo-handicrafts made in China to culinary delicacies such as deep-fried crunchy grasshoppers!
Whereas the opportunity to buy a brand-new pair of high-heels or a fake D&G handbag (paid for by their temporary "boyfriends") may be handy for the local bar girls, their constant "Hello my friend, only looking!!" and the penetrant to aggressive behaviour displayed by some street vendors can certainly become annoying on the long run when you're just looking for a quiet afternoon on the beach or a relaxed drinking session.
I remember a certain evening at a beer bar on Pattaya Soi 8 when I equipped myself with a piece of paper and a pen and made a classified list of all street vendors who approached me within the ten minutes of my experiment. It was about eight or nine in the evening - prime time for Soi 8 during high season. Now I can't remember the exact figures for copy watches, flowers, crocodile leather belts or whatsoever was offered to me but the total number of street vendors I counted was nineteen! That's an average of two per minute! Oh my Buddha!
"Mai ao krab" ("my-ow-cup") for "No, thanks" is quite a useful Thai phrase that you should quickly learn and remember in order to repress such street vendor terror before it gets totally out of hand. For more useful Thai prases please click here.
Of course all these (illegal) beach and street vendors have come to Pattaya to make a living and they're all struggling to survive, furthermore, selling low-
quality (and often overpriced) items which no-one really wants is better than robbing tourists at night in order to finance one's drug addiction!
Then again, no tourist can buy everything! You should point out clearly (yet
in a polite manner) when you're really not interested in yet another bunch of roses for "your lady" or another fake "Rolex" watch. As much as you might enjoy your Pattaya shopping experience - do not start wasting your money away on useless items you won't even take back home just because you've been talked into it. Have another beer instead! Cheers!

Pattaya Shopping Directory A-Z

Art Galleries

Many art galleries can be found along Pratamnak Road in South Pattaya or in other major tourist areas. Typically they don't offer only original paintings but also reproduce famous masterpieces or turn your favourite photograph or personal portrait into a notable original piece of art. Local artists provide good quality paintings at extremely moderate prices. Great personal souvenir!

Bali Hai Plaza

New shopping complex at Bali Hai Pier (Southern end of Walking Street), features a "Fashion Factory Outlet" and shops with brand-name clothing at "special prices". Future will show whether this newly opened mall will be a success or a commercial desaster? www.balihaiplaza.com

Bookshops

Unfortunately, in comparison to Bangkok there isn't a large choice of quality bookshops in Pattaya, most of them will cater for your average tourist needs, however, and provide you with travel guides, maps, Thailand-themed books, magazines a.s.o. For a wide selection of English-language books published in Thailand please visit DCO Thailand Online Bookshop.

Bookazine
outlets can be found all over town (Central Festival Center, Royal Garden Plaza, Carrefour, Dongtan beach/ Jomtien, Bangkok Pattaya hospital).
D.K. (Duang Kamol) Book Store
Pattaya Soi 13/2 (Soi Post Office)
Pattaya Klang/ Central pattaya Road
Pattaya Beach Books
P.S. Plaza (Tops), Pattaya Klang/ 2nd Road corner
Se-Ed Book Center
Carrefour, Tesco Lotus (South Pattaya), Tukcom

Carrefour

Pattaya Klang/ Central Pattaya Road.
Opened in 2004, Carrefour is well established as one of Pattaya's best department stores now with a variety of imported high-quality products in their supermarket section, many reasonably priced Carrefour own-brand items and a highly recommended butcher department.
Apart from the department store Carrefour complex features a "Home Pro" home improvement store, an inexpensive food court, plenty of restaurants and retail shops and stalls.

Central Festival Center/ Big C

Located on Pattaya Second Road across from the Soi 2 beer bar complex, "Central Festival Center" is one of Pattaya's most popular shopping centres and features a two-storey "Big C Supercenter" department store, cinemas, boutiques, retail shops and stalls, fast food restaurants, banks/ currency exchange, a video games area and an IT corner with mobile phones and accessories.
Large open area for concerts, public shows and special events.

Department Stores

Big C Supercenter
- Central Festival Center, Pattaya Second Road
- Sukhumvit Road, around the corner from Pattaya Tai Road
www.bigc.co.th
Carrefour
Pattaya Klang/ Central Pattaya Road.
Modern City Department Store
Next to Mike's Shopping Mall between Pattaya Beach and Second Road
Tesco Lotus
- Pattaya Nua/ North Pattaya Road
- Sukhumvit Road, around the corner from Thepprasit Road

Lukdod Shop

Lukdod shop on Soi Yume in North Pattaya (209/10 Moo 6, near the junction with Pattaya Nua Road and not from Pattaya's main bus terminal) advertises as Pattaya's largest "souvenir" shop. But Lukdod Shop is more than just the average Thai souvenir shop you will find in the main tourist areas. Apart from souvenirs Lukdod Shop features a wide range of locally made products such as wooden handicrafts, home decoration items, antique-style furniture, Thai silk articles and basically anything that street vendors will offer you at much higher prices. Many products can be ordered online from their website. On request Lukdod Shop will export all purchased articles to any country worldwide.

Made In Thailand Market

This roof-covered permanent tourist market, located on Pattaya Second Road roughly between the junctions with Soi Honey and Soi 9, is a conglomerate of independent shopping stalls along two steaming narrow passageways and specializes in clothing, household and souvenir-style items. Apart from a few tailor shops this is the place to go when you're looking for shirts with Pattaya or Thailand related logos (for example, "Good guys go to heaven, bad guys go to Pattaya") or fake designer clothing in sizes that suit Farangs as well. Bargaining is a must here and vendors will readily produce their calculators.

Traditional Thai Markets

Apart from the larger and most popular Thai-style markets listed on this page there are several smaller markets all over Pattaya and Jomtien Beach which offer both food and non-food items. They are not as "tourist-oriented" as the larger upscale shopping malls and cater predominantly to Thais. The typical Pattaya-style market is an open-air conglomerate of small stalls that feature a variety of domestically produced inexpensive products such as household items, clothing, DVDs or mobile phone accessories. When shopping for non-food items bargaining is a definite must, especially when purchasing a larger quantity of goods at the same stall. Some basic knowledge of Thai language or shopping related phrases (e.g. "paeng" = expensive, "Lot dai mai?" when asking for beating down the price) can be helpful.
By the way: "talaat" is Thai for "market".

Mike's Shopping Mall

This old five-storey shopping mall/ department store with a food court on the top floor and a public swimming pool on the rooftop is located between South Pattaya Beach Road and Second Road and is opened daily from 11h to 23h. Apart from the department store Mike features mainly small retail shops and "bazaar stalls" that offer souvenir-style items, fabrics and clothing. To quote from Mike's own website, "there are over 200 brand name shop with the best price". Well, bargaining is definitely possible at Mike's, and 500 Baht or so for a Diesel Jeans is really extremely cheap, isn't it? However, go and find out for yourself what the brand name owners might think about these offers!Next to Mike's Shopping Mall you can find Modern City department store.

Naklua Sunday Market

Along with the Thepprasit Nightmarket this is Pattaya's biggest Thai-style open-air market and is held every Sunday. Located on Sawang Fa Road in Naklua (between Pattaya-Naklua Road and Sukhumvit highway) this market
is extremely popular especially with foreign residents of North Pattaya.

Outlet Mall

Located next to Tesco Lotus on Sukhumvit Road (around the corner from Thepprasit Road at Jomtien) the Outlet Mall features original brand-name clothing at discount prices.

P.S. Plaza

P.S. Plaza, located at the junction of Pattaya Klang and Second Road, features Tops Supermarket, various restaurants, retail shops and stalls, a pool and snooker hall and P.S. Bowling on the top floor.

Royal Garden Plaza

This large air-conditioned three-storey shopping mall, next to the Marriott Resort & Spa between Pattaya Beach and Second Road, features both upscale shops with international brand-name articles (e.g. Adidas, Nike, Boots Pharmacy) and smaller souvenir and Thai handicraft stalls along the central corridors. Whereas on the ground floor there are numerous outlets of world-famous fast food restaurant chains, the top floor features a large food court, a video game arcade, two small SF Multiplex cinemas and "Ripley's Believe It Or Not" museum.

Soi Buakhao Market

Located near the corner of Soi Buakhao and Pattaya Tai Road, this popular and usually crowded open-air market is held every Tuesday and Friday. Even if shopping isn't really your favourite pastime it can be fun to sit in one of the little restaurants and bars around the busy market that are usually packed on market days.

South Pattaya Market/ Wat Chaiyamongkol

Located on Pattaya Tai Road opposite the Wat Chaiyamongkon temple, this covered market area is open every day and features both food and non-food items such as reasonably priced quality clothing.

Supermarkets

Those who stay in Pattaya a bit longer or have decided to settle down here and get tired of dining out every day night sooner or later develop some kind of "culinary homesickness" and wonder where to buy some original French cheese, proper English breakfast sausages or German bread? No problem!
As a truly cosmopolitan city Pattaya features several international supermarkets that cater to the everyday needs of both tourists and the large local expatriate community. Apart from those listed below there must be a 7eleven or "Family Mart" convenience store (open 24/7) that meets most of your basic needs at virtually every street corner.

Best Supermarket
Near the Dolphin Roundabout on Pattaya Nua Road. Features probably Pattaya's most extensive liquors department.
Big C/ North Pattaya
Pattaya Second Road, northern section.
Big C/ South Pattaya
Sukhumvit Road, around the corner from Pattaya Tai Road.
Carrefour
Pattaya Klang/ Central Pattaya Road.
Large department store with lots of imported high-quality products, many reasonably priced Carrefour own-brand items and a highly recommended butcher department.
Foodland
Pattaya Klang/ Central Pattaya Road.
Pattaya's premier "Farang" supermarket features a variety of imported high-quality products. Good bakery and probably Pattaya's best butcher.
Foodmart
Thappraya Road/ Jomtien, in front of View Talay Condominium 1.
Good alternative for those who live in Jomtien but slightly more expensive.
Friendship Supermarket
Pattaya Tai/ South Pattaya Road.
Next to Foodland and Carrefour, this is Pattaya's most popular international supermarket with lots of imported high-quality products.
Tesco Lotus/ North Pattaya
Pattaya Nua Road/ North Pattaya
Tesco Lotus/ South Pattaya
Sukhumvit Road, around the corner from Thepprasit Road.
Tops
P.S. Plaza at the junction of Pattaya Klang and Second Road.

Tailor Shops

If you want to overhaul your business wardrobe and are looking for decently priced tailor-made suits Pattaya is probably your second best option next to Bangkok. Tailor shops specialized in custom-made ladies' and gents' fashion can be found in all main tourist areas of Pattaya and Jomtien, in many of the larger upmarket hotels and in basically every Soi. Typically they are owned and run by immigrants from the Indian subcontinent - either India, Pakistan, Bangladesh or Nepal. Most merchants have a good command of English but speak some basics or the typical tailor slang of other Western languages as well. Some of them have been in the tailor business for decades and have an extensive regular customer base. What many customers don't know, is that most of them actually aren't professional tailors but salesmen who just take the measurements whereas the actual tailoring job is done by contractors in little Thai factories. Many of them offer a "ready in 24 hours" service. Prices for a suit package may start at around 3000 Baht depending on material and style. However, it is highly recommended to insist on at least two fittings and not to go for unrealistic knock-down prices. Keep in mind that you get what you pay for - so do not expect cashmere wool when you pay for polyester!
For some useful tips and a directory of tailor shops in Pattaya please visit this insider website www.thetruthabouttailors.com.

Tesco Lotus

Two large Tesco Lotus department stores can be found on Pattaya Nua Road/ North Pattaya and on Sukhumvit Road, around the corner from Thepprasit Road at Jomtien.

Thai Gold, Gems & Jewellery Shops

Regardless of their social ranking, Thai people from all social backgrounds
are literally obsessed with Thai gold! Historically Thai gold has served as an alternative currency for centuries that could easily be traded and converted back into any real currency anytime. Even a poor rice farmer's daughter, as soon as she's earned a few Baht from pole-dancing in Pattaya's GoGo bars, would much rather adorn herself with a shining new gold necklace than save the money on her bank account. Smart girl!
Albeit gold is Thailand's premier status symbol and, of course, a shining gold necklace around a Thai girl's neck is more attractive than a five digit number in a savings account book, there are more intelligent reasons for investments in gold, which make the purchase of Thai gold items as attractive for tourists as it is for the locals.
Whereas interest rates that Thai banks pay out have been on a historically low level for years now, the Gold price has risen dramatically. Furthermore, whereas the gold price meets a world standard and doesn't differ significantly from country to country, it is mainly the low cost of craftsmanship in Thailand that makes Thai gold such a lucrative investment object. Basically you only pay for the actual product weight plus a moderate surcharge of 5 to 10% for manufacturing.
The weight unit for Thai gold is the "Baht", not to be confused with Thailand's currency. One Baht of gold corresponds to approximately 15.16 grams or 1/2 ounce. As Thai gold contains a higher percentage of gold (96.5% = 23K) it is softer and more shining than the average 18K gold popular in most Western countries.
Traditional Thai Gold and jewellery shops can be recognized by their red fronts with yellow inscriptions and are usually run by Thais of Chinese origin. They can be found anywhere in Pattaya and Naklua but predominantly along Pattaya Tai Road near Wat Chaiyamongkon market, on Pattaya Klang Road (near the junction with Second Road) and along the southernmost section of Beach road. Many of them are guarded by moonlighting police officers. They all display the daily quotations (gold price per Baht) on signboards attached to their glass fronts with specifications for buying and selling rates.
If you are seriously interested in jewellery and precious gemstones, it is highly recommended to use the services of well established jewellery shops or "Gems Gallery" on Pattaya Nua Road/ North Pattaya which advertises as one of the world's largest jewellery and gems outlets. Do not buy gemstones from street or beach vendors who might later emerge as "con artists" or put your faith in business touts who promise you incredibly cheap bargains when purchasing gems from a certain shop they recommend to you. In the best case you might just get overcharged in order to pay for their commission, in the worst case you would have wasted your money on fake gems.

Thepprasit Nightmarket

Located near the junction of Thepprasit and Sukhumvit Road and in walking distance of Tesco Lotus and Outlet Mall, this huge open-air weekend market is held every Friday, Saturday and Sunday during evening hours and features food and non-food items. Basically you can buy anything here, from clothes, fashion jewellery, counterfeit handbags and copy DVDs to leather jackets, loudspeaker systems or puppies held in cages! When you're exhausted from strolling up and down the crowded market lanes there's even a little bar that caters for your refreshment needs or you can enjoy an inexpensive Thai meal or noodle soup at one of the numerous food stalls.

Tukcom

Located on Pattaya Tai/ South Pattaya Road opposite the entrance to Soi Buakhao, Tukcom (or Comcity) is Pattaya's one-stop IT center that features a wide range of products such as mobile phones & accessories, computers, laptops, digital cameras, computer games, copy software at incredibly low prices and much more.
Tukcom, however, is not a traditional department store but a five-storey conglomerate of various little specialized stalls with each floor dedicated to certain IT products. Thus a diligent comparison of prices at different stalls is highly recommended in order to bargain for the best possible price.

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