Shopping

Phuket is known for its fantastic shopping. People come from all over the world to experience the shopping scene in Phuket, whatever you are interested in buying your sure to find a bargain.

Along Patong Rd, in the heart of Phuket is the main shopping area. The locals have market stalls set up along the road. They sell everything from sarongs, t-shirts, imitation designer goods including handbags, sunglasses, wallets/purses, hats, jewellery, DVDs, and much more. At night these markets are filled with people all trying to get a bargain. You must visit these markets just for the experience alone.

When purchasing goods from the stall owner, remember to bargain, they will most likely display the asking price for the item on a calculator and show this to you, this then gives you the opportunity to take the calculator and enter in the amount you wish to pay for that particular item. This process will continue until you reach a price that you think is reasonable. You may also try walking away from the stall if the owner seems not willing to go lower with prices, nine times out of ten they will chase you down the street showing you a reduced price on their calculator, go back into the stall then bargain again. You are sure to get a cheaper price, even after repeating this process ten times. Always remember to be friendly and smile throughout the bargaining process, they will appreciate your business when the item is sold.

Try not to be put off by the tactics the stall owners use to get your attention, they are just fighting for your business. You will be bombarded with stall owners calling out "missy, missy" to get a female’s attention, or "sir" or "mister" for the males. Remember that while it may seem a exhausting experience, its great to take a suitcase full of bargains home with you.

You will also come across tailors, who will tailor suits, shirts, dresses etc for you. This usually takes a few days so arrange to have the fittings done early on in your trip so you don’t miss out.

Market Areas

Patong Beach Rd, Patong
Bangla Rd, Patong
Patak Rd, Karon
Taina Rd, Kata
Phuket Square, Phuket City
Chao Fah Variety, Phuket City (Weekend market)

Other Shopping Areas

If you are exhausted from all the market shopping, Phuket also has two department stores. These are called Big C and Tesco-Lotus located on Bypass Rd, Patong. They sell everything from brand name clothing, homewares, and furniture. Prices are fixed in these departments stores, no bargaining required. These department stores are open daily from 10am – 9.00pm

You will also find countless pharmacies, grocery and 7-11 convenience stores all around Phuket. These will come in handy for water, cold drinks, and snacks for your hotel room.