Bangkok is a big city with not only TONS of religious and cultural sites. But it is also home to many shopping centres and districts, making it the perfect holiday destination.
While you can find pretty much the same brands throughout all the malls (this includes international brands like H&M or UNIQLO), there are some gems that are either exclusive to SE Asia, Asia or only Thailand. Here are some shops that I loved in Bangkok and that I could have bought entirely, that’ how much I loved their clothes.
MBK
If you are visiting Bangkok for the first time, MBK is a must. This huge shopping centre, brings together an exquisite hotel (Pathumwan Princess Hotel), is well-connected to public transport (as most of the shopping centres anyway) and has a great mix of cafés, restaurants, and local shops. This is perfect if you are looking for souvenirs or affordable clothing. Come here very early in the morning – if you pass by a shop and you are their first customer, they are more willing to offer you discounts / negotiate.
Terminal 21
This is my second favourite shopping centre in Bangkok, and on my second trip, I basically went there every day because our hotel was close by. Terminal 21 has a fancier look that MBK, and each floor has a theme (London, Tokyo, San Francisco etc). Here, you will not only find a mix of big brands but also smaller brands/shops. The underground floor is full of eating stands, restaurants and even a supermarket. This is where I would basically go every other day for fresh fruit (at night, they are discounted!), and various Thai snacks (purple sweet potato chips are my weakness)
MANI MINA
Around my last days in Bangkok I was running out of clean clothes, but I was also actively looking for nice, cotton clothes that would fit the hot & humid weather. After doing several rounds in the cute shops on the Tokyo floors (it’s the first floor), I stumbled upon the MANI MINA. From the design of the shop and the clothes you could see that they are setting themselves apart from the other, more general-looking cute clothes. They had simple but flattering cuts, and upon close inspection, high quality of material and craftsmanship. There is not a lot of choice in terms of color or type of clothing, but they are worth investing in. I went away with two tops (same type, one in white and one in red), a long dark blue skirt and a dark blue dress. Should I mention that the latter have pockets? One downside of them is that they are made of cotton and while that is indeed nice in hot weather, they will soak up the sweat and it will be noticeable. Nevertheless, if I was gonna purchase them again, I would do it in a heartbeat.
Choose Dress & Cintage School
Now, these two shops are a bit more hidden from the touristy spots (I would say) and are situated in Siam Square, a very cute area with lots of similar fashion shops, cafés, and restaurants.
In terms of clothing, they are both similar, but in terms of what the shop offers, they are different (keep reading to see what I mean)
Choose Dress and Cintage School are heaven for those looking for kawaii clothing. While both shops are painted in pink and they seem to be an overload of cuteness, they have a wide variety of clothing. If you are not into everything pink, I would still give them a try – you may find something unique and that comes in your favourite colors.
From these two shops, I walked away with a yellow & black polka dot dress, a white t-shirt with peaches, a soft pink turtleneck, a beige t-shirt with an embroidered egg and whit delicate see-through blouse.
Honestly, I could have gotten so much more, but I had in mind my already full luggage.
The difference between these two shops is that Cintage School offers more than just a clothing shop. It spans on 3 floors, and the upper two floors are a café with a ball pit and a nail salon. With everything painted in pink all over for extra cuteness.
For similar cute clothing, keep watering the Siam Square area, while having a fresh tea!