| Shop ‘til you drop in Pattaya |
 For one, shopping has become a major workout for Pattaya guests. Walking though streets and bargaining endlessly seem like a good cardio activity and this is a common sight in the busy shopping areas.Unlike Bangkok where you have the Chatuchak weekend market or the San Luang night bazaar, on Pattaya, shopping meccas are everywhere.
In every street or corner, there are all sorts of merchandise – from clothes to jewelry to leather goods to chinaware and ceramics to souvenir items to books to thousands of trinkets – for sale. Fresh produce of fruits and vegetables and sea bounties also take its righteous place in the streets of the bustling city.
On Pattaya, you can always enjoy a good weather for outdoor shopping. Whether you brave the shopping areas by foot, motorcycle or songthaew, you will never go wrong. Smaller merchandises are usually packed in plastic bag that, unfortunately, you need to carry around while shopping. Some shops can arrange shipping of items abroad so that is really no hassle for you. And then what is best is that shoppers don’t even go near hungry when shopping since food stalls are everywhere too! Grab a bite of Thailand’s favorite dishes of pad thai, or fried rice or Thai curry or even a bowl of steaming hot soup. The wheeled food stalls are staple sights here, which when further examined, are tourist attractions in itself! Pattaya also has the air conditioned shopping centers such as the Big C, Tesco Lotus, Royal Garden Shopping Center and Tops Supermarket to name a few. Good buys are never difficult to come by in these places. Groceries are always inexpensive here and during promos (which are like everyday), prices can be surprisingly low. Add to that the convenience of being able to escape from the sweltering heat outside. Some of these shopping centers offer VAT refund for tourists so that’s additional chopping off the price. Now, it doesn’t matter what kind of shopping places you opt to visit. What matters is how you’ve had a good time going around Pattaya and buying things which will remind you and your friends that Thailand is always worth a visit. |
Thailand in general is a haven for shophaholics. On Pattaya, shopping is on a different ground so to speak. Going around can be really fun especially if you are in for some serious haggling. And then of course, it wouldn’t hurt if you know a little Thai to find the best deals in town. But then again, shoppers should also be careful of the quality of products they are buying. Some t-shirts for example can be really cheap but after one washing, it shrinks to a size smaller. Pieces of jewelry and precious stones should also be taken a closer look at because anyone can be fooled by fake glitter. But despite these sporadic irregularities, shopping all in all should not be missed here.
