Bargaining Tips for Bangkok

Bangkok Market

Thailand is one of the best shopping destinations in Southeast Asia. There are several shopping malls, department stores, antique shops, and street bazaars spread across major cities including Bangkok and Chiang Mai.

Great buys such as traditional batiks, leather goods, precious stones, semi-precious pearls, Thai cotton and silks, lacquerware, and wood and bamboo artifacts always top the list of a shopping enthusiast. But that's not all, as several glitzy shopping malls offer superb luxury goods, assuring plenty of shopping options for tourists. A few simple bargaining or haggling tips will help you get the best price for whatever you buy in Bangkok.

Practice your smile, it will get you far. Find a place with lots of street side shops. A good place is Khao San Road. It's where all the backpackers go for cheap hostels.

Find the item you want. Let's say it's a t-shirt. Ask the person how much it costs. Let's say it costs 250 Baht per shirt. Think about how much you will pay for one and how many you want (for example -- you want 5 which would be 1,250 B. You want to pay no more than 200 baht per shirt, which is less than $6 US). Say thank you and leave.

Get a 1,000 baht note and put it in one pocket. Make sure you have no other money in that pocket and the exact amount you want to spend. Go back to the shop about an hour later so they don't recognize you straight away. Pick out the 5 shirts you want and ask the price. Pull out the 1,000 note and act sad that you only have that much. Do this when they have the shirts there and ready to be sold, not before you pick them out. Then say you are sorry but this is all you have.

They will try to get more from you but stick to your story. If they say no, say you are sorry and turn to leave. Very rarely will they let you leave when you are flashing money at them.

Be ready to walk away. Haggling in Southeast Asia and Thailand specifically relies heavily on the idea of walking away. If you are not getting the price you want, show your dismay by walking away slowly while telling them it is too expensive. While walking, have the vendors shout at you and be prepared to shout your lower prices back. 

Note: Don't walk away until AFTER you have been haggling for a bit so they know you are interested in their merchandise.

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