 Pattaya
nowadays is truly a shoppers paradise with such a
wide range of products and places to buy them. From
the latest addition to the Pattaya Skyline the
multi-storey Central Festival Shopping Mall and
Mike's Department Store both located on Pattaya
beach road to the hundreds of smaller shops and
street vendors. Or if you are really lazy just sit
on the beach for an hour or so and the beach sellers
will bring most of them to you again and again and
again.
Years ago, in fact
more years than I dare admit to, shopping was quite
limited to a small variety of cheap local products
and cheap copies of fake brand name labels. These
can still be had but now there is much much more to
choose from and a much wider choice of shopping
venue.
I used to buy
most of my holiday purchases at the Thailand
Shopping Arcade on Second road near Pattaya Klang
(Central Pattaya Road) I would travel to Thailand
with a suitcase devoid of clothes except immediate
necessities. On arrival I would stock up with
t-shirts, shorts and flip flops which would serve me
well for the duration of my stay be it a couple of
weeks holiday or if I was lucky maybe a months
respite from the cold and bustle of my home in
London.
My suitcase
however would be well stocked with Tetley teabags,
pork pies, Branston Pickle and other expat
necessities that could not be obtained locally.
These would be distributed amongst a handful of bar
owners who would of course go out of their way to
make my stay just that little bit more special.
Then I would
buy a much larger suitcase - yes there are still
many shops that sell only bags, luggage of every
shape, size and price. I would then cram in a motley
assortment of football shirts, Lacoste golf shirts,
tailor made silk shirts, a couple of suits made in
Pattaya and umpteen yuppie gory coloured tracksuits
(all the rage in the late eighties) Some guys would
forgoe the garments and just cram their bags with
fake Rolexes and a multitude of fake watch brands
that I had only ever seen the likes of in posh
jeweller's windows.
All these
things can still be had. Although it is perhaps not
politically correct and certainly can be very dodgy
to carry these items across international
boundaries. Such is the change in the shopping scene
here in Pattaya that there are places that, if you
have the money, you can actually buy the REAL items
not just the fakes. Addidas, Reabok, Lois Vuiton et
al can all be bought at what seams to be
extortionate prices compared to the local stuff but
I am sure by the way they are snapped up by tourists
at a premium compared to western prices.
Everyone likes
to buy a souvenir or two of their holiday travels.
Thailand especially Pattaya is a souvenir hunters
paradise. From cheap wooden croaking frogs and
wooden elephants, a little more expensive as
generally elephants are bigger than frogs to more
expensive keepsakes like fine Thai silk cloth and
Thai silk garments.
Jewelry is
popular. Heaps of dirt cheap silver jewelry items as
well as more expensive fine jewelry and gemstones.
There seems to be as many gold shops selling 24
carat Thai gold as there are 7/11 stores and believe
me there are many convenience stores now.
Pattaya Floating Market
So the moral of
this story is bring a full wallet and an empty
suitcase. Or even better leave the suitcase at home,
waltz through baggage reclaim and buy a good quality
suitcase at half price here to take home your Thai
trasures. | 
