Bangkok Sidewalk

	Khao San Road About 10 minutes walk north of Sanam Luang (in Koh Rattanakosin), is Khao San Road. This is home to a very lively traveler's scene, and a mass of budget accommodation is available. A extensive market with a huge range of goods, from cheap clothes to Thai handicrafts, as well as many inexpensive restaurants make it a interesting experience. Despite serving as a weigh station for backpackers all over the world, the nearby backstreets retain a genuinely Thai feeling, much more than Bangkok's other main tourist accommodation areas like Sukhumvit and Silom.
	Silom/Surawongsei Rama IV Road This is Bangkok's main business and commercial district, but it's really only an average shopping area. The larger hotels, such as the Dusit Thani, Narai and the Montien, have shopping arcades, but these are expensive for what they offer. Also in this area there is the Silom Complex Department Store, a branch of Central next door to it, another branch of Central not far away, Robinson's Department Store, the Charn Issara Tower, the upscale Thaniya Plaza shopping center and many very good silk, antique, and clothes shops. Silom Village, near soi 24, is a complex of small shops selling antiques and traditional handicrafts.
	Sukhumvit Road Though the western end of Sukhumvit Road (between soi 1 to 33) has a lot of foreigners, both tourists and residents, it is not an especially great place for shopping. There are quite a few tourist shops (cheap tailors, camera shops and etc.), and up to around soi 11, there are street stalls selling fake clothes, handicrafts and other similar merchandise. On soi 5 is a popular branch of the Foodland Supermarkets, a branch of the Robinson's Department Store chain is attached to the Westin Grande Sukhumvit Hotel (between soi 17 and 19), and Times Square Shopping Plaza is just opposite it across the street. There is also the Ploenchit Center near soi 2, and the Ambassador Hotel and Landmark Hotel Shopping Arcades, but none are particulary inspiring compared to elsewhere in the city. The new and very upmarket Emporium Shopping Center on soi 24 has many quality designer labels, but it's not a cheap place to shop by any means. Further along Sukhumvit Road, in the Phrakanong district around soi 71, is a better shopping area but it's not much visited by tourists. There are shopping centers and a market, and prices are cheap. The Bangna branch of the department stores is located all the way down near soi 103
	Chinatown Lying south of Dusit and Banglamphu, Chinatown is one of the oldest areas of Bangkok as Chinese merchants were originally moved to this area in the early 1780's when Bangkok was founded. In this chaotic area, the hustle and bustle of Chinese hawkers, vendors and peddlers will amaze you as you browse through the shops and market stalls. Even though the area is known for its variety in traditional Chinese herbs, medicines, gold shops and textiles are also available here.
	Patpong Night Market Patpong Night Market is very popular with tourists, but there's no real good reason why. It's got the same combination of souvenirs, fake brand name items and cheap clothes as in any tourist area in the city, but prices are way over the going rate. Bargaining very hard is essential to get a good deal, and the touts for the go-go bars for which Patpong is most famous can be aggressive. Patpong is between Silom and Surawongse Roads, and any taxi driver will know it. BTS Saladaeng Station
	Pratunam Pratunam just walk ten minute from Central World, very near to the Amari Watergate Hotel. It is perhaps the best place in Bangkok to buy cheap clothes, fabrics and textiles. Wholesalers and exporters buy here, as well as individual consumers. The market is not on the main road, look for the entrances that lead to it behind the shops.
	Si Phraya/Mahesak Road On Si Phraya Road, near the Royal Orchid Sheraton Hotel, is the 4 storey River City Shopping Complex. This is home to a large number of prestigious art and antiques shops and prices are not surprisingly, very high. It has several good restaurants which are reasonably priced though, and give impressive views over the Chao Phraya river. Oriental Plaza, part of thee Oriental Hotel, is another very upmarket shopping arcade and the shops here mostly sell art, antiques, handicrafts and clothes. Also around here is a street market, selling fake and cheap clothes, cheap handicrafts etc. It's pretty similar to the stalls on Sukhumvit Road. There are many bronzeware shops along Charoen Krung Road (New Road) and the western end of Silom Road. Quality is generally high, as are the prices - many shops here also have stalls at Chatuchak Weekend Market, and it is much cheaper to buy there.