Bangkok could possibly be the next shopping destination if not hinder by its steeper price compared to Singapore, KL and Jakarta. Not so long ago, Bangkok is not easily reached and not on our list as cheap destination. The easiest way to get to Bangkok is by flying Thai Airways and the ticket alone can set you back for $500 if you purchase it early and normal rate would be up to $800. Nowadays with Air Asia direct flight from Jakarta to Bangkok, as the motto goes, everyone can now fly to Bangkok. If you’re an avid watcher of Air Asia special fare, you would be amazed of how cheap the ticket will cost. Last weekend I checked the return flight of Jakarta – Bangkok with 20kg luggage will cost me around Rp1,200,000. Never in the past had I ever imagine that Bangkok would be so accessible like Singapore.
Following the cheap airfare from Air Asia, some national carriers such as Garuda Airline and Malaysia Airline sometime offer special price for this destination. My mom, who went on a large group last October got a pretty good tour package using Malaysia Airline for below $400 including accommodation at 3 stars hotel for 4 nights.
Accommodation are reasonably priced, you can get good 4 stars hotel at $60-$100 and if you want to get a posh accommodation expect to pay more. For decent newer 3 stars hotel, you can easily get it at $40 to $50, for instance I once stayed in Ibis Siam for $40 and I’m quite happy because it’s located near the bustling part of the town so taking taxi anywhere wouldn’t be pricey. The hotel is clean and new and very comfortable even for those staying alone. For family traveling in large group, you may wish to lodge in service apartment which usually are bigger in size. Of course there will always be the Khao San area which offers cheap accommodation and quite famous among the backpacker.
If you’re not willing to commute by taxi because of Bangkok heavy traffic, be willing to pay more for accommodation near the Sukhumvit area where most of the upmarket shopping mall are located. Most of these shopping malls are connected by elevated walkway and the best spot are those near the sky train or BTS station Asok or Siam. Getting out of this part of Sukhumvit during rush hour can set you back for 100 THB. So BTS or walking is really convenient. Make sure you check the location of your hotel and the distance to nearest BTS, if you prefer it as your transportation mode.
Getting Baht would probably be a big challenge since it’s not easily found in Jakarta. The exchange rate can vary from Rp 295 to Rp 310 and because of the small nomination, the smallest difference in exchange rate would affect your conversion. I would suggest to bring US dollar instead because Indonesian money would not be so valuable in Thailand. $100 could get you from 3,280 to 3,320 THB which will be translated to around Rp280 to Rp292 per THB maximum.
Know your benefit as a tourist. Going to the information desk at the mall or department store would probably beneficial. Some department store offer 5% to 7% discount for tourist. On top of that, you can also redeem your VAT when you depart from Thailand in the VAT Refund counter at the airport. Get your VAT refund form from the information desk at the department store to claim your refund. This has to be done within the same day.
If you’re planning a visit to Bangkok, or Thailand in general, trust the FDers to give answer to your question. Visit our Bangkok & Thailand thread at the forum for your source of information.
*photo courtesy of www.bangkok.com
Blog: Bangkok, the New Shopping Destination? http://bit.ly/84a40g
Agree.. RT @diahsari: We should go theree @nungkys RT @fashionesedaily: Blog: Bangkok, the New Shopping Destination? http://bit.ly/84a40g
Bangkok, the New Shopping Destination? | Indonesian Fashion Spot! http://bit.ly/5jkDiQ
Bangkok, the New Shopping Destination? | Indonesian Fashion Spot! http://bit.ly/5jkDiQ
Indeed Bangkok is the place since tons of all those stuffs we found in our Ai Tee Sees originated here, with slanting price fo’ shizzle.
Dunno why the airtix is slightly expensive nowadays, perhaps due great demand (oh it’s getting popular, you can spot signs in Bahasa Indonesia at Chahtuchak lol). Last year we still could make it by merely Rp 800k
But still, it’s definitely worth-it for shopping!
Nicely writen amal! aahh pengen kesana lagi…surga belanja! Segala macem ada….hehehe..
Last year I went there using JetStar, cheaper than AirAsia. I got 96 USD return.
loh, kebetulan banget.. kita plan mo ke bangkok lebaran thn ini, udah nyari-nyari halal resto dan halal hotel.. thanks Deszel..
Mikage – wah emang tuh jetstar suka dapet murah
Shizuoka – iyah gue juga pengen, kalo kesana gak tuntas banget deh!
Shanti – oia yang lupa kasi tau halal yah. Kalo di Foodcourt biasanya restoran halal suka ada sertifikasi halalnya kok. Enak emang di foodcourt, banyak pilihan. Nanti dibelakang counternya ada tulisan halal dalam tulisan arab.
Hati2 ajah sama makanan yang ada kuah2nya karena banyak kaldu/saus yang gak halal.
Tapi kalo udah ada sertifikat halalnya sih gak masalah.
Actually, in the 60s and 70s Bangkok used to be THE shopping mecca of Asia, more than Singapore (still a swamp back then teehee) and definitely more than Kuala Lumpur. My grandmother and mom used to make periodic buying trips there, making the hop from Medan to somewhere in Malaysia then on to Bangkok by train. I wished they had a camera back then, would have loved to see pictures.
waa gue blm pernah ke bangkok ni…would be my destination for after my graduation….
org2 disana ngerti bhs inggris kan ya?
Lena – Gue dulu juga pernah planning naik kereta dari Malaysia ke Thailand kayaknya seru banget. MBK yah yang kayaknya ngetop banget! Bokap gue tuh sampe skarang tuh slalu berpesan jangan lupa ke MBK
Alia – lebih banyak yang ngerti bahasa inggris daripada di indonesia, tapi ya masih terbatas. Asal ada kalkulator, urusan beres kok
I’ve been to Thailand 3 times last year. If I have to recommend a place to stay, it has to be Pullman King Power. I know the name is funny but the service and rooms are fantastic. They have an orange theme in the room that resembles Hermes.
I love shopping in Thailand especially in JJ Weekend Market. So cheap and good selection of clothes too.
thank you DesZell buat artikelnyaa. baru inget bulan kemarin abis dari sana utk nyetok toko hehehe. JJ Weekend Market is such a fun! I love bangkok
Stujuu dengan kalimat “asal ada kalkulator, urusan beres kok”. Ini yang aku rasainn,, dan sedikit cas-cis-cus bahasa sana utk nawar. Selain JJ Market, aku juga suka ngubek2 Platinum Shopping Mall & Pratunam Martket. Klo Suan Lum, waduuhh aku kurang suka (sama harganya ituu lhohh. barangnya aku liat ada yg sama persis kyk di JJ tapi harganya 2-3x hikshiks). Artikel ini jadi buat aku mau ke sana lagiii ^_____^
Tambahin ya…tempat belanja yang patut dikunjungi, tempat fave gue juga sih is siam square, hmmm tempatnya full with super up to date fashion and yang datang kesini local people…
buat grosiran silahkan ke bobae market …
Kalau mau cultural excursion, pergilah ke ancient city, it’s soo nice and vast and you can hire a golf cart to drives around …
wah.. aku setuju banget bangkok bisa jadi salah satu tempat untuk bershopping ria.. ketika aku kesana pun kaki nga cukup kuat untuk keliling catucak yang sayangnya cuma buka pas weekend. lebih sering liat2 koleksi di SuanLum yg mungkin pilihannya tidak sebanyak di catucak dan harganya jauh lebih mahal. Mudah2an kalo ada waktu pingin main kesana lg sekalian mampir ke MBK… karena belum sempat liat (yg menurut beberapa teman mirip spt ITC?) Kapan nih FD buat acara belanja bareng kesana?
Wah Bangkok.. pengen banget kesana.. tp blm kesampean terus euy. Kyknya shopping haven jg ya =D Should grab the next promo airfare from Air Asia =D
Wah, kayanya gue bapak-bapak sendiri nih :p April 07 gue ke Bangkok Mal. Pas selesai shalat di Suvarnabhumi Airport, ketemu warga Thailand dan ngobrol. Tampaknya dia orang Thailand Selatan. Ternyata dia belanjanya di Tanah Abang..mampus gue…hahaha. Ngapain pada belanja ke Bangkok