Shopping in Hua Hin

The towns of Thailand are at their most vibrant when the stalls make ready for the evening markets. All over the country, be it Sukhumvit Road in Bangkok, Chiang Rai or Phuket, the night market is an essential part of Thai life and one many visitors thoroughly enjoy. Taking a stroll amidst the stalls on Sukhumvit or making a special trip to the Lumpini park is a great experience and its at these night stalls, which run from around 6pm to 10 or 11pm, that the world of look alike famous name brands such as Lacoste, Rolex, and Burberry appear. Of course they are not these brands but that’s half the fun – as long as you don’t believe its the real thing, then the man behind the stall will not try to make you believe either.

If you do want the real thing, then shop in Bangkok at the very sophisticated malls such as Siam Paragon, Emporium and Central World Plaza will be delighted to do business, and it’s the same in Hua Hin.

The night market in the center of town operates daily and caters for both the local and the tourist market. Wood carved handicrafts sell at a slightly higher price due to it being well visited by foreigners but expect to barter on the price. The first offer is just that – counter that with an offer of your own, the calculator will come out and eventually you will reach an agreed price. It’s normal and expected. During the day there is the covered market at Chat Chai, quite close to the centre and this is more of a market for local food produce. Visiting this market gives a good idea of the real cost of food and produce in Thailand where a few tomatoes can cost as little as 5 Baht, and a good size bunch of bananas will only be 10 or 20 Baht. It’s not ideally suited to vegetarians who may grimace at the various animal parts strewn across the counters – but this is Thailand.

Every Tuesday there is a big market at Pae Mai, across the railway and near the golfing range. This is the biggest of the Hua Hin markets selling everything, clothes, food, pets, music, DVD;s – just about everything. It’s similar to the Chatachuck market in Bangkok, which only opens on weekends, but is absolutely packed with goods. Stalls selling cooked food are as much part of the market so it’s a good place to try out some tasty Thai specialties. The stalls offering grasshoppers, locusts and ants with sticky rice will be from the north of Thailand, in Isan, but this is the place to try out all manner of new dishes.

At the Takiab end of Hua Hin beach there is a fresh fish market, which is an interesting scene.

Thailand has developed as a country over the past five years and the shopping mall is something which has developed more than anything. Barely a town exists today which has not got an air conditioned mall full of local and western shops. Hua Hin is no exception and the most recent addition to the shopping experience for residents has been the Market Village. Situated about 2 kilometers out of town, on Petchakasam Rd the mall has a full size supermarket, a home decoration store, food hall, and plenty of smaller shops and designer brand shops to wander around. To complete the picture, there are bowling alleys, cinemas, and games arcades. These are normal fare in the capital, and the Bangkok residents would feel lost without a local shopping mall, although its noticeable how many shop at the food stalls outside the malls – a sign that the traditional ways will be around for a long time yet.

Also on Petchakasam road there is a factory outlet shop selling designer goods at lower costs than those in the west. Clothing and silk have long been favorite items for sale In Thailand with the mysterious Jim Thomson as the forerunner of the marketing and promotion of Thai silk . The Jim Thomson shops are in Bangkok, but in Hua Hin there has been a recent addition with the Rashnee Silk Village. The village has been created to display the traditional silk industry in Thailand with products on sale.

Good Buys in Hua Hin:

Cotton print is a specialism of the region called Kom Ma Phat, and this along with silk and other fabrics are worth looking out for.

Wooden carvings and Thai art souvenirs

Gemstones: Use a reputable dealer where gems can be authenticated

Ceramics and Pottery; Not generally from the region but from the area around Ayutthaya