I came across a great read of an article written by Dorothy Bangayan as part of the The Unlonely Planet series of Sun Star Davao aptly dubbed as, The shopaholic’s guide to Bangkok.

Dorothy clearly writes to cater to a shopaholic’s needs, which is brilliant. She highlights the need to be with like-minded companions aka people who won’t rain on your parade. You are after all on a mission — shopping!

I found out that unlike (most) other countries , Bangkok shopping malls offer tourist discounts from 5% to 30% off and that there’s a 7% VAT Tourist Refund for every 2000 Baht you spend. I’m, like — “Book me the next flight! I’m going to Bangkok to shop, people!” LOL. I just think that it’s fantastic that they got these things to encourage the tourist to spend, better for their economy actually.

If you’re an experienced traveler, some of the tips dished out were a simple case of common sense use but I did like the part wherein she provided translations for a couple of phrases that will come handy when shopping — “Ra kha thao rai” (English translation - “How much is this?”)

Every Filipino knows that we love to haggle when we shop. We love bargain shopping, too. Learning that Bangkok has malls that are described as “Divisoria at 30% off” then you’ve certainly caught my attention. I am very much a Filipina after all. Dear me. I can picture myself carrying loads of bags on my way back to my hotel, with a huge grin and a skip in my step, no less.

Anyway, I recommend the read and let’s all go Bangkok shopping!

Related:

• Shoe Shopping Online
• A Steal! Not the Shopping kind, though.
• Shoe Shopping
• Stop me from shopping, why don’t you?
• Fresh Off the Press | Freeway Island Resort Getaway Raffle