Lomprayah catamaran for Phiphi-ferry.com Destinations of our boats including Phuket, Lanta, Krabi and secluded islands in Thailand reachable by ferry only.
  • Lomprayah catamaran for Phiphi-ferry.com
  • Destinations of our boats including Phuket, Lanta, Krabi and secluded islands in Thailand reachable by ferry only.
Your Gateway
      To New Experiences!
Travel between Phuket, Phi Phi Island, Koh Samui, Koh Lanta, Railay, Ao Nang, Krabi, Koh Tao, Koh Pha Ngan or one of the other beautiful small islands of the Andaman Sea or Gulf of Thailand.

Local Time: 


Our Destination

Where to Buy Handicrafts in Thailand

Whether you just enjoy shopping for local products when you travel or you're on the lookout for gifts to bring friends and family back home, you'll probably want to score some Thai handicrafts while you are here. Many organizations that promote the sale of Thai handicrafts are doing so as part of an effort to increase economic development in poorer areas or among poorer populations in Thailand, which means that you'll be able to support a good cause with your tourist dollars.

Though you can also find what look like Thai handicrafts at popular tourist markets such as the Patpong Night Market in Bangok, you're probably better off resisting the urge to purchase anything at one of them. Prices tend to be inflated and sometimes the goods are actually mass produced abroad.

OTOP Products

OTOP, the One Tambon(village) One Product program seeks to support locally made goods, boost incomes and earning power and stimulate entrepreneurship by helping Thai communities to increase the quality of their locally made products and help distribute and promote them. OTOP products include everything from food products to Thai silks, basketware, clothing, pottery, etc. You can buy OTOP products at some of the outlets listed below, in many department stores, at Chatuchak and in the airport. Be careful about fakes, as anyone can put an OTOP sign in front of their shop or stall to sell cheap, mass-produced goods(it's not a great feeling to think you are buying something hand made and then find a "made in China" label hidden somewhere once you take the product home). You can usually tell the difference if you are paying attention.

ThaiCraft Fairs

ThaiCraft has very similar goals to OTOP, but it's not a government program and is completely financially self-sufficient. The group started in 1975 promoting goods made by ethnic minorities in Northern Thailand in very small venues. Since then it has grown into a much larger organization, working with artisan groups from all over the country. ThaiCraft goods are usually not found in stores in Thailand but they have excellent craft fairs in Bangkok on at least a monthly basis and more frequently in the runup to the holiday season. Check the ThaiCraft website for the current schedule. Prices are more than reasonable and because ThaiCraft promotes exports, you will find products, including Christmas decorations during the holidays, that are less Thai and more geared towards a foreign market.

Asiatique

Bangkok's fabulous night market/shopping mall/restaurant venue is chock full of stalls selling Thai handicrafts and other items tourists might want. You may find some OTOP products and you'll also find some higher end handicrafts, too, including textiles, jewelry(some very nice silver jewelry), home decor items, tee shirts, statues and bath and body products. Because it's a large market, you will also find plenty of tourist junk, so inspect good carefully before you buy them.

Chatuchak Weekend Market

Bangkok's massive outdoor weekend market has everything, including plenty of Thai handicrafts. You will find items scattered all over the market but since the market is so big, it's better to target your shopping to a particular area such as porcelain and ceramics or home decor. Chatuchak is not exclusively a Thai handicraft market, it's also a market for local people doing clothing or home shopping, so items sold there can come from anywhere. Just because something looks very Thai to you, it doesn't mean it was made in Thailand. Check carefully and ask.

Narai Phand

This massive shop on the ground floor of the building just behind the Intercontinental Hotel in Bangkok is filled with Thai handicrafts, from clothing to porcelain to pillows, with prices from cheap to very expensive. Though the store lacks something in the ambiance arena, it is a great one-stop shop for souvenirs and is very conveniently located. The quality of goods at Narai Phand tends to be very high, and everything in the store is made in Thailand, so if you're looking for something nicer than your typical Thai scarf of basket(say, celadon porcelain or lacquerware), this is a good shop to visit.

Doi Tung Project

Part of the Mae Fah Luang Foundation, the Doi Tung Development Project is another economic development program focused on ethnic minorities in Chiang Rai province in Northern Thailand, many of whom are often referred to as Hill Tribe people. Doi Tung is probably best known for the coffee produced under the same name, which you can find in many higher end supermarkets and also at the handful of Doi Tung cafes in Bangkok, including one in Chatuchak, and Chiang Rai. The Doi Tung project also produces macadamia nuts, textiles and home decor items. Doi Tung Lumpini, just across the street from Lumpini Park on Rama IV Road, is their Bangkok headquarters and there is a large shop on the ground floor of the building where you can buy most of their products. Though Doi Tung products may be a little pricier than other Thai handicrafts, the quality tends to be very high, and the designs of the textiles and home decor items tends to be more modern and striking.

Shopping Malls and Department Stores

All of Bangkok's big shopping malls that cater to foreigners, Phuket's shopping malls, and the larger shopping malls in Northern Thailand, and most larger department stores, including Central, Robinsons and Mall Group department stores carry at least a small selection of Thai handicrafts including textiles, home decor items and bath and body products. Prices can be higher that what you'll find in markets but the quality of goods is usually high.

Supermarkets

Most international supermarkets carry some Thai food products and bath and body products that are meant for export, such as organic snacks produced by Hill Tribe members, soaps and lotions produced under the OTOP program and even curry pastes and other cooking items made locally in small batches.

Jim Thompson Stores

In addition to their stand-alone stores, you'll find Jim Thompson stores in many high end malls in heavily touristed parts of Thailand and at Don Muang and Suvarnabhumi Airports in Bangkok. Though the quality of products is usually excellent and the shops seem very exclusive, Jim Thompson products are still essentially Thai handicrafts, albeit at the highest level.


Suzanne Nam

YOUR GATEWAY TO NEW EXPERIENCE!
Copyright © 2025 phiphi-ferry.com
Privacy Notices