Phuket Travel Guide

Phuket Shopping

While not on the same level as the legendary shopping in Bangkok, Phuket is still a great place to find bargains in Thailand. The island has everything from air-conditioned shopping malls to noisy night bazaars and open-air village food markets.

The best place to find Thai silk and other traditional Thai souvenirs in Phuket is Kamala Beach. Cheap souvenirs like hats and scarves are available along the beach walkway in high season, and there are a number of shops near the beach restaurants selling sarongs, toys, and hand-carved items. There are even shops along Kamala''s main road that will turn out copies of your favourite suit remarkably quickly.

One popular souvenir from Phuket is pearl jewellery, available locally from the Phuket Pearl Factory in Sapam.

There are two main shopping malls in Phuket: Central Festival Phuket and Jungceylon Shopping Center. Central Festival Phuket is dominated by a single Central Department Store selling everything from silk sarongs to designer watches, while Jungceylon Shopping Center has more than 200 stores offering everything you can think of, from pirate DVDs to perfume.

Most department stores and shops have fixed prices, however market stalls and street vendors are willing to bargain anywhere from 10-40 percent off the original price.