SHOPPING
A increasing numbers of visitors are discovering,
that shopping in Thailand is a varied and rewarding experience. Bargains
 abound throughout the country, not only in traditional products but also
in more contemporary items that display the same high standards of workmanship
and careful attention to detail.
Thai handicarfts have long been noted for their unique
beauty, and recent years have seen a notable resurgence of interest both
within the country and abroad. One factor has been the SUPPORT Foundation
established by Her Majesty Queen Sirikit, which encourages the production
of a number of traditional crafts and sells them locally through a chain
of shops called Chitrakufa in Bangkok and such travel destinations
as Pattaya and Chiang Mai.
Probably the most famous handmade product is Thai
silk, a lustrous fabric which comes in a wide variety of designs
and weights and which is extensively used today in home furnishings as
well as in fashion. Supple Thui cotton is also growing in
 pupularity because of its durability and comparatively low prices.
Almost every region of the country can claim some distinctive
craft, but the northern city of Chiang Mai is undoubtedly the centre for
such goods. Here, drawing on skills handed down for generations, artisans
still produce superb lucquetware, hand-painted umbrellas,
intricatevood-carvings, silverware, and sea-greenceladon; also
plentiful are beautifully embroidered textiles and silver
jneelry made by tribal groups who live in the hills of the north.>
Other tempting goods include gleaming bronzeware, hard-wood
and rattan furniture, woven reed mats, nielloware, Thai musical
instruments, batik textiles, glared pottery, and baskets
of all kinds.
But the pleasure of shopping in Thailand is not limited
to such traditional discoveries. Dynamic new industries have also emerged,
taking advantage of Thai craftsmanship to produce a broad range of bargain-priced
 goods. In recent years, for example, the kingdom has become a major manufacturer
and exporter of ready-made clothing an enterprise that now
ranks as the second largest source of foreign exchange. Shoppers in local
markets and department stores, as a result, are now offered a remarkable
variety of high-quality shirts, dresses, jackets, jeans, sportswear,
and other items at a fraction of their cost in Europe or America. Thai
designers, too, are creating original fashions which can be seen at countless
boutiques in Bangkok.
Fine jewelry is another industry
enjoying a significant boom at the present. A large number of highly-skilled
gem cutters, gold-smiths, and designers are working with native rubies
and sapphires, as well as imported stones, to produce top-quality pieces
that attract discriminating buyers from all over the world. Excellent costume
jewelry, in both traditional and imaginative modern designs, is also available.
 Adding to the pleasure of shopping are the numerous centres
that have opened in recent years, conveniently bringing together a variety
of shops. Among the best-known in Bangkok are Siam Centre, near
the Siam Intercontinental Hotel, which contains many fashionable boutiques;
the World Trade Centre, with dozens of shops and restaurants;
Old Siam Plaza, behind the Chalerm Krung Theatre; River
City Shopping Centre, next to the Royal Orchid Sheraton Hotel,
where the third and fourth floors are devoted to antique shops; and Mah
Boon Krong, at Siam Square, a popular place with younger Thais.
Department stores, too, offer a wide selection of locally-made
goods as well as imported items. Central is one of the largest
department stores in Bangkok, while another local chain, Robinson's,
has several branches. Such foreign stores asDaimaru, Isetan,
Sogo, Tokyo and Galleries Lafayette are also located
in the capital.
Any serious shopper will also want to sample the exhilarating
 atmosphere Of a Thai market, which makes up in bargains for what it might
lack in comforts.Bang Lam Phu, situated close to the Royal
Grand Palace and Temple of the Emerald Buddha, has a lively market where
clothing is a popular buy. Pratanam, near the Indra Hotel,
is the place to go for low-priced clothing of all kinds, while Sampheng,/B>
a long narrow street in Chinatown, offers everything from gold chains
to cooking equipment. The Chatuchak Weekend Market is the
biggest market of all, where one can find almost everything made or grown
in Thailand on sale from Friday evening to late Sunday.
Other popular tourist destinations in the country have
their own shopping areas. Chiang Mai, for instance, has a fascinatingNight
Bazaar filled with local handicrafts, while Pattaya offers
a smaller-scale version of what Bangkok shops have to offer and Hat Yai,
in the far south, is a major centre for goods from Singapore and Malaysia
as well as from Thailand.
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