113.Bangkok Shopping
Todd: So, I'm here with Jerri, and she's Thai, and we are in Bangkok. And we are going to talk about fashion. So, Jerri, Bangkok is a very, very fashion-conscious city.
Jerri: Yes, absolutely.
Todd: Shopping is huge here. So, let's talk about prices. So, first we'll talk about jeans. You are wearing jeans today. So, how much are an expensive pair of jeans in Bangkok?
Jerri: Well, that's funny that you ask because the price range for clothes here is quite wide, so you can go from 200 baht - Thai baht - for a pair of jeans up to 4000 Thai baht for a pair of jeans in a, like a, like, one of the top brands.
Todd: Wow. So, just so people know, 200 baht would be - in U.S. dollar that's about six dollars. And 4000 baht would be about 130 dollars.
Jerri: Yes. Yeah.
Todd: Wow.
Jerri: So, it's quite a, quite a difference there. But I would say that generally it will be in the range of 500 to 2000 Thai baht.
Todd: Okay. 500 to 2000. That's still pretty a wide gap.
Jerri: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Todd: Okay, cool. So those are jeans. What about, for women, a blouse?
Jerri: A blouse? I would say...for, like, a nice quality one, like, 500 Thai baht.
Todd: Okay. That's not bad.
Jerri: Yeah. That's alright.
Todd: Fifteen dollars, about. Okay. What's the most you would pay for a blouse?
Jerri: No more than 1000 Thai baht.
Todd: Okay.
Jerri: Yeah.
Todd: That's your, that's - what about the cheapest?
Jerri: The cheapest? Like, 300 Thai baht. Like, if you started going lower than 300 Thai baht, then you have to accept that the, you know, the quality - you might get to wear it not more than three times.
Todd: Okay.
Jerri: So, that's the price you pay.
Todd: Nice, alright. So, what about shoes?
Jerri: Shoes? It's - it also depends on where you go. So, Chatuchak market is known for affordable clothes, so the shoes there would be from 200 Thai baht to 500 Thai baht. But if you visit the more well-known stores and the department stores, then they can be from 500 Thai baht to 1000 Thai baht.
Todd: Okay, that's interesting. So, you mentioned Jatujak market - can you kind of talk about Jatujak market?
Jerri: Yes, so, this is one of the main activities for tourists to do when they visit Bangkok. It's a weekend market, so it's only open on Saturdays and Sundays. It's quite crowded, but it's definitely something you should do. There's a lot of souvenir stores, a lot of local shops, and, yeah, a place to shop for clothes. And it's not just for tourists, you also see a lot of Thais go there because all the stores there are reasonable - reasonably priced and they're quite trendy. Yeah, they have, like, different styles...stores that you won't find anywhere else.
Todd: Right. Oh, yeah, I've been there a couple of times. It's massive. It's really, really big.
Jerri: Yeah, it's massive. It takes about half a day to do the entire thing.
Todd: It's easy to get lost right?
Jerri: Yes.
Todd: If you go inside, you kind of don't know where you are.
Jerri: Exactly, exactly. Which I guess is also the fun part of it. It's like an adventure in itself, right?
Todd: Right, exactly. Okay, so, what about things like, like belts or, you know, like accessories?
Jerri: I would recommend going to Platinum Mall. This mall is located near Siam BTS station. It's known for its accessories that are, like, reasonably priced. So, at that - at Platinum Mall accessories can be from two - 100 Thai baht to not more than 1000 Thai baht, but usually in the range of 100 to 500 Thai baht.
Todd: Okay. Oh, wow.
Jerri: Yeah. But there's a whole floor, like, two floors that's dedicated to accessories. So, you can find necklaces, sunglasses, rings, earrings, about ten shops for each category, yes.
Todd: Oh, that's fantastic. So, Bangkok's quite interesting because it has so many different ways. You can buy things on the street...
Jerri: Yes.
Todd: You can buy things at the markets. You can buy things at the nice, air-conditioned malls.
Jerri: Yeah.
Todd: Yeah. What about online? Do you Thais shop online very much?
Jerri: Yeah. Online - online shops are becoming more and more popular now because it's quite convenient. You just get it delivered to you. Yeah, there's a lot of - a lot of more fashion brands that are online. On Instagram, for example. Yeah, so it's becoming a thing.
Todd: Oh, cool. Alright, thanks Jerri.
Jerri: You're welcome.
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