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A narrow lane of clothes stalls at Chatuchak Weekend Market, Bangkok.
Layover guideBangkok · BKK

What to buy in Bangkok

Gold on Yaowarat, everything else at Chatuchak on weekends; VAT refund needs a 2,000 THB per-store minimum and the P.P.10 form at purchase.

JJ Harrison (https://www.jjharrison.com.au/) / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0
All of Bangkok

Yaowarat Road is Bangkok's traditional gold-shop street — TAT notes it is 'full of thriving gold shops' and nicknamed the Golden Road; the gold trade and the night food market share the same strip.

Chatuchak Weekend Market is the city's big general market: 27 sections and over 8,000 stalls covering clothing, handicrafts, antiques, collectables, and Bangkok's largest plant market (the plant section also opens Tue–Thu 07:00–18:00).

VAT refund basics (Revenue Department): spend at least 2,000 THB (VAT included) per store per day at shops displaying the 'VAT Refund for Tourists' sign, and get the P.P.10 form issued against your passport at the till — no form at purchase, no refund later.

Goods must leave Thailand within 60 days; if your total claim is 20,000 THB or more, show the goods to customs before check-in, and luxury items of 40,000 THB+ each (jewellery, watches, bags, phones) must be hand-carried and shown again at the airside VAT refund office after immigration.

  1. The Revenue Department (Thailand) — VAT Refund for Tourists conditions · checked 2026-08-18
  2. Tourism Authority of Thailand — Chatuchak Weekend Market page · checked 2026-08-18
  3. Tourism Authority of Thailand — Yaowarat Night Market page (gold shops) · checked 2026-08-18

The rest of Bangkok

The whole guide
Getting out of the airportMetered public taxis from Level 1 between Gates 4 and 7, plus a 50 baht airport surcharge and tolls on top, and a rail link from Level B1 that stops at midnight.Ride-hailingGrab is the app the airport names, with a designated 24-hour pick-up point at Level 1, Gate 4, and no published fare, so the in-app quote is the only number you get.Local laws that catch crew outVapes are illegal to even carry, criticism of the monarchy carries a long prison sentence, and alcohol sales stop between midnight and 11am.Staying connectedTourist SIM/eSIM at 24h airport counters, passport required by regulation; free airport wifi is 60 minutes per session.WeatherHot year-round; wet season May–Oct peaking in September, driest and mildest Dec–Feb, hottest April–May.Eating near the crew hotelsYaowarat (Chinatown) is the street-food district and runs as a night market every evening; MRT Wat Mangkon puts you in the middle of it.TippingNot a usual practice, though it is becoming more common, and most hotels and restaurants already add a 10% service charge.