Shopping in Phuket

Shopping in Phuket has long been one of the must-do activities for tourists. Even if you're not an avid shopaholic, don't think twice about depriving yourself of this pleasure. Prices on Phuket, as in most resort towns in Thailand, are lower in many respects than in Eastern Europe, including the CIS.

Trade centers

The biggest shopping malls in Phuket are Tesco Lotus and Home Works, Big C and Central Festival. They are located close to each other, but it's impossible to get around them all in a day.

Central Phuket

In 2018, Central Festival, Central Floresta, and Baan Bayond malls came together under one roof. From now on, it is the Central Phuket mall.

For international travelers, Central Phuket has a special discount system. Upon presentation of a passport, The 1 Card is issued on the first floor, which allows you to buy goods cheaper by 5%.

Home Works

The store is a concentration of home goods from doorknobs to light fixtures. Located on the 2nd floor of Central Phuket, it welcomes tourists from both the central staircase inside the building and the side entrance. It's definitely worth a stop here for tourists with long-term plans:

Those who plan to live on the island for more than a year and are looking for housewares, furniture, or other items to enhance their lives.

Those looking to open a service business, such as a restaurant or hotel, in Phuket.

Home Works has the advantage of low prices, aimed primarily at the local population.

Central Festival Phuket

Phuket's largest shopping center is a mecca for shoppers of all kinds. The huge three-storey building houses several cafes, restaurants, a cinema (tickets from 120 THB) with an adjacent food court, beauty salons, and dozens of boutiques. You can buy such goods here:

Clothing and accessories (including wristwatches) from world-famous brands;

Inexpensive but quality locally made clothing;

Toys, clothes, and more for children from 0 to 18;

A variety of jewelry;

Face, body, and decorative cosmetics;

Electronics (phones, computers, all sorts of gadgets);

Silk products - a hallmark of the Orient.

For those who are hungry, we recommend grabbing a bite to eat at one of the following establishments:

Starbucks;

Fuji;

MK Restaurant;

Black Canyon Coffee;

Shabushi;

Sizzler.

Food Terrace, a food court on the third floor of Central Festival, is inexpensive (50 to 100 THB), tasty, and hearty.

You can pay for your purchases with either a card or cash. For those who need to cash out, there are several ATMs on the second floor. For exchanging USD and EUR for local currency THB, there are also a couple of bank branches.

Address: 74 75 Vichitsongkram Rd, Wichit, Mueang Phuket District, Phuket 83000, Thailand
Phone: +66 (0) 76 603 333
Official Website: www.centralphuket.com
Opening hours: daily from 10:30 to 22:00, but subject to change on public holidays
To get to the shopping center can be reached by public bus for 30 THB from Patong or Phuket Town.

Jungceylon

If you're staying in Patong, you can also take a shopping tour to the Jungceylon Shopping Center, located near Bangla Road. The name of the mall is dedicated to the old name of the island of Phuket: a hundred years ago, the resort was called Jung Ceylon.

The entrance to Jung Ceylon is easily recognizable by the large boat. The mall covers an area of over 200,000 square meters. On the territory of Jang Ceylon is located:

cinema;

bowling alley;

karaoke;

beauty salon;

restaurants and cafes;

dozens of stores of various sizes (during sales, the price of goods can be reduced by 70%);

hotel.

The shopping center's infrastructure is housed in two separate buildings united in the center by a recreation area with singing fountains.

The highlight of the shopping center is a universal Robinson store, where you can buy everything from food to furniture.

Address: Rat-u-thit 200 Pee Road, Tabol Patong, Amphur Kratu, Phuket 83150 Thailand
Phone: +6676 600 111
E-mail: pattamaphan@jungceylon.com
Official Website: jungceylon.com
Opening hours: daily from 11:00 to 22:00.
How to get there: drive to Patong, Bangla Road and Ratutit Street intersections.

Big C

A low-cost supermarket in Phuket that sells both food, clothing and electronics. The two main stores of this chain are located in the island's largest shopping malls, Jang Ceylon and Central Festival. Smaller Big C's are located on some beaches, such as Kamala Beach.

An undeniable advantage of Big C is the ability to shop with the whole family. On-site supermarkets are provided:

Children's area with small rides, arcade games and animators.

There is a food court for hungry guests.

Official website: www.bigc.co.th
Open hours: daily from 10:00 to 23:00

Robinson Department Store

Robinson Department Store is the place where you can find everything from children's toys to small electrical items (like a fan). The building is a windowless, multi-story structure with a traditional grocery store on the first floor.

Nearby are a cell phone company, ATMs, and a currency exchange.

Address: One of the Robinson stores is located in Jungle Ceylon Shopping Center, the other between Ong Sim Phai and Tilok Uthit 1
Official website: http://store.robinson.co.th
Open hours: daily from 10:30am to 10pm

Markets on the island of Phuket

Like any Asian resort town, Phuket is saturated with market trade. Its relatively small area is home to hundreds of markets, both clothing and grocery markets and general markets. People come here primarily for cheap exotic fruits. Each market has food stalls where you can have a hearty and tasty meal for as little as 40 THB. The food markets have almost the same assortment as supermarkets, except for milk and milk products. There are no refrigerators at the markets and milk spoils quickly at high temperatures.

The main categories of food items in Phuket's markets have the following cost:

bananas from 30 THB per kg;

coconuts, pineapples, rambutans from 20 THB per piece;

vegetables (e.g. cucumbers or tomatoes) from 25 THB per kg;

chicken or pork from 60 THB per kg;

shrimp from 160 THB per kg;

sugar, rice and other cereals from 30 THB per kg.

Night Market

The night market goes by many names: Weekend Market, Naha Market, Naka Market, Sandi Market. Here, in a huge range of marquees, sells:

inexpensive clothes, shoes;

Souvenirs;

food items;

branded Thai sweets.

Additional tents with basic food (noodles, rice, pancakes) settle in on the weekend. The Night Market has the lowest prices on the entire island of Phuket.

Operation schedule: from 16:00 to 22:00.
To get there, you can reach the intersection of Wirat Hong Yok Rd and Chaofa West Rd with your own or rented transportation. Public transportation does not go past the night market. It's also a 20-minute walk to the Night Market from Central Festival Shopping Center.

Fish Market

Famous far beyond Phuket, the fish market is located on Rawai Beach, in a village of sea gypsies. Not only do they sell seafood here, but they can also cook the fish you've just bought.

The cost of goods ranges from 50 to 200 THB, depending on the type of seafood.

Banzaan Fresh Market

The largest food market in all of Phuket is located on Patong Beach, just behind Jungle Ceylon Shopping Center. It's housed in a two-story building, and boasts the lowest prices of any market in Phuket.

Down Town Market

The market is located in the center of Phuket Town and is famous for its abundance of fruits and vegetables. It has the cheapest pineapples on the island (from 10 THB per piece) and a sea of relatively inexpensive prawns (150 THB per kg).

Down Town Market is located on Ranong Rd, close to where you can catch public transportation to Phuket's beaches.

Operation schedule: 7:00 am to 8:00 pm.

Phuket City Wet Market 2

One of Phuket's largest food markets is located near Robinson's department store, at the intersection of Ong Sim Phai and Tilok Uthit 2. In addition to stalls selling fruit, vegetables, eggs, meat, and fish, Phuket City Vet.

The market is known for its considerable food court, with the average check costing THB 40.

Operation schedule: 7:00 am to 12:00 pm.

Chalong Markets

There are two food markets located in Chalong:

On the opposite side of the street from the Villa Market store;

not far from Tesco Lotus shopping center.

The two markets don't have clear opening hours. Some of the traders arrive at dawn and are already winding down by 12:00pm. Others don't open their marquee until 2pm.

Morning market in Thalang district

One of Phuket's universal markets is considered to be the one located in the Talang district, near the Wat Phra Nang Sang temple.

Trading at the single-storey Morning Market structure on Thalang starts from 7:00.

Clothing Markets

Phuket's clothing markets are visited daily by hundreds of tourists and locals on a budget. They offer the lowest prices on clothes and shoes, even cheaper than the island's biggest supermarkets. In addition, the clothing markets are another way to experience the local flavor of the resort.

The following clothing markets can be found in Phuket:

• Patong Beach

Malin Plaza (where they sell from 2pm to 11pm), OTOPS with lots of souvenirs (5pm to 11pm), Patong Bazaar with an impressive food court and live music (5pm to 11pm);

• On Karon Beach

at Karon Temple (Tuesdays and Fridays from 16:00 to 23:00), Karon Bazaar in the center of the coast ( daily from 10:00 to 23:00);

• North Beach

Kata along Patak Rd;

• In Phuket Town

Indy Market (open Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays from 4pm to 11pm); Expo Market with lots of arcade games; Chatuchak, named after a Bangkok market (open Friday through Sunday from 9am to 9pm).

What to Buy in Phuket

When traveling to Phuket Island, you should pay attention to the following types of goods. They will make great gifts for yourself and your loved ones:

• Latex goods, including orthopedic pillows;
• Leather accessories, such as handbags;
• Cosmetic and pharmacological preparations (balms and ointments);
• Silk products;
• Jewelry, including items with precious stones (e.g., sea pearls).

The island of Phuket has plenty of places to shop, both relatively expensive and quite budget-friendly. After buying clothes, electronics, souvenirs, and groceries, you can always relax in the adjacent food court.