Sukhothai Shopping Travel Guide  Jump to: Shopping Galleries
Shopping in Sukhothai is a much more gentle pastime that in the bright lights of Bangkok. The shops and market stalls in Sukhothai offer a wide range of items suitable to take home for souvenirs, along with those little essential from home you may have forgotten or run out of. New Sukhothai shops are well used to dealing with the needs of tourists from around the world, so chance are, someone, somewhere will be able to help find what you want. [more]
Shopping for Antiques in Sukhothai
It is tempting, with so much ancient history surrounding you, to invest in some Thai antiques. Just be aware that all antiques bought in Thailand require an export permit, along with any images of the Buddha, new or old. Sorting the real antiques from the not-so-genuine can be tricky, although most tourist antique shops do provide the genuine article, albeit at inflated prices. Be careful when buying from side street traders or stalls, and as with all antiques, trust your eyes and fingers rather than the salesman's patter. Does it feel right? Is the pattern of wear and dirt consistent with real use or is it a new item that has been 'aged and distressed'? If you are unsure of what the real thing should look and feel like, walk away and do some research in the expensive places first!
For example, the shop at the Anada Museum Gallery Hotel sells statue and pottery fragments dating from the period when prized Sangkalock pottery was made. Just handling these pieces will give you a feel for the real thing, even if you don't intend to buy them at the end. Since these fragments are constantly being dug up in the fields surrounding the ancient Sawankhalock kilns, you need not feel that you are robbing Thailand of invaluable treasures in short supply. Indeed, most of the fragments you can buy in shops in Sukhothai and Sawankholok are actually from pottery misfires and rejects that were simply thrown away.
If you do buy a complete piece or any antiquity, allow enough time to obtain the customs permit. Send two front view photos of up to five different items, along with a copy of your passport and the items in question, to the Department of Fine Arts. If this seems a little daunting, just ask in the Sukhothai hotel shops and they will help with the process. Finally, consider how much the actual age is important to you over the object itself. It might be a lot cheaper (and easier) to buy a reproduction instead!
Clothing is always a good buy in Sukhothai, whether from shops or markets, made to measure or off the peg. Silk suits and dresses can be made to measure, but beware of '24-hour' tailoring deals, as the workmanship is often shoddy and will not last. If you are short on time, buy the best silk cloth you can afford and ship it home to be made up in your home country; you will still save a considerable sum. This is particularly true for ladies looking for stunning ball gowns or evening dresses.
Cotton clothing is ideal for the hot Thai climate, and a traditional maw hawm shirt can keep you cool when other shirts seem intent on clinging to your skin.
If you want to shop for authentic local handwoven textiles, it's worth making a trip to nearby Ban Hat Siaw. This village is home to the Thai Phuan tribe, who immigrated here from Laos around 100 years ago. Wherever you look, you'll see looms under the houses, and families working at producing the cloth. You can either buy direct from the makers in the village or at specialist shops in Sawankhalok. Ladies can invest in trend-defying phaa sin tiin jok, skirts made of horizontally striped cloth with fancy brocade borders. Confident men will look great in the dark plaid short sarongs.
In every Thai market, there is bound to be a stall selling fakes of designer clothing, watches, handbags or sunglasses. They know it's a fake, you know it's a fake, except when they are actually goods officially licenced by the manufacturers. If so, the prices will be a little higher but the quality will be considerably better. On the whole, if you love labels but hate their European price tags, these fakes will impress for less.
Fake DVDs and CDs vary in quality, and are usually just of the latest blockbusters. You may also find copied computer software, but you'll not get any manuals, and there is not guarantee the software might not be buggy or virus-ridden. Only buy if you really know what you are doing.
Furniture in Thailand may seem a good buy, but do consider how on earth you are going to get it back home...
Gem scams are rife in major tourist resorts, but still be wary of any gemstones offered for sale by side street shops and traders in Sukhothai. If you do want good quality gems and are willing to pay for them, you will get a better deal if you stop over in Bangkok on your way home from your holiday in Sukhothai. Always buy from a known and trusted source, such as a member of the Thai Gem and Jewelry Traders Association, and never agree to buy gems in bulk to make money back at home; you never will.
The gentle art of haggling in Sukhothai
By now you would have realised that the Thais love to bargain. In fact, if you don't bargain with a street trader, they will be severely disappointed. The vendor will always make the first offer, which you refuse with a polite "What is your best price?" The vendor then offers a discount, which you refuse, and so on, until the vendor and you agree a price in the middle somewhere.
Often the negotiations are done via display calculator; the vendor types in a price, you clear it and enter yours, which is considerably lower of course, the vendor then enters another, and so on. That way, you don't get confused by spoken Thai numbers, and the vendor can't say one price and then charge another.
When haggling over a price, bear in mind the business principle of sanuk, fun in everything, so keep it light and you'll have more success. If negotiations reach a stalemate, always check just how much money you really are quibbling over. You'll probably find it's much less than a cup of coffee back home, and those few extra baht will mean a lot more to the trader and their family than you.
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 "Everything you ever wanted to know about Sukhothai shopping"
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