Buy
You're in Thailand, so you know shopping is never far away. There are numerous large malls, small malls, supermarkets, bazaar-style markets, and thousands of other shops. Sadly, you'll be seeing a lot of the same stuff over and over again -
there's no endless variety here.
Pattaya is excellent for buying electronics, for this best head down to the COMM Centre on South Pattaya Road.
Foreign currency can easily be exchanged for Thai baht at the many exchange
booths which can be found in all areas popular with tourists - there are even mobile exchanges/ATMs in specially adapted minivans that are set up as and when and where the need arises. Note that the majority of exchange booths will buy
foreign currency but will not sell it - if you need to obtain USD (for example if you're going to Cambodia) use one of the larger branches of a major bank (eg the Bangkok Bank branch on Second Road).
Supermarkets
Pattaya has a veritable trolley-load of supermarkets, including:
Friendship is the most westerner-oriented and has large selections of cheese, bread, wine etc.
Markets
There are many bazaar-style markets in Pattaya where you can haggle 'till you drop, including...
Thepprasit Market on Thepprasit Road near the junction with Sukhumvit Road - Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings.
Soi Buakhao
Market on the corner of South Pattaya Road and Soi Buakhao, across from the Friendship supermarket - daytime, Tuesday and Friday; plus an evening market further along the same road.
Made In Thailand Night Plazar (sic) on Second Road
near Soi 10 - daily 08:00-23:00 (despite the name).
The Market Pattaya on Second Road near Soi 5 is a little lonely but some evenings has students giving music or dance performances on a small stage.
...any many more, including one
on Second Road near Soi 2, next to Tiffany's Show.
Shops
Books
Book Variety : Big C, South Pattaya Road; Carrefour, Central Pattaya Road; Tuk.Com (Com City)
D.K. Book Mart, corner of Beach Road and Central Pattaya Road; tel. +66-38429359 - medium-size bookshop with lots of English
titles, including a sizeable cookery book section, and a worthwhile selection of second-hand paperbacks at 99 baht - open 09:00-00:00.
Jeremy's Bookshop, 383/111 Soi Chaiyaphum (which connects Soi Buakhao Road and Third Road); tel.
+66-38411266 - an immaculate library-style English language paperback exchange, large selection, mostly priced ~100~250 baht. If you buy a book here and then return it in good condition, you'll get a credit of 50% of the original price
towards your next purchase - open daily 09:00-22:00.
Pattaya Beach Books has two locations: 1st floor, P.S. Plaza (junction of Second Road and Central Pattaya Road); tel+fax. +66-38362175 / pattayabeachbooks@yahoo.com and also at
316/137 Moo 10 Soi Buakhao. Both shops are open daily 10:00-20:00 and have a huge selection of "pre-owned" English language books and magazines - mags ~50~60 baht, paperbacks ~140~160 baht, hardbacks ~180 baht plus. If you buy a
book here and then return it in good condition, you'll get a credit of 50% of the original price towards your next purchase.
SE-ED [52] Big C, South Pattaya Road; Carrefour, Central Pattaya Road; Tesco-Lotus, North Pattaya Road;
Tesco-Lotus, Sukhumvit Road
Swan Book Shop, 210/6 Soi Buakhao - large selection of second-hand foreign language paperbacks, mostly priced 100-180 baht - open Mon-Sat 09:00-21:00.
Convenience stores are everywhere, especially
7-Eleven and Family Mart shops (all open 24/7), plus countless independents. If you use the family run shops the prices aren't always marked but should be the same, or just a baht or two higher, and you'll have the satisfaction of knowing
your money isn't flowing back to the USA or Japan.
Pharmacies are plentiful and for most medications a prescription is not required. Viagra (etc.) is available from most. The international Boots and Watsons chains each have
locations at Central Festival (Big-C) and Royal Garden Plaza malls (Boots also have a store in Walking Street, open 12:00-02:00), and their pharmacists tend to have above-average English skills.
Fascino, North Pattaya Road [53]. A
huge store and a good place to try if you're having trouble finding what you need. Also has also some medical equipment (e.g. wheelchairs & walkers).
Gold shops abound, with concentrations around the market on South Pattaya Road
and around Central Pattaya Road near Second Road, plus numerous jewelry shops towards the south end of Beach Road.
Tailor shops are everywhere. Are there any good ones?
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FIRST BAR
soi chaiyapoon
is now open.
Come take a drink !
