Bangkok is a city with two faces, one hand it is city filled with culture and history and on the other it is a bustling modern metropolis filled with world class shopping malls and great entertainment venues. The stark contrast of the Buddhist pagoda’s and the pious devotees that gather there every day and the commercialism of Bangkok’s shopping malls and night clubs give this city a unique identity. Sukhumvit Road which is a major highway that runs across the heart of Bangkok has long been considered the best place to shop by tourists.

Shopping here is an authentic South East Asian experience, where the pavements are lined with small makeshift carts selling perfumes, clothes and electronics and at the other end of the spectrum almost right next to this are the massive state of the art shopping malls which have designer boutiques sporting some of the most instantly recognizable international brands.

The smaller roadside shops open up early morning and offer everything imaginable, from pedicures, manicures and haircuts to Thai antiques. Most of these establishments are seen around the hotels located at the lower Sukhumvit area. These shops are open well into the night when most of the tourists head out to experience the famed Bangkok nightlife.

Among the shopping malls some of the best ones are located close to Bangkok Hotel, these shopping malls are among the largest in the region and have hundreds of small boutiques inside that sell everything under the sun. The Robinson’s Department Store is a must visit for up market items, they have regular sales promotions so the possibility of catching a bargain is quite high. However the largest and most often visited mall is the Emporium, the first three floors of this mall feature clothing stores, while the other floors have shops dedicated to electronics, antique and sports equipment.

If you are staying at a Sukhumvit Hotel such as Grand Millennium Sukhumvit Bangkok then a visit to this area is easily achieved through the BTS network. However even travelers staying further away from Sukhumvit should consider visiting at least once on their trip as it one of the highlights of the city.