What to buy in Thailand: 20 Souvenirs and Gifts

Updated: July 2, 2024

The Ultimate Guide to Shopping in Thailand: Souvenirs, Gifts, and More

Looking for the perfect souvenirs and gifts to bring back from your Thailand trip? Look no further! In this article, I'll share my top picks for what to buy in Thailand, based on my experience living in the Land of Smiles for 3 years.

From jewelry to food to clothing and accessories, I'll cover all the best options and where to find them. So whether you're looking for something special for yourself or your loved ones, you're sure to find something perfect in Thailand.

Clothes and accessories

1. Clothing

Clothes in Thailand are incredibly cheap. You'll find lots of garments made from cool and natural fabrics like viscose and cotton at great prices.

You can buy dresses, t-shirts, shirts, and pants for as little as 100 to 200 baht.

The best places to buy cheap clothes in Thailand are markets and shopping malls.

2. Muay Thai clothing and accessories

If you practice Muay Thai, take the opportunity to buy Muay Thai clothing at a good price. The shorts are especially cool, and you can even use them for other sports.

You can buy Muay Thai clothing and accessories at night markets, although you will find better quality and more variety in the specialized stores in all major cities.

3. Hats and bags

Northern Thailand has a long basket weaving tradition, and in Chiang Mai in particular has several specialized shops within walking distance of the old town, where you can buy hats, bags, decorations and other household items.

However, you will find a stall selling these products in almost any day or night market in Thailand.

They are really beautiful, there are a variety of models and they are of excellent quality.

The hat I'm wearing in the photo below cost me 300 baht, after a bit of haggling. 😅

You will also find much cheaper hats and bags made from synthetic materials.

👍 Friend's tip: always haggle when you go shopping in Thailand. The only places where you don't haggle are when buying food, in supermarkets and shopping malls. In all other places, haggling is essential to pay a good price. 😉

4. Thai silk

Thai silk has been produced for at least 3,000 years, according to archaeological remains found in northern Thailand.

Some typical Thai souvenirs you can buy made from its colorful silk are scarves, ties, cushion covers, and clothing in general.

You will find silk clothing stores in shopping malls and markets.

However, one of the best places to buy Thai silk is at Jim Thompson House in Bangkok. Thompson was the one who introduced Thai silk to the world after World War II.

I recommend visiting his house in this article on What to see in Bangkok: 21 must-sees, where I also talk about Bangkok's markets and shopping malls, including the MBK Center that I mention in the next point.

5. Counterfeit goods

Thailand is famous for its counterfeit clothing and footwear because they are quite good.

If you want to buy counterfeits in Bangkok, the MBK Center is famous for them, although there are also original products.

I don't want to encourage you to buy counterfeits, that is up to you.

On the other hand, if you're looking for genuine products and a store has something you're looking for that's too cheap to be true, it's probably a fake. That's why it's better to go to official stores.

✅ Friend's Tip: Don’t forget to get travel insurance for your next adventure. I recommend Heymondo,—it’s super comprehensive, and with that link, you’ll get 5% off!

Jewelry and bijouterie

6. Gold jewelry

Thailand has a long tradition of gold jewelry. This is because Thais traditionally wear a number of accessories with their clothing, such as those I'm wearing in the photo below (earrings, pendant, belt, body chain, and bracelet).

Gold is also a symbol of status in Thailand, and Thais love to wear gold jewelry in their everyday life, even when dressed in Western clothing. This is true for both men and women.

If you want to buy gold jewelry in Thailand, the best place is Bangkok's Chinatown and other cities' Chinatowns, like in Chiang Mai or Phuket, but you will also find shops in shopping centers.

The stores are easy to recognize, they are red with golden letters, and you will see inside thousands of jewels with their glittering golden color.

Scams are rare when buying gold jewelry in Thailand, but I recommend that you get good advice before buying anything if you are not an expert on the subject.

⭐ You can read more about 15 Scams in Thailand and How to Avoid Them, where I also talk about jewelry scams. And in this one about Chiang Mai's Chinatown , including the bustling Warorot Market.

7. Gems

Thailand is famous for gemstone jewelry, you can find earrings, pendants, bracelets.

Some of the main precious stones they work with in Thailand are: diamonds, emeralds, rubies and blue sapphires.

However, I have to warn you that there is a lot of fraud when it comes to gemstones, and if you don't know how to recognize authentic ones, I recommend being cautious.

One way to avoid being scammed with fake gems is to go to stores that are certified by the Jewel Fest Club. They usually have a sticker with a logo like the one below at the entrance.

This is a non-profit organization that guarantees the reliability of the stores.

8. Jewelry

If you're looking for something more affordable, there are many artisans on the islands selling their bracelets and necklaces, some with carved pendants. They are definitely a nice souvenir.

Handicrafts

If you are a handicraft lover, and you pass through northern Thailand, don't miss the opportunity to buy some, as many are produced there.

These handicrafts are also sold in other parts of Thailand, although there is more variety in the north, especially in Chiang Mai, and they are a little cheaper.

In addition, handicrafts are one of the best souvenirs you can bring back home.

9. Paper umbrella

Paper umbrellas are one of the most beautiful things to buy in Thailand. These umbrellas are very colorful, some plain and others printed with nature themes such as flowers and birds.

The umbrella's frame is quite light and at the same time wind resistant because it is made of bamboo and then the paper has an oil-based treatment to make it water-resistant. At the same time, they are beautiful as decoration or for taking pictures.

In Chiang Mai, the place where I found the largest and most varied paper umbrella stall was at the Sunday night market, which is the stall in the photo above.

⭐ You can read more about the 7 Best Markets in Chiang Mai: Night and Day, which includes the Sunday night market and the Hmong market that I mention a little further down.

10. Thai Pottery

Ceramics is another art form in which Thais excel, and they have been making ceramics for thousands of years.

In many cities you will find specialized stores selling ceramic pieces with beautiful decorations, both tableware and ornaments, like the one in the photo below.

11. Hmong Textiles

The Hmong people of northern Thailand produce textiles with colorful geometric designs. In Chiang Mai, there is a small market with several stalls where you can buy their products.

Some of the things to buy are backpacks, bags, cushion covers, keychains, purses and clothing with their designs.

12. Thai carvings

Thais are skilled in carving, the most important being wood carving. You can buy beautiful ornaments of different types of figures, including elephants.

Some pieces are sold with the natural color of the wood and others are painted with bright colors.

Keychains are always a classic souvenir to give away. In Thailand, the most popular ones are those of elephants, which is the country's most emblematic animal.

13. Elephant keychains

Keychains are always a classic souvenir gift, in Thailand, the most popular are those of elephants, which is the most emblematic animal in the country.

There are keychains made of different materials, mine is made of fabric and is perfect to carry in your suitcase because they don't break and are lightweight.

👍 My two cents: If you’re looking to stay connected during your trip, 🤳 I recommend this eSIM for Thailand or this one for Asia both with unlimited data and work perfectly. Just use that link for a 5% discount.

Natural cosmetics

14. Coconut oil

One of the best things to buy in Thailand is coconut oil, it is of good quality and affordable.

You can buy coconut oil at the shops in the night markets or in shopping malls, however, the best quality can be found in specialized natural cosmetics stores.

These stores have virgin coconut oil, which moisturizes the skin, protects the hair from the sun and, depending on which one you buy, can be suitable for cooking.

I bought a half-liter bottle for only 350 baht, but there are also smaller bottles.

15. Other cosmetics

If you like natural cosmetics for skin and hair care, Thailand has some great products that smell wonderful.

Some of these cosmetics are based on natural ingredients typical of the country such as: tamarind, aloe vera and of course the delicious coconut.

The best place to buy them are the specialized stores.

Food and drinks

16. Tea

Although many people don't know it, in the north of Thailand there is an area with tea fields that produce good quality teas.

If you want a quality product, I recommend that you buy loose tea, in the daytime food markets you will find many stalls dedicated especially to tea and some very beautifully packaged as gifts.

If not, in supermarkets, specifically ones called Super Cheap, you will find the tea in the photo below, it is loose green tea with jasmine, it is very good and of course, cheap.

👍 Friend's tip: if you want to buy strange, different, curious foods, be sure to go to supermarkets Super Cheap. These supermarkets are where locals shop and as their name suggests they are very cheap. Of course, they can be very chaotic and with some products they are only written in Thai.😉

17. Blue tea

Blue tea is another typical Thai product.

Although it's not actually tea, but rather blue Clitoria ternatea flowers that make an infusion with a delicate flavor and intense blue color, which changes to a beautiful fuchsia color when you add lemon.

In the day markets, there are unlabeled bags with these dried flowers, as you can see in the photo below.

The Chiang Mai markets have the most affordable ones, where a big bag costs about 20 baht and lasts for a long time.

18. Spices

Thai spices are wonderful and are the secret to many delicious Thai dishes.

In the food markets, they sell large bags of each spice.

Although the best alternative is some packages that come with between 5 and 7 small bags with different types of spices, which make excellent gifts.

Some of the spices you can bring are curry, Thai peppers that usually come whole and dried, galangal, cinnamon and coriander.

You can also buy spices that are already mixed and used to prepare certain dishes, such as the famous Tom Yum.

👍 My two cents : if you are going to take any powdered spices, it is better to take them in your hand luggage. Powders always raise suspicions at the airport and, at least, I prefer to show what I am carrying when I go through security, rather than having them open and check my checked luggage

⭐ In this Comprehensive Guide to Thai Food you can read more about it Tom Yum .

19. Dehydrated fruits

One of the best snacks in Thailand is dehydrated fruit. They're seriously addictive, once you start eating them, it's impossible to stop. 😋

Some of the most popular are durian, pineapple and my favorite, mango.

This snack is great to take in your backpack when you go sightseeing, and also to take as a souvenir. The best thing about it is the price, it's very cheap.

You can find dehydrated fruit in supermarkets and markets.

20. Other Thai snacks

If you like trying different foods, Thailand has some interesting snacks. Here are a few examples.

But, in supermarkets and markets, you'll find many more that you can buy as souvenirs from Thailand.

• Chips: as well as potato chips, they have taro, sweet potato, pumpkin and my favorite banana (pictured above).
• When it comes to chocolates, they have interesting flavors, such as KitKats with matcha.
• Snacks with curious ingredients such as fried green peas (pictured above).
• Roasted seaweed is another delicious snack that you can't help but devour the bag (pictured below).
• Milk-flavored candy (pictured below).

👍 Friend's advice : to learn about Thai food, I recommend joining a food tour like this one in Bangkok or this one in Chiang Mai, which are also fun.

Final Thoughts

These are the best things to buy in Thailand, original souvenirs at a good price that will also serve as gifts.

In this guide to Thailand you can keep reading the main articles I’ve written about this beautiful country.

If you have any questions, leave me a comment below and I'll help you as much as I can. If you found the article useful, share it with other travelers. Happy shopping! 😘

More about Thailand and gifts ideas

• 8 Unmissable Excursions from Krabi
• Sleeper Train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai
• What to see in Chiang Mai: 19 best plans + map
• What to do in Phuket: 30 best plans + map
• Thailand route (July or August): 14 and 21 day itinerary
• 23 Tips for traveling to Thailand
• 51 Gift Ideas for Travelers