Thailand » Shopping in Phuket

Phuket is a shopaholic's paradise. The island has a great selection of shopping, from busy open-air village food markets, noisy night markets, street stalls and local shops to western style department stores and up market specialist shops. With traditional handicrafts, beautifully designed clothing, jewellery, antiques, house wares and much more to choose from. All the beach resorts have abundance of shops selling toiletries, souvenirs and handicrafts etc. In Phuket Town you will find a number of medium sized department stores. Lacquer ware, paintings, silk, jewellery and a host of other things can be found in shops around the town.

As one of Phuket's best buys, cultured pearls offered here are both in good quality and large in quantity. They are available either individually, as a strand or as part of a piece of ornament The Japanese people, the pioneer of pearl culture, were the first to set up a farm to culture pearls in Thailand on Naga Noi island off Phuket some 20 years ago. Since then, many pearl farms run by Thais have been established on islands around Phuket.

Thai silk produced in the north and northeast is well known all over the world. Seashells are made into ornaments and gift items, such as necklaces, rings, bracelets, brooches, mobiles, lampshades, photo frames, etc. These, together with other marine products, are among the most popular souvenirs.