Are you going to Thailand - one of the most distant exotic and mysterious countries with a unique culture? Congratulations! Vivid impressions of the sea, sand, diving, sights are guaranteed for you. And souvenirs, which are heaps of in Phuket, Koh Samui or Pattaya, will help remind you of a great time! We have compiled a rating of what to bring from Thailand as a gift to friends and relatives according to the reviews of tourists.
Consider all the most popular gifts (cosmetics, medicines, joint ointments, fruits) and unusual gifts that you should definitely find and buy as a keepsake.
What to bring friends and relatives from Thailand?
- statuette Buddha and a keychain in the form of an elephant figurine;
- coconut lamp and sets of pens (pencils) with engravings;
- knitted or sewn covers for a phone or glasses;
- figurines elephants made of wood, shells, fabric;
- national boats with incense sticks;
- exotic fruits and sets of Thai spices;
- wicker rattan leaf products, coca, reeds;
- cups and glasses from coconut;
- napkin holders with a picture of an elephant;
- wood carved paintings;
- silk bedspreads and pillow covers;
- huge seashells or products from them;
- lacquer caskets and umbrellas;
- palm leaf souvenirs;
- puppet dolls.
Small souvenirs can be purchased in the markets from $ 0.5 to $ 5, more massive ones - from $ 2 to $ 30. Buddha figurines are sold from $ 10 to $ 100. Latex products - from $ 20 to $ 100.
Cosmetics and medicines
Thailand has a huge selection of natural cosmetics, consisting of herbal extracts, helping to maintain youth and beauty. Medicine is also very well developed here, drugs are of high quality and with a high degree of impact. From a wide variety, you can always choose what to bring from cosmetics and medicines.
Popular with tourists Coconut oil, which has a beneficial effect on the condition of the skin and hair, all kinds of creams and scrubs for body and face, shampoos, soap, deodorants, lip balms.
Of the medicines, tiger and cobra are very popular balms, relieving joint pain, throat inhalers, all kinds of syrups and food supplements, we also advise you to buy tincture from snake venom, helps with stretching the back. Widely known Aloe Vera gelwhich is applied to tanned skin and cools it pleasantly. There is a wide selection of whitening toothpastes, as well as the original black toothpaste made from charcoal.
Where is the best place to buy souvenirs?
Prices in hotel shops are usually high. But, if you visit Thailand from mid-June to mid-August and see a red bag in the shop window, consider yourself lucky. During this period, the most grandiose, with discounts of up to 80%, begins, called the Amazing Thailand Grand Sale. It works in both large and smallest shops. But the greatest benefit is found in large shopping malls.
The largest shopping centers are located in Bangkok, Pattaya, Phuket.
Most visited centers Bangkok are:
- Central World Plaza - located in the business center of Bangkok 4,4 / 1-4 / 2,4 / 4, Ratchadamri Road - the 11th largest in the world, includes 300 shops, which also present the most popular souvenirs
- Support- a chain of shops offering local handicraft products
- Terminal 21 - 600 shops and a Gourmet supermarket in the same building, located on Sukhumvit Rd., Between Soi 19 and 21. Nearby is the SkyTrain - Asok stop. The entrance to the center is possible directly from the station.
Shopping on Phuket can usefully be carried out in shopping centers:
- Central Festival at 74-75 Wichitsongkran Road
- Big Clocated in Phuket Town near the Festival shopping center. On Patong beach there is also a small supermarket of this chain.
- Tesco Lotus - located in the central part of the island, Phuket Town, along the main road. There are plenty of cosmetics, food, clothing, shoes, household appliances and other goods.
What to bring from Phuket according to the advice of experienced tourists? First of all, the symbol of Phuket is small pewter glasses. And since Phuket is the largest manufacturer of handcrafted batik products, then these products will be an excellent choice.
V Pattaya:
- the largest shopping center in the resort is Central Festival Center at 333/99, Moo 9, Pattaya Beach Road. A variety of clothes and shoes, cosmetics, jewelry, bags and much more are presented in stores from 0 to 4 floors.
- The largest selection of inexpensive clothing tourists will find in Mike shopping mall - a shopping center on the Pattaya coast. It is not difficult to get to it, it is located between Plyazhnaya and Second streets, near the Royal Garden Plaza shopping center. Entrances are located on both streets.
Where to buy cheap souvenirs?
Traders of interesting handicrafts and crafts work on absolutely all beaches in Thailand. It is here that tourists usually buy inexpensive souvenirs from seashells, figurines, masks, magnets, headbands and scarves, and wooden crafts. In the markets, prices for souvenirs are penny, but also unenviable quality. At night bazaars, having boldly bargained, you can also buy a lot of cheap souvenirs at a price 2 times lower than the original one. You shouldn't buy souvenirs in the first shop. Go to the end of the street, where prices will be much lower than at the beginning.
What to bring as a gift?
Of course, with such an abundance of memorable gifts, there is always a problem, which souvenir to buy in Thailand as a gift. According to tourists' reviews, the following are recognized as the best:
- thai rummade from sugar cane and aged in special barrels;
- latex products - pillows, mattresses, bed linen with anti-allergic properties;
- tea - blue, red, milky, with a pleasant taste and aroma;
- pearl products - all kinds of inexpensive beads and necklaces;
- fan with landscapes of the island - from small women to huge, mounted on the wall;
- caskets and figurines with secret compartments for personal belongings;
- seedling thai orchidsplaced in a bottle for easy transportation.
Perhaps one of the original gifts will be a photo frame made of elephant excrement. Or albums with paper made from elephant feces.
Hwhat can and can not be exported from Thailand?
In Thailand, there are no restrictions on the export of food products, fruits (with few exceptions), tobacco products, alcohol. With regard to souvenirs in Thailand, there are a number of restrictions.
What cannot be exported from Thailand
You can't take out:
- Buddha figurines more than 13 centimeters high,
- rough corals, shells, precious stones, undeclared jewelry, gold bars,
- durian fruit due to its specific smell, watermelon (it can explode in an airplane), coconut (dense peel is not visible through the scanner, so you can smuggle drugs in it, etc.),
- ivory and turtle shell products,
- stamps,
- dried seahorses,
- drugs, weapons, shokers, batons, brass knuckles and other items of a similar purpose,
- objects of art and antiques.
What souvenir can you bring from your vacation in Pattaya or Phuket?
Anything: pleasant little things, the symbol of Thailand - a wooden frog, wooden coasters for wine bottles, household and kitchen items, leather and silk products, and most importantly - pleasant memories and a desire to meet Thailand again!
