Did you miss the opportunity to get your shopping done in Bangkok?
No problem! You’ve got another chance to go shopping
Koh Samui offers lots of shops ranging from the simple gift shop to brand name boutiques. Most shopping areas are located at Chaweng beach or in one of the two super-centres between the Paradise Beach Resort and Chaweng.
Chaweng road is a six kilometer long shopping street where you will find everything you are looking for. Shops bars and restaurants are open from midday until late at night. Lingering among the shops and negotiating with the vendors to obtain a bargain price will make your shopping experience an unforgettable part of your holiday. Please note that where prices are displayed, especially in brand name shops, those will usually be non-negotiable. When bargaining, try to determine what might be a realistic price, so both parties would be satisfied with the deal. Once the price has been agreed upon, try to stick to it. The next customer walking into the shop will be grateful for it, as it helps the vendor find out what an acceptable price might be.
An agreement on the price is like a verbal contract between you and the vendor, and to walk away would be most disrespectful in Thai culture. If you can’t find an acceptable price please smile nicely and walk away. A vendor will never sell his product for less than the price he paid for it himself! For getting a good price, buying more than one article at the same shop may help. Tailors can be quite aggressive, as they are mainly not Thais, so it may get a little more noisy and hectic than when dealing with the quieter, locally-born people, which can render negotiations rather loud.
Here, the shopping areas are much smaller than in Chaweng, however, many shops offer a higher standard and are more stylish than those in Chaweng. Prices are about the same as other places, but the number of shops in BoPhut/Fisherman’s Village is limited. As most shops in BoPhut only open after 4pm, we don’t recommend visiting this place for shopping during the day. Lots of nice, but a little more expensive restaurants offering good quality food are located along the beach.
This area is rather quiet but still offers various shops with handcrafts and everything else you may need to buy. The Paradise Beach Resort is within walking distance of the centre of Maenam where you can find very nice restaurants as well, which are usually open only in the evening. We recommend using our free bicycles to explore this nearby area.
About 30 minutes by car from the Paradise Beach Resort, Nathon offers lots of shops that are open during the daytime. All guests who find their way to Nathon can expect to find bargain prices. Off the main road, prices can even be cheaper, so it makes sense to explore the side-streets to find interesting offers. It is important to note is that most shops in Nathon will close between 6 pm and 7 pm. Just before sunset, you can visit the daily food market at the pier to round off your day with a great experience.
Lamai is located on the opposite site of the island from the Paradise Beach Resort, and therefore it is quite expensive to get there by taxi or tuk tuk. It’s easier to explore Lamai if you rent your own motorbike and use the road over the hills behind Maenam. Shopping offers and restaurants are about the same as in Chaweng. If you book one of the day trips around the Island you will pass Lamai, giving you the chance to decide if you want to go back again or not.