10 Best Places to Go Shopping in Riverside Bangkok

Asiatique The Riverfront occupies a huge replica warehouse complex in Bangkok Riverside, offering over 1,500 boutiques and 40 restaurants. Market stall prices are higher than elsewhere, but if you’re travelling with kids, they’ll enjoy the massive Ferris Wheel, arcade games, and live shows. Two of Asiatique’s biggest entertainment draws here are the Thai puppets by Joe Louis Theatre and Calypso Cabaret, one of Bangkok’s celebrated ladyboy shows.

Tha Maharaj is a shopping mall in Bangkok’s historic Old Town, where you can visit the iconic Wat Pho and Grand Palace. The mall also benefits from an idyllic riverside location, with a good line-up of cafes, restaurants and bars taking advantage of the handsome views across the water. Special events often take place at the riverside concourse, including live music gigs, farmers' markets, and food festivals. Tha Maharaj has its very own pier, so arriving by boat is the most popular way to reach the mall.

Yodpiman River Walk is a lifestyle mall focusing on a heritage theme inspired by the architecture of Thailand’s Ayutthaya period. Ornate, period fixtures are fitted throughout the mall, very much in keeping with the feel of Old Town Bangkok. Its wide promenade offers great river views and a cooling breeze, souvenir shopping, plenty of restaurants and snack stalls, as well as a large beer garden with live music in the evenings.

Ta Tian Market is a fresh marketplace by the riverside, just opposite the white walls of Wat Pho. The market is often missed by travellers who often take a break at one of the charming little cafes under the arches of the Sino-Portuguese façades. You can find its small entrance right in the middle of this U-shaped heritage style building. Walking through the maze-like Ta Tian market is both fun and disorienting experience.  

OP Place (Oriental Plaza) feels more like an art gallery or museum than a department store with 50 boutiques displaying fantastic antiques. There are also some well-known tailors and jewellers throughout the shopping mall. It has a reputation for luxury, with all antiques issued with certificates from Thailand’s Fine Arts Department, so you can shop without worrying about counterfeits.

River City is a 4-storey mall offering sweeping views over the Chao Phraya River. It is a playground for antique lovers and collectors, with floors dedicated to high-quality antiques and collectables. It also has a collection of fashion shops selling Thai silk, gems and leather accessories. Many often come here to shop for décor items, including wooden masks, bronze sculptures. and Thai crafts. The waterfront promenade has a small line-up of restaurants with outdoor terraces overlooking the Chao Phraya River.

Robinson Bangrak is a modern shopping mall in Bangkok Riverside. It offers a wide range of international brands, as well as a supermarket stocking branded foodstuffs from Europe, Australia and America. A small market runs outside the shopping mall, where you can find plenty of fresh fruit and street food stalls. Robinson Bangrak Shopping Mall spans 4 floors, with shops split into different sections. The namesake department store taking up most of the space, housing make-up and perfume counters such as L’Oreal, Calvin Klein, and Shiseido. Homeware, luggage and toys can be found on the mall’s upper levels. 

Pak Klong Talad is a 24-hour market with so many flowers that you'd feel you’ve stepped far away from the streets of Bangkok. Located in the Old Town, the best time to experience the action is around 4am when trucks and carts arrive from other parts of Thailand to unload piles of fresh flowers. If you just want to walk around the flower market, visit a little later in the morning to see hundreds of vendors creating wreaths and floral displays.

Saphan Phut Night Market is a surprisingly tourist-free marketplace near the Memorial Bridge. Set up usually starts at 5pm and gets busier from 8pm. The market mostly sells clothes, both new and second-hand. Prices are cheaper than at most markets in Bangkok Riverside, and there are plenty of stalls offering authentic Thai street food.