Bangkok has been described as a shopping paradise. Whether this is absolutely true depends on who is doing the describing. There’s a lot to buy in Bangkok, so much so that you would end up purchasing extra suitcases to cart the bounty home. But whether the city is a shopping hot spot such as Hong Kong is really a question of what you’re hoping to buy. There are luxury brands here like in other Asian cities, but Bangkok is not considered posh in that sense. On the other hand, the lack of obvious posh does not mean the absence of quality. In fact, if variety in merchandise and range in price give you an adrenaline rush, welcome to the sprawling bazaar that is Bangkok.

Thai-made goods are especially alluring. Given Thailand’s rich cultural heritage and her people’s predilection for beauty and beautiful things, it is to be expected that shops are filled with a dazzling array of good-looking, creative products—many you’d never thought you’d need, let alone encounter. From crafts to clothes to cloths to creams, you’re only limited by how much you can cash and carry.

Now that international brands are available, well, internationally, why come to Bangkok to buy what you can get elsewhere? Thais shop Thai, so should you!