July 16, 2006
An informal poll of my female friends has suggested that Naria Phad shopping center is the best place to go for Thai Souvenir arts and crafts, leather goods, and the latest fashions in knock off purses. Outside of the Chatuchak weekend market, this indoor bazaar is possibly the cheapest bargains inside Bangkok, if you bargain.
The center is a typical asian indoor bazaar, with stalls set up inside of a large open area. There is air conditioning, so you will be comfortable even during the heat of the day, and this is one of the biggest advantages of Chatuchak. Narayana Phad (which is pronounced naraia pan) is mostly limited to items of interest to tourists, so it is a good destination for someone interested in the specialty fare of Thailand. I saw lots of purses, silks, papers, and wood carvings, and a good selection of semi-precious stones and silver jewlery.
Learning how to bargain is an art, and bargaining in Thailand is especially difficult, because to be successful, you have to bargain without being confrontational. I am sure there are some good descriptions out there on bargaining, and at Narayana Phand, as in most tourist stalls in Thailand, you should expect to get about at 30-40% discount from the initial price, sometimes more.

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