Koh Samui Shopping: How To Bargain For Bargain-Basement Prices

You can find some great bargains in Koh Samui!

The most important thing to remember when you are dealing with shopkeepers and stallholders on Koh Samui is to smile. It might sound trite, but the smile is one of the most important parts of getting a good deal. Smiling establishes good intent and even if you don’t end up agreeing a price or buying anything, so long as it's done with a smile, nobody loses face. An aggressive, confrontational approach is not the way to go about shopping in Koh Samui.

Most stall holders and market vendors are willing to do a deal. If the price isn’t marked on the item you are interested in, then there will usually room for negotiation. To get the best deal, don’t ask for the price straight away. Try and establish a rapport with the person selling; smile, get them to smile or better still, get them to laugh. It doesn’t mean you have to launch into a 20 minute stand-up comedy routine, but if you have a sense of humour in your haggling you will definitely get a better deal. Thais like everything to be "sanuk" (fun!)http://www.thaizer.com/culture-shock/sanuk/ and that includes shopping. Ask them if the item is hand-made and if so, did they make it themselves. 

Compliment themhttp://www.thaizer.com/culture-shock/thai-flattery/ on how nice their stall is, how nice their smile is or how good their English is. If it’s a DVD you’re buying, ask them if they’ve seen the film, ask if it’s any good, tell them they look like Jackie Chan or Miss Thailand Universe - anything to make them smile!

Don’t worry about trying to speak Thai. In most tourist areas, shopkeepers can speak English to some extent. As a tourist you won't be expected to speak Thai,http://www.thaizer.com/language/learning-the-thai-language/ but if you’re polite and remember your "sawatdee kha/khrap" and your "khop khun kha/khrap",http://www.thaizer.com/culture-shock/being-polite-in-thailand/ you’ll establish a good rapport immediately. At some stage of your browsing you will probably notice the ubiquitous big calculator. Just about every stall that deals with tourists will have a large calculator on hand to save any misunderstandings when it comes to agreeing a price. If the seller doesn’t speak much English, you can still guarantee he’ll understand the words "how much?". Once you’ve uttered those magic words, then the fun begins and the stallholder will either quote you a price or key it into the calculator and show you.

Normally, this will be a price well above what the real price is. When he gives you a price, smile. You should counter with an offer well below that which you are expecting to pay. However, be sensible. Decide before you start haggling what you think is a fair price and how much you’d be prepared to pay. After a few offers and counter offers you should come to an agreement.

At markets and in tourist areas many shops and stalls sell similar items so you can ask around at a few stores to establish what the average going rate is and decide on how much you want to pay. If you are buying in bulk that’s obviously perfect from the shopkeeper’s point of view and he may offer a discount straight away, but there’s still usually room for extra negotiation.

Department stores and large shops work on a fixed price, so these are not the place to start haggling. However, if you have bought a really expensive item, there’s no harm in asking for a discount or a free gift. Very often this may be offered automatically, but if it isn’t, just smile and ask politely.

Where Can I get a Cheap Suit in Koh Samui

Looking to add some inexpensive fine-looking tailored made suits to your wardrobe? Come to Koh Samui! (Photo courtesy gobizfashion.com) 

                                                                                                                                                   Koh Samui is the perfect place to go for a long relaxing vacation, a fun-filled family bonding experience or a honeymoon. But aside from sipping cocktails by the beach and swimming with beautiful fish under the sea, there are more things to do in Koh Samui that might involve a little suiting up.

A tropical island might give the impression that all you really need and all there is ever available are shorts, Hawaiian shirts and slippers but you will be surprised to know that even well- tailored suits can be purchased at Koh Samui. You might need to get a high quality suit so that you can use it later to elegantly propose to the love of your life, look good for that big presentation for work that might help you get a promotion, or even to impress that gorgeous woman you have a date with. For these occasions you will need a really trendy suit, which is why one of the things you should do in Koh Samui- is buy a suit, which will make a good impression and display your good qualities.  

The island has hundreds of tailor shops as well as designer tailor outfits that could provide you with the perfect suit. Yes, one of the things you can do in Koh Samui is get a suit that doesn’t only look great but is cheap. Suits in the United States are very expensive, especially tailored made suits.

In Koh Samui, the windows displays of suit shops show the latest and trendiest designs for men’s suits as well as women’s. These suits also come in different colours, fabrics and are generally of good quality. Materials are imported and some are even made in Europe. These island tailors know the latest trends that are going around in the world and get help you look sharp. They also have access to the best local and imported materials. These include cashmere, merino wool, cotton, linen, wool and even Jim Thompson Thai silk, which is a very famous Thai product by the late foreign designer who decided to settle in Thailand decades ago.

These tailoring shops in Koh Samui could also make custom made suits that fit you impeccably. You have to make sure however that you give the tailors enough time to make one for you before you leave, which is usually only a few days. The tailoring business has been very lucrative over the years as many visitors have come to appreciate and recognize the quality of suits available in Koh Samui as evident in the numerous suit shops on the island.

So, the next time you make a things to do in Koh Samui list, you might want to include shopping for the best suits on the list.

                

Bophut Beach Shopping

Bophut Beach is a great place to get some Koh Samui shopping done. 

Most of us travel to faraway island for the beach and to relax but in Koh Samui shopping is a delightful extra treat. Going tropical doesn’t always mean giving up your next big love – buying stuff for loved ones, friends and yourself. 

Located in Koh Samui’s northern coast, Bophut is a beach village that travellers and local residents love for its breath-taking sunsets, fine restaurants and plenty of pubs. Unlike some places in Thailand, Bophut doesn’t have girly bars or nightlife with all the fun and noise.  If you’re visiting as a young family or a couple, you will find the atmosphere just right. Visitors are more into playing and relaxing in the white sandy shoreline adorned with coconut palms. In the morning or lazy afternoons, when it’s not too hot, enjoy Koh Samui shopping along Bophut beach road or narrow streets lined with cafes and restaurants as well as mini shops. In the Fisherman’s Village, the centre of Bophut, you can drop by souvenir shops and boutiques with Thai and Chinese goods, which you cannot normally find in malls.

What makes Bophut’s version of Koh Samui shopping different is the beach village’s famous fine restaurants that offer Thai dishes as well as a range of specialty cuisines (yes, you can find Italian, French, Italian, and Indian food here). You can do all the hiking, choosing and buying without worrying about getting hungry in the process.  Koh Samui shopping, Bophut-style, doesn’t leave you empty in the stomach.  It’s not that you will get tired of these activities because shops and dining places are within walking distance in the Fisherman's Village.

Another plus factor for Bophut is the presence of the very best dentists that Thailand can offer. In fact, it’s a medical vacationing destination because of reasonably price dental services including restorative or general dentistry. You can sort of splurge on Koh Samui shopping (Thai-made clothing, handicrafts and many more); indulge in the finest Thai and international cooking, and still have some money left for dental cleaning and other services.

All of these you can enjoy especially if you stay at the ShaSa Hotel – Samui Boutique Hotel in Laem Sett in the southern part of the island. Reason to go south? Well, the trip is worth your while. Besides, vacationing in a tropical island is all about exploration and ShaSa Hotel supports you all the way with shuttle services. At the end of the day, after Koh Samui shopping and fun at the beach, you can go back to a paradise away from home.

KOH SAMUI SHOPPING: ESSENTIAL BARGAINING TIPS

Be sure to read this blog post to get some Koh Samui shopping advice. 

During your stay at ShaSa Resorts and Residences, you’ll know doubt want to get out there and hit the shops and markets that abound everywhere on Koh Samui island, and pick up some of the excellent bargains in clothes, gadgets, jewelry and souvenirs just waiting to be had.

Koh Samui shopping is both cheap and plentiful on the island – at every single beach, every single town and village, you’ll find vendors and stalls, shops and malls all vying for your business. But while you’ll notice that the price of goods is much cheaper than your home country than they are when Koh Samui shopping, you still might end up paying over the odds if you’re not too careful.

There’s a trick to Koh Samui shopping that every shopper needs to be aware of – you gotta bargain hard to get what you want at the right price! Bargaining is pretty much the done thing in Thailand – unless the store is an official one with clearly marked prices, virtually everything you buy has to be negotiated. 

So how to negotiate? The trick to bargaining when Koh Samui shopping is to first of all, know what a realistic price is for the item you are trying to buy. Second, always bargain with a smile on your face – don’t get angry or upset as this won’t get you anywhere. You can bargain hard, but always keep it friendly.

To begin with, ask the Koh Samui shopping vendor what the price is. Naturally, the vendor will always start off with a high price, perhaps two or three times the actual price. For example, if you’re buying a T-shirt and the vendor asks for 500 baht, then the real price is probably going to be more like 200 or 300 baht. Offer him 100, but do it with a smile on your face. Guaranteed, the vendor will look shocked! But it’s also guaranteed he or she will make a lower counter-offer. He might say “okay, 350 baht”. In that case, offer 200 baht, and then he or she’ll probably say 300. Now you’re getting closer! 300 baht isn’t a bad price at all, but with skill you may be able to get that T-shirt for even less, but remember not to push too hard or they may just refuse you altogether! With practice, you’ll soon get the hang of it.

And of course we should mention that if you can speak some Thai, even if it’s only a few simple phrase such as “How much is this?”, your Koh Samui shopping will be much easier and the prices you’ll be quoted much cheaper.

Have fun with your shopping!

LAMAI SHOPPING

Listed below are some of the best places to go to get some shopping done in Lamai, Koh Samui

Just a short drive north-east from ShaSa Resort andResidences, Lamai is perhaps the best nearby Koh Samui shopping location for our guests. Here is a place where you can find everything you will possibly need – be it swimming gear, toiletries, clothes, souvenirs, gadgets, tailor made suits or jewelry, Lamai has it in abundance.

 Lamai is actually fairly typical of Koh Samui shopping locations, in that the main shops and markets are all located in a pretty centralized area. In fact, virtually all the shops and vendors worth checking out are located on the main, Beach Road that runs through Lamai, or on the sois that run off the road. As always when doing your Koh Samui shopping, it pays to look around and see what’s available first; compare the quality of goods in different shops and try to get the best price!

Lamai Night Bazaar

Although it’s supposedly a night bazaar, you’ll find that many of the stalls open up for business before the sun comes down. This Koh Samui shopping haven is located smack bang in the middle of town, across from the McDonald’s restaurant. It’s much like the night markets you get in Bangkok’s Patpong or Khao San Road, with stalls lining both sides of the street, selling tons of pirated goods, from clothes and flip flops, to watches, knives, lighters and various other knick-knacks.

69 Slam Underwear

Although you might be expecting a display of saucy lingerie, you’ll actually find there’s far more to this popular store once you step inside. Guaranteed, no trashy tourist junk in here – they offer high quality beachwear, swimming clothes, accessories and jewelry. Well worth a look but it does cost more than what you’ll find on the street!

Asian Lights

One of our favorite Koh Samui shopping stores is this tastefully fitted store, which has a fanatastic selection of hundreds of different kinds of handmade lights and lamps. You’ll find innovative designs here in all kinds of shapes and sizes, and what’s more the prices are good.

Buddy Boutique Shopping Plaza

If you’re looking for a Koh Samui shopping experience that’s a bit more upmarket, check out this place for its range of stylish designer boutiques and brand name stores. Sure, the bargains are harder to find, but if you want genuine Thai antiques and Thai silks, quality clothes and (real) electrical goods, this is the only place to be.