On this page8 sections
At a glance
- VAT refund
- At stores showing the VAT Refund for Tourists sign, for at least 2,000 baht a store a day, leaving by an international airportSource 1
- Goods for a VAT refund
- Taken out of Thailand within 60 days and shown to Customs at the airport before check-inSource 2
- Thai silk mark
- The Royal Peacock logo, in four types: gold, silver, blue and greenSource 3
Sources: 1The Revenue Department: VAT Refund for Tourists, who is eligible, checked 1 Oct 2026 2The Revenue Department: VAT Refund for Tourists, goods that are eligible, checked 1 Oct 2026 3Pattaya Mail: Thailand's Royal Peacock silk standard, June 2026, checked 1 Oct 2026
What visitors take home
- Holiday clothes and beachwear: shirts, dresses, shorts and swimwear fill the evening markets, sold by the piece, with room to bargain.
- Bags and accessories: sunglasses, phone accessories and bags are market staples. Central Marina's 2024 relaunch named Naraya bags and Hug Craft souvenirs among its outlets.
- Thai silk and cotton: scarves, cushion covers and lengths of fabric. For silk, look for the peacock mark (below).
- Crafts from around Thailand: crafts, textiles and snacks from the four regions at the floating market.
- Sriracha sauce: the Sriraja Panich brand traces its sauce to Si Racha, half an hour up the coast, in 1935. A sealed bottle from a supermarket travels better than an open one; check your airline's rules on liquids.
- Snacks and sweets: packaged dried fruit, nuts and Thai sweets from supermarkets keep well in a suitcase.
Where to find it
| Where | What you find | How it works |
|---|---|---|
| Thepprasit Night Market | Clothes, shoes, accessories and souvenirs, with food stalls | An evening market; bargain where nothing is priced |
| Pattaya Night Bazaar | Clothes, bags, sunglasses and souvenirs under one roof | Fixed stalls on Second Road, in the centre |
| Jomtien Night Market | Clothes, beachwear and souvenirs behind the food stalls | A smaller evening market across the road from the beach |
| Pattaya Floating Market | Crafts, textiles, souvenirs and snacks from Thailand's four regions | A daytime attraction south of the centre |
| Central Marina | Outlet fashion and sportswear, bags and gifts | Marked prices in an outlet mall in North Pattaya |
| Central Pattaya and Terminal 21 | Large malls for a full shopping trip | Fixed prices, air-conditioning and the VAT refund at stores that show the sign |
Markets suit browsing and low prices; malls suit fixed prices, sizes you can try on and a cool afternoon. Opening days and hours are on each page, and the full lists are in Pattaya's markets and Pattaya's shopping malls.
Thai silk and the peacock mark
Not everything sold as Thai silk is silk woven in Thailand. The Royal Peacock logo, granted by the late Queen Sirikit as a certification mark, comes in four types, as Pattaya Mail summarised the government's campaign in June 2026: gold for royal Thai silk, handwoven with traditional thread and methods; silver for classic Thai silk; blue for Thai silk that allows some modern processes; and green for blended silk.
A piece without the label may still be silk, but the mark is the simple check. Feel and price are clues, not proof.
Ordering tailored clothes
Tailor shops in Pattaya offer suits, shirts and dresses made to measure. Pattaya Insider has no evidence on which ones do good work, so it names none. If you order:
- Start early in your stay: a good garment needs at least one fitting, and changes take days.
- Choose the fabric yourself and keep a swatch; ask what it is made of, and get the answer on the receipt.
- Agree the price, the deposit, the number of fittings and the collection date in writing.
- Bring a garment you like to copy, or photos, so both sides agree on the cut.
- Pay the balance only after the last fitting, and leave if you feel rushed.
Paying, bargaining and the VAT refund
At markets, carry small notes and bargain only where nothing is priced: ask, make one fair offer, then accept the answer or walk on. Marked prices, in malls and many shops, are fixed. The markets list has more on paying and bargaining.
Visitors can claim back VAT on goods bought at stores that show the VAT Refund for Tourists sign. The Revenue Department's rules: you are not Thai or a permanent resident, you spend at least 2,000 baht, VAT included, in one store on one day and get the refund form there, you leave from an international airport, and you take the goods out within 60 days. Show the goods and forms to Customs at the airport before you check in; services do not count.
Before you buy: Buddha images and antiques
Thai Customs lists Buddha images, artefacts and antiques as restricted goods: taking one out of Thailand needs a permit from the Fine Arts Department, shown during Customs formalities. Before you buy one, ask the shop how the permit is handled and keep the receipt; if the answer is unclear, choose another souvenir.
Buddha images are objects of respect in Thailand, whatever their age: Thai etiquette explains how to behave around them.
Questions
What is Pattaya famous for shopping?
For evening markets and big air-conditioned malls close together, rather than one local speciality. Thepprasit Night Market is the largest of the evening markets; Central Pattaya and Terminal 21 are the two large malls for a full shopping trip; the floating market gathers crafts from Thailand's four regions.
What can I buy at the floating market?
Crafts, textiles, souvenirs and snacks from Thailand's four regions, sold from wooden shops along the canals and from boats. It is built for visitors, so compare prices with the evening markets before buying anything costly. See Pattaya Floating Market.
Can I get the VAT back on souvenirs?
Only at stores that show the VAT Refund for Tourists sign, and only for goods: at least 2,000 baht in one store on one day, taken out of Thailand within 60 days through an international airport, and shown to Customs before check-in. Ask before you pay whether the store takes part.
Is bargaining expected in Pattaya?
At market stalls where nothing is priced, yes, politely: ask, make one fair offer, then accept the answer or walk on. Where prices are marked, in malls and most shops, they are fixed.
