Thong Sala really is the shopping hub of the island. With a Tesco Lotus supermarket, a busy afternoon and evening food market, a bustling central market and countless souvenir and handicraft boutiques, you’ll be able to stock up on almost everything on a shopping trip to Thong Sala.
Remember to barter and bargain when shopping in the markets and most of the shops. Of course supermarket prices are fixed and you’ll be able to tell where bargaining is acceptable.
Most fair-sized supermarkets in Thailand come with a bevy of satellite businesses and Tesco Lotus, Thong Sala, is no exception. You can get your eyes tested and buy glasses at Top Charoen Optical, browse through CDs and DVDs at Media Network, get medication and toiletries at a pharmacy and enjoy a coffee and a snack. Outside you’ll find no less than six ATM machines and a couple of stores selling clothes.
Selling books in several languages as well as buying/selling/exchanging secondhand books, U Bookstore also stocks international magazines and sells DVDs and CDs. Probably the best choice of beach reading on Koh Phangan, so stock up while you can!
Panthip offers the best selection of handicrafts, accessory jewelry, casual wear, sunglasses, beachwear, fake name-brand clothes, handicrafts, fisherman pants, snorkelling gear and Full Moon Party fluorescent beachwear (essential). Prices are negotiable so make sure you bargain with a smile. Remember this is a buyer’s market and as there are so many stalls competing with each other you can simply compare prices and go for the juiciest offer.
Located along Talad Kao Road, an offshoot of the Main Street, No Name is run by Mr. Pound, who fashions wooden Buddha images, friezes and heads. It’s a fascinating shop and his prices, although not cheap, are reasonable considering the work that goes into them. Mr. Pound’s shop is surrounded by sarong and T-shirt emporiums that are also worth looking into.
Colourful, striking and original, Hammock Lovers Gallery is an experience in itself. A shop-house full of every size and shape of lightweight hammocks imaginable along with other accessories such as clever fold-up hippy bags and even parachutes (gulp) and hanging chairs. “The closest you will ever come to sleeping on a cloud” claims Mr. Moon the friendly owner. Come to think of it, that parachute might come in handy after all…
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