Several times a month in Bangkok, Thailand I go shopping at a trade fair. Thais love trade fairs, as they love bargains, so you’ll find them all over the city – book fairs, gift fairs, travel shows, jewelry sales, craft fairs, boat shows. car shows and more. Most of the best trade fairs are held at only a few Bangkok venues and, if you love going to them as much as I do, here are the best places to go. Just be warned, they’re crowded.
Queen Sirikit Convention Center – The main place for trade fairs in the downtown area of Bangkok is at the Queen Sirikit Convention Center. Named in honor of Thailand’s current queen, this convention center is where many of the largest trade fairs are held. It’s centrally-located, right next to the Queen Sirikit underground train station, so iseasy to get to. It’s perfect for both small and large fairs, as it has large halls and several floors that can be split off into various sized areas depending on number of attendees.
At Queen Sirikit, you’ll find fairs and conventions almost every weekend. The top trade fairs include:
Furniture World – with cheap deals on furniture from all over Thailand and Asia.
Thailand Bestbuys – this is Thailand’s biggest gift fair with almost 1,000 vendors in attendance
Housing and Condo Fair – if you’re looking to buy a condo or a house, this is a good one to attend, as you’ll find real estate representatives from all over Thailand
Thai International Travel Fair – Hundreds of local and international tourist operators with exceptional bargains. On the last day, you’ll get the best travel bargains but it is exceptionally crowded then.
Book Expo Thailand – Thailand’s largest book expo with around 500 booths – Thai, English, Japanese, Chinese books.
For weekly updates of upcoming sales and trade fairs, check the Event Calendar on the center’s website.
Impact Arena – The largest convention center in Thailand is Impact Arena. Located north of the city, it can be frustrating to get to and, before or after large or popular trade fairs, it can take you a couple of hours
to get there or back for what from downtown should be no more than 20 minutes. But, if you like attending massive trade fairs with the cheapest prices in Thailand, then Impact Arena is the best place to do it. Here are some of the trade fairs you’ll find there:
OTOP Fair – OTOP stands for One Tambon One Product. OTOP products are made in small villages throughout Thailand and include artwork, crafts, jewelry, clothing, silk, gifts, pottery and thousands of other items. This fair is massive. It runs over several days, but the best day to go is the final day, Sunday, when prices will be as cheap as 90% off.
Thailand Mega Show – Home decor, wedding items, gifts, travel and leisure, food, toys, just about everything is sold here. The fair is enormous and several hundred thousand people attend it over a nine day period.
Bangkok Gems and Jewelry Fair – Thailand is one of the most popular destinations to gem and jewelry dealers, and this fair features hundreds of them from all over the world. If you’re looking for a good price on a piece of jewelry or gems, this is the event to be at.
SportsWorld Expo – If you’re interested in any kind of sport at all, whether its Thai or international, you’ll find it here – sporting equipment, lessons, product launches, loss leaders and more.
BITEC – Bangkok International Trade and Exhibition Center – Another enormous Bangkok convention center is BITEC. BITEC caters to everything, from company parties to weddings, from corporate meetings to concerts. It’s also a great place for trade fairs, and particularly good for cheap prices. Trade fairs include:
The National Shopping Festival – Close outs and loss leaders from hundreds of Thailand’s department stores, here you’ll find over a million products at dirt cheap prices.
Thailand International Furniture Fair – an excellent selection of handmade furniture, factory-made furniture, household items and accessories.
Photo Fair – If you’re a photographer or just love to take photographs, BITEC’s Photo Fair is the place to be for deals on cameras, photographs equipment and photographic supplies. You’ll also find photographers here if you’re looking for one for a special event.