Thailand is world-famous for its beautiful rattan furniture. Made from various types of palms, rattan is used for tables, chairs, sofas, cupboards, wardrobes, minibars and much more. Bangkok is one of the best places to buy rattan in Thailand, as there are so many rattan stores and dealers. If you’re going to be rattan shopping in Bangkok, check out these best shopping areas. You won’t be disappointed.
Chatuchak Weekend Market – One of the first places everyone in Bangkok goes to shop for furniture is Chatuchak Weekend Market and rattan furniture is no exception. Chatuchak has a large furniture area, with many rattan products. You’ll find modern style rattan desks, chairs, tables, sofas etc., as well as various styles of traditional Thai rattan. Browse several furniture shops and get quotes from each. Don’t forget too, you’re expected to bargain so should be able to get the price to come down by several thousand baht.
Get to Chatuchak Weekend Market by taking the sky train to Mo Chit station or the underground to Khampaeng Phet station.
Sukhumvit Road (Sois 27-63) – Thai friends always shop for rattan on Sukhumvit Road in downtown Bangkok. With literally hundreds of furniture and design shops, there are a number of excellent rattan shops up these small sois that sell a selection of traditional and modern styles.
On a cooler morning, start at Sukhumvit Soi 27, just a few blocks down from Asok sky train station and walk down Sukhumvit Road, cutting down the sois on the left hand side of the street as you go. It’s a long way down to soi 63, so you can always cover it in a couple of days – but it’s a wonderful area of Bangkok with thousands of furniture, design and home accessory shops and with various furniture stores selling rattan.
Hawaii Thai – One of Bangkok’s largest rattan companies, Hawaii Thai has been around for more than half a century. They specialize in both natural rattan and synthetic rattan, which is particularly popular for furniture that will be outside most of the year, as it’s more durable than the natural product.
At Hawaii Thai, you’ll find lounge chairs, dining chairs, tables, mini bars, bedroom sets, pool chaise lounge, bar stools and chairs and a whole slew of rattan accessories, in both traditional Thai style and thoroughly modern. Hawaii Thai’s large showroom is at 2991/59-60 Ladprao Rd., Bangkapi in Bangkok .
Impact Arena – The largest convention center in Thailand and the second largest in Asia, Impact Arena often has furniture shows and sales, interior design and home decorative shows, and OTOP (One Tambon, One Product) shows. At just about any Impact Arena furniture show, you’ll find the best deals on rattan furniture in Bangkok.
Most of the shows usually have wholesale days where only dealers and store owners can buy. But the last day or two of the show is always open to the general public and the prices are incredibly cheap.
Check Impact Arena’s yearly calendar for dates of furniture, home decorative, interior design or OTOP shows – there’s always at least one a month and they are massive.
Impact Arena is in northern Bangkok in the Muang Thong Thani area. Easiest way to get there is either drive or take a taxi, as it’s around 30 minutes outside the city center.
Photo – Some of Hawaii Thai’s incredibly beautiful rattan furniture
