Bangkok shopping: A beginner's guide to Platinum Fashion Mall

If you were to compile a list of Bangkok shopping centers you wouldn’t want to visit on a Saturday afternoon, Platinum Fashion Mall would be right up there with MBK and Pantip Plaza. 

This six-floor monster on Petchaburi Road is technically a wholesale shopping center, though it’s open to anyone in search of a bargain. 

Most of the floors are dedicated to women’s clothing, hats, jewelry, shoes and purses, but there are floors with shops selling stuff for men and children, as well as souvenirs and gifts. 

When to go 

The lanes in Platinum are narrow, all the better to cram every spare inch with shops. But this also means that weekends are a brutal time to visit, as foot traffic is slow moving.  

The best time to hit Platinum is in the morning on a weekday, right after the mall opens at 9 a.m. Otherwise, get ready to throw some elbows if you want a shot at digging through the racks for that perfect find as most of the shops are really tiny. 

Though it’s open till 8 p.m., by late-afternoon Platinum fills quickly with students and the after-work crowd -- a ruthless, hardened bunch of serial shoppers who will not let a timid first-timer get in their way of a bargain. 

Keep in mind

None of the shops let you try on clothing, which means you have to be extra careful about what you buy. Many of the dresses, pants and shorts are designed to fit women of a slimmer build. 

If in doubt, stick to simple items like T-shirts, slip dresses, tank-tops, shoes and costume jewelry. The selection of accessories is incredible, with some funky earring/necklace sets as low as 100 baht apiece. 

Most price tags have two numbers on them. The lower one is the wholesale price, which they’ll usually give to you if you just buy more than one or two items. The higher price is what you’ll pay if you just want one piece.  

Because Platinum is so huge, with more than 2,000 shops, it’s best to just wander through the lanes and explore. Selections are surprisingly diverse so if you see something you really want, don’t wait and think you’ll find a cheaper version somewhere else. 

Many locals buy wholesale at Platinum to sell items in their own shops or online, and can be seen walking around dragging huge zippered plastic shopping sacks attached to little carts. If you're planning to go on a spree, buy a big plastic sack and do the same. Beats carrying around a dozen tiny plastic bags.

If you’re on a mission for something specific, check out the Platinum website before you go and stake out the shops you want to hit. Almost all the stores are listed in the directory and have photos of their products.

Do you have a favorite Platinum Fashion Mall shop? Tell us about it in the comment box below.