What to buy in Thailand: Pasalubong ideas for souvenirs, snacks and more

Whether you’re headed to Thailand’s capital of Bangkok, the white beaches of Krabi or the beautiful city of Chiang Mai, you will be in for a good time. While you’re out having fun, don’t forget to buy some Thailand pasalubong for your family and friends.

There are plenty of unique souvenirs, and this guide covers what to buy in Thailand, including some great ideas that you can look out for. We’ll also talk about the Wise card and how it can help you to stretch every peso when paying while travelling.

What souvenirs to buy in Thailand

You’ll be spoilt for choice when shopping in Thailand, so you should definitely bring an empty suitcase so you have more space to bring back souvenirs. Whether it’s Thai snacks or traditional handicrafts, here are some pasalubong ideas that you should keep an eye out for if you’re looking for some souvenirs.

Essential oils

Aromatherapy has been a big thing lately, and it can be quite worthwhile snagging some high quality essential oils in Thailand. There are plenty of homegrown brands to choose from, with brands like Siam Botanicals and Botanicessence offering a variety of scents. A 10ml bottle of French Lavender essential oil can cost as little as 395 THB (around 673.54 PHP)¹, while a comparable 7.5ml bottle costs 975 PHP back in the Philippines².

A common essential oil, a 10ml bottle of tea tree oil can be just 250 THB (around 426.29 PHP) while a 15ml bottle in the Philippines goes for 625 PHP³.

Traditional Thai handicraft

If you’re looking for something to spruce up your home visually, how about traditional Thai handicrafts that can be displayed? Wooden carvings are plentiful all over Bangkok, whether it’s small statues of the traditional elephant, keychains or even larger pieces like clocks or sculptures.

Benjarong porcelain is another good option, if you’re confident you can bring it back to the Philippines safely. This traditional Thai porcelain is typically hand-painted with intricate designs and vibrant colours, which will make it an eye-catching piece for your next family gathering.

Want to get hands-on and leave with both great memories and a souvenir? While you can always buy the traditional yadom nose inhaler, some workshops also offer the opportunity for you to make your own with different scents and oils.

Best Thailand snacks to buy

You might not be able to bring back freshly fried pad thai or sticky mango rice for your friends and family to enjoy, but there are still plenty of great Thai snacks that can be safely brought home - perfect as a Thailand pasalubong, or for you to indulge in.

Cup and instant noodles

You could opt for some MAMA cup noodles, especially if you can spot unique flavours that can’t be easily found outside of Thailand! Interesting flavours include green curry chicken and pad kee mao (drunken noodles).

If cup noodles are too bulky, try looking for instant noodle packets instead. There are some great flavours like Yum Yum’s Sood-Ded Instant Noodles Spicy Lobster, Nissin’s Stir Fried Curry Sea Crab and more. Of course, there’s also always the classic Tom Yum flavours available.

Thai flavoured snacks

If you’re a big fan of snacks, Thailand has you covered. There are plenty of snacks that come in Thai flavours such as Tom Yum, green curry, Thai basil and more. You’ll be able to find salted egg fish skin with Tom Yum flavouring, Tom Yum flavoured corn chips, potato chips that taste like roasted basil and dried chilli, and even larb flavoured rice crackers.

We definitely can’t miss out on mentioning Thailand’s own Tao Kae Noi seaweed brand either, with flavours like tom yum shrimp, grilled squid and more.

Prefer a sweeter snack? There are some unique Pocky flavours in Thailand such as mango, nutty almond and even durian.

What to buy in Thailand for ladies

Thailand can be a shopping heaven for ladies, especially when it comes to clothes and jewellery. Whether it’s unique Thai brands, Thai silk or handcrafted silver jewellery, you’ll certainly be able to shop until you drop, and figure out what to buy in Thailand for your friends, family or partner.

Ladies clothes and apparel

Not sure what brands to look out for when it comes to ladies clothes? There are many upscale local Thai brands such as Aimer, Blackdog BKK and Landmeé, with celebrities like K-Pop stars Lisa and Jennie having worn their items before. You’ll be able to find these brands in large shopping malls such as CentralWorld, Central Embassy and Siam Paragon in Bangkok.

If you’re looking for a more unique piece, perhaps consider purchasing something made out of Thai silk. Jim Thompson is one of the most famous silk retailers in Thailand, and the brand has a few stores in locations like Siam Paragon, Icon Siam and others located in Chang Mai as well as Phuket. A handwoven 100% silk scarf can cost as little as 2,900 THB (around 4,944.97 PHP)⁴.

Jewellery and accessories

Thailand is well-known for producing intricate silver jewellery, and you’ll be able to find beautiful pieces even in night markets like Chatuchak. However, there are plenty of silver artisans in the area around Khao San Road in Bangkok, as well as at Wua Lai Road in Chang Mai.

There are also plenty of gold and jewellery shops around the country. If you’re looking at getting the most bang for your buck, the outlets in shopping malls will likely offer tax refunds. To get a tax refund, you’ll need to ensure that your purchases meet the requirements⁵ like a minimum spend of at least 2,000 THB per receipt, requesting the proper forms from the shops and ensuring they’re filled out accurately and more.

However, if you want something a bit more unique and handcrafted, check out the local markets and floating markets for jewellery stalls where the pieces are most likely handmade by local Thai jewellery makers instead. These stalls mostly won’t be part of the VAT refund scheme, but purchasing from them will support small local artisans, especially if you’re looking for some fancy pasalubong from Thailand that’s a little less expensive.

Save more and stretch your PHP conversions when you shop in Thailand using the Wise card

Now that you’ve got your eye on a couple of things to buy from Thailand, save more when you spend with the Wise card.

With the Wise card, makaka gastos ka ng 40+ currencies sa mid-market rate, kasama ang USD, SGD, GBP at JPY. Kaya, siguradong makakakuha ka ng sulit na deal sa mahigit 150+ countries. Para makapagsimula, gumawa ka lang ng libreng Wise account, mag-order ng card, at mag-top-up ng PHP.

Maaari kang mag-order ng physical card ng Wise sa halagang 369.90 PHP. Kung mayroon kang physical na card, makakagawa ka ng chip and PIN payments, at may 2 libreng ATM withdrawals na aabot sa 12,000 PHP bawat buwan.

Kapag nasa abroad ka, puwede mong piliing gumastos ng direct as PHP at hayaan mag auto-convert, o i-convert sa gusto mong currency gamit ang iyong Wise account. Kahit ano piliin mo, makukuha mo ang rate na nakikita mo sa Google, na may kasamang low, transparent fees mula 0.57%.

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1. Botanicessence
2. Healthy Options PH
3. Healthy Options PH
4. Jim Thompson
5. Tourism Authority of Thailand