Many department stores and shops in Thailand offer a membership card which can be applied within a few minutes for free without any hidden fees. They work similar to a credit card where you accumulate points every time you make a purchase.
Points can later be redeemed for free items or discounts. The best part about these cards is that you do not need to show them when paying money. Just telling your phone number to the cashier is enough.
The general card you should have is The One Card from Robinson and Central. It covers most of the things you need for daily life. In addition to stores inside Robinson and Central, they cover Tops Supermarket for groceries, PowerBuy for electronics, SuperSport for sport stuff, B2S for books, OfficeMate for office supplies, and the most important store, Family Mart.
The One Card points can also be redeemed for discounts on many hotels, restaurants, or at their partner shops.
Booth and Watson membership cards regularly come with an automatic discount on their selected products or a buy one get one without having to use your points.
If you buy groceries regularly from Villa Market, Big C, or Lotus, it’s always good to apply for their membership cards as well. And you just need to tell them your Thai phone number to proof your membership when paying at a cashier.
Computer Parts and Gadgets
In addition to MBK Center and Pantip, you should go to Fortune Tower for everything related to computers and gadgets. Prices aren’t different than MBK center and Fortune Tower has a lot less scammers. Also, the place is more organized and cleaner, making it easier to shop around. Fortune Tower is located right next to MRT Rama 9.
For gadgets such as droids, remote control cars, BB guns, and so on, Mega Plaza is where you should go. Mega Plaza, the 6-story building near Saphan Lek, is the biggest gadget market in Thailand. But you need to shop around to get the best prices.
If you know exactly which computer parts you want, you can also order them online from Lazada during their double deal promotions.
Food
Thailand has some great food, ranging from fine dining to home cooked meals. For a lot of them there are great discounts available that the average tourist never hears about.
Restaurants
The biggest saver in the restaurant space right now in Thailand is Eatigo. It’s a website allowing you to place reservations at restaurants and receive discounts of up to 50% if you eat at off peak hours. All you need to do is book it before you walk into the restaurant.
Taxis
The fastest way to get around Bangkok is the Skytrain and the Subway. If you want to go with taxis instead, there are a great alternative: Grab and Bolt. These ride sharing apps are having a massive fight over market share, resulting in major discounts for passengers.
And it’s not uncommon to see 50% discounts on the already cheap Bangkok taxi fares. Plus, the app interface of both companies is a significant improvement over having to explain destinations and directions to taxi drivers who barely speak English.
Thai Language Courses
There’s a little-known secret to saving $165 on language courses if you enroll online with ThaiPod101.com. All you have to do is sign up to their website for their free course. Over the next few weeks, they’ll send you emails asking you to enroll in their Premium Course course for $25 a month.
Ignore the emails. If you wait just a few more days, ThaiPod101.com will offer you 55% off their entire course. What would’ve cost you $300 a year for their Premium Membership will now only cost you $135.
Furniture, Electronics, and Clothes
Most apartments in Thailand come furnished. If you need something else, Thailand now has an IKEA. Unless you want custom, solid wood furniture, this is your most reliable bet. Also a lot easier to move, which you have to do every time you change jobs in Bangkok.
For any electronics, if you have the time and patience, you can go to Fortune Town or Pantip Plaza, two traditional IT hubs in Bangkok. They tend to offer excellent deals. If that’s inconvenient, you can find 80% of that at similar prices on Lazada nowadays. But you should make sure to only buy from official shops.
Clothes depend on your taste. If you need something tailored, a convenient and reliable budget choice is DNA in Silom Complex. If you’re looking for top end stuff, consider Tailor on Ten. For everyday wear, check out Uniqlo. They have branches in major department stores through the country.
If you’re looking for deals on women’s clothing, you can give Pratunam Market a shot. A reputation for wholesale, it offers discounts for larger orders. While they’re okay with retail buyers, a lot of shops won’t allow you to try on the products.
Online Shopping
Online shopping in Thailand is popular because prices online are cheaper than prices offline. And if you buy something online, it’ll be delivered in days or even hours.
The three biggest online shopping websites in Thailand are Lazada and Shopee. These sites sell everything you need. And they regularly offer promotions and coupons, which will save you even more money.
Aliexpress in China is another great online shopping website, especially for electronics. For example, you can get quality screen protector for about 30 baht with free delivery. But the average delivery time from Aliexpress is two to three weeks.
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