22 Best Places to Go Shopping in Phuket Town

Central Festival Phuket is among the largest shopping malls in Phuket. Located at the intersection of Bypass and Wichitsongkram roads in a 4-storey building, it has around 120 outlets (covering fashion, electronics, accessories, souvenirs, cosmetics, photography, health, optic, culture, jewellery, and more). 

You can also find a 3-storey department store (with international brands such as Levi’s, Billabong, Camel, and AIIZ, just to name a few), about 50 restaurants/food outlets, and an SFX Coliseum movie theatre within the mall. Central Festival Phuket is also an excellent place to spend an entire rainy day, with little chance of getting bored.

Chillva Market Phuket is a cool, trendy night market with a somewhat bohemian vibe and an impressive selection of food, fashion and other stalls, despite a relatively small size. Hard to miss by the side of Yaowarat Road, it has a distinctive look created by the use of colourful shipping containers as shopfronts.

The stores in the upcycled containers are open every day from 4pm. The best time to visit is on Thursday, Friday or Saturday, when the flea market's tents and hawker stalls fill the 6,400-square-metre marketplace to capacity. There's a small stage with a pond behind and amphitheatre in front, which hosts presentations and music when the market is in full swing.

Phuket Weekend Market is one of the most fascinating shopping fairs in Phuket. It takes place on the outskirts of Phuket Town, around 1 km south of Central Festival. There are 3 main zones sharing a 30,000-square-metre area. The largest zone specialises in first-hand products ranging from fashion items to souvenirs, while the second-largest zone is dedicated to food, from cakes to ready-made dishes and popular Thai snacks (including fried insects). The third zone has several stalls selling second-hand goods. 

Phuket Walking Street is a lively fair that takes place every Sunday on Thalang Road, in the middle of Phuket Old Town. Many old buildings lining this historical street have colour-changing lighting effects, giving it a modern touch. Most stalls at the Phuket Walking Street sell clothing, handcrafted souvenirs, and local street food. 

Premium Outlet Phuket is a large shopping complex on Bypass Road, in the northern part of Phuket Town. You can find around 50 boutiques housing over 300 international brands. Note that most of the items are from previous collections/years. Fashion, shoes, accessories, sports equipment, children clothing and toys often have discounts of up to 70%. Premium Outlet Phuket also has a few outlets selling drinks and snacks.

Jim Thompson is one of the world's most famous brand of silk products. Its main Phuket outlet is located on the ground floor of Central Festival Phuket. You can find linen shirts, kimonos, silk duvet covers, silk scarves, shopping bags, leather wallets, and silk ties. Prices are on par with the quality and the brand-name, so expect them to be fancy.

Supercheap, just north of Phuket Town, is well worth a visit for its sprawling warehouse-like shop. Inside, items are stacked high with every product you could possibly imagine and more. If there is any logic to it, it would be difficult to explain, but its seeming lack of logic is the very essence of its charm. Retail chaos under 1 roof is hard to come by in the west but here in Thailand, it is very much alive and kicking.

The Phuket Square and Expo markets are bazaar-like shopping emporiums that face each other on Tilok Uthit 2 Road in Phuket Town. The items for sale are rather similar to those found at Phuket Weekend Market with a notable difference – shopping here is slightly more comfortable thanks to the neon-lit ‘hangar-style’ of the venue, which allows you to shop even on rainy days. 

Clothing, accessories and handcrafted gifts stalls offer good souvenirs to bring back home, considering that the same items sold on Phuket’s west coast are sold here at discounted prices, after bargaining (with a smile) of course.

Ban Boran Textiles is a cosy vintage boutique in Phuket Old Town that specialises in genuine textiles. These include silk, raw silk, and cotton – articles handcrafted in Thailand's northern and northeastern villages. You can also shop for quality clothing, wall hanging, sarongs, tablecloths and bags. 

Ban Boran also has a collection of silver ornaments made by the Ka Riang tribes of northern Thailand. The boutique is the only place in Phuket that stocks these rare jewellery items.

Ranong Road and its 2 markets – Talaad Sod Satarana and Downtown Market – form the historical shopping hub of Phuket Town. There are dozens of small shops selling a wide range of products, from gardening tools, clothing and wicker baskets to living chickens and jewellery. You can find around 10 gold shops within the first 100 metres of the street.

The open-air Downtown Market has a good choice of local fruits, vegetables and fresh seafood. Talaad Sod Satarana occupies a 3-storey building, with stalls selling biscuits, dried seafood, clothes, and fresh meat, just to name a few. Downtown Market is open all day long, while Talaad Sod Satarana operates from 5am to 11am. 

Big C is a local supermarket in Phuket Town, around 650 metres north of Central Festival Phuket. Its west-facing outside carpark often hosts quite a few stalls selling clothes, car accessories, and decorative household goods. Inside Big C, you'll find a modest choice of shops and restaurants, a food court and, of course, a large supermarket.

Index Living Mall in Phuket Town specialises in home decor and household goods. You can find home theatre systems, artwork, bedding, kitchenware, and even a few clothes outlets. The main part of the mall deals in high-quality items such as pans, rugs and furniture.

Limelight Avenue is a modern shopping mall on New Dibuk Road in Phuket. This excellent location, which is a few steps away from Phuket Old Town, gives you a nice air-conditioned refuge if you need a break from the heat, find something to drink and eat, or do a bit of shopping while exploring the historic district of Phuket.

Makro is an international cash-and-carry store that has just about everything you need when it comes to food. It also carries certain items that are usually hard to find elsewhere in Phuket. While it pitches toward local shops, restaurants and hotels, the supermarket welcomes anybody –shoppers often get the best deals when they buy in bulk. 

Nguan Choon Tong is the oldest herb and medicine shop in Phuket. Located in the heart of Phuket Old Town, the shop has around 99 wooden drawers containing exotic herbs such as dried roots, bark, leaves, and insects. Thanks to its significant role in Phuket Town's history, many locals go to Nguan Choon Tong as they prefer herbs to modern medicine.

Ocean Shopping Mall offers a wide range of quality products with friendly prices in Phuket Town. It also houses many fun entertainment options, including a 10-pin bowling alley and a multiplex cinema that shows English-language films with Thai subtitles.

Shopping here is quite convenient – you can find ATMs, a Watson's pharmacy, and a supermarket, along with standalone outlets. Nearby businesses include a movie theatre, Swensen’s, the Pizza Company, Mister Donut and Kipling.

Phuket Town’s twice-weekly Indy Market is known in Thai as Laadploykong (‘a market to let go of your goods’). Located on Dibuk Road, the market is also where locals, especially teenagers and young adults, come to enjoy themselves with an entertaining mix of vendors and live performances. 

Robinsons Department Store has a good range of satellite, brand-name shops, handicraft shops and stalls selling bargain clothing and shoes. Half of the ground floor is dedicated to Tops Supermarket, where you can get fresh produce, imported food and household items. There are a few ATMs as well as a bank on this floor, too.

Robinsons Department Store's upper floor has a men’s wear section, ladies’ wear and a children's zone, along with cosmetic and perfume counters, sportswear and equipment. Prices are fixed but Robinsons usually offers discounts throughout the year. A fresh food market sets up next to the department store in the evenings – it's a great place to take in the sights of a real Thai marketplace.

SB Design Square is a modern home furnishing store in Phuket. Basically, everything you need to furnish and decorate your house or office is available here. The large store is laid out in logical order, with products arranged according to areas and needs.

TESCO Lotus Extra Phuket was the first major modern shopping centre in Phuket. It's basically a supermarket with a decent toys department and electronics section.

The mall has a Boots Pharmacy, lots of fast food outlets, fashion boutiques and ATMs. There are several small stalls in the aisles between the many stores. Head upstairs to find a food court and a kids' play area.

Think Positive is a fascinating emporium of Asian souvenirs and clothing items in Phuket Town. The entrance has piles of Kashmir wool and Thai silk, while Buddha image heads, Chinese and Japanese silk gowns, wooden painted ornaments and woven boxes occupy the inside of the shop. Items cost around 900 to 1,400 baht (or more), and while you can bargain with the shop assistant, the real deal can only be done when the boss is around.

The ground floor of China Inn displays racks of cotton waistcoats, ladies’ shirts and Buddha images, including a Laos golden Buddha. You'll also find a garden restaurant that serves international and Thai specialities. Head upstairs to browse through the store's extensive Chinese clothing selections.