Phuket shops on every level, from atmospheric heritage streets to gleaming malls and buzzing night markets. Browse independent boutiques, art and crafts in the restored shophouses of Old Town, graze and shop the wonderful Sunday Walking Street, haggle at the vast Naka weekend bazaar, hang out at hip container markets, cool off amid the international brands of Central Phuket, or pick your dinner at a fresh seafood market. Here is where to browse, bargain and buy, with opening hours and tips on where locals actually shop.
Heritage shopping streetOld Town Thalang Road & Shophouses
Area
Phuket Town
Type
Heritage shopping street
“Browse the boutiques, art galleries and craft shops in the restored shophouses by day; charming and un-touristy.”
Street marketSunday Walking Street (Lard Yai)
Area
Phuket Town
Type
Street market
“Sundays only — Thalang Road closes to traffic for a lively street market of food, crafts and music; go hungry.”
Luxury shopping mallCentral Phuket (Floresta & Festival)
Area
Phuket Town outskirts
Type
Luxury shopping mall
“The island's flagship mall — luxury brands, an aquarium and a huge food hall; a good air-conditioned rainy-day option.”
Shopping mallJungceylon
Area
Patong
Type
Shopping mall
“Patong's main mall right by Bangla Road — handy for high-street shopping, a supermarket, cinema and dining amid the beach chaos.”
Weekend night marketNaka Weekend Market
Area
Phuket Town (Naka)
Type
Weekend night market
“A huge, sprawling weekend night bazaar — bargain hard for cheap clothes and gadgets, and graze the street-food stalls.”
Hipster night marketChillva Market
Area
Phuket Town
Type
Hipster night market
“A trendy, container-style night market popular with young locals — good food, live music and a relaxed evening vibe.”
Fresh food marketBanzaan Fresh Market (Patong)
Area
Patong
Type
Fresh food market
“A clean, modern indoor market behind Jungceylon — buy fresh seafood downstairs and have it cooked at the food stalls upstairs.”
Phuket shopping in detail
1.Old Town Thalang Road & Shophouses
Thalang Road and its surrounding lanes form the characterful shopping heart of Old Phuket Town, offering a browsing experience with far more charm and individuality than the island's big malls. This is the core of the historic Sino-Portuguese quarter, where beautifully restored century-old shophouses — with their pastel façades, arched colonnades and shuttered windows — now house an appealing mix of independent boutiques, art galleries, craft studios, souvenir shops, tailors, textile and fabric stores, cafés and quirky specialist retailers. Wandering the street you can pick up locally made handicrafts, batik and Thai textiles, artwork and prints by local artists, handmade soaps and beauty products, ceramics, vintage finds, quality souvenirs and stylish clothing, often in atmospheric surroundings that are a pleasure to explore in their own right. Interspersed among the shops are little museums, coffee roasters and street-art murals, so shopping here naturally blends with sightseeing. It is a place to browse at a relaxed pace rather than to bargain-hunt, with prices generally fixed and fair, and the emphasis on unique, characterful and often locally produced goods rather than mass-market tat. The area is at its liveliest during the Sunday-evening Walking Street market, but the permanent shops are open through the week and are best enjoyed in the cooler morning or late afternoon. For visitors seeking authentic, individual souvenirs, local art and crafts, or simply an enjoyable, atmospheric shopping stroll steeped in Phuket's heritage, the shophouse streets of the Old Town are the most rewarding place on the island to shop, and a welcome change from air-conditioned mall corridors.
Hours
Most shops ~10:00–19:00 (some closed Mon)
Price
Free to browse
Getting there
In the centre of Old Phuket Town; ~40 min by taxi/Grab from the west-coast beaches
Insider tip: Browse the boutiques, art galleries and craft shops in the restored shophouses by day; charming and un-touristy.
2.Sunday Walking Street (Lard Yai)
The Sunday Walking Street, known locally as Lard Yai, is Old Phuket Town's most popular and atmospheric market, held every Sunday evening when the historic Thalang Road is closed to traffic and transformed into a bustling, colourful pedestrian street market that runs the length of the shophouse quarter. It is a wonderful weekly event that draws locals and visitors alike, and one of the best ways to experience the town's culture, food and community spirit. Hundreds of stalls line both sides of the street beneath the pastel façades, selling an enormous variety of goods: handmade crafts, clothing, jewellery, accessories, souvenirs, artwork, vintage items and local products, much of it inexpensive and some genuinely appealing. But the real star is the food — the market is a paradise for street-food lovers, with vendors dishing up an endless array of Thai and Phuketian specialities, snacks and sweets, from satay skewers, dumplings and grilled seafood to noodle dishes, local Baba treats, tropical fruit, fresh juices and the famous o-aew dessert, all at bargain prices, so it is best to arrive hungry and graze your way along. Adding to the festive atmosphere are buskers and live performers, students playing music, and the general buzz of the crowds enjoying the balmy evening. Being free to enter and enjoy, wonderfully lively and full of local flavour, the Sunday Walking Street is a highlight of any visit that coincides with a Sunday, combining shopping, superb cheap eating, culture and entertainment in the beautiful setting of the old quarter. Come in the early evening and allow a couple of hours to soak it all up.
Hours
Sundays ~16:00–22:00
Price
Free entry; snacks ฿20–100
Getting there
Along Thalang Road in Old Phuket Town; ~40 min by taxi/Grab from the beaches
Insider tip: Sundays only — Thalang Road closes to traffic for a lively street market of food, crafts and music; go hungry.
3.Central Phuket (Floresta & Festival)
Central Phuket is the island's largest, most modern and most upmarket shopping mall, a vast twin-building complex on the edge of Phuket Town that serves as the premier destination for those seeking a comprehensive, air-conditioned shopping and entertainment experience. Comprising two connected wings — Central Phuket Festival, the more mainstream and family-oriented half, and Central Phuket Floresta, the newer, glossier section — together they house hundreds of stores catering to every taste and budget. Floresta is home to the luxury and premium end, with international designer and high-end fashion, watch and jewellery boutiques, while Festival covers popular international and Thai high-street fashion brands, electronics, cosmetics, homewares and a large department store. Beyond retail, the complex is a full leisure destination: it boasts an enormous and excellent food hall and dozens of restaurants and cafés spanning Thai, international and fast-food options, a cinema, and family attractions including the impressive Aquaria Phuket aquarium and various entertainment zones and events spaces, making it a genuine all-day outing, particularly welcome on a rainy day or during the fierce midday heat. The mall is sleek, spacious and beautifully air-conditioned, offering a comfortable respite from the tropical climate. While it lacks the character of the Old Town's shophouses or the buzz of the street markets, it is the go-to for brand shopping, familiar comforts, a wide choice of dining, family entertainment and practical purchases. For visitors wanting international brands, a big cinema-and-dining outing, or simply to escape the heat, Central Phuket is the island's flagship mall and covers all bases.
Hours
Daily ~10:30–22:00
Price
Free entry
Getting there
On the western edge of Phuket Town; ~30–40 min by taxi/Grab from the west-coast beaches
Insider tip: The island's flagship mall — luxury brands, an aquarium and a huge food hall; a good air-conditioned rainy-day option.
4.Jungceylon
Jungceylon is the main shopping mall in Patong, a large and centrally located complex right in the heart of the island's busiest resort town, just off Bangla Road, making it a convenient and popular retail and leisure hub for the many visitors staying on this stretch of coast. While it is a fairly standard, functional mall rather than a luxury destination, it does an excellent job of covering everyday needs and providing air-conditioned respite from Patong's heat and hustle. Inside you will find a good range of international and Thai high-street fashion and sportswear brands, shops selling electronics, phones and accessories, cosmetics and beauty stores, opticians, souvenir outlets and a large branch of a major department store and supermarket (handy for stocking up on snacks, drinks, toiletries and holiday essentials at fair fixed prices, away from the marked-up beach vendors). Beyond shopping, the complex includes a multiplex cinema, a variety of restaurants, cafés and fast-food outlets and a food court offering everything from Thai staples to international chains, plus entertainment options, making it a useful all-rounder for families and a comfortable place to eat, shop and cool down. Its location could hardly be more convenient for Patong visitors, being walkable from most of the town's hotels and the beach, and adjacent to the nightlife of Bangla Road. Although it does not offer the character of the Old Town or the scale and gloss of Central Phuket, Jungceylon is the practical, everyday shopping and leisure centre for Patong, ideal for essentials, a supermarket run, a movie, a meal or simply escaping the midday sun.
Hours
Daily ~11:00–22:00
Price
Free entry
Getting there
In central Patong beside Bangla Road; walkable from Patong hotels and the beach
Insider tip: Patong's main mall right by Bangla Road — handy for high-street shopping, a supermarket, cinema and dining amid the beach chaos.
5.Naka Weekend Market
The Naka Weekend Market (also called the Phuket Weekend Market or Talad Tai Rot) is the island's largest and most sprawling night bazaar, a huge, buzzing weekend market held on Saturday and Sunday evenings near the Central Phuket mall on the outskirts of Phuket Town. Popular predominantly with locals and Thai visitors, it offers a rawer, more authentic and considerably cheaper market experience than the more tourist-polished Sunday Walking Street in the Old Town, and it is where bargain-hunters come to dig for a deal. The vast site is packed with hundreds upon hundreds of stalls sprawling across a large area, selling an enormous and eclectic array of goods at rock-bottom prices: cheap clothing, shoes, bags and accessories, phone cases and gadgets, toys, household items, cosmetics, plants, pets, vintage and second-hand goods, souvenirs and much more, with plenty of scope (and expectation) for good-natured haggling to get the best price. As at any Thai market, food is a major part of the appeal, and a large section is devoted to street-food vendors grilling, frying and dishing up a huge variety of cheap Thai snacks, meals, sweets, drinks and tropical fruit, making it a great place to eat well for very little. The atmosphere is lively, chaotic and thoroughly local, and it can get very busy and hot, so comfortable footwear, cash in small notes and a willingness to bargain are the keys to enjoying it. For visitors keen to shop cheaply, experience a genuine local market, and eat their way through the food stalls, the Naka Weekend Market is well worth a Saturday or Sunday evening visit.
Hours
Sat & Sun evenings ~16:00–22:30
Price
Free entry; bargaining expected
Getting there
Near Central Phuket on the edge of Phuket Town; ~30–40 min by taxi/Grab from the beaches
Insider tip: A huge, sprawling weekend night bazaar — bargain hard for cheap clothes and gadgets, and graze the street-food stalls.
6.Chillva Market
Chillva Market is a trendy, relaxed and youthful night market in Phuket Town that has become a favourite evening hangout for young locals, students and in-the-know visitors seeking a hip, un-touristy market experience with a great atmosphere. Distinctively designed around a cluster of colourful, converted shipping containers arranged into little shops and stalls, plus open-air stalls and seating areas, it has a cool, modern, slightly bohemian aesthetic that sets it apart from the island's more traditional markets. The name captures the vibe perfectly — 'chill' — and it is a laid-back place to spend an evening browsing, eating and soaking up the local scene. The container units and stalls sell a nice range of independent fashion, vintage and handmade clothing, accessories, jewellery, quirky gifts, plants and lifestyle goods aimed at a young, style-conscious crowd, often from small local designers and vendors. As ever in Thailand, food is central, and Chillva excels here, with an excellent and varied selection of street-food and snack stalls, dessert vendors, drink stands and casual eateries dishing up tasty Thai and international bites at very reasonable prices, plus bars and communal seating where people gather to eat and drink. A regular highlight is live acoustic and band music performed on a small stage, giving the market a fun, sociable, gig-like energy on busier nights. Because it caters mainly to locals rather than tourists, it offers a genuine and enjoyable slice of contemporary young Phuket life. For visitors wanting a relaxed, hip evening of good cheap food, casual shopping, live music and local atmosphere, Chillva Market is a great, low-key choice.
Hours
Tue–Sun evenings ~17:00–23:00 (closed Mon)
Price
Free entry; snacks ฿30–120
Getting there
On Yaowarat Road north of the Old Town; ~10 min by taxi/Grab from Phuket Town centre
Insider tip: A trendy, container-style night market popular with young locals — good food, live music and a relaxed evening vibe.
7.Banzaan Fresh Market (Patong)
Banzaan Fresh Market is a modern, clean and well-organised indoor market in the heart of Patong, located just behind the Jungceylon mall, and it offers visitors a more hygienic and accessible alternative to the traditional, sometimes chaotic Thai wet markets while still providing an authentic local shopping and eating experience. The ground floor is a proper fresh-produce market where locals and restaurateurs shop, laid out over spacious, tiled, air-conditioned halls: stalls piled high with tropical fruits and vegetables, fresh herbs and spices, meat, and — the highlight for many — an excellent array of fresh seafood, from prawns, crabs and squid to a variety of fish, displayed on ice and sold by weight at fair, marked prices. The real draw for tourists, however, lies upstairs, where a popular cooked-food area and seafood barbecue operate: you can buy your fresh seafood downstairs and bring it up to the food stalls, who will cook it to order for a small fee, or simply order from the range of Thai dishes, grilled seafood, snacks and drinks available, and enjoy a fresh, tasty and inexpensive meal. It is a fun, interactive way to eat very fresh seafood cheaply. The market's central Patong location makes it extremely convenient, and its cleanliness and organisation make it approachable for visitors who might find a traditional street market intimidating. For fresh produce, self-catering supplies, cheap fruit, or a hands-on fresh-seafood meal in the middle of Patong, Banzaan is a handy and worthwhile stop.
Hours
Daily ~07:00–22:00 (food court evenings)
Price
Free entry; seafood by weight
Getting there
Behind Jungceylon mall in central Patong; walkable from Patong hotels and Bangla Road
Insider tip: A clean, modern indoor market behind Jungceylon — buy fresh seafood downstairs and have it cooked at the food stalls upstairs.