Village Break

are shopping malls and markets open in thailand around christmas...im going on a shopping trips for a few days

im worried that shopping malls will be closed...and are prices the same or are they higher?
are the prices the same

Public Comments

1. i'm sure they will be open since they believe in child slave labor over there... how dare you support that industry!!!!!!!!!
2. Thailand is a muslim country so christmas is just another day for them
3. Thailand is a Buddhist country. Christmas isn't a concern there.
   
   Hey LA, do your homework. There's only a FEW Muslims in South Thailand !
4. I'm sorry to disappoint you but they do not celebrate Christmas here except for the malls and markets and the city of Bangkok will look like any other day in the work week, your not going to know it Christmas day unless you look at a calendar. we love you money here and i assure you we will be open.
5. they do open, usually they will even open extra hours before big holiday. not sure but from what i remember many big mall in bk open till 10pm. some crazy one open till 12 at night.
   
   
   
   also not sure if they still do this, but when i was there, they offer tax free shopping for foreiner traveler. you just need your passport and fill up the form. then they will return the tax money to your bank account.
   
   just ask them.
6. Xmas is not a religious celebration in Thailand. Instead, it is used as an excuse for sales; so, shops will be open and prices will be lower.
   
   
   
   Cold season is also when beer gardens sprout around Thailand, so people can enjoy food, beer, and music outdoors after having shopped until they (almost) dropped.
   
   
   
   VAT refund is possible for tourists - however, certain requirements re minimum amounts apply.
7. They will be open. Thais do not celebrate Christmas.
   
   
   
   Happy shopping.
8. I came back to Thailand last week (I have one of those jobs (outside Thailand) where you work like crazy for a few months and then get a month off so I hope to contribute to YA Thailand during my 'down' time whilst I'm here over the next few weeks).
   
   
   
   As people have said the markets and malls will not be closed because of Christmas. Neither will there be any increase in price because of the Christmas period. There is a general election due to take place on 23 Dec. so that might be an odd sort of a day but I think the shops will be open. I noticed yesterday that shops weren't selling alcohol on the basis that the senatorial elections were taking place. 23 Dec. might be the same.
   
   
   
   I also noticed that Big C opposite Central World Trade is now opening to 11pm. I'm sure it was just 10pm earlier in the year. So there's an extra hour of shopping for a start.
   
   
   
   Incidentally, although the first answerer is more correct about the Muslim population in Thailand than the person that said Thailand is a Muslim country (lol) there are not just a few Muslims in the south. There are many Muslim communities in Thailand, for example in and around Bangkok where there are many mosques and no problems about getting halal food.