Founded by a family of antiquarians in the 1970s, this atelier and shop has become a major outpost for Asian furnitures and decorative items. The inventory here is peppered with the occasional antique but most pieces are in fact truly impressive reproductions. While there’s a lot of historical stock to choose from like colonial-era side tables and paintings of black elephants from Siam, Agal’s artisans create contemporary designs, too, like lacquered nesting tables and symmetrical teak desks.

One need not be a guest to stock up on the well-edited bling and things at this low-lit shop near the entrance to Phuket’s first ultra-luxury resort. Aspiring Aman junkies can purchase Aman emblazoned t-shirts and hats. Walls are lined with silver and semi-precious stone embellished animals by Lotus Art de Vivre, a Bangkok-based brand but more interesting are jewelry and evening bags by Asprey trained Sandra d’Auriol made with antique jade and vintage silver carvings, some festooned with intricate dragons and blossoming lotus flowers.

The street-facing Chabaa is a closet-size space overflowing with a kaleidoscope of cotton sundresses, Nepalese bejeweled belts and piles of shimmering Indian bangles.

Known as JJ, this is the largest market in Thailand, sprawling across more than thirty acres and featuring vendors selling everything from silk, crafts and orchids to pythons, old silver and massive Buddhas. It makes substantial markets, like the Puces de Saint-Ouen in Paris, feel like organized, quaint shopping experiences, and buyers should come prepared for heat, crowds, noise and tiny alleyways overflowing with goods. The stands are organized in sections, and the best vendors are found deep in the fray, so don’t get distracted by the outer stalls, those selling cheap mementos. The clock tower near JJ’s center is a good place to meet. Indagare members can contact the Bookings Team to arrange for a shopping guide.

If you see something you love, bargain and buy it immediately. Bring a hat and water, but don’t drink too much, as toilets are not easily found. For a break, head to Doi Tung, an air-conditioned café (Thailand’s answer to Starbucks) located near Gate 1. A fabulous place for an authentic lunch is De Thong Dee, in the home décor section.

Indagare Tip: Nancy Chandler’s Bangkok map, for sale in most hotels, includes an excellent guide to JJ; if you’re going without a (human) guide, it’s your best bet for not getting lost and for finding the goods you want other than hiring a guide to accompany you.

The DoiTung Lifestyle branch on Nimanhimen Road, Chiang Mai sells several product lines: hand woven textiles and carpets, soft furnishings, ceramics, handmade mulberry paper, ready to wear, and fashion accessories. The "design signature" is inspired both by nature and natural surroundings and by the ways of life and traditions of people in the project area. This business is the fruit of a remarkable sustainable alternative development project that focuses on reviving the forests and environment while fostering transformational changes in people’s lives.

Along with the Siam Paragon, Gaysorn is one of the more upscale department stores in Bangkok.  With global luxury brands, international flagship stores and high-end Thai fashion and accessory boutiques, Gaysorn is an excellent one–stop- shop for the serious buyer. Here you will find all of the international luxury labels. (For Western visitors, buying Prada or Hermès in Bangkok affords no discounts, as the import tax on luxury goods is extremely high in Thailand.) It’s worth stopping by Gaysorn if for nothing else than to shop at the gorgeous home décor boutique Thann, located on the third floor. Besides designer chairs, ultra-soft throws and smaller design accents, look for beauty line Harnn & Thann, which is sold all over the world but is available in its entirety here. After shopping at Gaysorn, head to the third-floor Thann Tea shop, where you can sip organic brews and snack on pretty little cakes.

Perhaps the most cosmopolitan stop on the stretch of Nimmanhaemin Road lines the walls with beach chic woven bamboo and leather bags finished with buffalo horn, sterling silver or both.

The local charity teaches learning and physically disabled children to express themselves artistically, on seriously cute hand embroidered tees with elephant heads on the front, tails at the back as well as stylish Thai textile table mats.

No longer the secret it once was, It’s Happened to Be a Closet remains charming, and not just because of its melodic, grammatically faulty name. The two floors of the tiny sliver of a boutique, on Soi 3 in Siam Village, are stuffed from floor to ceiling with fashion and accessories. Designed by Siriwan Tharananithikul, the clothes are vintage-inspired and come in myriad textures, materials, colors and styles. Browsing among the immense collection (most of it literally piled on the floor and on shelves) can be exhausting: luckily the store also hosts a teeny Italian café upstairs and a small “spa,” i.e., foot-massage corner, on the ground floor. The original branch was such a hit that there’s now a second Closet on Khao San Road.

There are thirty-three Jim Thompson branches in Thailand (there’s even one at the Koh Samui airport), so this is one of the only places in Bangkok where you can take your time deciding on a purchase, since chances are you’ll find another outlet. The uncontested king of Thai silk, Jim Thompson carries a huge range of products and raw materials.

True aficionados make time to visit the Sales Outlet (153 Soi Sukhumvit 93; 66-2-332-6530), in outer Bangkok, a twenty-minute taxi ride from the city’s center (if there’s no traffic; otherwise you can also take the BTS to On Nuch station). Prices are slashed up to 70 percent and some items sold there are not available at retails shops. Those looking to shop Jim Thompson without such a commitment will find him in many of the city’s hotel’s shopping arcades, including the Anantara, the Mandarin Oriental, and The Peninsula.

Though Thompson himself was long ago lost to the Malaysian jungle, this remains the place to go for Thai silk by the yard and a range of stylish casual wear plus tropical accessories.

Just up the road from The Plaza Surin’s swankier shops, this must-visit destination stocks organic lotions and potions concocted by hand from over ninety natural scents and is housed inside three shipping containers painted lemon yellow and lime green.

This tiny twenty-year-old jewelry store near the Mandarin Oriental is highly recommended for sterling silver, all of it made in Bangkok.

Run by the Van Bueren family, this high-end company, which has been called the Faberge or Bulgari of Thailand, carries jewelry, home items and accessories; its products can be found in the Mandarin Oriental and in the Anantara arcade. Expect expert craftsmanship, top materials and designs, and high prices. Many pieces are one-of-a-kind and collectors from all over the world have made this the cult luxury brand of Thailand.

Those with extra time might chose to get lost in the shopping chaos that is the MBK Center. With eight floors and over 2,000 shops, restaurants and outlets, this department store has every chachki, trinket and souvenir you can dream of. The best part about the MBK Center is that you can bargain in most of the stores, making it an excellent choice for deal-seekers.

At this small shop, load up on Missoni-inspired kaleidoscopic cotton scarves, indigo dyed fisherman pants and thick day glow wool variations on traditional Thai monk bags.

Located right by the river, this four-story antiques, crafts and jewelry emporium is on every first-time shopper’s Bangkok list. It’s co-owned by the Mandarin Oriental, so expect prices to be high.Note that most of the river hotels, including the Mandarin Oriental, the Peninsula and the Shangri-La, offer free boat shuttle service to River City.Riverboat stop: Si Phaya; Sky Train stop: Saphan Taksin (there is a free shuttle service to River City)

By evening, the dry heat of Northern Thailand lightens up enough to attract handholding couples, families, and tourists to this government-designated street fair. Traditional Thai string music is harmoniously played by street musicians, while craftsmen and students sell bamboo, teak, and mango wood wares. When you tire of wandering, ease into a padded armchair for an authentic Thai foot massage—this market is known for these indigenous relaxing treats.

Bangkok’s massive department stores are clustered around the Siam Sky Train station, making it an accessible and easy one-stop-shopping enclave. The Siam Center is the younger, smaller and somewhat dated version of upscale, massive Siam Paragon, and it offers a new kind of shopping as a self-proclaimed arena, not only for fashion, but also for art and lifestyle. With an aim to revolutionize the shopping sector, the Siam Center integrates digital media and technological innovation in its three floors of both globally and locally recognized fashion brands, turning shopping into an experiential endeavor. While bright lights and digital advertisements may not be for every shopper, the Siam Center takes a futuristic approach to shopping which, if nothing else,  serves as an experience in its own right.

It attracts loads of teenagers and twentysomethings, especially on the weekend. Most of the floors are cluttered with inexpensive Western brands, but the third floor offers a slew of boutiques specializing in Thai designers, and it’s a great place to get a feel for local fashion. Don’t miss Tango, Baking Soda and Theatre.

Tip: To avoid disappointment, tall shoppers should be warned that you may find mostly Thai-petite sizes.

Siam Paragon is one of the largest shopping centers in Asia; in addition to five floors of shops, it encompasses fifteen large movie theaters (including Enigma, which is members-only and has its own lounge), Ocean World, several restaurants and a sprawling food court where everything from French baguettes to Chinese stir-fry is sold. Don’t miss the large variety of Thai beauty products on the mezzanine floor MF; they make great gifts. You can find Thai crafts and antiques stores throughout, but it’s better to make those purchases at the markets or at antiques-specific malls, like River City.

Do good with your credit card at this shop, where profits from these magnificently woven baskets and stunning silk textiles support Pwo Karen villagers outside Chiang Mai.

Founded by three sisters (Sretsis is ‘sisters’ spelled backwards) in 2002, this label is all about quirky, feminine aesthetics of flirty silhouettes adorned with vibrant patterns. The flagship boutique at Central Embassy is the perfect whimsical setting for these designs — a mansion-esque space decorated with silk-covered walls and velvet couches. Pieces for sale range from white denim overalls with floral motifs to bell-bottom pants in berry prints and cameo necklaces featuring anime characters.

This roadside attraction, owned by a Thai ex-model, is worth the detour for the savvy collection of weightless and elegant silk Kaleidoscarves, hand-made farm animal toys and hill tribe–inspired (yet entirely wearable) jewelry. Revive in the adjacent Wawee Coffee shop, then meander through the well-lit contemporary Thai art gallery.

This globally curated collection is worth a wander even for those staying elsewhere, especially for exotic discoveries like James & Daughter buffalo horn and precious stone hair sticks, Jean-Francois Fichot jewelry and diaphanous Indian cotton cover-ups.

Located along the Ping River, Chiang Mai’s largest daily market was built in 1910 by a member of the Lanna royal family. Inside, the market is divided into three levels with each floor for different goods: first for food and highland preserved fruits, second for clothing and textiles and at the top, wooden carvings and other artifacts. The most famous souvenirs here are northern foods, like kaeb mu (crispy pig skin), mu yo (traditional Thai pork sausage), and nam phrik num (traditional northern style green chilly paste). Outside on Praisani Road, hill tribe people sell authentic tribal handicrafts plus tropical fresh fruits and flowers from the highlands.