Most souvenirs from Bangkok do not survive the year. You want to bring something home and still have it around next winter, and the stalls are not built for that. This is the short list of what lasts. All of it is made on one street in Bangkok, and a lot of it is on the shelf today. If you would rather just browse, the jewelry half of this list is on one page in our souvenir jewelry collection.
The one thing people actually keep: your name in Thai
I am biased here, so take it as a bias I can defend. The souvenirs that survive are the ones that are worn, and the ones that are worn are the ones that carry something personal. A Thai script name is both. It looks like Thailand from across the room, and it means something only to the person wearing it.
Where to start, depending on how much you want it to say:
- Custom ชื่อภาษาไทย Necklace, the full name in Thai script, and the one most people mean when they ask for this
- Thai Initial Necklace, two letters, quieter, easier to wear every day
- Classic Thai Initial Bracelet, one letter each, which is why it works for a group
- Thai Letter Name Ring, for someone who does not wear necklaces
- Single Letter Charm Bracelet, if you want to add to it later
If you are not sure how a name is written, we set it out in the guide to writing your name in Thai. You can also see your name in Thai with our free tool first. Get the spelling checked before you order. Thai script does not forgive a guess.
Bangkok you can wear
The other honest option is the city itself rather than a name. These read as Thailand without needing an explanation, and they are the ones I give to people who already have everything.
- Thailand Map Bracelet, kept in stock
- Thai Map Necklace, kept in stock
- Bangkok Street Sign Bracelet, the blue enamel sign, which Bangkok residents recognise instantly
- Bangkok Ring
Stones, if you want it to hold its value
Thailand is one of the world’s cutting and trading centres for coloured stones, which is the real reason to buy a gemstone here rather than at home. Sapphire, ruby, garnet, topaz. The saving is not small.
Two things to insist on. Ask what the stone is and where it came from, and ask for it in writing. We issue a certificate for the stone, and a separate one for the finished piece, and you can take either or both. A seller who will not put it on paper is telling you something.
- One to Five Round Natural เรื่องพลอย Bracelet, a stone for each birthday
- Custom Heart Pendant with Gemstone
- Natural 3mm Stone Prong-Set Necklace, the plainest way to wear a single stone
- All birthstone jewelry
Thai souvenir bags and pouches
Toanoi, in the same building as us on สุขุมวิท 71, prints and sews its own canvas. Aru Aru is illustrated everyday Thailand, street food, floating markets, temples, festivals, each bag with a coloured handle. The days-of-the-week range uses the traditional Thai colour for each day, which every Thai grows up knowing and almost nothing in the tourist shops uses.
- Mini Tote Aru Aru and the Mini Pouch Aru Aru
- Tote Days in Week and the Drawstring Pouch, embroidered, the easiest thing here to carry home
- Rope Tote, printed with Thai numerals
- The rest of the canvas range
What to skip
Fake bags and watches. Customs in most countries will take them, and some will fine you.
Anything with a Buddha’s head. Buddha images need an export permit from the Fine Arts Department, and the rule is enforced at the airport. Thai people also find the decorative use of Buddha heads genuinely offensive.
Gems bought on a tuk-tuk driver’s recommendation. If a stranger tells you a temple is closed and offers to take you to a government gem sale, it is a scam. It has been running for decades.
Ivory and anything from a protected animal. Illegal to export and illegal to import almost everywhere.
If you fly out tomorrow
This is the part most souvenir lists cannot help you with. A custom name is made to order and takes about a week, and you do not have a week. Plenty of this list is already on the shelf.
- A single Thai letter, on the bracelet or the side necklace
- The map pieces, both the bracelet and the necklace
- Every Toanoi canvas bag and pouch, all of them in stock
At checkout, choose Pick up from shop instead of shipping. The shop is at 259/80 Phibunwet Village, สุขุมวิท 71, on the airport side of the city, so it works as a stop on the way to Suvarnabhumi rather than a detour. Message us before you set off so we can have it waiting at the counter.
Questions people ask before they buy
Which colour goes with which Thai day?
Every Thai person knows the day they were born and the colour that belongs to it. It is the reason the day bags work as a gift rather than a print.
- Sunday, red
- Monday, yellow
- Tuesday, pink
- Wednesday, green
- Thursday, orange
- Friday, blue
- Saturday, purple
Ask the person’s birthday, then pick the colour. That single detail is what makes a Thailand souvenir land instead of looking generic.
How do I get a name spelled correctly in Thai?
Send it to us and we will write it out and show you before anything is made. Thai is written by sound rather than letter, so the same English name can go several ways, and one wrong vowel changes the meaning. Our guide to writing your name in Thai covers the common ones. Never guess from an online converter.
Is a gemstone actually cheaper in Bangkok?
For coloured stones, usually yes, because the cutting and trading happen here. Sapphire, ruby, garnet and topaz are the ones worth buying. Diamonds are not, since those are priced globally. Ask what the stone is, ask where it came from, and get it in writing before you pay.
Can I take it on the plane?
Jewelry goes in your hand luggage without a problem, and we pack it in a box that survives being sat on. Bags and pouches are cotton canvas, so they fold flat. There is no export paperwork on any of this.
What if I have already flown home?
We ship worldwide by FedEx and DHL, and shipping inside Thailand is free. Plenty of people order after they get home, once they realise what they should have bought.
If you want one recommendation
The custom สร้อยคอชื่อภาษาไทย. It is the piece people come back for, and the only souvenir on this list that I have seen still being worn years later. It is made to order in Bangkok, it takes about a week to ten days, and it ships worldwide, so you can order it before you fly home and have it follow you. Left it too late for that? Take a single initial instead, that one is on the shelf.
More on that on the ของฝากจากเมืองไทย page, and if you are living here rather than visiting, the Bangkok expat guide to custom jewelry covers where the good workshops are.
