Kata Beach Shopping

Adidas and Nike Outlet

A lot of sportswear is actually manufactured in Thailand so it makes sense to visit outlets such as this one on Kata Road opposite Kata Beach Resort. Prices may be higher than usual for Thailand but they're a snip when compared with price tags back home. Air conditioned and spotless, this shop sells the genuine articles.

Andaman Creations

In the southern part of Kata itself, just past Mom Tri's Boathouse you'll find a little soi or street with a 'To the Beach' sign at the beginning. Down there you'll find Andaman Creations, an attractive outlet dealing in handmade leather goods, silverware, and semi-precious stones.

Beautiful Optical

Beautiful Optical, a Bangkok eye-glasses franchise setup, has more than 300 shops around Thailand. They usually have a special ‘Buy-one-Get-one-Free’ deal all year round. American Express, Master Card and Visa cards are all accepted.

Bikini Shop

The Bikini Shop deals in all sorts of swimwear, beach clothing and accessories. Here, you will find colourful, up-to-date and creative clothing.

Elephant +

This tasteful and well-researched outlet sells handicrafts, semi-precious stones, costume jewelry, fine leather bags and oriental nick-knacks. Elephant + is situated on the grounds of Oasis Tapas Bar – the ideal spot for a glass of wine and a snack to celebrate landing a good purchase.

Findig

Findig is focused mainly on shoes, luggage, traveling bags, handbags and trolley cases. From the outside the shop doesn’t look that big but once you step in, you will find that it’s actually split into three different levels. Their basement floor is a smart answer to the shortage of commercial space in this prime neighborhood. Findig also stocks Thai handicrafts and souvenirs.

Mini-Mall with Sai Nahm Restaurant

The three-floor mini-mall on Kokthanod Road has been open for sometime but still doesn’t have a name. It has a small spa corner as well as a few shelves stocked with goods such as sun cream lotion, chewing gum and other beach essentials. The second floor is more interesting and houses women’s and menswear as well as local souvenirs. The women’s corner features unique evening and beachwear using attractive materials from Thailand and overseas. Prices are on the high side. This building features the only escalator in Kata (not that they need one). A Thai restaurant lies on the top floor with views of the beach and diners can choose air-conditioned or al-fresco seating.

P&P Mart

P&P is the best place in the area for new books, magazines and same-day international newspaper printouts. For an excellent selection of secondhand books go to Kata Bookshop 300 metres further down the same road.

Smile Gallery

If you are looking for a reproduction painting, modern art or an oil rendition of various rock artists, Smile Gallery will have just what you need. Open sided with an artist working at most times, Smile is an intimate atelier.

Soi Malisa

Soi Malisa (aka Soi Tontan) on the southern end of Kata Road is a pleasant alley to walk along because it’s not as narrow as other nearby sois. It features many shops, restaurants, art galleries and bars along the way leading to the Malisa Villa Suites. If you want to look your best for a special evening out, visit one of the beauty salons along the soi. Many of them also operate as traditional Thai massage centres.

Every evening, the middle of the soi is converted into a night market, again with plenty of walking space for shoppers. Stand and stall owners start setting up their businesses around 17:00 and the market usually gets going after 19:00. It’s made up of more than 30 kiosks with good range of Thai products such as wood carvings, scarves, pearls, Buddha images, handmade beaded jewelry, T-shirts, wooden picture frames, muay Thai boxing shorts, candleholders and many other popular OTOP products.

Soi Option 1

Soi Option 1 is another interesting soi in south Kata with good dining options. Located opposite Kata’s public car park near Kata Beach Resort, Soi Option 1 is where you will find the usual tourist businesses such as massage shops, tour companies, souvenir shops (one of them is entirely devoted to beaded necklace and bracelets) tailors and a luggage and suitcase shop. It also has a dropping-off point for laundry service at the cost of 70 baht per kilo. Talk about convenient and cheap!

Soi Option 2

Soi Option 2 located near Soi Option 1 right opposite Kata’s public car park, a few steps from Kata Beach Resort. This small soi has a pharmacy, tailor shops, a massage shop and souvenir shops .The soi usually gets busy after 10:00.

Jeans Shop

Halfway down the soi leading to Casa Del Sol Resort you'll find a Nepalese-owned designer jeans shop – the jeans are mostly for girls.

Kata Plaza

Kata Plaza is a large, tarpaulin-covered bazaar with a wide range of articles for sale. Just at the entrance you can buy biker leatherwork, motorcycle helmets baseball hats and football T-shirts – all of quite good quality. Don't forget that this is bargaining territory and you'll be expected to bring the original asking price down by sometimes as much as 60% before the serious stuff begins.

Inside, many stalls sell children's accessories as well as a mind-boggling array of T-shirts, casual clothing and footwear, travel accessories, replica watches, sunglasses and knick-knacks of varying quality and usefulness. Many of these storeholders are from Nepal and their English is actually quite good but to be on the safe side they have calculators to show prices to non-English speakers. What you can't buy in Kata Plaza you probably don't need – there's even an exterior restaurant. It's really best to shop here early evening or at night due to the heat from the tent-like roof.

Royal Jewels of Thailand

This attractive air-conditioned corner jewelry and gold shop sells finely crafted necklaces and bracelets – all certified and genuine.

B.J. Boutique

Apart from and admirable selection of the usual beachwear and cotton shirts and pants, thongs and sandals, B.J. Boutique has mountains of interesting handicrafts and knick-knacks such as incense holders and mini wooden sculptures, toys. This is one of the better shops on this road.

Cameron Hansen Gallery

This stunning photo gallery is part of a chain of exhibitions mounted by the award-winning Cameron Hansen. It consists of large-framed limited edition images of Thailand and Southeast Asia shot with transparent film and specialised photo equipment. The effect is almost surreal and astonishingly beautiful and by no means cheap.

Earth to Art

Earth to Art is an outstanding Asian arts emporium featuring pottery and ceramics as well as Kashmir wool, textiles and a huge range of well-crafted and beautiful objets d'art and handicrafts that make the street handicrafts – as good as they are – seem amateurish in comparison.

Handicraft Stalls in Kata Beach

Handicraft and souvenir shops and stalls are thick on the ground on either side of the road heading south away from the T-junction. In late afternoon things get even more crowded as the street stalls set up. You'll be spoilt for choice if you're looking for textiles, cushion covers, sarongs, cheap jewelry, DVD's, CD's, imitation brand-name beachwear, sports shoes, sunglasses, watches and… for some strange reason, wooden elephants. The nearby Dino Park has an elephant come out every evening to be fed by passers by so maybe this is why there are carved wooden elephants of every size at every single handicraft stall in the vicinity. 

Kata Bootery

Aside from having a very handsome collection of handmade shoes, boots and leatherwear for sale, Kata Bootery also specialises in copying originals so if you have a favourite pair of footwear take them along and the copies will be ready in three days. Obviously, bargaining is a must and the more you order the cheaper things get. This bootery is part of the same group as Kata Leather House.

Kata Leather House

This is an attractive boutique offering truly well-crafted handmade leather goods. Air conditioned and up some stairs, Kata Leather House is a tasty little shopping nook that holds some surprises. Bargaining is acceptable here.

Opticians in Kata Beach

All throughout Kata, Karon and Patong the many, many tailor shops are interspersed by what appears to be a ludicrous number of opticians. The message here is that you, the buyer, definitely have the upper hand – you can pick and choose from the many opticians' offers advertised in their shop windows and they all try to outdo themselves so simply keep looking until you find the best offer.

Oriental Gems

Air conditioned and with certifiable goods, Oriental Gems is small but well stocked with gems that are definitely worth taking a look at.

Portrait Gallery

Portrait Gallery is a compact place selling the usual combination of original, repro and portrait art. Nothing out of the ordinary here, but the fact that it is small will guarantee more one-on-one attention from the resident artist(s).

Siam Handicrafts

This shop, of course, sells handicrafts and home ornaments but also has a colourful selection of ladies' and gents' belts and hats as well as some striking shoes.

Tailors

As for tailors, some of them are genuinely talented and worth checking out but don't ever let their touts browbeat you or coerce you against your will and never accept the quoted starting prices. It's also worth noting that it is not necessarily a positive point to have your suit/dress/shirt ready in 24 hours – at least three fittings is about the norm so plan ahead.

Udomagg

Located right on the T-junction, Udomagg is a fixed-price store selling handbags, luggage and briefcases and the shop's main selling point is shoes. There are even snakeskin boots for sale, along with Mafiosi-like pointed-toe footwear as well as leather sandals and formal shoes. The air conditioning in Udomagg would make an Eskimo shiver but is a welcome change from the outside heat and humidity. Udomagg also does a nice line in wooden handicrafts and children's toys.