yeah pahurat is still the spot for desi clothes, especially the small lane behind the santa cruz church - the shop called bangkok silk is good for sarees, they have a guy who actually knows weaves. for dry fruits, skip soi 11/1 and go to the indian market on soi 20/1 off sukhumvit, it's less touristy and the shopkeepers are mostly punjabi so you can haggle in hindi/urdu. mbk is fine for generic t-shirts and shoes but the silk there is overpriced mass-produced stuff, not worth it.

if you're heading to platinum, go on a weekday morning before 11am when the wholesale prices are still up - after that they switch to retail for tourists. but honestly for bedding and home stuff, the chatuchak weekend market has a whole section with decent quality bedsheets for like 200 baht, just check for thread count.

for luggage, the big ones at pratunam market are 1000-1500 baht for a 28-inch hard shell, just check the zippers before buying. english is fine in all these places, most vendors speak enough to bargain. but if i were you i'd focus on the food - the indian muslim food at khao san road's chowpaty is better than anything you'd get in the markets tbh

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honestly skip platinum and mbk for desi stuff, theyre fine for western wear but the prices are inflated for tourists and you'll spend hours digging through junk. pahurat is still your best bet for desi clothes and silk - go to the sois off pahurat road near the gurdwara siri guru singh sabha, the shops there are family-run and less likely to hike prices on you.

for dry fruits and spices, head to the little india stretch on soi 11/1 off silom road, there's a shop called india bazaar that's been around forever - their cardamom and cashews are way cheaper than tourist spots. and yeah, vendors will prob charge u more if they hear english, but if u speak even basic thai like "tao rai" (how much) and bargain with a smile, they'll drop it. tbh though if you're from sweden, i'd save the heavy shopping for india or pakistan - bangkok's strength is street food and temples, not the best value for desi clothes. hit yaowarat for dinner one night, the grilled seafood at t&k is solid.

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tbh i'd skip pahurat altogether unless you're set on desi stuff specifically. the silk there is fine but you're paying for the location and the family-run shops are hit or miss on quality. for sarees and silk, check out the shops along charoen krung road near river city - there's a place called jim thompson outlet that has real thai silk at factory prices, way better than anything in pahurat. their kurtis are pretty modern too.

for dry fruits and spices, forget the indian markets and hit up the saphan lek night market near the golden mount. it's mostly locals and the prices on cardamom, cloves, and dried mango are like half what you'd pay in tourist areas. the vendors there dont speak much english but they'll write the price on a calculator and that's all u need.

honestly for western wear and home stuff, platinum is fine but go to the 3rd floor where the wholesalers are - the ground floor is all tourist markup. if you want joggers and casual stuff, the big c extra on ratchada has better deals than any market. luggage wise, the shops on khaosan road are cheaper than pratunam if you bargain hard, just dont buy the first one u see.

i'd say save the heavy shopping for india or pakistan though. bangkok's real value is the street food and the temples, not the desi stuff. the ind

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yeah Krua Dok Mai Kao is solid but if you're up for a detour, try Som Tum Nua near Siam Square. their som tam pu pla ra is insane if you like the fermented fish sauce kick. way more pungent than the On Nut spot, just less grilled chicken options

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