Living & visas
What to buy in Thailand: supermarket, cosmetics, pharmacy and export rules
Everyone wants to take half a suitcase of tasty and useful things home from Thailand, and no wonder: Thai teas, coconut oil, balms and tom yum pastes cost very little here. We gathered what people most often bring home and buy for life in Pattaya, where it is cheaper and what it costs, plus the rules so your shopping gets home without trouble.
In short
- The most popular buys are ChaTraMue Thai tea, dried fruit, tom yum and curry kits, coconut oil, Darlie and Twin Lotus toothpastes and balms.
- Most small items cost 20 – 100 ฿, cheapest at Lotus's, Big C, Makro and night markets.
- Tourists get VAT back on purchases from 2,000 ฿ in one shop on one day if the goods leave the country within 60 days.
Where to shop in Pattaya
- Lotus's and Big C: big supermarkets with the widest range. Big C on Thepprasit is opposite Lotus's and, by shoppers' accounts, usually less crowded.
- Makro: a wholesale store, good value if you live here and stock up for a month.
- 7-Eleven: small things on the way, such as Pond's powder or toffees in unusual flavours.
- Wholesale cosmetics shops on Thepprasit: they sell single items too, and usually give a discount from 6 pieces.
- Night markets: souvenirs and scented soap are noticeably cheaper than in supermarkets. According to 2025 reviews, soap costing about 169 ฿ in a shop sells for 25 – 30 ฿ at a market.
Food and drinks
Prices from 2025–2026 videos and reviews, approximate:
- ChaTraMue Thai tea: orange, green milk tea and "gold" with vanilla, in tins and boxes.
- Thai coffee from the north of the country: beans, ground and drip bags. Thai products are easy to spot: the barcode starts with 885.
- Dried and crispy fruit: mango, durian, jackfruit, mangosteen. Dried mango about 155 ฿, crispy durian about 400 ฿ a pack.
- Cooking kits: green, red and massaman curry pastes, tom yum and tom kha kits (for example Mae Pranom). Shelf life is usually about two years.
- Coconut milk powder in sachets, under 20 ฿ each, easy to pack.
- Sauces: sweet chilli in a soft tube travels better than glass.
- Snacks: coated peanuts and fish snacks from 20 ฿, MAMA noodles, toffees at 19 ฿.
- Bael (matum) tea and butterfly pea tea: inexpensive herbal teas in the tea aisle.
Cosmetics and personal care
- Tropicana cold-pressed coconut oil: about 80 ฿ for 100 ml and 270 ฿ for 500 ml. Below 25 °C it turns white and solid, which is normal.
- Toothpastes: Darlie (three 150 g tubes for about 155 ฿ on offer), herbal Twin Lotus, solid pastes in jars.
- Pond's face powder about 55 ฿.
- Sheet face masks about 100 ฿ for a box of 10.
- Madam Heng soap, turmeric and thanaka soap.
- Crystal deodorant: lasts a very long time.
- Hair masks in sachets 10 – 40 ฿.
- SPF 50 sunscreen about 80 ฿.
Pharmacy and balms
- Balms: tiger balm (white cools, red warms), Counterpain and other warming rubs.
- Herbal cough lozenges about 25 ฿ a bag.
- Patches and herbal inhalers.
Tourist VAT refund
Tourists can get back the 7% VAT on purchases:
- shop in stores with the VAT Refund for Tourists sign;
- spend at least 2,000 ฿ in one shop on one day, with total purchases of 5,000 ฿ or more;
- on the day of purchase show your passport, the seller fills in form P.P.10 and attaches the original receipt;
- take the goods out within 60 days through an international airport;
- at the airport before check-in show the goods and form to customs. Jewellery, watches, glasses and pens are checked again after passport control.
What you can take out
- Buddha images and antiques may only be exported with a permit from Thailand's Fine Arts Department. Buy souvenir figurines from shops that arrange the permit themselves and keep the receipt. More on local rules in What not to do in Thailand.
If you live in Pattaya
For everyday life it pays to shop at Makro and markets; what food costs per month is in What it costs to live in Pattaya.
If you are looking for a home in Pattaya, we will help you choose the area and the condo.
FAQ
What should I bring back from Thailand?
Popular choices are Thai tea, coffee, dried fruit, tom yum and curry kits, coconut milk powder, coconut oil, toothpastes, balms and cosmetics.
Where to buy souvenirs and groceries in Pattaya?
At Lotus's, Big C and Makro, wholesale cosmetics shops on Thepprasit and night markets, where soap and souvenirs are noticeably cheaper.
How do I get a VAT refund in Thailand?
Shop in stores with the VAT Refund for Tourists sign from 2,000 baht a day, get form P.P.10, take the goods out within 60 days and show them to customs at the airport before check-in.
Can I take a Buddha statue out of Thailand?
Only with a Fine Arts Department permit. Buy souvenir figurines from shops that arrange the permit.
Sources
- Revenue Department Thailand: VAT refund conditions for tourists
- Thai Customs: restricted export goods
- Russian Customs (FTS): personal import allowances
- Russian Customs (FTS): bringing in medicines
This article is for general information and is not legal or tax advice. Laws, fees and project terms change: before a deal we check the current conditions for the specific property.
