10 Awesome Independent Stores in Thonglor, Bangkok

Baby mannequins? Check. Antique furniture? Check. Life-size superheroes and retro clocks? Check and check. Imagine it, and it’ll probably be hidden away somewhere within the labyrinth that is Papaya Vintage. Several floors of more than 100,000 trinkets and antiquities make this vintage warehouse among the largest stores in Thonglor. Eager relic hunters comb the mazes of shelves and hidden rooms for art deco chairs and old-fashioned typewriters, nestled among haphazard pinball machines and vintage cars – and the owner travels to Europe four times a year to hunt for fresh additions. Be aware that not everything is for sale, however. Some items are stored in the showroom for entertainment, but are actually rented out to movie studios to use on the set of films.

Patom’s eco-friendly philosophy is “from farm to city”. In partnership with Bliss Foundation, Patom produces and sells personal care products with fresh, organic ingredients straight from their farm along the Ta-Chine River in Nakorn Pathom Province, which has been in the owners’ family for 53 years. The bright, etherial, glass-enclosed shop sells a range of beauty products like coconut hair serum and lemongrass tangerine hand wash, fresh produce and house-made juices. A delicious café also serves up Thai-style bento boxes like rice vermicelli with organic mushroom curry and spaghetti with organic tomato sauce.

Opened by a group of friends with a shared passion for music, the owners of this retro music shop scour the globe searching for unique and rare albums, favouring 1990s alternative rock and early 2000s Brit Rock. The rare-finds shop is also a boutique music venue, attracting up-and-coming local artists and bands to intimate crowds of up to 40 people.

Located in the heart of The Commons, one of Thonglor’s trendiest malls, Sourced Grocers specialises in hearty, healthy grocery items like grains, nut butters, pastas, and sauces. A well-stocked deli caters to all tastes, selling cuts of cheeses like truffle gouda, manchego, Roquefort, and even vegan nut cheeses, and cold cuts like spicy chorizo, Milano salami, and Proccuitto di parma.

This newly renovated Japanese teahouse smells of aromas of floral blends and novel iced teas, and drinks including ceremony blend Uji matcha. It is also an official retailer of award-winning MEI LEAF premium artisan teas, and herbal juices. The lounge serves expertly brewed teas, in the traditional ceremonial style, and unique creations like cold matcha with mint and elder flower or matcha white chocolate frappe.

“Book lovers are slaves to print.” This is the moniker of Dasa Books – which itself translates to “slave” – and its concept echoes through the multi-level collection. The quirky shop houses more than 22,000 books, carefully organised in a thrice-weekly updated “Dasa-Base” that lists the books in stock by category, author, title, and price. The owners seek out rare and unusual finds, as well as storied favourites, treating visitors to hours of browsing and thumbing through pages in a number of languages, with the help of very friendly staff.

This skincare boutique, featuring its own name brand made from natural and organic ingredients from France, is designed to encourage healthier, natural, sustainable lifestyles. Products offer healthier alternatives to commercial skin care, from raw makeup to natural sunscreens and shampoos. The owner, herself trained in aromatherapy and natural cosmetics, also offers DIY workshops with themes like “zero-acne”, mixing up serum and face wash, “aromatherapy and emotions”, and making your own detox body wrap.

While there are a number of second-hand designer handbag shops in the neighbourhood, (un)Fashion Vintage boasts a unique stock of obscure designers and rare designs. Leather bags, shoes, and accessories for both men and women arrive weekly sourced from all over the world, some items dating back to the 1930s, and all at reasonable prices. An energetic but cosy café – modelled after a traveling caravan – greets shoppers towards the back.

This men’s accessories shop treats the men of Bangkok to high-quality Thai leather goods, at the fraction of the cost of an Italian equivalent. Originating as an online leather goods retailer, the shop in Thonglor now stocks shoes, laptop bags, wallets, and more in its crisp and elegant showroom.