It's Better to Travel than Arrive?

"To travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive"

Robert Louis Stevenson, Virginibus Puerisque, 1881.


"Robert Louis Stevenson speaks utter tosh and has

obviously never flown long haul economy class"

Kristy, first ever blog post, 2011.


Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Great Handbags at Pharaoh, Bangkok, Thailand

Pharaoh - Best Bag Shop in BKK!


Along with cowboy boots, handbags are my other weakness - and Bangkok has enough handbags to make even the most hard core shopper happy.

When we lived in Bangkok I had a favourite place for bags, Penny's, in the basement of a local mall, but that mall has now been demolished to build a newer and better mall.  One thing you'll notice about Bangkok is that it just oozes malls.  There are malls and shopping strips everywhere.  Even if you're not  crazy about shopping, you'll find you gravitate to the malls purely because of the air-conditioning - it's cool inside!

After I discovered that Penny's was no more, I asked around our friends who still lived in Bangkok to find out where they went for bags and they all recommended Pharaoh in MBK - and that's where I've been going ever since.

Bangkok is a mecca for copy/faux goods.  You can see faux Lacoste, Ralph Lauren and Tommy Hilfiger clothes everywhere.  You can see faux Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Mulberry and Hermes bags everywhere - but Pharaoh does the best copies.  They seem to favour Mulberry, Hermes and Todd bags in good leather that are well made - they don't do Louis Vuitton or Gucci.  Their bags are not dirt cheap like you can get at the markets on the sides of the road, but their bags don't look like copy bags - they look like the real thing.  The copies you buy on the side of the road LOOK like they're copies.

MBK is a huge, vast, giant, enormous (big, it's really, really big) multi storey shopping mall - not as fancy as some of the new ones, but it's a fantastic place to explore.  Pharaoh might be a bit hard to find as MBK can be a bit confronting on your first visit, so here's how to find it ...


  • Catch the Skytrain (BTS) to National Stadium stop
  • After you exit through the ticket barrier, enter MBK through Tokyu department store, direct from the Skytrain platform - there is no need to go to street level
  • Walk straight ahead until you hit the escalators
  • Turn left and exit Tokyu through the doors opposite Bata shoe store
  • Turn right and keep walking past the autobanks
  • Keep to the right of the mall and keep walking
  • You will walk past a bunch of handbag shops and you can stop if you see something you like and see what their price is, but don't buy until you've been to Pharaoh - if Pharaoh don't have what you want, go back to the other place
  • You might think you've walked too far, as Pharaoh is a fair way down, but you'll get there, and once you do you'll find a store so crammed with handbags and purses that you have to shimmy along to get inside and see what's what
  • If you can't reach what you're looking for  in Pharaoh, just ask, the staff are really friendly and helpful
  • The initial price they give you (which they will probably type into a calculator and show you) can be bargained down, but, as with everything in Thailand, do it politely and with a smile
  • If you buy more than one thing, you can negotiate the prices down again
  • If you're the first purchaser of the day, they might take your cash (cash only, no cards please) and touch it onto a lot of other goods in the store to bring them good luck - this is normal


Bangkok Skytrain (BTS) Map - get off at National Stadium!


Now you've got your bags, go and explore MBK - it's fantastic!  If you're hungry, head up to the 6th floor food hall for a meal, it's so yummy (and clean, safe and cheap).  One tip for the food hall - the stall owners don't take cash, you have to buy vouchers at the voucher stall at the entry of the food hall first.  Any vouchers you don't use can be taken back to the voucher stall and they will give you your money back on the same day.


Pharaoh's business card with all the info - they don't have a website


32 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. Hi Francesca! Thanks for your comment. They have very good quality copies (not lille the obvious copies you get on the street markets) and they start at about $US50 and go up. I was there late last year and there are a lot of Mulberry and Hermes to choose from.

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  2. Many thanks fot such helpful info on this page, we are off to Bangkok in three weeks time and plan to visit Pharoahs in search of a much craved Mulberry bag :-):-).A quick question as I don't want to take vast amounts of cash with me, do you think about $150 would buy me a Bayswater Mulberry???

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    Replies
    1. Hi Sue! Thanks for your comment. I'm not sure if you're talking $AUD or $US (or any other kind of $), but if it's $AUD or $US I think you'll be okay for that price. I bought Mulberry bags (several) there in November for under 80EU, and the shops will have been suffering since because of the political ruckus - they'll want your money. Definitely bargain, but do it kindly and with a smile. If they let you leave, you've gone too low. If they say 3,000, say 2,000, and work from there. I've dropped the line "Oh, my husband said I can't spend more than xxx amount, he'll kill me" before and they take a bit more off. You'll have a ball!

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  3. Fantastic news we are actually Brits, would normally talk british pounds but actually meant us dollars. Anyway that is very helpful, at one stage in my younger life we lived in West Africa was so used to seeing my Dad haggle I have often done it here in UK!! As long as you are polite with people, you can usually do good deal! !
    I love your blog will print off details of how to get to Pharoahs, going with among others my daughter in law we are soooo excited about this trip!
    Keep blogging take care, warm regards....

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    Replies
    1. You're most welcome! Did you see the other blogs about where to get great mani and pedi's? And my fave cheap and cheerful Suda for lunch? I can cut and paste the links if you've not already seen them. These are local places that you only really know if you live there - great finds! Have an AMAZING time.

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  4. Bless you :-) yes am sure I can find them! We are also thinking of a sky bar for cocktails one evening, have a friend who has been to the most famous one -lebua at state tower. As we are staying in Shangri-la hotel its not far from there but any othet suggestions gratefully recieved from 'the woman who knows all'!!

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    Replies
    1. I just reviewed Octave (http://traveltruth101.blogspot.de/2014/03/bar-review-octave-bangkok-thailand.html) which was rather nice, but my all time fave is Vertigo on the roof of the Banyan Tree hotel. On about the 62nd floor and it's AMAZING, but it can be a bit $$$, so if you're watching your cash, go up for a cocktail before dinner service starts and you can sit and get all the views for cocktail prices. As with Lebua, there's no roof, so if it rains you're all taken downstairs. Have a cocktail for me! Actually, my fave BKK drink is fresh watermelon juice, it's fabulous.

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  5. Hiya, which Mulberry bags did they have? In Bangkok at the moment from the UK xx

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    Replies
    1. Hiya! I've bought various styles from there, but they change all the time, so I don't know what they've got now. I was there in November and they will have changed the styles a bit since then. Go and have a look, I'm sure you'll fall in love with something that they've got! Have a ball!

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  6. Hi dear , bags are leather ?? I want to travel to there next week

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    Replies
    1. Hi There! Thanks for commenting. The bags are very good copies, so if the original bag is leather, then the copy is leather. If the original bag is not leather, then the copy is not leather. I hope you find one that you love!

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  7. I am planing to go beginning of December. Only purpose is shopping, please let me know what is the best hotel for stay if I am going for shopping?

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    1. What kind of shopping do you want to do? High end brands at posh malls, or bargaining for cheap fun things where the locals shop? Bangkok lives for shopping. 😄

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    2. Hi do they just have replicas? Or do they have nice local branded bags too? I'm not really brand conscious so nay good looking bags would do for me ! :)

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    3. They pretty much only do replicas (good replicas). If you want Asian designs you'll find them in department stores or markets. Have a great time!

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  8. Where to shop for bargaining cheap fun things where the locals shop.

    Thanks

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    Replies
    1. You need to make your way to MBK (http://www.mbk-center.co.th/en/home/index.php) or Chatuchak (http://www.chatuchak.org). Have fun and don't get lost, though when you're lost at those places you do tend to find the best things. I'm jealous!

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  9. Hi!
    Can you please send me the link for your blog about the mani / pedi treatments in Bangkok - I couldn't find that one!
    I'm in Bangkok just now and DEFINITLEY plan on indulging in those treatments over next couple of days!
    Sorry if this has been sent twice - I couldn't see my first attempt posted!
    Many thanks!
    Nikki
    (Your blogs are fab by the way! Cheers!)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Nikki - here's the link - http://traveltruth101.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/fantastic-nails-at-kaekai-bangok.html. You'll love Kae Kai! Have a ball in Bangkok - I'm a wee bit jealous. :-)

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  10. Hi this is really helpful. But can i ask, do they do wholesale and send overseas?

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    Replies
    1. I've never had to do that, so can't answer - sorry! Their contact details are above, but I probably would go in person to organise that. You might want to check with your country's copyright laws also - many countries destroy faux products. :-)

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  11. hi! i've been to Pharaoh just yesterday. their stuff is good. but a bit expensive tho. u have to bargain really hard, like 70% off.

    but i found better quality and cheaper (because of bargaining) on the next stall. Balenciaga classic city black the bigerst size at 3k bath. and the staff their is really nice too. they would give u tips on how to look for a better quality (leather quality). but if they don't know, they would be honest to say so. like the caviar leather of classic chanel

    we also found a stall at 6th floor called ibrandbags that also give a good discount.

    u just have to look arround and enjoy the bargaining.

    hope it helped 😉

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    Replies
    1. Thanks for the update! My last visit to MBK was in May of this year and I did buy from Pharaoh (Mulberry), but things change there so fast that the next door stall may now be better. Thanks for letting us all know!

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  12. Hello!
    I was wondering if Pharaoh have Stella mccartney crossbody bags (clutch)?
    I'm in bangkok and would love to buy one!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I live in England, so if you're in BKK I'd whip over to Pharaoh and see what they've got. Even if they don't have what you're looking for, it's a great way to spend a few hours. :-) Have fun!

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  13. Hello ,I am from india and I loved your blog...could u tell me how much an avg birkin in pharaoh or like shops would cost

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    Replies
    1. I haven't been in over a year, but they were around $AUD100 at that time. Am sure you can find copy Birkin's cheaper in India.

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  14. Hi, would you please recommend good shop for Hermes slippers/shoes in MBK? What will be the av price for one pair of famous slippers :) Thanks :)

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  15. Hi Tatyana, this blog post was written back in 2012 and I haven't been back to Bangkok for two years, so I can't give you any up to date advice. I do wish you good luck though!

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  16. Hi, does Pharaoh sell business/executive backpacks? If not, can you recommend a good place to get them in Bangkok?
    Many thanks!

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    1. Hi Edgar, this post was written back in 2012 and I haven't been in Bangkok for about 2 years, so I'm not sure what their current stocks are. That said, if you go to MBK where Pharaoh are located, there are floors and floors of stores selling everything you might ever need, and the higher you go, the cheaper it gets. You will definitely find a back pack there somewhere. Good luck!

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Thanks so much for taking the time to read and comment!