What are the best souvenirs to buy in Thailand?

Crafts: umbrellas, silk and northern handicrafts

• Bo Sang paper umbrellas ($ to $$). Hand-painted umbrellas and parasols from Bo Sang village, about 9 km east of Chiang Mai. Shops in the village pack them for checked luggage or ship them home.

• Thai silk with the Royal Peacock mark ($$ to $$$). Markets also sell synthetic look-alikes, so look for the peacock certification mark, which the Queen Sirikit Department of Sericulture only grants after its officials examine the fabric. There are four grades: gold (Royal Thai Silk, hand-woven by traditional methods), silver (Classic Thai Silk), blue (Thai Silk, which allows some modern processes) and green (Thai Silk Blend). A gold or silver peacock is the one to pay silk prices for.

• Cotton clothes and bags ($ to $$). The northern night markets in Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai sell shirts, scarves and bags, like the racks behind the lamp stall in the photo above.

• Lamps and painted ceramics ($ to $$). The night markets in the north sell lamps, painted jars and pots like the stall in the photo above. Check the base for cracks under good light and ask for bubble wrap.

• Lanna paper lanterns ($). Paper lanterns in the northern style hang over market halls in the north. They weigh almost nothing.

Food and drink: curry pastes, fish sauce and snacks

• Curry pastes ($). Sealed tubs and sachets of green, red and massaman paste are the most useful Thai food souvenir and cost far less in a supermarket than in a souvenir shop. Our Thai supermarket guide explains the differences.

• Fish sauce ($). A glass bottle in a sealed bag in checked luggage, or buy a plastic bottle.

• Snacks from 7-Eleven ($). Seaweed snacks, dried fruit and chilli-flavoured crisps make cheap gifts for a whole office.

Small, cheap gifts

• Cotton elephant-print trousers ($). Sold at tourist markets all over the country. Cheap, light and useful in the heat, if not exactly heirlooms.

• Paper lanterns, small umbrellas and woven bags ($). From the night markets, where bargaining in good humour is normal; at fixed-price shops it is not.

• Curry paste and spices ($). See above: a supermarket bag of them weighs little and costs less than one souvenir-shop gift box.

Splurges worth planning for

• A length of gold-peacock Thai silk ($$$). Buy it as cloth and have it made up at home, or buy a finished scarf from a shop that shows the mark.

• A large Bo Sang parasol ($$). Have the workshop ship it rather than fight it onto a plane.

• A licensed Buddha image ($$$). Only from a reputable shop that can arrange the Fine Arts Department permit; see below.

Where to buy souvenirs in Thailand

Chatuchak is next to BTS Mo Chit and MRT Chatuchak Park; on Wednesday and Thursday only the plant section opens. Go early before the heat builds. Our 3 days in Bangkok itinerary, Chiang Mai guide and Chiang Rai guide fit shopping around the sights.

VAT refund: when it is worth claiming

Thailand refunds its 7% VAT on goods from shops with a VAT Refund for Tourists sign, if you spend at least 2,000 baht at one shop in one day, get a P.P.10 form and the original tax invoice at the till with your passport, and fly out within 60 days. Market stalls do not take part, and gemstones are excluded.

At the airport, show customs the goods and paperwork before you check in, then claim at the refund counter, minus a fee. On souvenirs from markets it will not apply; on a silk purchase in a Bangkok mall it can. Step by step: Thailand VAT refund for tourists.

What to skip, and the Buddha image rule

• Buddha images without a permit. Thailand's Fine Arts Department must license the export of Buddha images, antiques and art objects. Each image is inspected and needs its own permit, which reputable shops can often arrange. Heads, hands and other parts of Buddha images cannot be exported at all. Temple etiquette around Buddha images is in things to know before visiting Thailand.

• "Silk" with no mark at silk prices. Without the peacock, assume it may be synthetic and pay accordingly.

• Anything sold as ivory, tortoiseshell or coral. You cannot tell what it really is, and taking it home can be illegal.

• Gem shops a driver takes you to. Bangkok taxi drivers steering tourists to commission-paying gem shops is a known scam; book rides on an app instead, as in our Grab vs Bolt and taxi scams guide.

• Fresh fruit for home. Eat the mangoes there; fresh fruit is restricted in most countries.

Tipping at markets is not expected; for everywhere else see tipping in Thailand.

Frequently asked questions