Many South Asian traders set up shop in Bangkok's small but bustling Little India, where everything from Bollywood movies to bindis is sold by enthusiastic, small-time traders. It’s a great area to just wander through, stopping for masala chai and a Punjabi sweet as you go. The bulk of the action unfolds along unmarked Soi ATM, which runs alongside the large India Emporium shopping centre.
The emphasis is on cloth, and Phahurat proffers boisterously coloured textiles, traditional Thai dance costumes, tiaras, sequins, wigs and other accessories to make you look like a person in drag, a mŏr lam (Thai country music) performer, or both. Amid the spectacle of colour there are also good deals on machine-made Thai textiles and children’s clothes.