A great place to purchase local products in Phuket, Patong Beach’s OTOP Market is replete with silk clothing, fashion jewellery, pottery, handicrafts and spices. OTOP essentially stands for ‘One Tambon One Product’ and the idea is derived from Japanese villages where communities are encouraged to sell locally produced goods. Since we are in Thailand, you can totally expect to see pirated mobile phones, CDs, DVDs, sports accessories and shoes, t-shirts that are clearly knock offs of luxury brands, beachwear and sunglasses. You can also head to one of its many congested stalls and buy gaudy showpieces in the form of the Laughing Buddha, wooden toys, colourful wall hangings, paintings and sequined cloth bags.
It is paradoxical how Australian beer bars dot a marketplace that aims to sell indigenous products. OTOP Market has gradually morphed into a tourist trap, especially given the fact that it is in Patong and names like Hard Rock Cafe therefore come as no surprise. Grab a few trinkets, gulp down a big mug of chilled beer, play a game of jenga or two and carry home a truckload of memories. You are, after all, in the liveliest shopping centre of Phuket.
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