Bangkok shopping pick : Talad Rot Fai Srinakarin Night Market : A shopping paradise for fans of vintage stuff: If you are into things in vintage style, then you will find your place at the Warehouse Zone and Rod’s Antiques areas. Products are impressive in variety and quantity. And shoppers can get more inspiration for their love from many fellow vintage stuff lovers and hunters there. Genuine vintage and antique items available: Collectors can rest assure that items showcased at Rod’s Antiques section like French chandeliers, classic cars, motorbikes, cameras and kitsch furniture are all real things. Some comes from Thailand while others made their long way from all over the world (American, Europe, China and Myanmar) to shine their beauty at the market.

Let’s start big, shall we? Siam Paragon Mall is one of the largest malls in all of Asia. Its department store alone covers 50,000 square metres. And over 250 retail shops comprise of another 40,000 square metres of glorious shopping space. But what brought Siam Paragon at the top of this list is its reputation as the place to be when you’re out shopping for international high-end brands. Chanel, Jimmy Choo, Versace, Dolce & Gabbana, Hermes are just a few. Siam Paragon also hosts a few car showrooms namely Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati, BMW, Aston Martin and Lotus. For us nomads hunting for coworking spaces, there is actually a pretty good alternative at this mall. Head to the True Café on the third floor for a fresh coffee and same fast wifi. At the ground floor, Siam Paragon is covered with restaurants and food courts. This is one of my favourite places to grab a bite to eat when shopping around here. Thai and international food from all corners of the globe can be found here, you won’t go hungry. And if you want to submerge after lunch, go ahead, the fish at Sea Life located just underground of the mall are waiting for you! See extra travel news about Paris, Bangkok or Los Angeles at Paris food guide.

Overwhelming, loud, crowded: these are just a few words that could be used to describe the massive Chatuchak Weekend Market. That said, this is one attraction visitors to Bangkok on the weekends surely cannot miss out on. It is one of the largest markets in Asia, and hosts thousands of vendors and stalls to prove it. Rare art pieces, northern handicrafts, genitalia-shaped soap: you name the souvenir, Chatuchak is bound to have it. The best time to visit is in the morning. It is not as hot and vendors are more likely to give shoppers a deal, as the first sale of the day is meant to bring good luck. Be sure to barter, as well.

A short etymology on the name is that this mall stands where the British Embassy was located in the early days and therefore has given the shopping mall its name Central Embassy. But enough talk of history, let’s fast forward the mall’s present. Central Embassy emphasises its classy touch through a white and neat minimalist interior and futuristic design. It is actually dubbed as the most luxurious mall in Bangkok for its expansive designer boutiques, fine-dining restaurants offering world-class cuisine, high-end movie theatres and a planned 6-star hotel. Your luxury shopping feel starts as you enter and see the swanky displays of Gucci, Givency, Prada, Vivienne Westwood, Michael Kors and so much more.

The most visited tourist attraction in Paris, the Eiffel Tower also ranks high on the list of places to visit in France. It’s hard to believe that the structure was dismissed as a monstrosity when it was first unveiled. The iconic tower was designed by Alexandre-Gustave Eiffel for the Paris Exhibition of 1889, which marked the centenary of the French Revolution. The tower consists of 18,000 sturdy iron sections (weighing over 10,000 tons) held together by 2.5 million rivets. This innovative structure is now considered a masterful architectural feat and is the most emblematic sight in Paris. From the Jardins du Trocadero and the lawns of the Champs de Mars, there is just the right distance from the Eiffel Tower for a picture-perfect photo-op. Reaching 324 meters in height, the tower was the world’s tallest building until the Empire State Building was erected.

Sheer luck (or lack thereof) makes this attraction special. During the 1950s, the East Asiatic Company purchased the land around the temple. A condition of the sale was the removal of a plaster statue of Buddha, but the statue proved too heavy for the crane being used. The cable parted and the figure was dropped, being left overnight where it fell. It happened to be in the rainy season, and when next morning some monks walked past, they noticed a glint of gold shining through the plaster. The coating was removed, revealing a 3.5 m Buddha cast from 5.5 tons of solid gold. All attempts to trace the origin of this priceless statue have so far failed, but it is assumed to date from the Sukhothai period, when marauding invaders threatened the country and its treasures, and it became common practice to conceal valuable Buddha figures beneath a coating of plaster. No one knows how it came to Bangkok, but here it stands available for the admiration of visitors from all over the world. Source: Business trip packing list.

Paris shopping pick : Rue du Commerce We’ve named Rue du Commerce the Best Hidden Shopping Street in Paris for its excellent selection of popular brand shops, small boutiques and traditional Parisian charm. Located in the 15th arrondissement just a short stroll from the Eiffel Tower, this is where Parisians head when looking for the latest trends without the expensive price tags. There’s something for everyone along Rue du Commerce with over 100 shops along the way! With limited traffic along the narrow one-way street, you can easily crisscross your way down the street hitting your favorite shops.

To truly soak up the alluring ambience of Paris, tourists should try taking a boat cruise along the Seine River. Besides being one of the most enjoyable things to do while visiting the city, Seine River Cruises allow tourists to see the sights from a different perspective. The Seine River bridges, Eiffel Tower, Notre-Dame Cathedral, and the Louvre Museum look stunning from the viewpoint of a riverboat. While a daytime cruise allows tourists to appreciate the glory of the monuments brightened by sunshine, the most romantic experience is an evening cruise. After sunset, the city’s landmarks are illuminated, which creates a special effect, and somehow the city seems more magical. For a cruise that includes dinner, try the Bateaux Parisiens Seine River Cruise. This four-hour sightseeing journey departs near the Eiffel Tour, and guests are treated to a gourmet three-course meal.

Paris restaurant pick : The one haute-cuisine restaurant in Paris that’s really, truly worth it? L’Astrance. Chef Pascal Barbot has the most elegantly lyrical gastronomic imagination of any chef working in Paris today, and it’s expressed by dishes that are often spectacularly simple, like his buttermilk and burnt toast crumb soup. The dish is not always on the menu, but if you tell them you’re desperate for it when you make your reservation, Barbot and maitre d’hotel Christophe Rohat are such nice guys, they might make it for you. Otherwise, you should beg for the mille-feuille of white mushrooms, apple, and foie gras.