Bangkok Souvenirs: 20 Handmade Thai Souvenirs to Take Home, THB 179 to 499
What souvenirs should you buy in Bangkok? The Bangkok souvenirs that make it home in one piece are the small ones with a meaning attached, and the Thai souvenirs in Bangkok that travel best are cotton: keychains, ornaments, magnets and coasters that pack into a carry-on.
Here are 20 ideas with prices, from THB 179: 13 pieces knotted by hand in our own workshop, then 7 classics you will see all over the city, with what each one costs and what happens to it at the airport.
Akha Ma-De, a social program powered by Macrame by Nicha, hires Akha women in Chiang Rai to create jobs in Asha village, Mae Yao district.
13 Handmade Thai Souvenirs in Bangkok, Knotted in Cotton
These are ours. Every one is knotted by hand in cotton by Akha women in Asha village, Mae Yao district, Chiang Rai, and the same pieces appear in our guide to the crafts made up in Chiang Rai, where the workshop is.
They sit between THB 179 and THB 499, and they come in two groups: the ones that carry a Thai symbol, and the ones we simply make well.
Thai symbols in cotton
1. Pla Ta Pian Keychain, the Thai Auspicious Fish, THB 390
The pla ta pian (ปลาตะเพียน, the woven barb fish) symbolizes prosperity, abundance and protection in Thai tradition. Hung over a crib it stands for blessings for easy child-rearing and flourishing growth, and in the home it invokes family prosperity and thriving commerce.
Ours is 11.5 cm high in knotted cotton, on a premium hook with our brand label. It is made to order, and it is the piece in the range with the most specific meaning behind it.
2. Muay Thai Mongkol Keychain, THB 350
The mongkhon (มงคล) is the woven headband a Muay Thai fighter wears into the ring. It is closer to a blessing you can see than to a piece of equipment, which is why it is the souvenir people come home with after a night at a stadium.
Ours carries that shape at 12 cm, in cotton, on a premium hook with a label, and it is hand washable. It is a souvenir replica rather than a fighting mongkhon, and the section below explains the difference.
3. Premium Mongkhon Keychain, Tricolour Cotton, THB 390
Same mongkhon (มงคล, the fighter's headband), in the premium version: 12 cm of tricolour cotton on a premium hook with our brand label. The three colours run through the whole piece, so the depth in the photo is the knotting itself.
Its page gives the best travel advice we have: carry it high, on a bag, on a backpack strap, or on keys kept inside your bag, and keep it out of a back pocket. Api Minium, Ama Mishu, Abu Jor and Abu Jan are the women who make it.
4. Phuang Malai Keychain, Tricolour Cotton, THB 350
The phuang malai (พวงมาลัย, the Thai flower garland) is one of Thailand's most recognisable symbols, traditionally strung from fresh jasmine for offerings, welcomes and thanks.
This is that garland at a size you can carry: 12 cm, tricolour cotton, premium hook and label, hand washable, made to order.
5. Turtle Keychain, THB 350
The earth turtle is a symbol of good fortune, and by tradition it has been offered to the king as a gesture of respect, longevity and prosperity. That is a lot of meaning for 7 cm.
It is knotted in cotton on a premium hook with our brand label, it comes in 6 colours, and it is machine washable. Small and flat, with nothing in it to crack, so it goes in a pocket.
6. Malai Glin Rak (garland, scent of love), THB 499
Our Thai diffuser in cotton and wood, 3 inches long and 6 inches high, built on the phuang malai (พวงมาลัย, the Thai garland), which expresses respect, welcome, gratitude and blessing. You add the scent you love.
It comes in 8 colours with their own meanings, including gold prosperity, silver purity, red vitality and beige grounding, and a wooden gift box is included. Engraving on the box is available on request, with no minimum order.
7. Thai Motif Ornaments, THB 179 to 229
Six cotton ornaments, each carrying a Thai motif: the Christmas Malai at 199, for love, respect, good luck and happiness; Santa's Turtle at 199, for long life, wisdom, steadiness and endurance; the Muay Thai Mongkhon at 179, for respect, gratitude, courage and spiritual protection; Kee-Sao, the pla ta pian, at 199, the woven fish for prosperity, abundance and a child growing healthy and strong.
Then the two Akha ones: the Magic Hat at 199, where A-Cher keeps precious memories safe and A-Per helps you listen to yourself when you feel lost between two choices, and Jao Chang, Santa's elephant, at 229, big and shy and adorable without even trying. They run from 4 to 12 cm, with about 2 cm of variance, and they are cotton all the way through, so they pack into a corner of a bag.
Handmade cotton pieces for everyday
8. Elephant Keychain, THB 390
The souvenir from Thailand everyone recognises, made by people we can name: Abu Jor and Abu Jan knot these. That sentence is the whole reason to buy this one rather than the identical shape off a shelf.
It is 10 x 8 cm of cotton on a premium hook with a brand label, in 6 colours: Thai, LGBT, Pink, Blue, White and Army Green. Choose it with a label or in a gift box, and it also exists as a fridge magnet.
9. Little Squid Keychain, THB 390
One of our sea pieces, for the traveller whose Thailand was islands rather than temples. Knotted tentacles, a soft cotton body, 8 x ø6 cm, on a premium hook with a label.
It is hand washable and made to order, knotted in Asha village like everything else on this list. Light, with nothing in it to crack, so it travels home in hand luggage without a thought.
10. Whale Tail Fridge Magnet, THB 390
A fridge magnet that somebody knotted, which is a rarer thing than it sounds. It is cotton, with the magnet embedded in the back and our brand label on it, and it is inspired by the Thai sea.
Hand washable, made to order, and the easiest gift on this list to bring back for a whole office: light, flat, with nothing in it to crack.
11. Ship's Wheel Fridge Magnet, THB 390
Macrame itself came off boats. Sailors knotted rope on long voyages, and the technique is still practised in Thailand today, which makes a ship's wheel the most honest shape we make.
Cotton, with a magnet backing and a label, hand washable, made to order. Athu, Jor and Jan are the makers on this one.
12. Cotton Coasters, Set of 2, THB 490
The souvenir that gets used rather than shelved. A pair of cotton coasters, Ø10.5 cm, in 5 colourways, and they absorb properly.
Hand wash them with mild soap in cool or warm water, rinse a stain while it is still wet, and keep them for cool and warm cups rather than very hot ones. Available with a label or in a paper gift box, and they pack flat with nothing in them to crack.
13. Blue Lady Macrame Bag, THB 490
A small round bag in 100% cotton rope, indigo blue, 5 x 6.5 inches (about 13 x 16.5 cm) with a 50 cm strap. It fits a phone, a lipstick and some cash, which is the correct amount of luggage for a Bangkok evening.
Store it with a little tissue paper inside so it keeps its round shape. There are more shapes and colours in our handmade bags collection.
Muay Thai Souvenirs: What the Mongkhon Really Is
If you went to a fight, the mongkhon (มงคล) is the thing you remember: the woven headband the fighter wears in, then hands to his corner before the first bell.
It is worn only during the wai kru ram muay, the dance performed before the fight to pay respect to the teacher, the gym and the sport. A real one is a consecrated object. By custom it is kept off the floor, never stepped over, and worn only by the person it was given to.
What we make is a souvenir replica in cotton rather than a consecrated mongkhon, at keys and gym-bag size. It carries the shape and the story, and it leaves the blessed headband where it belongs, in the gym. We keep the floor custom anyway, and we would suggest you do too: hang it, rather than dropping it in a bag on the ground.
The full story of the headband, its colours and the wai kru is in our article on the Muay Thai mongkhon.
What Else People Buy in Bangkok
These are the classics, with the price ranges the travel guides actually publish. They come from other Thai makers, so treat this as the honest part of the list.
14. Thai Silk Scarf, From About THB 800
Handwoven silk, the souvenir Thailand is known for. Scarves start at around 800 THB and go up steeply with the weave; by the metre, fine silk runs to 3,000 THB and beyond.
15. Herbal Compress Ball, THB 150 to 400
Luk pra kob, the pressing herbal sphere: a mix of herbs in a muslin cloth bag, wrapped in a cotton towel. Turmeric, lemongrass, kaffir lime, ginger and camphor are steamed and pressed into the body for heat therapy, pain relief and circulation.
16. Herbal Soap, THB 80 to 200
The cheapest gift on this list that still feels considered, at 80 to 200 THB a bar. Buy several, hand them out, keep one.
17. Thai Tea, THB 50 to 250
Packaged Thai tea mix, the orange one, from about 50 THB for a basic pack up to 250 THB for the better boxes. Sources disagree on the top of that range, so read the label rather than the sticker.
18. Curry Paste, From THB 50 (Sets to About 300)
Small packets of red, green or massaman paste start at 50 THB, and a gift set of three or four runs to about 300 THB. It is the item every Bangkok souvenir guide recommends, and the one that causes trouble at security. See the next section.
19. Benjarong or Celadon, From THB 500
Benjarong means five colours: multi-coloured enamels on a white porcelain base, almost always trimmed in gold. Celadon is the soft green one, where iron oxide in the glaze meets reduction firing, with that characteristic crackle. Small pieces start around 500 THB and full sets reach several thousand.
20. Triangle Cushion, Unstuffed, From About THB 500
The mon khwan, or axe pillow, is about as Thai as an object gets. The unstuffed version is the one to buy, from about 500 THB, because it is the only one that folds into a suitcase. Stuffed ones sell well above that and need their own seat.
If you are shopping for the country rather than the city, our list of 20 souvenirs from Thailand with prices covers the same ground nationwide.
What Survives Hand Luggage
Short answer: anything dry and soft flies in the cabin, and anything in a pot goes in the hold. The rule that catches people is about the container rather than the object.
Start with curry paste, because it is the one everybody buys. The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand, the regulator for every flight leaving the country, limits liquids, gels, aerosols "and the like" to containers of 100 ml or less, all of them together inside one transparent resealable bag of one litre, one bag per passenger.
Pastes are named in that list. A supermarket pot of curry paste is comfortably over 100 ml, so it belongs in checked baggage. And the clause people get wrong: a container bigger than 100 ml is refused even when it is nearly empty. The size of the pot fails, whatever is left inside it.
The same list covers creams, lotions, oils, perfumes, gels, sauces, syrups and jams. So coconut oil, massage oil and big balm jars all travel in the hold.
What passes straight through: herbal soap, because a solid bar sits outside the liquid rule; the herbal compress ball, which is dry herbs in cloth; and Thai tea, leaf or powder. Duty-free liquids bought airside are exempt as long as the sealed bag stays sealed.
On cabin size, check your own airline, because there is one allowance per carrier rather than one for the whole airport. Thai Airways, to take one example, allows up to 7 kg in economy at a maximum of 56 x 45 x 25 cm.
Two more physical facts worth knowing. Benjarong and celadon are fired porcelain and stoneware, so they want padding, a box and a spot where nothing shifts onto them. Silk creases, so roll a scarf rather than folding it.
One legal line: Buddha images, antiques and objects of art are restricted goods leaving Thailand and need a permit from the Fine Arts Department. Our guide to telling a real Thai souvenir from a copy covers what leaves the country and what stays.
Which is where cotton earns its place. Our keychains run from 7 to 12 cm, the ornaments from 4 to 12 cm, the coasters are Ø10.5 cm, and all of them go in a jacket pocket with nothing in them to crack. Two exceptions worth planning for: the Malai Glin Rak travels in its wooden box, and the Blue Lady bag likes tissue paper inside to hold its shape.
Bangkok Souvenirs by Budget, THB 179 to 499
These three bands are ours, built from the prices in this article.
| Budget | What to buy |
|---|---|
| Under 200 THB | The Thai motif ornaments (idea 7): Muay Thai Mongkhon 179, Christmas Malai 199, Santa's Turtle 199, Kee-Sao the pla ta pian 199, Akha Magic Hat 199. Also a bar of herbal soap, 80 to 200 (idea 16), and a packet of curry paste from 50 (idea 18) |
| 200 to 400 THB | Jao Chang, Santa's elephant, 229 (idea 7), the Muay Thai mongkol keychain 350 (idea 2), the phuang malai keychain 350 (idea 4), the turtle keychain 350 (idea 5), the pla ta pian keychain 390 (idea 1), the premium mongkhon keychain 390 (idea 3), the elephant keychain 390 (idea 8), the little squid 390 (idea 9), the whale tail magnet 390 (idea 10), the ship's wheel magnet 390 (idea 11). A herbal compress ball, 150 to 400, sits here too (idea 15) |
| 400 to 500 THB | Cotton coasters, set of 2, 490 (idea 12), the Blue Lady bag 490 (idea 13), and Malai Glin Rak 499 with its wooden gift box (idea 6) |
Above 500 THB you move into the generic categories: benjarong or celadon (idea 19), an unstuffed triangle cushion (idea 20) and silk (idea 14).
Where to Buy Bangkok Souvenirs
You can skip the shop hunt entirely, because we are the workshop. A shop can only sell you what is on its shelf today, and it can rarely tell you who made it. We can do both, and we can send it after you fly.
If you would rather check that than take it on trust: we are a SACIT member, the Akha Ma-De programme took first prize in the SME category at the UN Women WEPs Awards in 2024 and the EXO Foundation Gold Prize in 2025, and our work was shown in the UNESCO Creative Cities Showcase in 2025.
Inside Thailand: order on the site, normal checkout, and it comes to your address.
Shipping to another country: send us one message on LINE or by email, tell us where you are going, and we quote the shipping and pack it for you.
That same message is the route for custom engraving, for a bulk order, and for hotel or corporate quantities. We answer in English and in Thai, and there is a person at the other end.
Frequently Asked Questions
What souvenirs should I buy in Bangkok?
Buy small, meaningful and dry. Handmade cotton keychains carrying Thai symbols (350 to 390 THB), Thai motif ornaments (179 to 229 THB), cotton coasters (490 THB) and a herbal soap or a pack of Thai tea cover most people on your list. Silk, benjarong and celadon are the classics if you have checked baggage and room to pad them.
Where can I buy handmade Thai souvenirs in Bangkok?
Order ours directly from the people who knot them, in Asha village, Mae Yao district, Chiang Rai, through the Akha Ma-De programme. Order inside Thailand through the site. For international shipping, contact us on LINE or by email and we quote it.
What are the cheapest Bangkok souvenirs worth buying?
Our Thai motif ornaments start at 179 THB and are cotton, handmade and small enough to give several. Among the generic picks, herbal soap at 80 to 200 THB, curry paste from 50 THB and Thai tea from 50 THB are the ones that stay cheap and still feel chosen.
Can I take these souvenirs in hand luggage?
Our keychains, ornaments and coasters, yes: 4 to 12 cm and dry. Malai Glin Rak travels in its wooden box and the Blue Lady bag likes tissue paper inside, so both want a little more room. Herbal soap, compress balls and tea are fine in the cabin too. Curry paste, oils, lotions and sauces belong in checked baggage, because the regulator limits liquids, gels and pastes to containers of 100 ml or less in one transparent one-litre bag. Cabin size and allowance vary by carrier, so check your own airline.
Can I take a Buddha image home from Bangkok?
Buddha images, antiques and objects of art are restricted goods leaving Thailand and need a permit from the Fine Arts Department. Plan for that before you buy one, and keep your paperwork with you at the airport.
Can a company order these in quantity?
Yes, and that is a large part of what we do. Keychains, coasters, ornaments and garlands all work as welcome gifts, event gifts and client gifts, with your colours, a logo label or engraving, and no minimum order quantity. See our handmade corporate gifts page, or send us the brief and we quote it.
Still choosing? Tell us who it is for and your budget on LINE, and we will help you pick.