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Maenam is more of a residential area than a shopping hub but in amongst the cafes and restaurants there are some great shops, mainly selling teak and asian style furniture. The furniture stores are generally well established which is great if you need advice on shipping your purchase home. Many shops offer an international shipping service at reasonable prices.
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Beautiful World
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One of Samui's better furniture shops, Beautiful World stocks an impressive range of high quality teak, rosewood, mahogany and water hyacinth furniture. Aimed mainly at the export market, the owner Carl Graham guarantees that customers can save between 40 and 50 percent on purchasing similar items in Europe. All the furniture, which includes beds, tables, wardrobes, cabinets, chairs, picture frames and carvings, is made from fully certified sustainable sources, unlike a lot of the wood sold on the island, which comes from illegally logged rainforest in Burma - customers are welcome to view Beautiful World's certificates upon request. The shop will arrange shipping to anywhere in the world. Expect to pay around 9,000 Baht to ship two cubic metres to Europe. Beautiful World, Maenam, Open 10.30am - 7pm daily. |
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Benjavadee
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Benjavadee is worth a visit to check out what's possibly the largest selection of handicrafts, homeware and furniture available on the island. Everything from ceramics, rattan mats, Buddha statues, coconut wood bowls, china tea services to handbags, jewellery and picture frames are on sale over two spacious floors.
Aimed mainly at expats, there are also some nice larger items of furniture, such as beds, dining tables and wardrobes on sale - though the shop can arrange shipping for tourists interested in larger pieces. Route 4169, Maenam, Open 10am - 7pm daily. |
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Java Teak
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Mainly aimed at resident ex-pats seeking luxurious furniture for their villas, Java Teak's prices are reasonable enough that, even with additional shipping costs, everything is still considerably cheaper than in the West and therefore well worth considering for a more substantial souvenir. The shop stocks around sixty pieces of handmade furniture at any given time, but can also order over one thousand others from its extensive catalogue. The range includes small chests for 4,000 Baht, comfy Planters chairs for 7,000 Baht, unique Valet stands for only 3,000 Baht and ornate four poster beds for 35,000 Baht. Maenam. Open 9.30am - 6.30pm. |
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Samui Cera
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Introducing a fine range of high quality ceramics, Samui Cera counts many of the island's top hotels amongst its customers and has two outlets - their headquarters in Maenam, which has imperfect pieces on sale from as little as 30 Baht, and the Just A Detail branch in Chaweng, which sells the top products from its range. Their range includes cups, mugs, plates and bowls and larger items such as sinks and vases. All the pieces on sale are fired at 1250 degrees and are oven, microwave and dishwasher safe. There's a wide variety of designs and colours on offer and all the pieces get their base tone from local coconut wood ash mixed with clay, which results in a rich earthy finish. To see the potters in action, visitors are welcome at the Maenam branch - anyone interested is also welcome to have a go at making their own pot. Samui Cera at Just A Detail, Central Chaweng, opposite the Chedi Spa, open 12pm -11pm. Maenam, near Java Teak, open 8am - 5pm |
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