What to bring home — curry pastes, dried herbs, sauces, and where to buy the best quality.
Mass-market brands (Maesri, Mae Ploy, Lobo) are excellent and shelf-stable — green, red, yellow, Massaman, Panang, Tom Yum paste all available.
Tiparos and Megachef are considered the best quality; weight restrictions may apply for flying — buy the smallest bottles you'll use.
Lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaves available dried; quality varies; Or Tor Kor Market has the freshest dried ingredients.
Cha Thai (Thai iced tea mix) comes in powder form — buy at any supermarket; Chatuchak also has bulk tea vendors.
Supermarkets (Villa Market for imports, Big C and Tops for local); Or Tor Kor Market for quality; Airport duty-free has decent selection of sauces.
Liquid items like fish sauce and curry paste in jars should go in checked luggage rather than carry-on, given standard liquid restrictions on flights.
Unopened curry pastes and dried herbs keep well for months, making them practical to buy early in a trip rather than rushing to shop on the last day.