For all their convenience, cities aren’t known for their aromatic air. Exhaust fumes, engine oil, factory smoke and whatever wafts up from the drains beneath us – we almost shut off our sense of smell to help us get through the day.
Thankfully, Bangkok has a few aroma oases to give your nose a much-needed vacation, with various stores selling everything from soaps to scented candles for you to reconnect with your sense of smell.
We’ve nosed around some of the best of them to acquaint you with three of our favourites, so let your nasal receptors run free and revel in this olfactory fiesta.
Karmakamet
Karmakamet is a true perfume paradise, with both pop-up and walk-in stores all over the city. Lined with shelves of bottles and sachets in a darkened and subdued environment, their shops are a cross between a boutique library and an 18th-century apothecary. Much attention has been paid to the sampling process, with samples and scent strips available for each product, and even tables and chairs at some stores.
Main city-centre locations include CentralwOrld (floor 1); Siam Square, Soi 3; and the Yada Building in Silom Road.
Opening times vary, depending on the individual store.
BOTANICESSENCE
Serious about essential oils? Then BOTANICESSENCE at M-Square Plaza in Rama 4 Road is dedicated to selling nothing but. Whether you’re looking for a mood-lifter or something to treat a chronic complaint, BOTANICESSENCE boasts a catalogue of over 140 essential oils, which are 100% pure and certified organic. The shop will also ship them worldwide.
Open 10:00 to 17:30 every day except Sunday.
Bangkok Soap Opera
If you’re after pure as well as perfumed, then Bangkok Soap Opera passes the smell test, with its mission to create soaps and cosmetic products that are 100% natural and chemical-free. For a further guarantee of purity, 99% of the ingredients in each of their products are edible. From their Terminal 21 address, they offer a smorgasbord of smellies: as well as soaps, you can get mists, serums, creams, exfoliants, oils and perfumes, among others. They also offer workshops for you to make your own natural products at home.
Open daily 10:00 to 20:00.
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