It’s that time of year again—holiday season! And hey, with the pandemic seemingly retreating it actually feels like there might be something to celebrate. We know we said that this time last year but it’s actually real this time. The end of the year can kind of feel like a cash grab for big malls and other retailers, but even if you are not planning to completely empty your wallet at CentralWorld, it’s not a bad idea to treat yourself to a new gadget or piece of home decor. Or, you know, grab something for a loved one or two. 

It’s been a rough year for new releases and openings of any kind, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t any cool, local Thai brands that are doing exciting things in 2021 and beyond. Here’s some of the brands and items that got us pumped this past year, check them out!

Photo credit: Madmatter

Eco-friendly fashionistas 

Get: Tote bags from Madmatter 

Your modish friend would be happy to receive eco-friendly totes from this local brand. Madmatter makes minimal yet chic totes that can easily fall in with your wardrobe staples. What’s cool about this brand is that they breathe new life into deadstock fabrics and second-hand clothes from landfills, transforming them into useful everyday totes in understated, muted colors with eye-catching patchwork designs. Currently, they’re teaming up with popular illustrator Suntur for a special collab collection featuring designs from the artist’s “A Little Letter from Someone Somewhere” exhibition, but our favorites definitely go to their signature patch totes in Sandstone and Monochrome. 

Prices: From B890-990

Where to buy: Order via Line: @madmatterstore or DM at fb.com/madmatterstudio 

Photo credit: Sarnsard

If you are obsessed with locally made

Get: Sarnsard handcrafted products

This multidisciplinary design studio is all about giving modern twists to traditional Thai craft items. The two designers, Visrut “Ped” Taweevorasuwan and Manatsanun “Kookai” Taweevorasuwan, work together with panan pandanus artisans from a small Muslim village in Trang province to give a contemporary touch to local wickerwork. The result? Really tasteful lifestyle products featuring their signature dok chan or asterisk pattern, ranging from wallets, totes, clutches, and camera straps to eyeglass cases, desk mats, and mouse pads. If you’re looking for something a bit extra to give to your mom this Christmas/New Year’s, then definitely check out their “Origin Clutch,” available in three variations.

Prices: From $61.20 (around B1,839) for camera straps to $258.50 (around B7,765) for totes.

Where to buy: sarnsard.com

Photo credit: Panpuri

If you are looking to spruce up your home

Get: Everyday Karmakamet and Panpuri diffuser sets

We have a few options here if you are looking to escape the Bangkok smog and make your home (where we are all still spending a lot of time these days) smell like a place you actually want to spend time in. The Everyday Karmakamet Fresh Market Room Diffuser Set includes a glass bottle of Fresh Market aromatic oil, reed sticks and hole cap. The brand claims the oil can last up to five months. This fresh and fruity scent comes by way of a blend of figs and spruce. Alternatively, if you are looking to dole out a bit more cash, check out the Haze of Grass Perfume Diffuser Set from Panpuri includes a glass vessel, diffuser oil and reed sticks. This one is a blend of lemongrass, rosemary and lemon rinds, which creates a scent similar to Cannabis terpene.

Prices: Everyday Karmakamet B970 for 500ml, Panpuri B4,800 for 450ml

Where to buy: Everyday Karmakamet’s Line (@everydaykmkm) or on their website. Panpuri’s website, which includes free delivery. 

For sustainability focused sneaker heads 

Get: Onitsuka Tiger x Doi Tung

Sustainably-produced sneakers have become a category of their own, as footwear brands turn towards a more eco-friendly approach for their fashionable kicks. Now, Japanese brand Onitsuka Tiger, part of the Asics empire, has partnered up with the Doi Tung Development Project to take Thailand’s sustainable sneakers up a notch. The new Onitsuka Tiger x Doi Tung collection highlights the traditional handiwork of Thai craftsmen across three classic shoe models: Mexico 66, Mexico 66 Paraty, and Serrano. This collab is meant to be more than just an ode to Thai craftsmanship, but a project that also provides meaningful employment to the people of Doi Tung. 

Prices: Mexico 66 (B4,500), Mexico 66 Paraty (B 3,900), and Serrano (B3,900).

Where to buy:  Onitsuka Tiger Store at Siam Square One, the Doi Tung Lifestyle Store on Rama 4 Rd., or  the Doi Tung Lifestyle Store at the Doi Tung Development Project in Chiang Rai. You can also grab a pair from their website. 

On-the-go snackers 

Get: Nutella B-ready

This one is for everyone, really. If you are really into holiday gift-giving, these can work great as stocking stuffers or small gifts to round out a bigger one. Nutella B-ready is a new wafer snack that just hit Thailand a few months ago. They are basically grab-and-go bundles of Nutella, so everyone likes that, with a wafer shell outside and some crunchy nuts on the inside for texture. It saves you the embarrassment of walking around with a massive tub of Nutella to spread on anything and everything (we don’t judge here and you’ll find a tub of the stuff in our office). 

Price: B132/box (6 pieces)

Where to buy: Pretty much everywhere: malls, supermarkets, and convenience stores across the country.

To help celebrate the launch of Nutella B-ready in Thailand, and let’s be honest it’s great for you Nutella fans out there, we’ve collaborated with our sister publication Soimilk on a series of fun videos to mark the occasion. In the spirit of Thai influencers and content creators across the country, we’ve made a handful of cute parody videos of make-up and tech influencers doing their thing, but with a B-ready twist. 

Check them out below!