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Shopping malls as with much of the other
infrastructure in Bangkok constantly change. As a result we revisit some
of the shopping areas listed below and provide updates to this section
as necessary.
Bangkok's major shopping district is
located along Phloen Chit Road easily accessible from the
SkyTrain. Also visit our Jewelry Shopping
section here
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Central World Plaza
formerly known as
The World Trade Center is located in Bangkok's major shopping hub -
just down the street from Siam Paragon & MBK. It is a shopping
experience halfway between MBK and Siam Paragon (both listed below). By
this we mean it is upscale, but not as much as Siam Paragon but its
shops are more upscale than MBK which appeals to mass crowds. This major
shopping complex is one of the largest in all of SE Asia - it
underwent a major renovation in 2006 and parts were still being
worked on into 2007. It is larger than the recently
built Siam Paragon shopping center near the MBK mall.
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This complex is an absolute "zoo" during
holidays - the front of the complex is a great place to watch the fireworks on New Year's
Eve as well as listen to live music (sometimes by well-known Thai
performers), and enjoy the beer gardens!! Neat decorations grace the
inside of the tall main section during specific holidays. In other words, it is a great place for crowds! On the whole,
Central World Plaza has a reputation for being a little more fancy
than MBK but l. As a result, the prices here are generally higher than
you will find at nearby MBK, but the quality of the items are typically
higher. Bangkok's only ice skating rink
is located on the 7th floor here! More more information about this rink
phone (02) 255 9500 or email
oarbeach@hotmail.com
Looking for a higher end alternative to the tourist, souvenir filled
Paco MBK? Asian Senses located on the 6th floor of Central World is a
refreshing alternative to the nearby MBK souvenir shopping experience.
This floor of Central World opened in early 2007 and features many
higher end Thai shops. The focus here is on quality not quantity.
Typical customers so far are families and older clientele compared to
the souvenir section at MBK where you can find most anyone! Central
World also features many smallish boutique shops.
Central World Plaza, Asian Senses Shop
Spotlight
Need some high quality hand crafted and painted Thai ceramics, pottery
and other Thai products? Visit
Siam Decor room
No.
39/1 in the Asian Senses zone on the 6th floor at 4 Central World (walk
into the center of Central world, ie the Atrium, from any of the
side wings and take the escalator up to the 6th floor. Siam
Decor is run by Nadia. As you enter this area,
her shop is all the way in the back to the left in the corner.
Nadia also manages a second shop here.
Nadia's shop is also popular with restaurants and hotels looking
for decorations - she can sell wholesale and she can ship most
places in the world. She is a good source if you are interested
in importing/exporting Thai goods to your home country.Email her for more
information: nadiataitai@hotmail.com
Photos of the Asian Senses area and Nadia's Siam Decor shop below:
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For more information about Central World Plaza visit:
www.centralworld.co.th and view photos below:
Mahboonkrong Center (MBK) is a very large modern shopping center in the heart of Bangkok. It is centrally located next to Siam Square and the National Stadium. There are many modern stores and restaurants located inside this covered shopping center. You can eat at Pizza Hut,
Thai fast food restaurants as well as in the Thai food court which
serves authentic good tasting Thai food. To experience the most crowds possible visit MBK on a Saturday night!
MBK closes around 9:30pm most nights.
| The food court is well worth visiting even though the western stereotype
about food courts in malls doesn't exactly conjure up images of tasty
food. This stereotype is not justified for the MBK food court. Here you
can sample authentic delicious Thai food from a variety of
vendors. Some of the soups here are just as good if not better
than what you will find from a typical street side vendor in
Bangkok. If you like fruit shakes be sure to sample some in the
food court. There are only one or two vendors that serve shakes,
but you can mix and match and come up with an exotic array of
fruit to use in your fruit shake. Did I mention the prices for
these are under a $1? Nice. |
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Click
thumbnail photo to the right to see the MBK directory - we took
this photo from the side of one of the elevators |
A recently installed international cuisine section of MBK
is located on the 5th floor. This is typically not nearly as crowded as
the Thai food court but offers additional selection including western,
Italian and Japanese food.The prices are much higher than the Thai food court.
Unlike the coupons you buy at the Thai food court, you enter this food
court and are given a plastic card. when you make a purchase the vendor
scans the amount owed to this card and you present the card at checkout
for payment.
There is one section of MBK - mostly on the 4th floor where there are
what seems like hundreds of small cell phone vendors. Its always
interesting to walk through here, especially if you are in the market for a
cell phone. Scattered about are supposedly "illegal" DVD vendors. Lately
they will only display empty cases of DVD movies - and if you buy one,
they will tell you to come back in 20 or 30 minutes while they burn it
for you. I'm not sure how this really evades the authorities who
sometimes frequent MBK.
Some of the cheapest prices for good quality Thai crafts and handi-works
in Bangkok are available on the 6th floor of MBK at Paco MBK. Paco MBK was
recently expanded and now the number and variety of stores has greatly
increased. It is ok to bargain here at some of the stores -
the prices are not set in stone and you will be surprised how much lower
you can purchase an item from its original list price.
A large movie theatre is located on the top floor. Usually only major
American movies are played here (movies that are already at least 2-3
months old in the USA). A salute to the King is played after
about 30 minutes of commercials before the movie. At this point it is
appropriate to stand. Good high speed internet access is also available on
this floor - on the opposite side of the floor - across the "central
open space" that extends up through all the levels in this big mall.
One experience I had in MBK that you should be aware of in case it happens
to you anywhere is the following: I was approached by what appeared to be
a mother and her child. She spoke passable English and started telling me
a story, all the while speaking quite rapidly. Without mentioning all the
details of her story, she told me she was robbed of all her money, her
passport, credit cards and all of her other important documents. She was
unable to contact her embassy to get a new passport and she needed money
for a plane trip back home. After listening for 10 minutes she finally
pleaded with me to give her money so that she could buy a plane ticket
back home. Something about the way she and her daughter acted and looked
tipped me off that this might have been a falsified story and that this
was a situation of "fabricated begging". I'm not saying that
this couldn't have been a real story, but I've heard about people doing
this to tourists just to try and get money.
A good central meeting place at MBK is on the silver metal colored bridge connecting the Tokyu Department store and the National Stadium Skytrain stop.
This is the "god" of all urban meeting places in BKK and its where Dave
and friends usually gather before traveling somewhere else or diving
into the bowels of MBK. Be sure to
meet near the Tokyu entrance so that you gain full advantage of their great air
conditioning spilling out of the open doors. Also pick up the MBK magazine
usually available near this entrance - coupons, info and other discounts to
MBK stores.
Note: Bathrooms at MBK cost 1baht regardless of sex, however the
department store Tokyu has their own free bathroom (much nicer than then
ones in MBK). A good phrase to learn right off the bat for Thai travel
is "hong nam yoo tee nai" which means, Where is the bathroom? Usually
pointing will suffice for getting you moving in the right direction and
then you can repeat the phrase again if you do not find the bathroom
right away. Unlike other Thai phrases which are dependent on the tone of
voice you use, in the author's experience this phrase is readily
understood by most Thai people.
For more information about MBK visit their informative website:
www.mbk-center.com/en/index.asp
| For movie
times at the SF Cinemacity theatres located on the 7th floor, Click
here
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Photos above
are of the
inside of MBK Shopping Complex |
Pantip
Plaza is usually extremely crowded and is located on Petchburi Road just down the street from the Embassy of Indonesia and the First House (not to be confused with The First House Hotel). If you are taking the
Sky Train get off at the Ratchathewi Station on the Sukhumvit Line. This center is 5 stories full of computer vendors selling everything from computers, computer components,
DVD's, VCD's and other computer hardware. A word of caution: Be sure you know what you are really purchasing before you actually purchase it here. For example some DVD's will not work on in certain computers.
In the past, Thai Prime Ministers have cracked down on vendors selling
illegal copies of movies, and software - so you may not find these sold here
anymore. However when there is such a demand for such items its hard to
squelch the flow. You can find many of these illegal items still for sale in
the Pat Pong area near all of the strip clubs. I'm sure these items are also
for sale in many other areas of Bangkok. Pantip Plaza just happened to be
the most well known area for these items.
Also you may run into individuals offering drugs to the "farang" (Thai word for foreigners) in the back of the center on several of the upper floors. They were harmless - all you had to do was so "no" or in Thai, "mai
ow." At last check there was only one Internet Cafe in this center - located on the second floor. Internet access was about 30 baht per 1/2 hour.
The Computer Center is also located just down the street from Pantip
Plaza and also sells computers and computer accessories.
| Platinum
Fashion Mall
is located near Pantip Plaza at
542/21-22
Petchburi Road. 5 levels of shops, a huge food court and a parking
garage make this a wholesome shopping experience. It is also quite
centrally located. Getting off at the Ratchathewi Station on the
Sukhumvit Line of the Skytrain will get you within walking distance
of this mall. Phone 02-656-5999
Visit:
www.bangkokshoppingcenter.com |
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Siam Paragon
- is a major shopping center focusing on current fashions and latest
name brands - it is a sophisticated shopping center which opened in late
2005. They bill themselves as Thailand's only "Mega Shopping Complex"
and when you visit this huge massive mall you will quickly see why.
International well-known shops, dining areas, Theatres, a gourmet
market, Royal Paragon Hall, and Siam Ocean world are contained under one
roof. Siam Ocean world is the largest aquarium in the Southern
Hemisphere. For more information on this amazing attraction in its own
right visit:
www.siamparagon.co.th
Royal Paragon Hall is a gigantic exhibition and convention center -
www.royalparagonhall.com
Often well-known chefs will be at Siam Paragon on the weekends offering
classes and cooking tips. Siam Paragon is right next to the huge Siam
Discovery Center. (
www.siamdiscoverycenter.co.th )
You can walk from MBK (as mentioned above) - takes about 10 minutes -
part of the walk is on the raised BTS Skytrain walkway. If you take the
Skytrain to get here, get off at the busy Siam stop.
For more information visit
www.siamparagon.co.th
Siam Paragon Photos
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