28/06/2010
CentralWorld Shopping Complex
The battle of Bangkok's mega shopping malls to be the biggest and the best has a new outright and undisputed winner: the supermodern, newly launched, revamped and rebranded CentralWorld. With 550,000 square metres of retail space and a total area size of 830,000 square metres that is 30% larger than any other shopping centre in central Bangkok.
Siam Paragon Shopping Centre
From a sporty yellow Ferrari to a pair of Jimmy Choo shoes straight from the set of S*x and the City, Siam Paragon is a shopping mall without rival in Southeast Asia when it comes to luxury goods. This shopping and entertainment complex is an upmarket, five-storey colossus with 500,000 square metres of retail space.
MBK Shopping Center
Short-named MBK, the multi-storey Mah Boon Krong is probably Bangkok's most legendary shopping mall, popular with both tourists and locals. Eight floors packed with 2,000 shops that sell everything from clothing, fashion accessories, handbags, leather products and luggage to furniture, mobile phones, electric appliances, cameras, stationery and DVD's.
Pantip Plaza
The mother of all IT shops, the entirety of Pantip Plaza is dedicated to computer and technology items. The multistory shopping centre on Petchaburi Road offers a wide selection of stores, selling everything from computers and computer-related accessories, including; parts, printers, digital cameras, MP3 players, PDAs, and much more.
The Emporium Bangkok
The Emporium is like a glossy magazine come to life. Behold the seven layers of shopper's paradise, where the first three floors are dedicated solely to fashion. Exclusive world-class brand names dominate the ground floor, hot international designer items, leather and jewellery the first floor, and glamorous garb for the young and trendy, the second.
Siam Center Bangkok
One of the oldest malls in Thailand, but also one of the most vital. Situated slap-bang in the centre of what is called 'the battleground of the malls'- and easily dwarfed by the bigger and flashier malls - few know that Siam Center was there before all the others. Constructed in 1976, this original looks good for her age, thanks to the panoply of bright and playful shops and the ever-younger and fresher clientele.
Amarin Plaza Bangkok
The stylish Amarin Plaza is linked to Erawan Bangkok via a skybridge. The five-storey shopping plaza has an almost festive aura to it, drawing in a mixed crowd - from affluent Thais to expats and business travellers - with highly desirable brand names such as Guy Laroche, Valentino and Crocodile, to name but a few.
Gaysorn Bangkok
Gaysorn is a luxurious, upmarket white marble and gleaming chrome complex housing exclusively high-end luxury goods and designer labels. Its contemporary design and an innovative retail concept create a very exclusive shopping experience. Expect to find a wide range of highly desirable international brands such as Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Prada.
Erawan Bangkok
Erawan Bangkok, the graceful mall with direct access to the Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok right in the heart of the Ratchaprasong shopping district, has an air of exclusivity about it. A five-storey space covering about 13, 000 square meters, it's a boutique mall that offers a selection of only the most elegant lifestyle brands.
Siam Discovery
This trendyshopping complex is still a favourite among Bangkok's younger and fashionable crowds. Opposite Siam Square, this modern centre adjoins Siam Centre and showcases a good selection of shops, restaurants and designer fashion outlets.
Expect popular local fashion designers and global brand names as well as European established names, as well as a number of home decor and hip interior design stores. Guess? DKNY, Shiseido, Mac, Swarovski and many more. Asia Books and Habitat have branches here too. A huge cinema complex is located on the top floor, while the ground floor houses popular coffee hangouts including Starbucks and Au Bon Pain.
Opening Hours: 10:00 - 22:00
Location: Siam, Pathumwan
BTS: Siam
Peninsula Plaza
Peninsula Plaza on Ratchadamri Road is situated in the prime land between the Erawan Mall and Four Seasons Hotel. This exclusive centre, catering mainly towards expats, moneyed Thais and business class travelers, exudes an air of old-world charm. Various leisurely eateries and cafes are scattered throughout.
You will find diamonds, Swarovsky crystal, sheer fabrics, antiques and silverware among the wares on display. There is also a grand gallery, an art shop exhibiting some striking contemporary Thai paintings, and the International Dance Academy on the fourth floor. Look out for the magnificent stained glass 'door' on your way out.
Opening Hours: 10:00 - 21:00
Location: Ratchadamri between Grand Hyatt Erawan and The Regent
BTS: Ratchadamri
All Seasons Place
All Seasons Place consists of two towers, one of which leads into The Conrad Hotel. In this gargantuan building, a variety of stores collectively form the 'All Seasons Retail Centre'. The actual retail space is massive, and is spread over four levels.
While serving quite an upscale clientele, prices in some of the shops are often scaled down to affordable dimensions - especially at the end of a season. Clothing boutiques, books, stationery and shops specialising in high-end sporting accessories can be found here. There is fine custom-tailoring, an art shop, gallery, an antiques shop and a wine cellar.
The center also houses a health clinic and state of-the-art spa. Postal and various banking services are available too. The popular food court, adjoined to the supermarket on the second floor, offers unbelievably cheap fare in a casual atmosphere.
Opening Hours: 9:00 - 18:00
Location: Wireless Road
BTS: Ploenchit
Platinum Fashion Mall
A relatively new shopping center in the Petchburi area, Platinum Fashion Mall caters especially to wholesale clothing, selling a similar range of clothing to the Pratunam Market across the street, except in air-conditioned comfort.
The mall has six floors which are filled with small outlets - most of them specialising in women's clothing and fashion accessories. Since this is a wholesale mall, you can get items at very reasonable prices - provided you buy larger quantities, usually three items and up. The price you pay will be about 30% lower per piece.
Some shops allow you to mix different types of items, for example, purses and bags, shirts and trousers. And as with most shopping malls in the city, there is also a food court on the fifth floor, along with cafs and fast food chains. If you're coming from CentralWorld, you shouldn't have any trouble finding it. Just head north, cross the small canal, and turn left into Petchburi Road, a few metres along and you're there.
Opening Hours: 10:00 - 22:00
Location: Petchburi, Ratchathewi (next to Pantip Plaza)
BTS: The nearest Skytrain station is Ploenchit
Union Mall Bangkok
Strategically located opposite the ever-busy Central Lad Prao, Union Mall caters especially for shoppers who find Central Lad Prao too packed, and Chatuchak Weekend Market too hot. Opened in February 2006, Union Mall stands eight storeys tall with a total area of 150,000 square metres housing over 1,000 retail shops. It boasts easy access from the MRT Phahon Yothin station, an international food court, a myriad of fast food chains, entertainment areas, tutorial schools, a fitness centre, and a supermarket.
Basically, whatever it is you need, you're likely to find it at Union Mall. An open-air market outside Union Mall is also worth a browse. You'll find an interesting range of clothing items, bags, shoes, and fashion accessories at affordable prices. The market is open everyday from 17:00 onwards.
Opening Hours: 10:00 - 22:00
Location: Lad Prao Soi 1
MRT: Phahon Yothin station
Central Ratchada - Rama III Bangkok
Central Ratchada - Rama III is the largest department store in this part of the city, and has been a favourite among the locals for almost a decade now. Like most Central Department Store branches, Central Ratchada - Rama III is broken down into six floors of products and services, offering almost everything you'll ever need from cosmetics to fashionable clothes.
Specialty shops including B2S and Power Buy can also be found here. Hungry? No worries, as fast food outlets and restaurants are in abundance. If you have spare time, make sure to check out Major Cineplex, a huge cinema with karaoke and bowling alley.
Opening Hours: Mon - Fri 11:00 - 21:00, Sat - Sun 10:00 - 21:30
Location: Sathu Pradit Road, Chong Nonsi, Yannawa
BTS: Get off at Chong Nonsi station, then take a cab.
Esplanade
This structure of organic contours and ample space was designed by the same Paris-based architects who conceived Bangkok's famous Emporium and Siam Paragon. Within is a music academy, a 12-theatre Cineplex, and ice skating rink. This new addition to the mall scene operates 100 000 square meters of retail space, and introduces the intriguing concept of 'artetainment'.
In addition, it features one of the most modern auditoriums in the city, and the Cineplex movie theatres have devised a nifty way to save paper; the 'now showing' screens are electronic instead of the traditional posters. Aside from all the usual eateries, cafes and fashionable lifestyle stores, there are also several health and wellness outlets, from post-natal slimming and shaping, to fitness, hair and nails. Project Zen Bodyworks has a spa menu to delight, and Chaho Matcha Teashop stocks Japanese green tea. And for some action, Blu-O Rhythm & Bowl combines karaoke and bowling for good clean fun.
Opening Hours: 10:00 - 22:00
Location: Ratchada Road
MRT: Thailand Cultural Center
Future Park Rangsit Bangkok
Occupying an area of over 215,000 square feet in Pathumthani (one of the provinces surrounding Bangkok), Future Park Rangsit is simply one of Asia's largest shopping malls. Truly a one-stop shopping spot, it offers a wide range of retail outlets as well as major department stores.
Some of the main ones include Central, Robinson, a Big C Superstore, TOPS Supermarket, Power Buy (household appliances), Super Sports, B2S (books, music, and stationery), HomeWorks (furniture and home improvement), and Fitness First. If you need to fill you tummy, you'll be spoilt for choice as there are over 70 restaurants and a dozen of fast food outlets to choose from.
The Superstore complex, adjacent to Future Park, is equally impressive as it features mega outlets like Home Pro, Major Megaplex - a huge cinema with karaoke and bowling alleys, and Index Living Mall. Other than shopping and entertainment, Future Park also boasts various other services such as a post office, eight major banks, financial institutions, and outlets for all phone networks and service providers.
Opening Hours: Mon - Fri 10:30 - 21:30, Sat - Sun until 22:00
Location: Rangsit, Pathumthan
Seacon Square
Opened in 1994, this 96 football field-sized entertainment centre is a favourite among locals, and one of the biggest malls in Southeast Asia. Apart from hundreds of shops and outlets selling everything a shopper's heart desires, lots of family fun can be had on a rainy day at the indoor amusement park.
There is a 38-lane bowling alley, a rollerblading rink, mini-golf and amusement park on the fourth floor, a 14-theatre multiplex cinema, as well as a motion 'simulator' theatre. Come here if you want to let your kids loose, while you do your shopping thing. As this mall is only 14 km from the new airport, it's a fantastic place to get the ants out of them before a long flight. Or if you have the energy and want to get your last kick out of Bangkok, join them.
Opening Hours: Weekdays 10:30 - 21:00
Location: Srinakarin Road, Nongbon
BTS: Take a taxi from On Nut station
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