An overview of major shopping malls in Bangkok
Somehow, unnoticed by everyone, Thailand, no one known even some 40 years ago, first turned into the best Asian resort, and now - and even in the mega-mall, which presents almost all known brands of clothing, shoes, technology and other things in the world.
The Thai capital is ahead of all other cities and islands in terms of the number and size of shopping areas. With a population of more than 5.5 million people, Bangkok's shopping malls are modern, gigantic, high-rise buildings, each of which can be occupied for an entire day if you wish.
Consider the most popular and largest of them.
Siam Paragon
According to the ratings of tourist sites, the best shopping center in Bangkok is Siam Paragon. But its main popularity is not due to the stores, but to the famous Bangkok oceanarium - it is to visit it that most tourists come here. The reviews are most enthusiastic, especially from children.
If we talk about the retail component, Siam Paragon is positioned as not the cheapest store. On one of the floors, for example, there is a center for the sale of luxury cars. Hermes, Prada, Gucci and dozens of other famous brands are represented in this mall. Sometimes you can get into a sale.
Open: from 10.00 to 22.00
Where is it: 991 Rama 1 Road. BTS Siam
Central World Plaza
The Central World Plaza is truly enormous, a mall that could challenge Siam Paragon for the top spot. From what tourists tell us, it can be a challenge to find the right store among more than 500 spread over several floors.
Restaurants and cafes, an area for children, a cinema and a bowling alley - in general, everything is the same as in any other large shopping center in Bangkok, Pattaya or Phuket. But since it doesn't have an oceanarium, Siam Paragon is still of more interest to tourists.
Open: from 10.00 to 22.00
Where is it located: Rajdamri Road. BTS between Siam and Chit Lom.
Terminal 21
This shopping center is known, above all, for its unconventional interior design. Each floor is styled on one of the world's cities. For example, if you use the entrance leading from the subway station (BTS), you will find yourself in Rome with copies of its statues and fountains. The same is true of the floors dedicated to London, San Francisco, Paris, Istanbul and Tokyo.
Otherwise, the mall is quite ordinary - a bunch of stores, a movie theater with a food court. In addition to branded items, you can buy, for example, clothes made by local designers with traditional Thai coloring. There are souvenir stores.
Open: from 10.00 to 22.00
Where is it: Sukhumvit Soi 19 Sukhumvit Rd. BTS Asok. MRT Sukhumvit.
Emporium
This mall is inferior to those discussed above in size: it has only four floors instead of six or seven, and the last floor is occupied by a food court. On the three remaining floors there are numerous stores, including famous brands such as Christian Dior and Louis Vuitton.
There are not many visitors here, which is undoubtedly a plus for this shopping center. An additional advantage is the possibility to get to the Emporium directly from the subway station.
Open: from 10.00 to 22.00
Where is it located: 622 Sukhumvit Rd. BTS Phrom Phong.
Bangkok Fashion Outlet
If you're looking for brand name clothing or shoes and don't mind last year's collections, then this runoff outlet is a good place to shop. The Bangkok Fashion Outlet is not a big shopping mall: three floors, of which two floors sell clothes and the first floor is the jewelry department.
Discounts can go as high as 90%. True, the authenticity of the items on offer is not entirely obvious. But there is a range of sizes and models to choose from. The outlet occupies the first floors of the Jewelry Trade Center.
Open: from 10.00 to 22.00
Where is it: At the corner of Silom Rd. and Surasak Rd. BTS Surasak.
EmQuartier
Despite the abundance of stores, including brand name clothing, this place is loved by tourists in Bangkok for something else: one of the best food courts in the city with delicious and inexpensive food for the capital. There is also a whole garden on the floor with cafeterias, which offers a gorgeous view of the city. There is a grocery store on the first floor, so when you visit EmQuartier, you can not only buy clothes and eat, but also stock up on groceries.
Across the street from the mall is a large Benjasiri park with a lake and a skate park. Here you can relax after shopping, strolling leisurely along the paths, sitting on a bench or directly on the lawn.
Open: from 10.00 to 22.00
Where is it located: 695 - 693 Sukhumvit Rd. BTS Phrom Phong.
MBK
The mall is across the street from Siam Paragon. MBK may seem like a market after it: there are thousands of little pavilions and stores. They sell everything they can. And a significant part of the goods are cheap counterfeit products, to put it simply - fakes, what the sellers honestly warn buyers about.
In general, if the authenticity of goods for you is not important and you are not confused by the price of a backpack, allegedly made in Switzerland, in $30, then feel free to go to MBK. For relatively little money you can buy everything from shoes to electronics.
OpenFrom 10.00 to 22.00
Where is it located: 444 Phayathai Road. BTS National Stadium.
Gateway Ekkamai
If you happen to be near the Ekkamai East Bus Station, it might not be a bad idea to visit the shopping mall next to it to pass the time while waiting for your flight, for example. It's not so much for shopping as for a bite to eat.
There is a large food court, you can eat inside or take away. An important feature: the menu is mostly Japanese. Otherwise there are standard stores with clothes, shoes, watches, electronics.
OpenFrom 10.00 to 22.00
Where is it located: 982/22 Sukhumvit Road Prakanong. BTS Ekkamai.
Big C Supercenter
The main Big C in Thailand is a huge hypermarket with groceries, clothing, home appliances, and a food court. For tourists, this chain is a good alternative to more expensive grocery supermarkets, as well as street food. You can eat here cheaper than in large shopping malls.
There are often promotional prices on groceries: as a result, the shopping benefit is even greater when compared to other grocery stores. In general, if you're staying in Bangkok, eating at home and often cooking on your own, then Big C is your store.
OpenFrom 9:00 to 23:00
Where is it located: 97/11 Rajdamri Rd. BTS Chit Lom (the nearest station is far enough away from the store).
Tesco Lotus
There are more than two dozen Tesco Lotus hypermarkets in Bangkok and the number is growing. As in any other Thai city, in stores of this chain you can find some of the most inexpensive products, and the range on offer is fantastically huge. If we talk about prices, they are about the same as in the Big C, or even lower. There is a food court, small stores (cosmetics, electronics), services, pharmacies.
The only possible inconvenience is that Tesco Lotus is always crowded with locals coming here to buy groceries.
OpenFrom 6.00 to 23.00 (some hypermarkets may have different opening hours).