Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The selection is surprisingly good at Bangkok's shopping centres, but don't expect any
bargains - most imported items cost more than they would elsewhere. Another quirk is
that shop assistants follow you around the store from rack to rack. This is the definition of
Thai 'service' rather than an indication that they've sniffed you out as a shoplifter. And be
sure you're satisfied with an item, as returns are largely unheard of. Most shopping
centres are open from 10am or 11am to 9pm or 10pm.
MBK Center
(
www.mbk-center.com
; cnr Th Phra Ram I & Th Phayathai; 10am-10pm; National Stadium exit 4)
This co-
lossal mall has become a tourist destination in its own right. Swedish and other languages
can be heard as much as Thai, and on any given weekend half of Bangkok can be found
here combing through an inexhaustible range of small stalls and shops.
MBK is the cheapest place to buy mobile phones and accessories (4th floor) and name-
brand knock-offs (nearly every other floor). It's also one of the better places to stock up
on camera gear (ground floor and 5th floor), and the expansive food court (6th floor) is
one of the best in town.
SHOPPING CENTRE
CentralWorld
(
www.centralworld.co.th
;
Th Ratchadamri; 10am-10pm; Chit Lom exit 9 to Sky Walk, Siam exit 6 to Sky
Walk)
Spanning eight storeys of more than 500 shops and 100 restaurants, CentralWorld is
one of Southeast Asia's largest shopping centres. In addition to an ice rink, you'll find an
extrahuge branch of bookstore
B2S
, and you could spend an hour sniffing around the fra-
grances at
Karmakamet
(2nd floor).
SHOPPING CENTRE
Siam Paragon
SHOPPING CENTRE
(
www.siamparagon.co.th
;
991/1 Th Phra Ram I; 10am-10pm; Siam exits 3 & 5)
The biggest and glitzi-
est of Bangkok's malls, Siam Paragon is more of an urban park than a shopping centre.
Astronomically luxe brands occupy most floors, but there's also Siam Ocean World (
Click
here
)
, Siam Paragon Cineplex (
Click here
)
, a huge basement-level food court, and on the
3rd floor
Kinokuniya
, Thailand's largest English-language bookstore.
Siam Center & Siam
Discovery Center
SHOPPING CENTRE
