Tag: Mall

Baiyoke Tower Shopping Bangkok

Posted on by

Bangkok shopping budget: $$-$$$

Average clothes prices: 200 – 450 baht 

Baiyoke Tower, the tallest building in Bangkok, consists of a rooftop bar, a hotel, a multitude of buffet sky restaurants, and a shopping mall on the lower floors.

Shopping at Baiyoke Tower Mall

The mall at Baiyoke Tower is mainly for wholesale shopping, however you can still buy single items from the mall at a slightly higher price. The first two or three floors on entry to the mall are nothing special. Full of cheap wholesale shirts, commonplace t-shirts, hippy dresses and tourist souvenirs, everything you’ll find for sale there can easily be found at all the other big malls and markets of Bangkok for the same sort of price.

baiyoke

But! Despite these boring couple of floors on first glance, don’t give up on shopping at Baiyoke Tower Mall. If you like different and unconventional clothing, or alternative and indie styles, there are still a lot of good shops hidden among the other floors of Baiyoke Tower Mall. Make sure you check out the 4th level and the lower ground floor levels B1 and B2.

These levels have some great shops selling cool t-shirt prints with graffiti patterns, cult images and nerdy parodies; retro style 50’s swing dresses with DC comic prints; colourful, hand made bikinis, Catkinis; gothic tops and band hoodies; and other awesome streetwear clothing.

Shopping for Men in Bangkok

Baiyoke Tower mall is especially useful for men’s shopping as it has so many cool selections of shorts and t-shirts compared to other malls in Bangkok. On the 4th floor, Minute Mirth seems to be a particularly popular wholesale shop in Bangkok for it’s men’s tattoo print shorts and streetwear t-shirts. Melting Pot Design, also on the 4th floor, sells some particularly creative and funny t-shirts.

minute mirth

How to get to Baiyoke Tower in Bangkok

You can take the airport city line to get to Baiyoke Tower. If you’re not staying near any of the airport link stations, you can take the BTS Skytrain to Phayathai station, and then change to the airport link there. You need to then get the city line train to Ratchaprarop station.

Once at Ratchaprarop, you should be able to see Baiyoke Tower from the station. Cross over the railway tracks and walk along the main road for a minute or so. Baiyoke Tower is down the next main road on your right. If taking a taxi, most taxi drivers will recognise ‘Baiyoke Tower’.

 

Central World Shopping Mall Bangkok

Posted on by

Bangkok shopping budget: $$$$

Average clothes prices: 250 baht +

In my opinion, Central World is one of the better gigantuan malls of Bangkok. Central World really is absolutely huge; on the upper floors it has it’s own red carpeted cinema, a luxury hotel, various rooftop bars and a plethora of restaurants – in fact a whole floor dedicated to all-you-can eat buffet restaurants. Suffice to say, it’s very easy to get lost within Central World’s many floors and sections.

Personally, what I like most about Central World, is that it doesn’t have a snobby aura about it like the other big Bangkok malls (*cough Paragon*); there’s a nice, balanced selection of designer shops and budget, big brand outlets. For those with a bit of extra cash, there are some cool brands such as DeFry01, Fox and SuperDry, as well as department stores with mini outlets selling Roxy and Billabong clothing.

bangkok shopping mall

However, those on a budget can enjoy shopping at Central World too. The H&M and XXI Forever stores at Central World Bangkok are particularly big and spacious with a great selection of clothes without being too crammed. H&M and XXI Forever often have sales on with cute clothing from around 200 baht.

Zen at Central World

The large section of Central World called Zen is great for some quick designer shopping in Bangkok. The Zen department store consists of different floors containing different designer sections – usually with decent sales on. If you’re lucky enough to catch one of the bigger sales, you might be able to pick up big brand clothing or designer shoes from 500 baht a piece.

central world

If you’re on holiday in Bangkok though, you’re probably better off waiting until you get back home to buy these brands, as they are not any cheaper than in the west as many people believe. If anything, designer brands cost more in Bangkok. But for expats in Bangkok who are in need of clothes that are not just Thai style, it has a nice selection of international brands.

The cinema at Central World is perhaps one of the better ones in Bangkok. Kitted out with red carpets and luxury furnishings, it’s worth a visit on the top floor if you need a break from shopping. The nearby food court offers some pretty good food with great views out of the huge windows as well. Even if you’re not into shopping so much, Central World has loads of buffet and a la carte restaurants to choose from such as Yayoi, Fuji, Mos Burger and Bistro 7.

How to get to Central World Bangkok

You can take the BTS to either Siam or Chitlom depending on which direction you are travelling from in Bangkok. It’s very easy to follow signs to Central World from within the BTS station. The mall is just a 5 or 10 minute walk along the skywalk from either station.

Other places worth visiting near Central World in Bangkok are the Erawan Shrine, the Phallic Shrine, Amarin Plaza, Platinum Mall and Baiyoke Tower.

Terminal 21 Shopping Mall Bangkok

Posted on by

Bangkok shopping budget: $$$

Average prices: 250 baht – 3000 baht

Terminal 21 shopping mall is one of the quirkier and more light hearted malls of Bangkok. Popular as a chilled out hangout and as a meet up point for casual food in Bangkok, Terminal 21 flaunts an interestingly decorated interior that, alone, is worthy of visiting without the doing any shopping at all.

Bangkok shopping malls

With an ongoing airport theme running throughout, Terminal 21 has some cute airport style signposts on each floor marking the various departure and arrival escalators.

There are a total of 9 floors altogether including a London floor, decked out with double decker buses and red phone boxes; a Japanese floor, complete with oriental lanterns and giant hello kitties; an Istanbul floor, which boasts exotic lighting and colourful decor; and San Francisco floor with replica Golden Gate Bridge. Just don’t forget to check out the toilets on at least one of the floors -these intricate and marvellous themes don’t stop in the shops!

bangkok shopping mall

Terminal 21 has plenty of cafes, coffee shops, ice cream parlours, patisseries and restaurants to dine in for a simple hangout in Bangkok. With international style restaurants from all over the world, the choice is huge. If you head all the way to the top floor, you’ll find the mall canteen with Thai meals costing from just 3o baht a dish – it’s probably one of the best mall canteens in Bangkok.

Finally onto the shopping at Terminal 21… Floors are conveniently organised and shops grouped together into types of shopping – for example on the first floor you’ll find all the big brand designer shops (such as Quicksilver and SuperDry), on the second floor you’ll find men’s clothing, and on the floor above you’ll find accessories and jewellery. Most of the floors of Terminal 21 consist of cute, indie Thai boutique shops selling a whole range of different styles and clothing tastes.

The boutiques at Terminal 21 are especially useful for pretty dresses, evening dresses and unique Thai fashions in Bangkok. You’ll find each individual shop differing in price range; one shop selling t-shirts and skirts from 250 baht a piece to another shop selling intricately designed dresses for 3000 baht. Many of the fashions are of a unique design and great for buying gifts for female friends back home. There are a couple of souvenir shops selling anime and other cute Thai merchandise which are ideal for gift buying in Bangkok too.

Despite it’s loveable interior furnishings, great quality shopping and fantastic choice of restaurants, Terminal 21 is very quiet and lacking in customers most days. This is great if you prefer a stress-free shopping experience – many of the Bangkok malls and markets such as Chatuchak and MBK can get pretty hectic and unpleasant to shop around… I just hope Terminal 21 will be able to stay open in the future – it’s probably one of my favourite places to shop in Bangkok.

terminal 21 bangkok

How to get to Terminal 21 Shopping Mall

Terminal 21 is super easy to find in Bangkok. Just take the BTS sky train to Asoke station on the Sukhumvit line. Once you reach Asoke station, you’ll find signs that point to Terminal 21. Terminal 21 actually has a 2nd floor walkway leading straight inside directly from the station.

Other useful areas nearby Terminal 21 worth checking out are the tranquil Benjakiti Park and the bars and restaurants of Nana Soi 11.

MBK Center Bangkok

Posted on by

Shopping Budget: $

Average Clothing Prices: 250 baht

The MBK Center in Bangkok is an extremely popular mall notorious among expats and holiday makers for it’s cheap prices and knockoff brands. Both loved and loathed by expats in the Bangkok community, MBK has a rather hectic atmosphere due to it’s attractive bargains.

The interior of the MBK in Bangkok is pretty much to be expected of a typical cheap shopping centre; dull and boring to look at! Maybe I’ve been spoilt by the glitzy malls of Thailand’s capital city, but MBK just doesn’t float my boat personally. Not only does MBK Center have ugly, harsh florescent lighting and a rather soulless interior, but it seems to be constantly busy and full of shoppers searching for the cheapest bargain. MBK is not exactly one of the most stress-free malls to shop in Bangkok…

mbk3

However, MBK seems to be one of the more popular malls for the men in Bangkok, perhaps because of it’s wide range of t-shirts and polo shirts, and it’s large section dedicated to the latest technologies and gadgets. You can buy up a simple t-shirt at the MBK from around 150 baht.

One of the best shops in MBK for both men and women’s clothes shopping is Warehouse Export (there are actually a couple of them in the MBK), which sells factory rejects of some fashionable brands such as H&M and Tommy Hilfiger. Other than this, MBK is a little lacking in cool and fashionable clothing shops – it is, however, ideal for tourists shopping for pretty Thai holiday dresses and popular Chang beer or Red Bull vests.

You can buy some cheap shoes from the MBK from as little as 199 baht a pair, but then you do get what you pay for. Bata and Footin, which are located on the second floor, are some very good Bangkok shoe shops which sell good quality shoes from just 199 baht for simple, comfortable sandals. For sneakers shopping, a particularly useful trainer shop at MBK is Genesis, which sells some cool Vans, Nike and Adidas sneakers.

mbk2

MBK is pretty much the best place to head in Bangkok for knockoff brand shopping though. You’ll find absolutely loads of knockoff brands – many of them pretty close replicas – including Billabong, Lacoste and Diesel. If you head all the way to the top floor, you’ll find a large section of the MBK dedicated to Thai trinkets, lighting and souvenirs perfect as holiday gifts and crafts.

How to get to MBK

You can take the BTS sky train to National Stadium on the Silom Line. This is easy to navigate on the BTS as the National Stadium is actually the terminal station on all the station signs. Once you arrive at the National Stadium, follow signs to the MBK Center. There is actually a second floor walkway which leads directly inside the mall.

Thai Boxing at the MBK

Every Wednesday evening, the MBK Center actually holds Thai Fight Night Boxing matches… for free! Compared to the high amount charged to foreigners by the Lumpini Thai Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, this is a great opportunity for anybody with an interest in Thai Boxing.

Head on over to the MBK Center from 6pm and you’ll find a small ring just outside of the main doors. Matches start every Wednesday from 6pm.

Bangkok Shopping Malls

Posted on by

Best shopping in Bangkok

There are a absolutely tonnes of shopping malls in Bangkok, all with varying styles and price ranges. In fact there is too much choice for shopping in Bangkok if you are short on time. Welcome to the second part of my Bangkok shopping guide to help you find the right malls, department stores and markets to buy your style of fashion on your level of budget. Alternatively, for cheap shopping in Bangkok, see part one of my shopping guide on where to buy cheap clothes in Bangkok.

This part of my Bangkok shopping guide however, is dedicated to the more fashionable and (mostly) better quality shopping malls in Bangkok, starting from lowest price first.

 

Terminal 21 shopping mall

There is plenty of choice in styles at Terminal 21 Bangkok. On the upper levels of the mall, Terminal 21 has numerous, unique little shopping boutiques set out like a market but with some interesting décor to keep things interesting. Each level represents a county and is decorated accordingly. It’s one of the more interesting shopping malls in Bangkok to just simply hangout at.

It doesn’t just consist of indie fashion shops though, the ground floor and first floor of Terminal 21 both consist of designer and big brand shops such as Quicksilver and Superdry. The floor above this is women’s clothing, then shoes and accessories and lastly men’s clothing. Terminal 21 has is a nice mixture of designer and indie shops and is nicely laid out to find what you want. Plus it’s one of the more quiet and pleasant Bangkok shopping malls to browse around. bangkok shopping mall

The prices at Terminal 21 are not bad for a shopping mall in Bangkok either – expect clothing to cost from 250 baht (at the very minimum, mind) and shoes from 800 baht. It’s all good quality stuff though, great for people who dislike the cheap, maybe not so stylish fashions in markets and on the streets. Of all the shopping malls in Bangkok, Terminal 21 is my favourite so far. But then, I’m not really into designer brand shopping myself – For more designer brand shopping, maybe check out Siam Paragon or Central Chitlom.

Best shopping in Bangkok for: Good quality, pretty/ girly styles and dresses. Quiet and nicely decorated. Dining.

Price range at Terminal 21: Medium 250 baht – 3000 baht

How to get to Terminal 21: Follow signs from Asoke BTS station

terminal 21 bangkok

 

Emporium shopping mall Bangkok

From skateboards, smellies and trinkets to pianos and home appliances, the Emporium shopping mall has a huge variety of shops. Among the designer brand shops you can find DKNY, Gucci and Dior; and sports brands such as Northface, Adiddas and Ripcurl. I’m not really into designer shopping in Bangkok myself, but I will point out for any likeminded people that there is also a nice selection of skater sneakers and nice Reef flip flops for 960 baht – the most comfortable flip flops I have ever seen!

This Bangkok shopping mall is a place for the wealthy though, if money isn’t an issue for you and you need some essentials and homely decorations to go in your new condo, Emporium Bangkok has loads of choice.

bangkok shopping mall

 

The top floor of Emporium Bangkok has an abundance of textiles, trinkets and home wares – all very tasteful and characterful. I noticed cushions costing between 1000 and 9400 baht… just an example of some prices at Emporium! Emporium top floor has nice shabby chic styled furniture, high quality toiletries and skin care products and a host of incense, candles and sets.

Best shopping in Bangkok for: Designer brands and tasteful home decor

Average price range at Emporium: High; clothing from 1500 baht upwards

How to get to the Emporium: Located at BTS Prom Phong

 

MBK Shopping Mall Bangkok

MBK Bangkok is an absolutely huge shopping mall full of cheap clothing, shoes, electronics and even an arcade and cinema too. If you love a bargain and a cheap knockoff, then make sure you stop by the MBK mall in Bangkok. On the bottom floor of the MBK mall alone, there are thousands of shoes to choose from all starting from around 199 baht a pair. Not recommended shopping in Bangkok if you choose quality above quantity though. Personally I find some of the clothing at MBK Mall to be a little tacky, nothing special and poor quality too.

best shopping in Bangkok

MBK Shopping Mall

I also find the mall itself to be soulless and lacking in charm – too mall-y for me! Shopping at the MBK reminds me of being in an airport… an airport if you messed it up with a load of cheap tat ;p Nonetheless, you can still find some nice stuff at Bangkok MBK Mall if you look hard enough, just avoid shopping at the MBK if you are of a fussy taste maybe.

Best shopping in Bangkok for: Electronics and gadgets. T-shirts, polo shirts and knock-off Armani and Billabong clothing

Average price range at MBK: Low, 299 – 499 baht for shoes, 150 – 300 baht most clothing

How to get to MBK: Take the BTS Silom line to the National Stadium. Follow signs to MBK from the BTS National Stadium station.

 

Siam Center shopping mall Bangkok

Siam Center is located directly next to the unmissable Siam Paragon in central Bangkok. Notably, the selection of shoe shops is something I find most impressive about Siam Center. Shoes are not cheap at Siam Center but they are just so unique, quirky and cool. In particular, Siam Center has some very glamourous yet unusual designer, uber high heel shoes with intricate patterns and unconventional shapes; highly recommended shopping for the ultra-fashionable individual. Shoes at Siam Center range from around 1000 baht to 7000 baht.

bangkok shopping malls

Siam Centre

I would also recommend Siam Center Bangkok for sunglasses. Similarly as with it’s selection of shoes, there are also some highly unique and individual styles of sunglasses like nowhere else I have seen before. They are seriously some of the coolest sunglasses I have ever seen in my life, however the cost of these can hit as high as 30000 baht from what I have seen so far in Siam Center. Aside from the expensive and trendy fashions to be found in Siam Centre, I find it is also to be a fantastic place to come merely to admire the scenery of sculptures, abstract decorations and educational insights scattered throughout it’s many shopping floors.

siam center bangkok

Superdry Store at Siam Centre

The décor of Siam Centre is somewhat atypical of your standard shopping mall or shopping centre. With it’s dark and industrial, ultra modern theme which runs uniformly throughout and it’s many individual shop’s artistic and innovative embellishments and styles; strolling through Siam Center makes for a pleasant Bangkok shopping experience in itself. Not to mention the many elegant and distinctive cafes and restaurants which line the glass-roofed, airy top floor… damn I love Siam Center… if only I had more monies.

Although the food is actually still quite reasonably priced considering – from around 100 baht for a delectable looking meal, complete with the charming surroundings that come with it.

Best shopping in Bangkok for: Ultra cool high heels shoes, sunglasses… or just as a trendy and interesting hangout in Bangkok

Average price range in Siam Center: Medium/ high. Clothing starts from 400 to 5000 baht

How to get Siam Center: Next door to Siam Paragon at BTS Siam

best shopping in bangkok

‘Mr Jones’ Teddy Bear Orphanage’ – Just one of the many interesting cafes Siam Centre has to offer

 

Central World Shopping Mall Bangkok

Located in Siam Bangkok, right next to Siam Paragon and in close range of Pratunam. Central World is another of one of Bangkok’s gigantuan shopping malls complete with it’s own cinema on the top floor. For around 1000 baht, you can purchase a luxury cinema ticket and watch your favourite movie on the big screen snuggled up on a 1st class, squishy bed! Central World shopping mall has a huge range of high quality restaurants to dine in too for added non-shopping related entertainment.

Central World Bangkok has a whole range of global brands of fashion available and it’s a great mall for shopping in Bangkok if you are more accustomed to western styles of fashion as opposed to asian fashions. I think as a tourist or a new arrival in Thailand, some of us can be easily swept up and excited by how affordable the clothes are in the main Thai markets. We see the qualities of these goods through rose-tinted glasses, blinded by our love of bargains, but when you look a little more closely you might realise that many of the clothes from the Bangkok markets just aren’t very good quality after all.

bangkok shopping mall

Central World Bangkok

After living in Bangkok for a just a couple of months, I began to miss more fashionable, high quality clothing and Thai fashions just didn’t appeal to my tastes. Central World is ideal for people in this situation, struggling to adapt to the frilly, ribbon adorned Thai fashion. It is however proportionally expensive compared to the cost of living in Thailand – the clothing is no cheaper than you would buy it in the west, maybe in some cases even more expensive. The Zen department regularly have sales so you can still find some reasonably priced fashions in Central World if you look hard enough.

Best shopping in Bangkok for: Global fashions and huge choice of shops

Average price range at Central World: Mid/ High, average 2000 baht per item of clothing.

How to get to Central World: You can take the BTS to Chit Lom and from here follow signs to Central World. The walkway from the station will take you straight there. You can also get there from Siam Centre BTS station, although it is very slightly further away than Chit Lom.

 

Siam Paragon

Again, as with Central World, Siam Paragon is a Bangkok shopping mall catered for global fashions at expensive prices. Siam Paragon is slightly more expensive than Central World and doesn’t tend to have sales as often. Siam Paragon also has a grand cinema on it’s top floor.

Best shopping in Bangkok for: Designer brands

Average price range: High

How to get there: Follow signs from BTS Siam station

 

Check out my other shopping blog guides for more tips on buying clothes, shoes and gadgets in Bangkok