Welcome to the find it. seed it. page for Shopping. This page is currently a work in progress but over time will show you an overview of the city based on the reviews, comments and general city information. Bangkok is the only city now but we plan on adding more.
The worst shopping centre in Bangkok for me - it is dull and lifeless - with only high-end designer goods for sale. Not a single shop of any intrinsic value. It would be perfect for 'Posh Spice' and therefore hell on earth for me.
If you move in diamond encrusted circles go on down - you will certainly not be hustled by crowds and it is mildly entertaining to hear your footsteps echo round the place.
Do you like walking? I do... Do you like walking around malls? Ahh.... thats different.
Central World - like Paragon half a mile away at Siam - is one hell of a lot of expensive shops spread over a massive area. Central World doesn't really have any interesting shops (unless you are an Arsenal fan), it doesn't have any really good value shops and is certainly not the place to pop into to get a couple of things because it is likely that those two things will be several foot miles apart. Add to this the fact that it is not too easy to access using the skytrain (you have to walk a fair distance from the station along irritatingly named 'skywalk') and I can't see that it has too much going for it. I once looked at a jacket I quite liked in one of the shops, noticed that it was £300 ($600), wondered what the point of paying that much for a jacket in BKK was and left. Go once, admire the glass and chrome, ride in the lifts, appreciate that it's cinema offers 'Nachos' unlike most other cinemas and then retire and do your future shopping elsewhere.
Apologies, but this review relates to TOPS supermarket in the basement of Robinsons.
Imagine you are a Farang, with a self catering apartment (or at least a fridge), you are a long way from home and you've had your fill of som-ting-dang-pad-tum-whatever for the last few days. Are you are dreaming of good bread, hunks of cheese, sliced meats and a world of other goodies?.... then get yerself down to Asoke and hit TOPS supermarket and feast-on brother.
P.S. I never tire of hearing my Thai daughter-in-law say 'Lobinsons' :)
I think men have some trouble rating shopping malls as shopping is something we don't rate highly. However, MBK fits the description of a 'one stop shop' better than most other malls I have visited. It does take a number of visits to get your bearings and it can often be difficult for the newbie to find the next escalator up (or down)when on one of the innumerable in-between floors. There is a lot of tat about and inexplicably there is an 'office furniture' floor where the staff outnumber the customers. Most times I have visited it has been in the company of a member of the fairer sex (normally farangs). She is in her element and I am just a casual heel dragger. But the reason I take them there is that most things they are likely to want can be found in this one place (eventually) and it wears them out so there is no danger of getting dragged round other malls. I have chilled in the coffee shop and had the quite excellent foot-massage (at the far end of the penultimate floor) while she-who-must-be-catered-for has wandered round doing her stuff. I hate shopping, but if I have to go to one place, it's MBK.
I agree with Penfold's assessment.
I will mention that there is a very large fitness center (California WOW) along with an ice skating rink and a bowling alley in the upper levels.
The 12 screen cinema is probably a bit above average, smitty's comments notwithstanding. I got the VIP seats last time I went to the movies here, and the reclining seats were huge and luxurious, with pillow and blanket. I could have lived in that chair. The only cinema I've been to with a better VIP package was Secon Square.
All in all, though, not much reason to go here unless you really feel the need for a bit of ice skating and tenpin bowling.
I ducked in to check the place out about 2 weeks ago and I couldnt of been more underwhelmed.
The place looks cool from the outside, but its just too big inside and they have a lot of shops that you really wouldnt want to shop in.
Its hard to put into words why I dont like this place, but the shops are too spaced out, and the place has zero personality. You always see stunning girls walking around but thats the only reason to head here
Odd shopping mall as there is not much shopping to be done here. Puma, Adidas, and NY/LA the rest are phone shops and beauty stores. The B2S on the 4th floor has a nice magazine selection. It seems as if 90% of the restaurants are Japanese which sucks since I live next door and eat here 5+ times a week.
DP is spot on about people watching and they always have some events going on so there are pretties always walking around.
There is really is not a great book store in Thailand. The Kinokuniya chains in some of the big malls are big but sometimes the selection is not as good as it appears.
Let's face it - if you are used to an American or European book store - Thailand is a big let down.
Asia Books are a recognizable chain and will do for the basics but I always find them lacking when it comes to selection, ease of finding something or ease of ordering things. For the basics like newspapers, magazines and travel stuff they work okay.
Cool building but nothing really special. There are a few clothing stores that are here that I have not seen anywhere else. The food court is okay but there are too many Japanese restaurants for my taste. The movie theater is nothing special.
Sometime I use the McDonalds for a wi-fi connection whilst I am in the area. I also use the California Fitness from time to time.
A good people watching mall.
I Hadnt been to MBK for maybe 9 months and this post gave me an urge to check it out so I went today.
I remember when I used to come here as a holidaymaker me and friends would spend hours upon hours milling round and people watching, just taking the hustle and bustle of the place in.
As far as atmosphere and buzz goes this place cannot be beaten (as previously mentioned it seems a weird comment about a shopping centre)
The harsh reality is though that they do sell a lot of overpriced ferang orientated tat, mainly fake billabong, quicksilver and other lairy holidaywear and jeans. Today I was cringing as I witnessed ferangs paying say 150baht for say a string necklace that i'd pay maybe 20 baht for at my local market, and they were thinking they got a bargain, but hey. This place is printed in every tourguide book and it shows as there is a large customer base of poorly dressed ferangs looking like they are heading to the beach.
However they have literally millions of gadgets, gizmos and especially mobile phones and bootlegged software from the 4th-5th floor which is quite a sight, and they have a really good food court on the 5th and 6th floor (6th floor is cheaper but personally I prefer the thai food there)
Not a place I would actually go 'shopping' in but definately good fun to walk around.
The cinema on the top floor is quite good, and the bowling alley can be full of young single girls hanging out at the right time of day.
Food | Jewelery | Tailor
