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MahboonkrongThere are many shopping areas in Bangkok. These include: Silom, Siam Square, Ratchadamri, Pratunam, Ploenchit and Bang Lamphu. The main markets include Chatuchak Weekend Market, Nailert Market, Pratunam Market, Banglamphu Market and areas around Chinatown.

(Right): Mahboonkrong Center (MBK) has hundreds of air-conditioned shops and is conveniently located at National Stadium Sky Train station.

SHOPPING GUIDE: Looking for something to buy? Want to know the price or where to buy it? Visit the Thailand Shopping Fourms!

BTS SKY TRAIN

The following department stores and shopping malls are conveniently located near the BTS Sky Train:

SUKHUMWIT LINE

Mo Chit
  • Chatuchak Weekend Market

Victory Monument

  • Robinson

Central Station (Siam)

  • Discovery Center
  • Siam Center
  • Siam Square (shopping area)

Chit Lom

  • Central Chid Lom
  • Gaysorn Plaza
  • Narayana Phand
  • Sogo
  • World Trade Center

Phloen Chit

  • Phloenchit Plaza

Nana

  • Landmark Plaza

Asok

  • Robinson

Phrom Phong

  • Emporium *

Ekkamai

  • Major Cineplex

On Nut

  • Tesco Lotus *
  • Central City Bangna (via free shuttle bus)

SILOM LINE

National Stadium

  • Mah Boon Krong (MBK) *

Ratchadamri

  • Amarin Plaza

Sala Daeng

  • Central Silom Complex
  • Patpong (shopping area)
  • Robinson Silom
  • Silom Complex

Chong Nonsi

  • Silom Village Trade Center

Surasak

  • Silom Village Trade Center

Saphan Taksin

  • Robinson Bangrak

* you can walk straight into these department stores from the station without going down to the road.

Siam Square is a good place to start. It is conveniently located at Central Station on the BTS Sky Train route. There are hundreds of small shops at street level scattered aroud a maze of lanes, but if you like air-conditioned shopping then walk straight into Siam Center from the main concourse. Next door to this and connected by an enclosed walkway is Siam Discovery Center. These two shopping centers have many up-market brand label shops. But, you will also find here the large Tower Records for music lovers and Asia Books for people looking for a good read. On the top floor of Siam Discovery Center there is a cinema complex with some of the most comfortable seats to be found in the world. After a hard days shopping, relax and lie down as you watch a movie!

Another favourite in this area is Mahboonkrong (MBK) shopping center. It will take only 10 minutes to walk there from Siam Square or alternatively one stop on the BTS Sky Train to the National Stadium station. From here you can walk straight into the Tokyu department store without going down to street level. We usually walk straight through here and out into the heart of MBK. Here you will find literally hundreds of smaller shops and stalls, selling many goods at bargain prices. You will find many things here from clothes to electronics.

Just one stop eastbound to the Chit Lom BTS Sky Train station you will find another collection of department stores and shopping centres. The largest is the eight floors of the World Trade Center. As well as hundreds of smaller shops it also houses ZEN, Isetan and Thailand Duty Free shops. On the top floor there is an ice skating rink and movie theatres. Closer to the Sky Train station is Central Chit Lom Department Store. This is the flagship store of the Central Group and is very large. Other shopping centers within walking distance from here include Sogo, Maneya Centre, Gaysorn Plaza, Narayana Phand (handicrafts) and a little further away down Ratchadamri Road is Peninsula Plaza.

A short tuk tuk or taxi ride away is the large Pantip Plaza on Phetburi Road. This is computer heaven for many people coming to Thailand. Hundreds of shops on every floor sell hardware and software, both originals and pirated. Many people go there to buy copy software and VCD movies for as little as 100 baht.

Continuing eastbound on the Sky Train along Ploenchit Road and Sukhumvit Road there are a number of small shops and larger shopping centers. These include Ploenchit Plaza, Robinson, Landmark, Times Square and Emporium.

South of the Siam Sqaure area is Silom Road which is also partly served by the BTS Sky Train route. Starting at the Lumphini Park end, there are Robinson and Central department stores, Charn Issara, Patpong Night Market, Thaniya Plaza, Silom Center, Silom Plaza, Silom Village, another Central department store and Holiday Inn Crown Plaza.

Sooner or later most people head for Chatuchak Weekend Market. This is convienently located at Mo Chit BTS Sky Train station. This is a massive outdoor market selling practically everything you can think of from handicraft to livestock. There are over 8000 vendors and up to 200,000 people visit a day. We find it hot and tiring but many people spend all day there. Maps of the market can be bought at book shops such as Asia Books.

LARGEST SHOPPING MALLS

The following are the largest shopping malls in Bangkok with over 100,000 sq.m. of retail space:
  • Seacon Square, Srinakarin Rd
  • Future Park Thonburi, Petchkasem Rd
  • Fashion Island, Ramindra Road
  • Future Park Rangsit Vibhavadee-Rangsit Rd

The following have 50,000-100,000 sq.m. of retail space:

  • Imperial World, Lad Prao Rd
  • Seri Center, Srinakarin Rd
  • Fortune Town, Ratchadapisek Rd
  • Central Plaza, Lad Prao Rd
  • The Mall 6, Ngamwongwan Rd
  • Siam Jusco, Rattanatibate Rd
  • Zeer Street, Viphavadee-Rangsit Rd

Source: Siam Future Development Co., Ltd.

BOOK SHOPS

The major English language book shop chains in Bangkok are Asia Books, Bookazine and D.K. Book House.

Asia Books
  • Sukhumvit (221 Sukhumvit Road, between Soi 15 & 17)
  • Landmark A & Z (1st & 3rd Fl., Landmark Plaza, The Landmark Hotel)
  • Times Square (2nd Fl., Times Square, opp. Robinson Dept. Store)
  • Peninsula (2nd Fl., Peninsula Plaza, adjacent to the Regent Hotel)
  • Emporium (3rd Fl., next to the main entrance to Emporium Dept. Store, Emporium Shoping Complex, Sukhumvit 24 Road)
  • Thaniya (3rd Fl., Thaniya Plaza, next to Soi Patpong 2 , Silom Road)
  • Central City Bangna (3rd Fl., Central City Plaza, Central City Bangna, Bangna-Trad Road)
  • Seacon Square (2nd Fl., From The Main Atrium towards Lotus Supermarket, Seacon Square, Srinakarin Road)
  • Siam Discovery Center (4th Fl., near the connecting walkway to Siam Center, Siam Discovery Center
    Rama 1 Road)
  • World Trade Center (3rd Fl., Skydome Area, World Trade Center, Rajdamri Road)

Bookazine

  • Siam Square (oposite Siam Center)
  • Silom Complex (2nd floor)
  • Sogo dept store (3rd floor)
  • Sukhumwit Rd (between sois 3 and 5)

OTHER

  • Kinokuniya is a large book shop in the Emporium Shopping Center. There is also an Asia Books on the same floor. Take the Sky Train to Phrom Phong and walk straight without going down to street level.
  • Chulalongkorn University Books is housed in the British Council building in Siam Square. They have English language books on the second floor.

CENTRAL DEPARTMENT STORE

The largest group of department stores in Bangkok belong to Central. Their flagship store is Central Chidlom on Ploenchit Road. There are 11 other stores spread around Bangkok. The store has departments for clothes, cosmetics, electronics, jewelry, sports equipment, stationery and books.
  1. Chidlom, Ploenchit Road
  2. Ladprao, Paholyothin Road.
  3. Wangburapa, Chakraphet Road.
  4. Ramindra
  5. Silom, Silom Road.
  6. Huamark, Ramkamhaeng Road.
  7. Bangna, Bangna Road.
  8. Fashion Island, Ramindra Road.
  9. Pinklao, Boromrachachonanee Road.
  10. Future Park Rangsit, Phaholyothin Road.
  11. Rama III, Rama III Road.
  12. Silom Complex, Silom Road.

Two of the Central department stores have easy access from the BTS Sky Train. These are Central Chidlom (Chidlom Station) and Central Silom Complex (Saladaeng Station). We would also recommend Central City Banga on the southern outskirts. This has the bonus of having Leoland, a massive theme park on the roof (complete with swimming pools and roller coasters). Take the BTS Sky Train to the end of the line at On Nut and then take the free BTS Shuttle Bus to the department store.

RETAIL CHAINS IN THAILAND

DEPARTMENT STORES:
  1. Robinson Thailand (19 stores)
  2. Central Thailand (13 stores)
  3. The Mall Thailand (6 stores)
  4. Imperial Thailand (3 stores)
  5. Sogo Japan (2 stores)

SUPERMARKETS:

  1. Tops Netherlands (42 stores)
  2. Jusco Japan (10 stores)
  3. FoodLion Belgium (12 stores)
  4. FoodLand Thailand (7 stores)
  5. Villa Market Thailand (5 stores)

SUPERSTORES:

  1. Casino Big-C France (25 stores)
  2. Tesco Lotus UK. (21 stores)
  3. Makro Netherlands (18 stores)
  4. Carrefour France (12 stores)
  5. Auchan France (1 stores)

WEB SITES

 

Copyright information: All pictures by Nattawud Daoruang. Information from brochures obtained at location. Additional information by Richard Barrow and Nattawud Daoruang.

RELATED LINKS: Learn about the Thailand that most tourists don't get to visit at ThailandLife.com. Coming to Thailand on holiday or to work? Learn some Thai today for free at LearningThai.com and ThaiPhrasebook.com. A list of quality web sites about Thailand can be found at SrinaiWeb.com.