Malls -Thailand Blog

This past week I had my first full day off to go exploring in Bangkok. I have Monday and Tuesday off now, and I found out quite soon that Monday here is like Sunday in the U.S. Not in terms of a religious day of the week, but in the sense that most everything is closed on Mondays.

Except malls.

I decided to not let the lazy-day attitude stop me from exploring during my precious time to myself, and so I called a cab to battle the traffic into the Siam district of downtown Bangkok.

Siam, known formally as the Pathum Wan District, is most well-known for the mass of huge shopping complexes (they are far too grand to just be called malls!) lining the streets of Rama I Road.

For my journey, I wanted to take as little transit as possible and use my God-given transportation and get some exercise while exploring. This would have been hard, given the high pollution and staggering temperature and humidity, but again I was saved by Siam’s treasured destination: malls.

In case you never want to see the light (or heat) of day, many of the malls are connected by tunnels and walkways. Getting lost is extremely easy, as you may *think* you are shopping at one plaza, and then look up to find you have traveled through two different complexes and ended up in yet another mall with a different, yet similar, name.

Wanting to see it all, I decided to try and snake through the consumerism labyrinth and hit as many malls as I could before my phone died. Surprisingly, while there are thousands and thousands of shops that sell chargers (and even entire floors dedicated to tech gadgets and mobile accessories) there aren’t too many places willing to let a tired tourist plug in for a bit. Still, after traveling over 20 stories and who knows how many shops, I spent almost an entire day in the center with minimal sunscreen!

12:00 p.m.: After walking from the Jim Thompson House (another story, but a wonderful outdoor museum of architecture and silk products) I arrived outside of MBK Center. Stopping just outside the mall, I wandered into Little Zoo Cafe. Not technically part of the complex, the cuteness made the extra 3 minute walk in the sun worth it.

Little Zoo Cafe is one of those animal coffee shops, where for the price of an expensive coffee and pastry, you get the added bonus of petting baby animals while you munch. After slipping through the sliding glass doors, I was immediately greeted by two Corgi brothers. Then, after signing a safety waiver, ordering my Thai iced tea and changing into complementary animal-themed socks, I was escorted upstairs to meet my new furry friends.

I spent the next hour playing in a pit of puppies eager to nap in my lap, petting sleeping arctic fox pups, holding a meerkat, and being swarmed in a room dedicated solely to Corgis. It was a wonderful start to my day, and good to get some fresh(ish) air before my decent into the madness of the malls. And, I even got a Beanie Baby as a souvenir.

1:30: My first stop on the mall maze was MBK Center. This one was the most different from malls I have seen back in the States, and the most hectic for sure. I decided to start at the ground floor and work my way up, but little did I know that the craziness peaked at the bottom, not the top. Stepping off the elevator, I realized I was no longer in a traditional mall, but a bazaar-like marketplace. The second thing I realized was just how many knock-off products were up for unapologetic sale. Unlike my counter-fit shopping experience in other countries like Spain and Portugal where the men pack up the illegal goods at any sight of the police, this was more than out in the open. Selling everything from Gucci belts to Supreme streetwear, the shop-owners called out prices and name brands, sounding less like a mall and more like a high-end auction.

2:30: I had only just started my mission, but had worked up an appetite. The Thai people figured this problem out as well, and built in not just your typical mall food stalls like pretzels, coffee, and bubble tea, but instead dedicates entire floors to restaurants ranging from fast food to fancy, sit-down eateries. But, the calling beacon for all hungry shoppers are the food courts. First, you must learn the rules. Before buying anything, find the counter selling cards. You then estimate about how much money you are going to spend on lunch. After handing the teller 100 baht ($3.27 USD,) I was issued a plastic credit card. Then, take a lap around the floor. Stalls selling everything from beef tongue and livers to pizza and sushi line the periphery of the room, most items ranging from 50 – 150 baht. After settling on a beef broth noodle soup for less than $2, I finally rested my feet for a relaxing lunch. The best part? After your meal, if you have any money left over on your MBK card, simply go back to the counter and ask for the remaining amount refunded back — no waste, no regret.

3:30: The next few stops were in the Siam malls. Specifically, the high end Siam Discovery, sprawling Siam Paragon, and then the newest of the three, Siam Square One. Again, getting lost in the trifecta of these malls is easy, and these add another complication. The BTS, or Bangkok Transit System train station runs right through the middle of the street connecting the malls, and so shoppers have to not only read the signs carefully, but dodge commuters as well as shoppers while finding their footing.

6:30: After many stops for coffee and bubble tea along the way, I decided to call it a night. While malls absolutely provide refuge from the sun and smog of the outdoors, they are also overwhelming in their own right. The florescent lights, abundance of shops and signage, and sometimes store owners trying to shout for your attention, it is easy to literally shop until you drop. To remind myself of the world outside the glass, I ended my day with a rooftop view at WALK rooftop bar for a cocktail and fresh air.