5 Shopping Malls in Bangkok That Will Blow Your Mind
Sometimes we just need to walk in familiar territory and become a zombie-like mall rat. Luckily, the shopping malls in Bangkok are pretty badass so it might wake you up! Maybe you’re grabbing last minute presents before your flight or maybe you’re just looking for some sweet, sweet A/C and a sushi train. Over the past few years, Thailand has put some serious work into upping it’s shopping game. From knock-off shoes to top shelf booze, these are the top 5 shopping malls in Bangkok you should be checking out.
Named after the chief designers’ parents Mah and Boon Krong, MBK is the closest Bangkok comes to taking a bustling, thriving outdoor market and putting it inside a shopping mall. 2000 stalls over 8 floors are packed with independent sellers, touting everything from flip flops and phone cases to off brand converse and fake iPhones. There’s also plenty of food options as well. One staff favorite is the food court on the 6th floor, which offers serious bang for your baht.
To get there, aim for the National Stadium BTS station. Once you’ve arrived, it’s simply a case of following the signs. Getting out however can be a bit more of a challenge – getting lost and turned around in the sprawl of stalls in MBK can be a real possibility!
From the second you are welcomed by a greeter dressed as a pilot, Terminal 21 one does it’s best to charm you into taking a cross-continental trip throughout the mall. Each floor is dedicated to a location around the world- head to Rome for designer brands, San Francisco for food or Hollywood for the newest cinema releases. If you’re the one in the group dreading spending hours checking it all out, you can always sneak off to the arcade on the top floor.
Being conveniently located 10 minutes walk from Bodega Bangkok makes it a pretty popular location for many Bodegans, even if it’s just to ride the escalator- which at 36 metres is one of the longest in South East Asia.
Siam Paragon – Bad and Boujee
Sometimes you just want to look at pretty things, window shop and fantasize that for an afternoon you’re not rationing toothpaste. Siam Paragon’s stable of outlets such as Jimmy Choo, Versace and Chanel mean that while coming here isn’t exactly realistic, it’s a hell of a lot of fun- especially if you’re pretending to be looking for a luxury super-car on the second floor while dressed in elephant pants. Or you could head up to the top floor for a luxury cinema, a staple at any Bangkok shopping mall.
To get there, grab the BTS to the Siam interchange – considered by many as the center of modern Bangkok- and follow the signs from the platform.
Pantip Plaza – Tech Heaven
Broken electronics? Head to Pantip Plaza. Whether you’re looking for an upgrade for a phone you should have ditched 3 months ago or are freaking out because you spilled a Leo over your 1TB HDD, you’re going to find what you’re looking for on one of it’s five floors. All that choice can be overwhelming, so the secret with Pantip is to take your time, relax and hold back from throwing your baht at the first thing you see.
Pantip Plaza is a short walk north of Siam Interchange, or if you’re feeling energetic, about 30 minutes walk from our Bangkok location.
Siam Center & Siam Discovery – Thai Couture
Lauded as a fashion lovers paradise, Siam Center predominantly caters for Thais who are looking for a western-meets-thai look. It also boasts some of the most impressive architecture in Bangkok, despite being a shopping haven. Boutiques from local up-and-coming designers rub shoulders with more established creators, meaning that you’ll always find something to your taste (and budget!). Plus it has Thailand’s largest Forever 21, so you can’t really lose. As with most shopping malls in Bangkok, Siam Center has a seriously tasty food court on its top floor that will cost you about as much as you have left in your pocket after an afternoon in the mall itself.
Like a few other malls on our list, Siam Center is connected to Siam Central BTS Station. Head towards Siam Paragon (or check it out as-well!) and follow the signs headed to Siam Center.
If it exists, you can find it at malls in Bangkok.
Bangkok has a rich history of commerce and trading, and one of the best features of it’s modern market-places is the platform they still give to small traders in among the industry titans. You could be walking past a Lamborghini showroom one second, and bartering over a Hello Kitty phone case the next. It pays dividends to push further out into the city, finding new spots and traders- if you can think of it, chances are it’s tucked away in a tiny stall. These are our top 5 shopping malls in Bangkok, but hit us up for more recommendations!
