Bangkok Shopping Malls

This is the second post in a short series of stories and disparate photos from our trip to Bangkok. In the first was a brief explanation of my unexpected Thai adventure.

When you look at a tourist guides online for Bangkok; malls, markets and shrines top each list. Following closely after are activities that take place within the malls - visiting an aquarium, seeing movies or playing mini-golf between rounds of shopping.

Home to at least three of the world's largest shopping malls, it's little surprise then that shopping is almost a competitive sport in Bangkok. Whether it's to escape the stifling midday heat or to join the ranks of Western consumerism, Bangkok has shopping covered. 

Our hotel was about a block from Central World which is among the top ten largest malls worldwide. When you walk in, you immediately think, "This is big and they have everything."  It wasn't until I walked outside that the enormity of the center really sunk in. For my American readers, it's about 1.6 times the size of the Mall of America in terms of leasable store space. For the Australians, it's a whopping 2.3 times larger than Melbourne's Chadstone shopping center.

Those numbers alone would be enough to wow you, but it becomes even more impressive when you learn that the mall is connected via elevated walkway to Siam Paragon, itself among the largest fifty malls in the world. Within a stone's throw from there, you have Siam Centre, Siam Discover, MBK and Amarin Square. Bangkok really is a shopper's paradise.

With the exception of MBK, which is an older mall with market-like stores, the shops we visited weren't particularly well-priced. Aside from scale, the malls aren't that different to those you'd see back home - the GAP, Uniqlo, Zara and Kate Spade. The prices aren't all that different either, if anything central Bangkok will cost you a bit more. The real bargains are at street stalls and markets in areas like Chinatown and Khao San Road.

To escape the damp heat though, we clamored through a mall or two and had our dinners in the food courts. If you ever come across Shabushi, a Japanese-style shabu-shabu and sushi buffet in Thailand; don't blink, just join the queue and wait for a seat at the conveyer belt. In Bangkok, spicy tomyum soup is an option, making it some of the best shabu-shabu you've ever eaten. We liked it so much that we went there twice - at 375 baht, we considered it a bargain.  (approximately $11.50 USD or $14.30 AUD)

More traditional meals from street carts or in local malls were, of course, substantially cheaper. One day I paid 50 baht for half a chicken, fried rice with crispy onion and thai ice tea.  (approximately $1.50USD or $1.90AUD). The pricing disparity between the malls, reinforces what I saw everywhere around Bangkok - wealth and poverty interlaced.

You've never experienced sheer consumer chaos until you accidentally stumble into a major mall being closed with stores pushing goods at 50-90% off and shopper numbers in the thousands. The closing of Siam Discovery made the Black Friday sales in the US seem positively civil. They were buying Northface bags, Playboy tshirts and dozens of pairs of Crocs. For our part, we wandered out with just a few rolls of washi tape - being happy, living with less.

As for living with less, it was something I expected the local monks to practice. Imagine my surprise as they whipped out new Samsungs for selfies at the temple, then later strolled up and ordered iced frappes at Starbucks. I still haven't wrapped my head around it. Oddly they appeared to be the wealthiest people in Bangkok.

As I mentioned markets and street stalls are a much cheaper shopping alternative in Thailand. At these stands vendors peddle factory seconds or new goods that have gone out the back door of the factory and have most likely made their way to the street in a somewhat questionable manner. I don't know if it's legal, but it seems an accepted practice. Skeptical, I opted not to buy anything at the markets and instead soaked in the shoulder-to-shoulder atmosphere of people cramming through narrow, overpacked laneways. Craig bought a nondescript button up shirt, and we passed on the unidentifiable fried fish goodies. Just 150 baht later, our Bangkok market shopping was complete.

In part 3 of our Bangkok adventures, I'll talk about shrines, statues and the strange devotions.