Bangkok’s devotion to shopping means the city experiences three rush-hours a day. The third occurs when the shops close.
What would a world look like in which 80s-style malls and bricks-and-mortar consumerism survived to the modern day? In Bangkok today, Amazon is a coffee shop, online shopping is frowned upon, and the mega-mall dominates minds, public spaces and weekends.
Thailand has not allowed online shopping to hijack its consumer landscape. Amazon has no presence here. Local online equivalents have not yet earned the trust of Thai consumers. Physical stores are very much where it’s at.
So, if you’re in the mood for some throwback consumerism – or need to get out of the midday sun – Bangkok’s malls are your place. Be aware of the small cultural differences – local standards of customer service mean the sales assistants have a Velcro tendency – they attach themselves to you when you enter a store.
The brave and forewarned shopper should start at Siam Paragon. The Skytrain will take you directly there. Designer clothes boutiques fill the ground floor; more affordable, familiar brands fill the higher ones. Anyone new to Asia should make Japanese clothing manufacturer Uniqlo their first stop. Beware clothing sizes – items are labelled to reflect Asia’s slender frames. Bring your phone as the city has gone cashless.
If Paragon is too upmarket or too crowded for you, CentralWorld is a five-minute walk away. It has the same stores but carries a wider variety of products in a more spacious environment. The grounds in front are always dominated by TikTokers and ring flashes documenting the ever-creative promotional attractions there. There’s always a food market too. The Apple store is frighteningly popular.
The recently opened Emsphere, at Asoke, is a highly decorated shop window expanded to cover several floors. The elaborate décor is changed to match the season. The ground floor is a maze of small food outlets, designed to mimic the packed back streets of Asia’s recent past. The shops on the higher floors are minimalist and trendy. You look here, rather than shop. It glitters, especially after dark.
Icon Siam, on the Chao Phraya River, is a showpiece for Bangkok’s consumer excess. It can be reached either by boat or train. It’s spacious and gleaming interior reflects all those designer brands on an unsettling scale. The food areas all resemble the imagined Thai markets of the past and are designed to appeal to the locals missing their rural homes and tourists pursuing Thai authenticity. The Alangkarn Waterfall on the 6th floor makes the trip worthwhile.
If you miss the mall – or just feel like shopping – Bangkok offers consumerism on an unapologetic scale. It’s no longer He-man and Transformers though. Today the stores are filled with Hello Kitty, One Piece, Harry Potter and iPhones. If you don’t know who Lisa is, you will by the time you leave.
Lee Russell Wilkes 