jlaughs

I've been doing a LOT of reading and keep finding conflicting information. Can anyone tell me how late the various shopping malls and markets are open?

I'm especially interested in:
Central Chidlom, Pratunam Plaza, Suan Lum Night Bazaar, shops along Silom, MBK, Siam Center/Square, WTC, Nara Phand Gov't store and Emporium.

Thanks!!

simpsonc510

Sawadee kah from Bangkok! I've been to a number of the places you mentioned in your post as I am in the city right now (and I'm a shopaholic).

Central Chidlom, MBK, Siam Center/Square, WTC and Emporium are all on my list of shopping places. I think you will find that they are open until 9pm and perhaps even 10 everyday. The shopping malls have regular hours of business, seven days a week. Late hours are because this city "wakes up" when the sun goes down! I'll have to check hours on the doors when I go out shopping today. I'll post if the answer is different from what I've already stated.

We went past Pratunam Plaza last night in a taxi. I've not been there yet, but it is supposed to be competing with MBK. The problem is, the place is pretty new, and it is off the beaten path. MBK is right on the sky train route so very easy to get to. So are Siam, Emporium, WTC and Central store. Suan Lum you will have to take a taxi to get to.

I am not familiar at all with the Nara Phand Gov't store. What does it have to sell? Is it Thai crafts?

The Suan Lum night bazaar really gets going around 10pm and stays very active until midnight or later. These shops don't have regular hours as the vendors come and go as they please.

The street markets such as Silom and Patpong and Sukhumvit stay open until about midnight. Again, the vendors don't have regular "hours" that they keep. They come and go as they please.

I like one more place that you didn't mention in your list. There is a really upscale mall called Gaysorn Plaza. It is at the Chitlom skytrain stop, next to the Intercontinental Hotel. Behind Gaysorn there is a Thai Craft Village. I go there to buy a number of Thai made items. Prices are negotiable, if you go downstairs to shop there. There is no AC downstairs so it is a bit stuffy, but prices are good and there is a wide range of goods available there. Things on the main floor tend to be a little bit higher, since you are helping them pay for the comfort of AC on that floor.

I know you will find shopping in Bangkok to be some of the best in the world! It's really exciting to find lovely handmade things for such bargain prices! Good luck, and enjoy!

Carol

(I'm here until the 7th if you have questions... but we go to Chiang Mai tomorrow for a short visit until the evening of the 5th. My last shopping day in Bangkok is on Tuesday the 6th)

rhkkmk

nara phand is right across the street from the former world trade center...they sell everything...the basement is especially cheap...it is a smaller mbk...crafts and clothes are especially good there...get off the skytrain as if you were going to trade ctr...

don't forget to look at the jim thompson outlets...down the street from the main store on surawong (fabric only) and soi 93, sukhumvit rd===fabric and general mdse...50%++ savings...

simpsonc510

Aha! Thanks Bob. That means that I already DO shop at Nara Phand. I just call it a Thai Craft Village... guess I didn't know the real name of it. Yes, the basement has some good bargains.

I would ditto Bob (rmk) on making a stop at Jim Thompson. This is really high quality silk! Absolutely gorgeous fabrics. You can buy purses, scarves, pillows, bolts of fabric, mens ties and shirts, etc. It isn't cheap, but you will really love the quality and uniqueness of the items. I get compliments all the time on my various J.T. silk purses. Friends at home have asked me to buy items for them also, since they are not something you see everyday!

Sameera

Central - 10 PM, Emporium and Siam - 9 PM, Suan Lum - opens at 6:30ish, open until 10:30ish, Gaysorn - 8 PM, narai Phand 7 or 8. Jim Thomson factroy outlet at Soi 93 WELL worth a vist however closes at 5 PM daily so factor this into your thinking. One way to go is take the BTS until the last stop i.e. On Nut and then a cab.

orgy7

simpson. Pratunam plaza is half a block from WTC and the GOvt shop..

well as jamesA and I say. if your going to buy some cloths from stalls might as well go too BIG C, tesco/lotos. or Corifour. and pick out something that actually fits you, the prices are the same and you don't have too haggle.

but word is that the discount department stores don't carry a nice sellection of female cloths.

jlaughs

Thank you everyone for your replies. I had planned to go to Pratunam (I believe it's outdoor stalls rather than an actual mall?) because I read that it's the best place for ready-made clothes for "younger" adults. I'm convincing my daughter to not bring her entire wardrobe (she's a clothes horse!), but I want to be sure to take her someplace early in our stay to buy some clothes. Does anyone know if Pratunam is a "night" market? I read somewhere that it closes by mid-afternoon.

Thanks!!

jlaughs

Confirmation?

simpsonc510 says that Suan Lum is open from 10p-midnight while sameera says the hours are from "6:30-ish" to "10:30-ish". I would hate to get there at 10p thinking that we have a couple of hours to shop only to find out that everything closes up in 1/2 hour.

Thanks.

simpsonc510

To my knowledge, there are no set hours at any of the night bazaars. The vendors open at varying times. You will find some at Suan Lum that open 6ish and others start to open closer to 7 or 8, as the people come in to eat and enjoy the beer garden and live entertainment. The vendors will stick around as long as people are there buying! If you go at 8-9ish, you will be there right in the middle of the activity. It's a great place to shop in the evening.

simpsonc510

This week's THIS WEEK magazine (with the TV schedule in it) has an article about Pratunam. It talks about all the clothing there, at cheap prices and very good quality. The location is near the Indra Hotel and Baiyoke Tower. This is known as the "garment center" of BKK. Its hours are 10-9 everyday. It is a building, as the article mentions upscale apartments, a cinema to open soon, food center, and even a luxury spa. Technically speaking, Pratunam Center is a mall/trade center. The business manager says that soon it will have a night bazaar where tourists can go for night shopping. This information is directly from the article.
Carol

orgy7

Pratuman is market comprises of many building spanning a couple of blocks. You can find some bargains but many times you will be dealing with some hard core middle eastern and Nigerian murchants..

jlaughs

Thank you agan for your replies! This helps A LOT. For some reason, I was under the impression that Pratunam was a night market and planned my shopping excursions accordingly. We would have been very disappointed to have gotten there later at night only to find everything locked up tight!

Thanks again!

orgy7

there is a night market in Pratunam but its basically a bunch of street selling food, floweres and some househould items, there may be cloths but nothing speciela. BKK is a true 24 hour city, this market mainly catters too night workers..