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Welcome to Bangkok  Siam Paragon   MBK Center   Chatuchak Weekend Market   Pratunam Market   Khao San Road
> Siam Paragon

Siam Paragon being an upscale shopping mall in Bangkok, Thailand was built on the former location of the Siam Intercontinental Hotel, which was torn down in 2002 at the end of its lease. Siam Paragon is one of the biggest shopping centers in Asia. Opened on December 9, 2005, it includes a wide range of stores and restaurants as well as a multiplex movie theater (consisted of 15 large size theaters with one of the them having the biggest screen and seating capacity in Asia) and the Siam Ocean World aquarium (the largest aquarium in South East Asia) and an exhibition hall and also an opera concert hall. It also has a large bowling alley and karaoke center. It is a joint venture by Siam Piwat, the company that owns the adjacent Siam Center/Siam Discovery shopping malls, and The Mall Group, which also owns The Emporium.

> MBK Center

MBK Center, also known as Mahboonkrong, is an enormous marble shopping mall in Bangkok, Thailand. At eight stories high and 330 metres long, with 2,500 shops using a total selling area of 89,000 square metres, this shopping mall used to be one of the biggest malls in Asia when it was first founded in 1985. It is particularly well known for its many vendors of mobile phones and other electronics, as well as furniture, stores.

Built in 1985 by Chokchai Bulakul, the mall was originally named the Mahboonkruong Center, combining the names "Mah" and "Boonkhrong", Chokchai's mother and father

MBK Center has an average of 105,000 customers daily, and is considered to be the most visited mall in the country. The mall was renovated in 2003-2004 and has become one of the most recognizable buildings in Bangkok.

Siam Square can be accessed from the second floor by a covered, air-conditioned pedestrian bridge over Phaya Thai Road to Bonansa Mall. Via Siam Discovery Center and Siam Center, Siam Paragon, can be accessed by a pedestrian overpass linked to the Bangkok Skytrain National Stadium station. Access to the walkway is through the Tokyu department store on the second floor or from the third floor of the shopping center.

> Chatuchak Weekend Market

Chatuchak (or Jatujak) weekend market in Bangkok is the largest market in Thailand, and largest of the world. Frequently called J.J., it covers over 35 acres (1.13 km²) and contains upwards of 15,000 stalls. It is estimated that the market receives between 200,000 and 300,000 visitors each day. Most stalls only open on Saturdays and Sundays. The market offers a wide variety of products including household items, clothing, Thai handicrafts, religious artifacts, collectibles, foods, and live animals.

Chatuchak market is adjacent to the Kamphaengphet station (MRT) of the Bangkok Metro, or about a 5-minute walk from the Mo Chit Skytrain (BTS) station and Chatuchak Park station (MRT).

> Pratunam Market

Pratunam Market is one of Bangkok's major markets, being Thailand's largest clothing market. The name Pratunam means Water gate.

The market is open 24 hours a day with varying offerings, from 9-20 (in reality more like 11-18) the retail shops are open, later on the evening outdoor stalls mainly geared for tourists come to populate the street sides. It's located at the intersection of Ratchaprarop and Phetburi roads in the district Ratchathewi. This is maybe the cheapest market for buying clothes, fabrics and textiles in central Bangkok, while the Chatuchak weekend market probably is the low price leader.

You can reach this market by BTS Ratchathewi station from there, exit down the right-hand stairs, take a right at the next main intersection and walk down Phetchaburi until you see Platinum department store, the market is directly across the street from Platinum Fashion Mall. Or exit at BTS Chidlom (Chitlom) station, turn north (right) at the Gaysorn Plaza corner and walk past Big C and Central World to next intersection.

> Khao San Road

Khao San road is a short road in central Bangkok, about 1 km north from the Grand Palace with Wat Phra Kaew. It has developed over the years into probably the most profound worldwide example of a "backpackers' ghetto", with relatively cheap accommodation compared to other areas of central Bangkok.

Crafts, paintings, clothes, pirate CDs, DVDs, fake educational diplomas, fake driver's licenses, food, second hand books as well as many items useful to backpackers are among the common goods traded along the road.

Khaosan road has in recent years also become popular among local people, especially artists and art students. The road hosts a number of pubs and bars, where people of many nationalities meet and discuss their travels. Khaosan and the streets nearby are also Bangkok's center of dancing, partying and splashing water during Thai New Year (Songkran festival) on April 13 to April 15.

Khao san means 'raw rice' in Thai. Before it became a tourist hotspot, the street was a major rice market for Bangkok.