Description: Talking about it in the USBack from
Thailand, I attempted to describe the size of the upgraded Central World to a friend. He lives in
Santa Fe and seldom has seen anything taller than a tree.
"Probably all the shops in
Hollywood could fit within it comfortably," I told him.
"Also there I haven’t been," was the dry answer, and I gave up.
Talking about it in BoliviaI was telling about Central World to a Bolivian friend.
"Is it as big as the
Abasto Market?" he asked.
He was referring to the biggest shopping center in Buenos Aires and one of the biggest in South America; the comparison was ridiculous.
"The Abasto Market would get lost within the Central World!" I answered and met a dubious look.
Dinosaurian DimensionsCentral World dimensions are difficult to comprehend; it is the second largest shopping mall complex in
South East Asia after SM City North EDSA in Quezon City, Philippines, which is the second largest in the world.
After having been stripped of its title as largest in Thailand by Siam Paragon, it was re-opened in 2006 after extensive renovations with 550000 square meters of shopping mall and an awesome total of 1024000 square meters of retail area, offices and hotel rooms. Needless to say, Siam Paragon moved down to second place.
Numbers mean little. The colossus cannot even be appreciated with a single look; you must walk around it just to see the different towers and to comprehend the inner structure of the shopping mall. The danger of creating an alienating environment under such reality is real; yet, the place is friendly and attractive. Another measure to its gargantuan dimensions is the fact that well over 100000 customers visit it every day, yet the place looks spacious and crowds do not form.
HistoryThe eight-story World Trade Center shopping mall was opened in 1990; later, in 2002, it was acquired by the Central Group and renamed Central World Plaza. Central Pattana – the largest operator of shopping centers in Thailand - got a 30-year lease on the site from the owner, the Crown Property Bureau land.
A massive renovation began in 2003 as an answer to the then unfinished Siam Paragon and the mall was expanded from 300000 square meters to its actual size. In 2005 it was renamed again as Central World.
SurroundingsCentral World is only one among various similar malls in an area that reminds of Orchard Road in
Singapore, or Tsim Sha Tsui in
Hong Kong. Siam Paragon, Siam Center, Siam Discovery Center, MBK Center, Platinum Fashion Mall, Pantip Plaza, the MBK, Central Chidlom, and Amarin Plaza are only part of the shopping centers in the adjacent area.
AccessCentral World is located between the Chit Lom and the Siam stations of the
Skytrain. The elevated walkway connecting the stations includes an entry to the mall. Other elevated walkways connect it to Gaysorn and Big C, just across Ratchadamri Road.
An exciting option is arriving by
express boat; the Khlong Saen Saep Express Boat has a stop at the nearby Pratunam pier.
What’s in the Colossus?
The original structure of the World Trade Center was boxy and quite dark; the large corridors were illuminated exclusively by electric lights and could be defined as claustrophobic to some extent. The new structure lets in lots of sunlight and due to the size, the only reminder you are inside a building is the air conditioning.
Beyond allowing light in, the expansion created a second street within the mall. The street further away of Ratchadamri Road is the new one; the two streets run parallel to each other and are connected by various alleys, except at the center, through which a third street runs. The overall effect is of being within a covered town.
The four corners of the structure allow orientation. Zen is on the Ratchadamri-
Ploen Chit junction corner, Isetan on the opposite corner along Ratchadamri Road. The Office Tower is on the corner next to Zen and on Rama I Road, while the Centara Grand & Bangkok Convention Centre, a 5-star hotel tower, is behind Isetan. Its tower, despite not being amidst the city tallest buildings is with no doubt one of its most distinctive buildings.
The PlazaOutside the mall is a big plaza covering an area of 8000 square meters, due to its size it is used for the New Year's Countdown party and big art expositions that change from time to time.
The plaza includes two large, beautiful and surprising temples. The one, solid and low, is the Ganesh Shrine; it is dedicated to the Hindu Elephant God, which is considered here as a benefactor. Flower garlands, bananas and fresh stalks of sugarcane are given to it as offerings. Near it is the larger, whiter and taller Trimurati Shrine, amidst a shallow, black pool. It consists of three pillars representing the Hindu gods Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. The offerings here include red flowers, candles and incense. The fact that most of the worshipers are Theravada Buddhists is another odd peculiarity of the Thai society.
IsetanThis department store occupies the northeastern corner of Central World. Of Japanese origins, it is one of the most attractive stores in town, especially so since it offers many useful services, including accepting foreign currency (US, Singapore and Hong Kong dollars, and Japanese yens), an ATM and VAT refund (for tourists who spent more than 2000 baht in a given day and at least 5000 in total). A baby rest area and playland, a storage area for purchases and the excellent Kinokuniya Bookstore complete the picture.
On its third floor and facing the plaza below is the Sun Moulin Cafe Bakery; it offers an attractive bakery buffet between 12 PM and 2:30 PM and awesome top sights of the shrines in the plaza.
ZenOn the corner of Ratchadamri Road with Ploen Chit Road – one of the main intersections of Bangkok and where the two Skytrain lines meet – is ZEN. This seven stories high store is branded as Asia's first lifestyle trend megastore.
SF World CinemaOn the complex seventh floor is the SF World Cinema, An upscale cinema with 15 screens, the 800 seats World Max Screen and luxury first-class theatres. Since 2007, this is the site of the Bangkok International Film Festival.
B2SB2S is a Thai bookstore and media chain, their three-story shop at Central World is their main location in the country and offers a decent choice of books and music. However, do not expect to find the latest English books there.
OthersI have visited the place many times, before and after the upgrade; yet, I am not ashamed to admit I do not know it completely. To achieve that, I would need to spend a whole month locked in there. An extensive list of the shops is behind the scope of an article like this one; instead, I’ll mention a few worthy places. Needless to say, every imaginable service for the traveler is available here; the information desk at the center of the entry level is a reliable and polite source of information.
Bread TalkThe excellent bread stores from
Singapore can be now visited in Thailand. They have redefined the concept of bread and offer exciting items like "Floss" (bread with shredded pork) and "Mount Fuji." A must.
Thailand Knowledge ParkThis area includes a library, several internet kiosks and other media facilities. Some of the shops offer extra-luxurious conditions of work.
OthersAlso the international Zara department store has a shop here. Beyond that, Samsonite, Swarovski, Guess, Timberland, Starbucks, Marks & Spencer, Bossini and many others fail to fill up the monster-mall’s inner space.
Close