Thai Shopping Malls, the aspiration lifestyle of choice

Siam Paragon Shopping Mall Bangkok next to Siam Square MBS skytrain.

Thai Shopping Malls

Shopping Malls in Thailand have an incredible pull on Thai society. Large sections of Thai society aspire to spend loads of time in smart, clean, air conditioned mega buildings. The modern shopping Mall is packed with the latest fun things to buy, eat, and look at and enjoy. It can often have cinema complexes, bowling alleys, Thai Massage and even attractions like Aquariums, which along with gardens, sculptures and displays, make it the go to entertainment center. Normally there is no bargaining for a deal in the main shops but quiet calm persistence can get some movement of the price if your smile is genuine enough.

SFX Cinema complex in side the Mall

It has also acquired the prestige of a cool (as in hip) place to meet up with friends and hang out. It really is an amazing phenomenon. Most places will have wi fi and internet connection down the mobile is great so you can hang out and be connected.

Not only that, Malls are often have large parking lots and so, for those who have a car, the symbol that shows the world that you have made it in the world, you can arrive in style. Having said that many people arrive on motor bikes, subway, bus, songtail tuk tuk, or simply walk, anything to be apart of the Mall lifestyle.

I think one of the most obvious draws for Thai people is comfort. The Mall removes you from the glaring sun, the heat and the humidity of the Thai seasons. It also provides a level a comparable comfort outside the home, if wealthy, but even a higher level of comfort, if less affluent. You could argue that any smart restaurant with air conditioning has the comfort, but because The Mall is similar to an enclosed village and allows you to walk around like you are in a smart shopping street, able to browse, compare, experience, shop, eat and just past the time of day. In addition it allows you to show how sophisticated you are and how you stand in the world.




The shopping Malls also plays heavily on Thai's love of food. It is rare to visit a country that is so engaged with food. From the simple local food to elegant Thai Royal cuisine, sophisticated tastes to rare and mainstream food franchises, the Shopping Mall is a place to come and meet friends and eat. The convenience of it cannot be stressed. The huge number of people on the roads, the stress of any day to day living can be wiped clean with a walk around the Mall, a chat with friends and a bite to eat.

One of my favourite eating experiences are the Shopping Mall food courts. Surrounding many many tables you have small food outlets with local food. Here you can enjoy all the local street food without the heat of the street, all the local desserts and specialties and often at great value. Normally you buy a swipe card from the kiosk for 100-200 THB, buy any dishes you like, and then return the card, getting any unused credit back in change.

Busy food court in the Mall

(While I'm thinking of it) It's not strictly a Mall but does have multiple food outlet like a Mall. One little gem that is worth knowing is the food court at Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK). It's down stairs near to the Suvarnabhumi skytrain station entrance. This a great place to taste that authentic taste before a flight but also before passport control on departure.

Those who cannot afford the time and money to go to the Mall aspire to this lifestyle. Thai society is quite hierarchical so there is big face if you can go and be at ease with your surroundings. A way to show you are at ease is to walk around with many bags of shopping, ideally with the most expensive brands on show. Huge section of the Thai society love to shop and feel great comfort in buying into well known brands. Marketing people have worked this all out so now their are an entire range of Shopping Mall's that focus in on branding by income and demographic.

Quieter times food court,

Different shopping Mall franchises.
General Malls like Big C or MBK off Siam Square aim at those with a lower income and tweak their business model for exactly the profile of people who can afford the entry level products. The Central Shopping Mall aims at the aspiring middle class and this franchise can be found all over Thailand. High end Malls like The Emporium off Sukhumvit in Bangkok cater to the super wealthy and you can feel that affluence by the watches worn, bags, designer labels of all the customers. So by going to the Mall it  has become a status symbol which measures where you are in society.

MBK Bangkok- Shopping Mall

MBK Shopping Mall

In 2014 the Worlds most used Instagram hashtag for a while was #paragon (siamparagon.co.th) a seven storey mega Mall in Bangkok with all the top clothing (Chanel) brands, high end jewelers (Cartier) and a whole section devoted to selling Porshe, Ferrari, & Lambourgini. This was an aspiration movement hashtag and with over 7 million hits showed that being part of the Mall lifestyle has a profound meaning inside Thailand.

Central Festival Phuket

The Meaning of the Materialism
From a western perspective the Thai Shopping Mall might come over as highly materialistic which, at one level, it is. But there again I think there is more to it. There is massive social cohesion in Thai society and being part of the group represents good. From an early age, children are taught at school to believe that the Thai way is the best way and doing what other Thais do is a good thing. Buying into known brands at popular shopping Malls, eating with other like minder people reaches a deep comfort level that reinforces the belief system.

Another aspect of the success of the Shopping Mall is it's modernity. Modern, not old and backward, is the hallmark of progress. Thai people sees themselves as modern and from a modernizing society, a developing country looking forward optimistically to a brighter future. So in this sense the Mall gives Thai people a sense they are part of the future.

It is important to understand that this isn't a western sense of optimism, it is purely a Thai one based on strong foundations of shared Thai Values, a strong school system to teach them and a profound love of being Thai. So although the Mall looks like something you might see in London, Paris or New York it most definately has a strong Thai twist and theme and very unique social interaction.

What this love of the shopping mall culture tells me about Thai people is that they are very confident about the future and confident on who they are. They are happy to spend and spend as nothing in the future will stop the progress of their country.

Thai food court

If you are a lover of Thai food in all it's guises then a trip down the local food court is one of Thailand's great foodie pleasures. Food courts are a name for an organized places to eat where the landlord will bring together a full and wide range of differing food types. These mini shops are owned by individuals who share their profit with the landlords and have 2-3 meters shop front to sell their specialities. As you go in you buy coupons and use them to buy your meals at the stalls. This ensures that the landlord controls the amount taken. The stall holder gets a percentage of the profit. You can return the coupons for cash at the end.

If you love curry you will love this!

Lining up for the coupons. This doesnt take long.

You might get a couple of curry stalls, a couple of noodle soup variations, Thai salads, chicken and rice, pork, rice specialities and Thai deserts and drinks. You might get Northern Thai food delicacies in the south and southern delicacies in the north so you might find it an excellent place to find food types you cant get in your hotel or resort. There are rarely less than 7 or 8 of these mini stalls in a food court but sometimes, like my favourite in Bangkok Airport, over 20.

Pahd Thai heaven.

I like going to the food courts as my Thai wife can eat something totally different to me and we are both happy. The food show cased is rarely available in restaurants at the same level of originality. I find menus catering to the westerner's tastes relatively mild in flavour and small in variation and so I appreciate this real deal. It is disappointing to me when hotel Thai food is so without any spice and too often lacks the intensity of preparation. The food courts are also fast and very good value.

Thai desserts

The food courts are packed at office meal times but as many people will snack these places are often busy throughout the day. Traditionally the meals are small because it is common to have
a couple of dishes rather than one large meal, European style. More often than not people will eat with friends rather than be alone as is the norm for most of Asia. This means the process of sharing food will allow you to try more than a couple of dishes. This is very Thai, very communal and very sociable.



Variety of food in Thailand often takes a traveller by surprise. The number and variation of ways of preparing rice or noodle, the number of soups types not to mention the variations of vegetable and fruits makes this experience truly memorable if it is your first time.

Fresh Mango with Khao Niaow rice and coconut sauce

Thai food courts are inexpensive, often street food brought into a collective environment to give the eating public a great variation in one location. Nearly all large public buildings seem to have them. They are an essential ingredient of the Shopping mall and can be found in their older format next to old markets.

Issan Food from the North

One of my favourites is at the salubrious Supercheap wholesale market on Thepkrassattri Rd Phuket. Here you can get meals with the freshest ingredients and the tastes that really jump out at you. The curry stall owners vie with each other on choice and variation each day creating over 20 different dishes just on each stall.

As it is linked to the wholesale market it brings in fresh produce and the meals are sold to those who know fresh and in that sense have high standards. It's not the cleanest of venues, it is open air without air con but the through put of food and the 600 degrees in which food is cooked ensures safe eating (well for me anyway).

A mix match plate from a curry stall

Another surprise food court I love is at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport. Click on the link to see a video. You have to dig through the airport map to find it as it is there for the workers at the airport and anybody wanting the original local tastes of Thailand. (The food court is near the MRT, the modern rail link, entrance).

One final gem. Seafood which is so hard to find in many parts of Europe can be found at many food courts especially if you are near the sea. As well as having a stunning variation it comes at fantastic value. This is worth checking out.

Bar BQ squid .... wow

If you are staying in a Hotel or resort or seviced apartment you will not find food like this around the premises. If this kind of food exploration excites you then take a walk or get down to the nearest shopping Mall and head for the top floor.

More links to articles on Thai Food
Dining on Phi Phi Island
Recommended Trendy Restaurants in Phuket
Thai cooking classes
Restaurants in Haad Rin
Bangkok restaurants
Recommended Restaurants in Pattaya