Seemingly Endless Shopping MBK is just a beauty bottler mate!

It’s on the BTS skytrain line (that monorail thing that runs through the heart of Bangkok. The BTS station (National stadium) has a sky bridge connection direction from the skytrain into the shopping centre.

Now about MBK

8 stories, 330 meters long, 2,500 shops, total selling area of 89,000 square mtrs (I know I’ve walked it many times). It opened in 1985 and was then one of the biggest shopping malls in all of Asia. Fast forward to 25 years and MBK is no longer one of the largest but it’s still the coolest. Bangkok now has many bigger, newer and “nicer” malls but MBK is most people’s favorite .

The Nationals Stadium skytrain bridge now has a connecting walkway (above the traffic) to Siam centre a newer, more expensive western mall clone which enables you to literally walk for miles through various malls starting at MBK.

Making Shopping Fun
MBK draws tourists from all over the world for its deals. It’s kinda like the Star Wars canteen, there are so many different types of people many whom are dressed in their native garb.

What makes shopping at MBK fun is ALMOST everything is negotiable. The asking price is often slightly marked up. T-shirts are often sold for 150 baht when they will accept 120 or maybe 100. Another benefit to the shopper is the number of competitors, there are literally a dozen shops selling the same item so you can easily walk from shop to shop and shop for the best prices.

MBK Shopping General Guidelines

MBK is not a bargain for high tech gadget. Most high-end, top of the line electronics cost a little less than Aus. Just because you can’t get deals on high end electronics doesn’t mean you can’t get great deals on electronics. MBK is loaded with products such as cell phones, mp3 players and video games which the prices are all negotiable and depend on your bartering ability.

If you’ve never been to MBK there is no way to explain the uniqueness of it.  You just need to go there and experience MBK shopping because it is not like a typical shopping mall experience.  Besides Tokyu department store which is an Asian incarnation of Myers or Aherns which is on the corner of the first 4 floors there are many styles of shops that do not exist in Aus.

The 1^st few floors are the expect mix for a shopping centre

The 3rd and 4^th floor is just outrageous – never seen so many shops selling phones, camera, real or not real dvd software, bargain instant printing shops, record, clothing and

The 5th floor is mostly furniture. The food court “The Fifth Food Avenue” is geared towards tourists.  It has a few different ethnic restaurants and a backpacker/tourist meeting lounge.  You put some money on a credit card and go in and order and they swipe your card.

The 6th floor is mixed with clothes and souvenirs.  The entire south end is loaded with shops selling Thai handicrafts and other souvenirs.  The 6th floor has an extremely ghetto food court where you have to buy these tickets.

The 7th floor has a gigantic karaoke place on the south end and a big neon style bowling alley on the right side. There are around 20 restaurants representing many countries. There is also a small arcade, internet café and around 10 movie theatres The standard movie for matinee is only 100 baht which compared to Aus is the best  deal of Thailand and that includes block busters.

BONUS after about 6pmish the most of the skytrain bridge is converted into a night bizarre by the locals, there are hundreds of locals spreading out a blanket to claim their stall area and displaying all sorts of nik naks at bargain prices. The bridge walkway is well alight and shop till you drop.


here is a link to Thailand's popular Longdo map to show the location http://map.longdo.com/p/A00132350/map