MangoVine
Adventures in East Asia

Entries in Shopping

 04 December, 2009
Friday Mah Boon Krong (MBK) Center in Bangkok
The MBK Center, also known as Mah Boon Krong, is a large, eight storey high shopping mall in Bangkok. Opening in 1985, it is also one of the oldest shopping malls in Asia and hosts around 2,000 stores, restaurants and entertainment facilities.

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MBK can be reached on foot via either of the BTS Skytrain stations Siam or National Stadium, and isn't far from other major shopping destinations such as Siam Paragon or Central World.

Read more... 03 December, 2009
Thursday Bangkok’s Suan Lum Night Bazaar
With hindsight, Suan Lum Night Bazaar was actually quite a relaxed place to browse and shop, not least because the night brought about a cooler environment. It was massive and tiring to try and look through everything, but nowhere near as daunting or as packed as the gigantic Chatuchak Market, which we visited a few days after.

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At Suan Lum, there's also a large, open-spaced food and drinks area which is great for a break in between browsing, but more on that lower down.

Read more... 03 December, 2009
Thursday Buddhas in Bangkok
In the early evening, we took a taxi from Wat Pho to the nearest MRT station (to get to Suan Lum Night Bazaar) and there was a helluvalot of traffic. It took almost an hour to travel what seemed like a couple of miles. In London, this would have cost a fortune, but its a little cheaper in Bangkok, so Linh and I decided to stay in the cab.

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During the journey, I think we passed close to Bangkok's Chinatown, judging by the direction. We crawled along one stretch of road that looked more like Buddha Town since it was lined with shops selling statues of the enlightened one. Statues were available in a liftable size...

Read more... 03 December, 2009
Thursday Amulet Shopping and other Market Stuff
In Thailand, amulets are considered by some to be a vital form of spiritual protection from malevolent spirits and misfortune. They are small items that can be worn around a neck, made from bronze, clay, plaster or gold and can be individually hand-crafted or mass produced.

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The most popular of images on amulets are copies of sacred statues, revered holy men, kings, healers or monks. However, its the amulet's history that determines its efficacy with factors including where and by whom it was made, and whether a monk has been called upon to consecrate it.

Read more... 02 December, 2009
Wednesday Bangkok’s Central World Shopping Complex and Square over Christmas
Central World is the largest shopping complex in Bangkok and actually the second largest in Southeast Asia, the largest being a mall in the Philippines.

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It's marketed as a middle class shopping centre, which kind of gives an idea about the range of brands inside. To me, normally quite accessible and mostly affordable. Buying something however, is another matter, since there's sometimes little point in shopping for goods that look like they'd be available in Europe and besides, we're on a (travel) budget.

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