Siam Paragon Grand Opening

Posted by Stuart at 06:18 PM on December 10, 2005

Perhaps only in Thailand will the opening of a shopping mall draw the biggest crowd in the country. Well, I don't actually know if the thousands of people at Siam Paragon yesterday was "Thailand's biggest crowd ever", but it was a remarkable turn out for a mall that is less than 50% finished.

But what was finished was fairly impressive: the 6 story atrium with a wall made out of tropical plants, the Lambergini, Masarati, and Porche showrooms, the gourmet grocery store, the biggest aquarium in Asia, the biggest bookstore in Thailand. I've been watching the mall grow from the Siam Skytrain station, and I have to say that the inside is much more beautiful than the outside.

It was also perhaps the biggest collection of VIPs Thailand has seen in years: bank CEOs, politicians, hundreds of big-haired khunying and more male and female models than I have ever seen in one place.

I didn't actually do any shopping, and so I don't know how the prices are, so who knows if I will actually shop there. The Paragon department store is the same as Central Chit Lom. And the food court contains the usual fare. Most of the mall, however, is of little use to me, as it is made up of luxury stores that seem to be aiming for the Asian tourist market. After all, how many Hermes or Prada stores does a developing country like Thailand really need?

In any case, it is a beautiful mall. I am sure I will visit now and then, if for the Kinokuniya bookstore and the easy access from the Siam Skytrain station.

For more details, see SIAM PARAGON: Bt15-billion mall set for grand debut from the Nation newspaper.