Three Countries In Ten Days: A City Tour Of Bangkok Part 2
August 21st, 2009 by Kitci Wong
In my previous article, I enumerated some of the attractions that one can visit while touring Bangkok like Pantip Plaza and the Chatuchak Weekend Market. Of course, the list does not stop here.
MAHBOONKRONG or MBK CENTER – This mall carries the tagline, “The Most Visited Mall in Bangkok.” Come to think of it, no trip to Bangkok will ever be complete without a visit to this famous shopping stop. There are loads of fun stuff to buy here from clothes, to shoes, bags, electronics, and souvenirs among others.
Tourists who visit MBK Center can get an MBK Tourist Discount Card for free at Information Counter located practically on every floor. This card was introduced in 2005 as a marketing tool to make sure that all shoppers, most especially tourists, of the mall are satisfied with each visit. This card is presented to the different partner establishments in order to claim certain free items and discounts. Partner merchants include Hanako Tokyo, Star Coffee, Pepper Lunch, Swensens, Jin E Mon, Yogen Fruz, Colorful Club, Sumo, Good Old Days Shop, Brasiere, Cute Press Shop, Campus, Nice Face, Beauty Home, Tantara Health Spa, Amaxs, Santa’s Calos, Body Glove, and Ajisen Ramen.
Aside from the MBK Tourist Discount Card, mall visitors can also avail of special services. These services include free Bangkok City Maps for Tourists, Wheelchair Services, and the Muslim Prayer Rooms. Another very useful service that is being offered by MBK is the Bag Deposit Service. These service counters are open from 11:00 am to 9:00 pm.
SIAM DISCOVERY AND SIAM CENTER – After spending long hours at MBK, it would be a fantastic idea to cross over and visit other famous malls in Bangkok. Located just a stone’s throw away from MBK are other high end malls – Siam Discovery Center and Siam Center. These shopping centers can be accessed through a pedestrian overpass that is linked to the Bangkok Skytrain specifically at the National Stadium station.
Siam Discovery Center and Siam Center are located on Phayathai Road just opposite Siam Square. The Siam Center was built in 1973 and is considered one of the oldest malls in Bangkok. It currently has a total of four floors. On the other hand, the Siam Discovery Center is quite new. It was built in 1997 and has seven floors of pure shopping bliss.
Tourists who prefer a less crowded shopping area will enjoy roaming within these shopping centers. Time will pass quickly with the hundreds of shops occupy the multiple floors of the Siam Discovery Center and Siam Center. These malls offer a number of great shops, restaurants serving fusion cuisines, and entertainment choices. Visitors who are tired of all the walking and shopping can head to the luxurious cinema houses to catch the latest blockbuster movies. Cinema houses that are located in these malls have large movie screens, comfortable reclining seats and impressive tables that are complete with ice buckets!
GEMS GALLERY – Visitors who are tired of going to malls can stop by another spectacular attraction in Bangkok. Head to the Gem Gallery and go jewelry shopping at what Thais consider as the World’s Biggest Jewelry Store. This store, which was opened to the public in 1987, is well-known in all of Thailand and can be found in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pattaya, and Phuket.
Visitors of the Gems Gallery are immediately treated to free welcome drinks upon arrival. A representative will greet guests and accompany guests to the demonstration room where the initial stages of gem production take place. From here, the representative with lead visitors to the sales counters where there are rows and rows of jewelry on display. Anyone who loves precious stones and gems is going to enjoy browsing through the different collections. There are gold pieces, diamond encrusted necklaces, rings with birth stones, sparkling emeralds, glistening rubies, and even pearls.
Jewelry pieces that need to be adjusted are repaired in less than thirty minutes. Shoppers can stay at the lounge area and sip coffee while they wait. After shopping at Gems Gallery, the store will even arrange for a van for visitors and bring them back to any hotel in Bangkok like Admiral Premier Bangkok. That is certainly service deluxe.
After having a city tour of Bangkok, my partner and I decided to arrange for a taxi that will drive us all the way to the olden city of Ayutthaya.
(TO BE CONTINUED)
HELPFUL INFORMATION:
MBK Center
Address: 444 Payathai Rd., Patumwan, Bangkok
Contact Number: +66-2620-9000
Operating Hours: 11:00 am – 9:00 pm
Website: http://www.mbk-center.co.th/en/
SIAM DISCOVERY CENTER
Operating Hours: 10:00 am to 10:00 pm
Website: http://www.siampiwat.com/php/siam_discovery/index.php
SIAM CENTER
Contact Numbers: +66 02 658 1000 to 19
Operating Hours: 9:00 am to 9:00 pm
Website: http://www.siampiwat.com/php/siam_center/index.php
GEMS GALLERY
Address: 198/23-24 Rama VI Road, Samsaennai, Phayathai, Bangkok 10400
Contact Number: +66 02 2271 0150
Operating Hours: 9:00 am – 7:00 pm
Website: http://www.gems-gallery.com/home/
No other city is as vibrant and alive as 
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August 21st, 2009 at 12:02 pm
I’d like to go back to chatuchak market and MBK. It’s fun to shop there!!!
August 21st, 2009 at 5:09 pm
You’re absolutely right Herbie! You would not even know where to start hahaha
September 11th, 2009 at 8:11 pm
Nice Stuffs. I will keep visiting this very often.I don’t know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading.Cud U Give Me Some Information On Camera Sale??
October 16th, 2009 at 10:18 am
Van leasing also allows for the individual to give up a van after it has been driven for a couple of years. At that time, the individual may consider the van to be outdated or they may simply not want to stay with a van that has been run down with regular use. Once the leasing period is up, the individual can simply return the van to the leasing company and enter into a new lease for a new van.