What's happening at KSK?

[chingmai331]

Looks to me like half the ground floor, near TOPS supermarket, is now being renovated.  The Food Factory and all the food stalls are gone, the mobile phone shops likewise.  The small copy shop has a notice of removal to another location, etc.

If anyone can read enough Thai, or knows someone with knowledge, plz tell us.  Gods, i hope trash shops catering to Chinese tourists are not moving in.

I am not a racist but do not like the chinese culture.

[midas]

Isn't that area  more like basement rather than ground floor?

[daoyai]

Elvis has left the building !!! I like KSK, you could get a beer at the Food Factory anytime, the resto next to the stage has (had?) good roast duck......and Elvis.

[simoh1490]

One of the best theatre auditoriums in Chiang Mai on the top floor of that building, a superb setting for stage shows/orchestra's etc, I don't understand why it's not used more.

[midzo]

1 hour ago, simoh1490 said:

One of the best theatre auditoriums in Chiang Mai on the top floor of that building, a superb setting for stage shows/orchestra's etc, I don't understand why it's not used more.

 

Owner wants 70,000 baht a night for the rental. Only big (read:expensive) shows with good sales and high ticket prices can make any money here. Good sales means a Thai audience, doubtful there are enough farang theatre enthusiasts in Chiang Mai to fill the 1500-seat house.

 

The smaller Thai shows in the space are mounted by the owner’s niece who operates the performing arts school at KSK and gets free rental. 

 

A shame. It’s a gorgeous theater and it's rotting away. The beautiful, 128 channel sound board is not covered and the dust is ruining it. A lot of the sliders are already dead. 

[sfokevin]

With recent reports of earthquake tremors I have made a point to stay away from KSK... 

[NancyL]

The signs say something about the food court moving up to level 3, where there was an operational food court back by the old, now closed IT City.  That food court closed some time before IT City closed, when it was in the process of down-sizing its operation and not many people came to that part of the mall any more.  Apparently, they'll reopen it and one can hope that Elvis and the beer towers will return.  

 

I'd heard that they're renovating the basement of the mall to be a children's play zone, much like they've done near the cinema at Central Airport Plaza.  Sounds like a good idea to me, to try to draw in young, local families and not more tourists.  Leave Maya Mall for them. 

 

 

 

 

[elektrified]

They are completely renovating the basement floor. Most of the shops are moving to the Ground and 1st Floors.

 

I agree, Kad Suan Kaew is one of the best places in Chiang Mai. It's where we always shop for bed and linens, towels, clothes, and shoes. We have bought every mobile and tablet we own there over the last 11 years. The pharmacist next to Tops, although not cheap by any means, is perhaps the most knowledgeable in Chiang Mai. The massage places on the basement floor have well experienced, older personnel, are clean, and a steal at 150 Baht when almost everywhere else in town has gone up to 180. I can pay all of my bills in KSK in 10 minutes time. In Central Festival it could take 30-40 minutes and now some banks there are charging 10 Baht per bill.

 

And yes, the theater upstairs is excellent!

[NancyL]

I don't know if I'd call the theater at KSK "excellent" but it certainly is a very good value and convenient -- when they have English language soundtrack.  But very few of their films have English soundtrack.  Recently, I decided to see "The Greatest Showman" on a whim at KSK, having noticed it playing with an English soundtrack, but also having started 15 minutes earlier.  The staff at the ticket booth flat out refused to sell me a ticket, despite my pointing out that all films are proceeded by 20-30 minutes of trailers and ads, so the film itself hadn't actually started.  I think it was related to their ticket selling computer no longer permitting them to sell a ticket for that show.  OK -- sell me a ticket for the next showing and let me into this one.  "Can not do.  Must wait for next show".  Frustrated,  and now on a mission to see that movie, I hopped into a tuk-tuk and saw the film at Maya Mall, where they sold me a ticket despite the film having "officially" started two minutes earlier. 

[Ulysses G.]

I think he meant the theater for plays, not the movie theater. I remember when KSK was first built. It was the first real modern shopping mall in Chiang Mai. I have a real soft spot for the place.

[elektrified]

18 minutes ago, NancyL said:

I don't know if I'd call the theater at KSK "excellent" but it certainly is a very good value and convenient -- when they have English language soundtrack.  But very few of their films have English soundtrack.  Recently, I decided to see "The Greatest Showman" on a whim at KSK, having noticed it playing with an English soundtrack, but also having started 15 minutes earlier.  The staff at the ticket booth flat out refused to sell me a ticket, despite my pointing out that all films are proceeded by 20-30 minutes of trailers and ads, so the film itself hadn't actually started.  I think it was related to their ticket selling computer no longer permitting them to sell a ticket for that show.  OK -- sell me a ticket for the next showing and let me into this one.  "Can not do.  Must wait for next show".  Frustrated,  and now on a mission to see that movie, I hopped into a tuk-tuk and saw the film at Maya Mall, where they sold me a ticket despite the film having "officially" started two minutes earlier. 

Theatre and not the cinema which is awful.

[scorecard]

8 minutes ago, Ulysses G. said:

I think he meant the theater for plays, not the movie theater. I remember when KSK was first built. It was the first real modern shopping mall in Chiang Mai. I have a real soft spot for the place.

 

Agree, in it's hayday it was great.

[simoh1490]

45 minutes ago, NancyL said:

I don't know if I'd call the theater at KSK "excellent" but it certainly is a very good value and convenient -- when they have English language soundtrack.  But very few of their films have English soundtrack.  Recently, I decided to see "The Greatest Showman" on a whim at KSK, having noticed it playing with an English soundtrack, but also having started 15 minutes earlier.  The staff at the ticket booth flat out refused to sell me a ticket, despite my pointing out that all films are proceeded by 20-30 minutes of trailers and ads, so the film itself hadn't actually started.  I think it was related to their ticket selling computer no longer permitting them to sell a ticket for that show.  OK -- sell me a ticket for the next showing and let me into this one.  "Can not do.  Must wait for next show".  Frustrated,  and now on a mission to see that movie, I hopped into a tuk-tuk and saw the film at Maya Mall, where they sold me a ticket despite the film having "officially" started two minutes earlier. 

The Theatre, not the cinema, go one floor up.

[malibukid]

i spoke with someone yesterday and the food court will reopen in 4 months? i do not see how the place can remain open with all the empty shops.  my guess is Tops. love KSK's funk factor

Edited January 16, 2018 by malibukid

[masuk]

16 hours ago, midas said:

Isn't that area  more like basement rather than ground floor?

Yes, but the strange numbering system used in parts of the city have the GROUND floor listed as FIRST.    

[ramrod711]

Rumor has it that some of it will be closed for renovation for a period of 4 months. When that portion reopens they will close another area for a 4 month renovation.

[ChiangMaiLightning2143]

3 hours ago, masuk said:

Yes, but the strange numbering system used in parts of the city have the GROUND floor listed as FIRST.    

 American English perhaps where Ground floor equals first floor? The Food Factory/Topps level is actually not a basement as one must walk up stairs then down to enter. Rear exit is level with the parking lot.

[NancyL]

22 minutes ago, ChiangMaiLightning2143 said:

 American English perhaps where Ground floor equals first floor? The Food Factory/Topps level is actually not a basement as one must walk up stairs then down to enter. Rear exit is level with the parking lot.

From the front (i.e. Huay Kaew Rd.) entrance, one definitely walks down stairs to get to the Food Factory/Topps level and it sure "feels" like a basement down there, doesn't it?

[ChiangMaiLightning2143]

I call it the basement too. I hope I can find the small print shop guy I need new business cards.

[Lacessit]

I've always thought of KSK as the grottiest and least appealing of the shopping malls in CM.

[daoyai]

46 minutes ago, ChiangMaiLightning2143 said:

I call it the basement too. I hope I can find the small print shop guy I need new business cards.

He is now located near the outdoor parking entrance. 

[klg333]

On ‎1‎/‎16‎/‎2018 at 3:05 AM, ChiangMaiLightning2143 said:

 American English perhaps where Ground floor equals first floor? The Food Factory/Topps level is actually not a basement as one must walk up stairs then down to enter. Rear exit is level with the parking lot.

The Tops level is below ground so I go with basement.

The rear entrance of the mall is level with the parking lot, but from there you must walk down a set of stairs to get to Tops. 

Of the three front entrances of the mall, two go down to the Tops level.

[klg333]

On ‎1‎/‎16‎/‎2018 at 4:22 AM, Lacessit said:

I've always thought of KSK as the grottiest and least appealing of the shopping malls in CM.

I agree that KSK is the least appealing mall now.  But 20-something years ago when it was the first and only mall in CM, it looked great.

I was told by a local Thai that the owners are unwilling to buy tenants out from their leases so they can renovate, so that's why it's been looking more and more sad and empty.

I hope the renovations are successful.

[NancyL]

4 hours ago, klg333 said:

I agree that KSK is the least appealing mall now.  But 20-something years ago when it was the first and only mall in CM, it looked great.

I was told by a local Thai that the owners are unwilling to buy tenants out from their leases so they can renovate, so that's why it's been looking more and more sad and empty.

I hope the renovations are successful.

I wouldn't write off KSK just yet.  It's a good sign that they're spending some money on the place.  A few years ago, Tops did a nice little remodeling job, too -- remember? 

 

And I heard from some top management person that I ran into at a Rotary function in Bangkok that the Central dept store in KSK, while being one of their smallest and oldest is also one of their top performers, on a sales per square foot basis.  They are going to have a tough decision when it comes to the time of "what to do" when their lease expires, which I think is just in a 2-3 years, since I heard this story a few years ago.  Since then, they've moved the major appliances and electronics to Power Buy, but this allowed them to upgrade their housewares and bedding/bath considerably. 

 

I made a special trip to Central Festival recently to buy bedding, thinking they'd have a better selection and then found the same items at Central KSK when I stopped in to use their toilets later.  Definitely a much better selection than they had in the past.  And kicking myself that I spent 20,000 baht at Central Festival instead of Central KSK, incidentally.

[ChiangMaiLightning2143]

By look of the illustrations the area is to be replaced by new gift shops to serve the hoards following flags.

One mall can't support three food courts.



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[thaibeachlovers]

On ‎1‎/‎16‎/‎2018 at 8:48 AM, midzo said:

 

Owner wants 70,000 baht a night for the rental. Only big (read:expensive) shows with good sales and high ticket prices can make any money here. Good sales means a Thai audience, doubtful there are enough farang theatre enthusiasts in Chiang Mai to fill the 1500-seat house.

 

The smaller Thai shows in the space are mounted by the owner’s niece who operates the performing arts school at KSK and gets free rental. 

 

A shame. It’s a gorgeous theater and it's rotting away. The beautiful, 128 channel sound board is not covered and the dust is ruining it. A lot of the sliders are already dead. 

I hate to say this, but that does sound typical. I once visited the "science" museum in Bkk and it was just pathetic. They had some historical railway cars outside just rotting away.

I guess it's just not Thainess to make the most of things.

Next door to where I'm living is a 3 storey place been left empty for decades that would make a great hotel, but owner won't allow it to be used.

Rather sad really.

[thaibeachlovers]

On ‎1‎/‎16‎/‎2018 at 4:22 PM, Lacessit said:

I've always thought of KSK as the grottiest and least appealing of the shopping malls in CM.

True. They just abandoned it after the newer ones opened. No maintenance and it was badly designed anyway. 

Almost impossible to find toilets in the place, and when I did closed for cleaning ( or because the toilets were broken ).

[NancyL]

1 minute ago, thaibeachlovers said:

True. They just abandoned it after the newer ones opened. No maintenance and it was badly designed anyway. 

Almost impossible to find toilets in the place, and when I did closed for cleaning ( or because the toilets were broken ).

Best toilets in KSK are on the first two levels of the Central dept store.

[thaibeachlovers]

17 minutes ago, NancyL said:

Best toilets in KSK are on the first two levels of the Central dept store.

Oh, I know where the toilets are NOW, but took me ages to find them. Every other mall has loads of toilets in easy to find places.

[NancyL]

13 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Oh, I know where the toilets are NOW, but took me ages to find them. Every other mall has loads of toilets in easy to find places.

Yes, of course, but KSK was built ages ago.  It's like trying to find the public toilets at Warorot or Tanin markets.  They exist and are adequate, but not exactly well signed.  Actually better than the toilets at KSK that are outside Central dept store.  At least in the Warorot and Tanin markets you can pay someone a few baht for toilet paper and there is usually soap at the handwashing station.