Goodbye 20 Baht Store! (Kad Suen Kaew)

[FolkGuitar]

23 hours ago, FolkGuitar said:

 

I shop there regularly. At least twice a week if not more. It's very convenient, has most everything I need for day to day life, and the prices are right. As a matter of fact, we're off to dinner there in about 30 minutes!

 

45 minutes ago, SiamAndy said:

What did you eat?  Which restaurants in KSK are good?

 

We changed our minds and went to Ai Sushi for some Japanese foods.   I not a fan of any of the restaurants in Kad Suan Kaew, although Pizza Hut is popular. We were just going to graze the food stalls but decided on a nicer sit-down meal.

[Mapguy]

News of the KSK shopping area's impending demise has been posted for more than ten years!

 

The maintenance and utilization of the attached hotel is also nearly as terrible as the shopping area has been in as many years.

 

The bowling alley should be best relocated in Myanmar!

 

What would be a loss, however, is the theatre, however, which is an under-used jewel.  There is nothing comparable in town.

 

But, all in all,  that hulking brick monstrosity of a building with its endless empty warrens of rooms and hallways should be leveled simply for aesthetic reasons!  At the very least, it needs to be tuck pointed before it collapses!

Edited January 7, 2019 by Mapguy

[moontang]

On 12/17/2018 at 7:57 AM, neeray said:

If they chose to stick with 20 baht (about $1 more or less in other currencies), rising costs of inventory from suppliers would eat away at their profit margin.

But they could have done like other "dollar stores" and modified their business plan and marketing slightly so that they could stock and offer two and three dollar items as well.

This has proven very successful in other similar stores (and in other countries).

I agree, these stores are great for "some" items. I'm a regular.

Dollar Tree and 99.99 Cents Only both stuck with the dollar only plan, and do very well.  Walmart beats the pants of Dollar General or Family Dollar...there are a few 20 THB stores across from CMU on the Suthep side...I avoid the glassware because of the lead..for just a little more, you can get pure glass from Central..Ocean brand..

[elektrified]

On 1/7/2019 at 9:40 PM, Mapguy said:

News of the KSK shopping area's impending demise has been posted for more than ten years!

 

The maintenance and utilization of the attached hotel is also nearly as terrible as the shopping area has been in as many years.

 

The bowling alley should be best relocated in Myanmar!

 

What would be a loss, however, is the theatre, however, which is an under-used jewel.  There is nothing comparable in town.

 

But, all in all,  that hulking brick monstrosity of a building with its endless empty warrens of rooms and hallways should be leveled simply for aesthetic reasons!  At the very least, it needs to be tuck pointed before it collapses!

They are not going to demolish it. They did a cost analysis and I believe the estimate was over 65-75 million THB to demolish it (controlled demolition by explosive devices) and Thannon Huay Kaew as well as other roads/sois would be practically inaccessible for at least a year, while caravans of dump trucks hauled away debris. That isn't going to happen. Believe it or not, C.M. people are very fond of KSK and have many memories of their kids/grand-kids attending graduation parties, birthdays, and the like there. They don't want to see it go.

 

Yes, the theatre is really amazing.

Edited January 9, 2019 by elektrified

[Dante99]

On 1/7/2019 at 9:40 PM, Mapguy said:

News of the KSK shopping area's impending demise has been posted for more than ten years!

 

The maintenance and utilization of the attached hotel is also nearly as terrible as the shopping area has been in as many years.

 

The bowling alley should be best relocated in Myanmar!

 

What would be a loss, however, is the theatre, however, which is an under-used jewel.  There is nothing comparable in town.

 

But, all in all,  that hulking brick monstrosity of a building with its endless empty warrens of rooms and hallways should be leveled simply for aesthetic reasons!  At the very least, it needs to be tuck pointed before it collapses!

Right Mapguy make CM more like your old home, rebuild it to your standards, you are the boss.
 

Check in with Mounting, he spends about 50% of his mental time back in his old home.  He too knows the way things s h o u l d be.

Edited January 9, 2019 by Dante99

[bloody tiger]

I love that store, best 20 baht shop I've yet to see, sad to hear it's gone. I hope the rest of it's chain aren't gone, but I'm thinking if busy KSK has gone then they've probably come afoul of the law/tax/under counter payments!
They had 7 outlests although I only knew location of original store & KSK.

The original store is/was located on Chotana Soi 22 which is north of the super HWY, not quite to the inner ring road, about half way between the 107 rd and Ping river, alongside a 7eleven
https://goo.gl/maps/fPjkYi13cQt
 

[bloody tiger]

On 1/6/2019 at 4:15 PM, FolkGuitar said:

  On 1/6/2019 at 3:26 PM, SiamAndy said:

What did you eat?  Which restaurants in KSK are good?

"Kincen" has good food and won't break the budget

 

[SiamAndy]

What does KSK charge for parking a motorbike? Is there a charge for parking a bicycle?

[roo860]

What does KSK charge for parking a motorbike? Is there a charge for parking a bicycle?

5bt for motorbike, bicycle don't know, won't break the bank whatever it is

Sent from my SM-G920F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[stament]

On 12/11/2018 at 2:50 PM, SiamAndy said:

How long was that store in Kad Suan Kaew? I only shopped there for a month and then it just closed and disappeared.  Know of any other 20 baht shops nearby?

 

 

It's still there or at least another one is. I was in there yesterday and it's the same one from months back I visited.

[elektrified]

On 1/10/2019 at 1:59 PM, bloody tiger said:

"Kincen" has good food and won't break the budget

 

Never been there and don't plan to go, but that place has been there (I believe) since KSK first opened. My wife used to go there after school (and she's 40)! She said that at the time, the place was absolutely packed with teenagers on dates as it was one of the very few places in town that offered "Western-style" food back then.

[orchis]

On 12/30/2018 at 4:47 PM, moe666 said:

How long do you think KSG has been there, it looked the same 9 years ago. It was the first mall in Chiang Mai

Since February 1992

[SamSanuk]

17 hours ago, stament said:

It's still there or at least another one is. I was in there yesterday and it's the same one from months back I visited.

Yes, they just reopened....looks almost the same. Front register is different, and some different items, but the 20 Baht store is back!

 

This is Thailand!

[SiamAndy]

2 hours ago, SamSanuk said:

Yes, they just reopened....looks almost the same. Front register is different, and some different items, but the 20 Baht store is back!

 

This is Thailand!

It is a 20 Baht store but it is a different owner. The employees of the new store don't wear the blue polo shirts that have the 20 Baht and Thai lettering.

[chingmai331]

Bicycle parking at KSK is FREE.  Bike locking rack on near basement entrance, next to Doi Saket massage. 

I note the new 'Tasty Factory' food court is twinning the one at Maya, but more open tables for casual sitting. And of course lots of chinese writing and directed gift buying opportunities.  One consequence of the new food court is that the TOPS food court is shrinking. 

I generally only eat at the Kad market food court where i can get brown rice/vegs/ etc for 40/50 baht a big plate. But only open mid-day, not evening.

Let me count the donut shops at KSK: 5 at least! Body rotters of the first order is the donut.

[NancyL]

On 1/9/2019 at 11:40 AM, elektrified said:

They are not going to demolish it. They did a cost analysis and I believe the estimate was over 65-75 million THB to demolish it (controlled demolition by explosive devices) and Thannon Huay Kaew as well as other roads/sois would be practically inaccessible for at least a year, while caravans of dump trucks hauled away debris. That isn't going to happen. Believe it or not, C.M. people are very fond of KSK and have many memories of their kids/grand-kids attending graduation parties, birthdays, and the like there. They don't want to see it go.

 

Yes, the theatre is really amazing.

Hubby made the mistake of going to KSK to this past Saturday on Children's Day to get some copies made.  The place was heaving with thousands of little superheros and princesses, scrafing down food and engaging in special activities arranged for the day.  Clearly, Thai people are fond of the place and select it for special days when they have the choice of fancier, shiny new malls and, of course, the traditional display of military might at the local military bases.  

[elektrified]

3 hours ago, chingmai331 said:

Bicycle parking at KSK is FREE.  Bike locking rack on near basement entrance, next to Doi Saket massage. 

I note the new 'Tasty Factory' food court is twinning the one at Maya, but more open tables for casual sitting. And of course lots of chinese writing and directed gift buying opportunities.  One consequence of the new food court is that the TOPS food court is shrinking. 

I generally only eat at the Kad market food court where i can get brown rice/vegs/ etc for 40/50 baht a big plate. But only open mid-day, not evening.

Let me count the donut shops at KSK: 5 at least! Body rotters of the first order is the donut.

The reason that the shop called "Brown Rice Ladies" is no longer open after mid-day is because the place has become so popular with DN's that they are sold out by around 15:30 each day. They were always open until around 18:30. We've been going there for 10 years.

Edited January 16, 2019 by elektrified

[SiamAndy]

55 minutes ago, elektrified said:

The reason that the shop called "Brown Rice Ladies" is no longer open after mid-day is because the place has become so popular with DN's that they are sold out by around 15:30 each day. They were always open until around 18:30. We've been going there for 10 years.

I eat there too but why does the shop call itself "Brown Rice Ladies"? I only ever see the one nice lady there. Did the other lady leave?

[moontang]

There is a serious roach problem at the places towards the rear of the building...the cheaper food court.

[elektrified]

10 hours ago, SiamAndy said:

I eat there too but why does the shop call itself "Brown Rice Ladies"? I only ever see the one nice lady there. Did the other lady leave?

There are 3 of them.