What's behind the Thai fascination for malls

[Bangkok Barry]

6 minutes ago, BigStar said:

Of course you did, and it's any mall. Problem is, shoppers can't possibly exist in Thai malls because we all know Thais have no money, rich Thais shop abroad, and Chinese, Indians, and Russians don't spend anything. The Golden Egg Layers have all been forced out by rampant xenophobia, thefts, scams, pollution, balcony shoves, and ripoffs. So that leaves--no one!

 

TVF Colorectal Theory also conveniently explains all the vacant hotels, condos, bars, and restaurants we see everywhere. After the INSANE rise in visa fees in 2003, when the big spending Golden Egg Layers, who had occupied most of the fan rooms, all starting heading for the exits to the paradise of Cambodia, the Thai economy, as predicted, utterly collapsed. It was then necessary to build a vast number of malls, high end condos, and expensive hotels to launder the HUGE pile of cash they left behind.

 

The air con is great cover for luring in props to hide what's really going on. You'll note that the food court is strategically placed at the end so that the fake "shoppers" walk by the shops as if they might be looking at the goods. But again, in TVF Economics there's no looking before buying in Thailand as there is in other countries. There's only looking before looking.

I'm not sure why you quoted me when you didn't address the point I raised. Which was how do these high end shops make a profit if they don't sell anything?

[teatime101]

17 hours ago, Bassosa said:

Well yeah, small shops could do themselves a favour and compete better with shopping malls by not being so incredibly sh*t.

The number of customers being served at  'small shops' (which are literally everywhere) would totally dwarf shopping mall figures.

 

In Hua Hin there is one upmarket (very cold aircon) and one downmarket mall. Not hard to guess which one has the most customers - by far.

[dimitriv]

19 minutes ago, Bangkok Barry said:

I'm not sure why you quoted me when you didn't address the point I raised. Which was how do these high end shops make a profit if they don't sell anything?

 

In ICONSIAM there are a lot of expensive shops, I remember even seeing a Ferrari showroom.

 

Some brands have shops in expensive locations just for branding and reputation. I think most shops on Champ Elysees in Paris will not make enough to even pay the rent. But for this to work you need to make money somewhere else so you can compensate the loss you make on your prime locations.

 

But I don't believe that this explains everything in Thailand. ICONSIAM is a prime location, but most other malls are not.

 

It's the same with condo's. There are some really big and expensive projects in my street. They were finished some years ago. More than half is still for sale. When you look in the evening you see 3 condo's where the lights are on. The rest of the building is completely dark.

 

I can imagine that a developer gets money from the bank to start building. And that he pays back when the condo's are sold. But how can he pay the bank if the condo's are not sold?  

 

Where does the money come from? Are banks in Thailand really that creditworthy?  They must have a lot of bad loans.

 

[chilli42]

18 hours ago, transam said:

Perhaps there isn't a lot else to do, and for many, strolling around an indoor park with A/C is a cooool day out....????

Perhaps (very polite of you)?  There is <deleted> all to do in Thai cities.  The few things that can be done are spoiled by the oppressive heat.

[Neeranam]

18 hours ago, Brigand said:

but spend nothing other than at the food court, which in itself is a decent day out for the poorer end family and relatives.

And sexpats. 

[Grumpy one]

Whats the fascination in malls for Thais

The same as doorways at 7 / 11 for dogs, cool air and food   

[NCC1701A]

19 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Assistant Prof Jittisak Thammapornpilas from the Department of Urban and Regional Planning Faculty of Architecture at Chulalongkorn University explains that

 

19 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

They only drank, gambled and went to bed.

[hotchilli]

19 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

What's behind the Thai fascination for malls

Simple... FREE AIR-CONDITIONING!

[NCC1701A]

i follow the women around who wear those pink outfits with the tight fitting skirts and not very practicable shoes that work at the cosmetic skin treatment places.   

[OneMoreFarang]

3 hours ago, Bangkok Barry said:

I remember when the site held just a single storey Volvo showroom, which towards the end of its life there had a (convenient?) fire. I once MC'd a Christmas party for the Volvo staff there. Then of course, nearby on the Asok junction, there was a beer garden set up on what wasn't much more than waste ground where the Citibank building is now, and opposite when the Exchange Tower is now was a huge fish restaurant which was known for its rip-off prices.

I used to eat khanom chin at the corner of Soi 19. Not sure how long ago that was...

 

[Darkside Gray]

Its no different to any where else in the world I have been!

[sprq]

Quote: "The rapid growth of the city has left Bangkok with almost no space to create a public park as land is too expensive to nurture green or public areas."

 

The land is not too expensive for the Thai billionaire class, especially the top one, to do the good deed of creating public parks. But philanthropy is not a trait of these people. 

[sprq]

4 hours ago, Darkside Gray said:

Its no different to any where else in the world I have been!

Rubbish. People in great European cities go to parks, museums, galleries, historical sites and other places of leisure in droves. The Thais don't because these places largely don't exist and because they'd rather do mindless things like shopping in malls anyway.

[samsensam]

4 hours ago, Darkside Gray said:

Its no different to any where else in the world I have been!

 

i guess that says more about you than the many many wonderful, fascinating, exciting cities there are in the world, do you yourself a favour, get out there and see something of the world, it's an amazing place

[shy coconut]

8 hours ago, Bangkok Barry said:

As long as they can afford to buy. When they can't, and that might be in the very near future with so many being out of work due to the virus, then things could get interesting. Then, how do they control the backlash?

How many out side of the tourism and hospitality industry are out of work?

The bar girls weren't big spenders there unless they struck lucky and got

a happy guy to buy them gold.

 

My wife has been working all through the lockdown and her sister has just

started her 2nd job in a week, she left the 1st because a better opportunity

cropped up. Neither are hiso half Chinese related to the Chang family

like so many posters here have married, both are from Ubon, left school

at 15 and have worked all their adult lives.

[bwpage3]

A place with lots of free air conditioning.

 

Can hang out and be comfortable in the a/c.

 

Ever notice how many Thai's are in the malls with no shopping bags or purchases what so ever?

 

Maybe see them in the food courts when it is time to eat.

 

 

[Bangkok Barry]

12 minutes ago, shy coconut said:

8 hours ago, Bangkok Barry said:

As long as they can afford to buy. When they can't, and that might be in the very near future with so many being out of work due to the virus, then things could get interesting. Then, how do they control the backlash?

How many out side of the tourism and hospitality industry are out of work?

The bar girls weren't big spenders there unless they struck lucky and got

a happy guy to buy them gold.

 

My wife has been working all through the lockdown and her sister has just

started her 2nd job in a week, she left the 1st because a better opportunity

cropped up. Neither are hiso half Chinese related to the Chang family

like so many posters here have married, both are from Ubon, left school

at 15 and have worked all their adult lives.

 

Well, the tourism and hospitality industry is pretty big and employ plenty of people. Lots of people queuing for free food, long lines outside shops as people are selling their gold. I've seen videos. Stories of suicides by people who can't manage now. The problem doesn't only exist in Thailand, of course. We'll see what happens down the line.

[MartinL]

Take the grandchildren to Central Udon Thani to play and have lunch. They like the Happy Train, the ride-on animals and dinosaurs, kiddies' activity areas. Usually have a lunch which the kids choose - nothing fancy or expensive. MrsL does some window shopping but rarely buys anything. The visit makes the kids very happy, which is the whole point of the exercise. It seems like many others are there for exactly the same reason.

[DavisH]

George Carlin had a lot to say about shopping malls. 

 

 

[Chalong circle]

2 hours ago, sprq said:

Rubbish. People in great European cities go to parks, museums, galleries, historical sites and other places of leisure in droves. The Thais don't because these places largely don't exist and because they'd rather do mindless things like shopping in malls anyway.

Exactly. Go to Roma or Barcelona or Amsterdam or Firenze or Paris and you will have a lot of choice. Shopping sure, but also sit at a terrace, drink in bar with an atmosphere, look at beautiful buildings around you. Something very hard to find in Thailand. How many museums worth a visit in Bangkok or Phuket ? I nearly did them all. Not even ten.

[VocalNeal]

6 minutes ago, Chalong circle said:

How many museums worth a visit in Bangkok

Royal Thai Air Force Museum if one is into that kind of stuff.

[ericthai]

On 5/20/2020 at 7:48 AM, Brigand said:

The malls are a magnet for Thais of all sorts. Why? I reckon it is deeply related to wonderment, personal fashion projection statements and, of course, face (although the second two are very intertwined with each other). For the locals, how better to project your cosmopolitan urban success story (or the perceived image of thus) than being in a mall enjoying, and more importantly being seen to, all they have to offer and that this is the norm for you? There are also many that just wander around gawping at the bright lights and goods in the air-con in wonderment but spend nothing other than at the food court, which in itself is a decent day out for the poorer end family and relatives. Also, it's worth noting that this can be found nowhere else all in one place really, quite so easily, and it wasn't so long ago that this sort of stuff was only in the big places or tourist centers ... thus many are still not used to it and malls possess still a certain novelty for many. Although, the "look at me in my modern life" and the fact I've got enough money to sit around places like Black Canyon living the enviable life (for Thais at least) probably does go a way to fueling this obsession (along with a few other things) of these 5 star markets. There is a great driving force for the locals to be modern, cosmopolitan and enjoy a western stylized lifestyle ... or at least to be seen to.

allot of them sit outside the sony store watching TV..  PS dont block their view!!

[DrTuner]

I twill be a happy day when online shopping mercilessly murders the malls. 

[mommysboy]

They are cool.

[Kwasaki]

Air-condition.

[babakut]

in reply to post #33 

good question. a couple of years ago i had a european friend working here in bangkok as financial consultant for some of the well known shopping malls. He told me, mostly all shops are loosing money. 

Where i live i am surrounded with big expensive condominiums. one finished construction 2 years ago, condo start at 50 million baht. i see only light in one of them at night. for the other ones around i would say occupancy is only 10%. i asked  once one condominium if they had some condo for rent. was told they had only 1, it was small. 120sqm.

I believe the money comes from extremely rich families, that don’t care much if the business is good or not. it is a nice facade to show you are wealthy. But again, where does the money then come from?

Edited May 21, 2020 by babakut
quoted post not inserted

[mikebell]

Malls are an exercise in money laundering.  The free air con & cheap food draws in the masses but only hi-so's can afford the prices for other consumer goods.  I rarely see anyone buying.  The beautiful assistants are paid to stare at their phones.

[essox essox]

have YOU EVER heard of AIR CONDITIONING ?????

[Khun Paul]

Free Air-con, are people stupid, never go there to buy anything it is over-priced. 

[BigStar]

23 hours ago, Bangkok Barry said:

I'm not sure why you quoted me when you didn't address the point I raised. Which was how do these high end shops make a profit if they don't sell anything?

Already answered earlier and unequivocally. Here's an economist just come along to repeat it for you:

 

3 hours ago, mikebell said:

Malls are an exercise in money laundering.