Kad Suan Kaew shopping center in Chaing Mai announces temporary closure from July 1st

[webfact]

 

A famous old shopping center in Chiang Mai that has been operating for more than 30 years is the latest victim of the pandemic, reported Sanook.

 

Kad Suan Kaew said they had tried everything to keep going including lowering rents and charges for their renters but it had proved impossible.

 

They announced that the shopping center would be closed temporarily from July 1st until conditions improved. 

 

Regarding the operations of the center itself they took a swipe at the government who they said had stopped providing any assistance. 

 

They thanked their customers and clients and asked them to wait for better times. 

 

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[khwaibah]

22 minutes ago, webfact said:

Regarding the operations of the center itself they took a swipe at the government who they said had stopped providing any assistance. 

The government is broke.

[Dazinoz]

I was in there last week, the first time in awhile, and so many shops, including eateries, closed.

[malibukid]

the government has made it near impossible for tourist to come, but what happened to all the Thai's that supported it?  have they simply moved on to newer malls?  Festival and Central Airport are doing very well apparently, but they lack soul unlike KSK.

Edited June 18, 2022 by malibukid

[Gillyflower]

Is that the one up near the Ram.  They have/had a very good supermarket there where I always do my shopping.

[Burma Bill]

Sad to read of its demise. During my 13 years living in Lanna, it was a regular shopping visit, especially at TOPS but further along Huay Kaew Road the Maya Center was built with its popular Rimping Supermarket in the basement.

[Wrwest]

3 minutes ago, Gillyflower said:

Is that the one up near the Ram.  They have/had a very good supermarket there where I always do my shopping.

Yes, just around the corner from RAM. So, especially farang retirees along Huay Kaew lose theit Tops supermarket. We have also lost a Rimping supermarket when Promenada Mall closed.

[johnmcc6]

46 minutes ago, Burma Bill said:

Sad to read of its demise. During my 13 years living in Lanna, it was a regular shopping visit, especially at TOPS but further along Huay Kaew Road the Maya Center was built with its popular Rimping Supermarket in the basement.

and now mayaais gone o rgoing soon

 

[Dazinoz]

55 minutes ago, johnmcc6 said:

and now mayaais gone o rgoing soon

 

And where did that bit of information come from?

[siftasam]

And it looks like we've lost the Bowling and the Cinema on the top floor.

 

Gosh, Chiang Mai is a fun city now.

[siftasam]

Still, now all those 'wonderful' bars along Loi Kroh will be open soon until 2 a.m.!

 

(I stopped going to them pre-Covid when I sat in one well-known bar on a wooden bench near the door, felt something brush my trouser leg pocket,  looked down and saw a large rat jump off the bench and disappear  into the street. Thank you, but I'll give the Loi Kroh bars a miss. I value my goolies, even if no one else does. I've grown attached to them over the years.)

 

I shall miss TOPS supermarket in KSK. I like it better than Rimping and it's cheaper (which is not difficult!). Some good Waitrose products in TOPS.

[arithai12]

Shame really, for those who were around 10+ years ago KSK was "the" shopping mall along with Airport Plaza, conveniently located. However, not only the newer malls and especially Maya proved a tough competition, but also it made some idiotic moves of its own. I remember dearly the food court of ten years ago in front of TOPS with free live music in the evening, but with the Chinese wave they converted it to something very fake where I never found anything that appealed to me. At the same time, parking started to be difficult, the main entrance once covered with small food/clothes stands became the domain of aggressive red buses, and there were no new investments. Venturing above the 3rd floor in the back of the building felt like visiting an archeological site, the bathrooms started to show their age. The traffic along Huay Kaew and the invasion of food delivery m/bikes taking every parking spot for scooters did the rest. I stopped going there even before Covid.

KSK had become a place to get depression, not distraction.

 

Does anyone know what will happen to the BKB branch there?

[arithai12]

12 hours ago, johnmcc6 said:

and now mayaais gone o rgoing soon

 

Try again after you wear off that bad ganja.

[arithai12]

13 hours ago, malibukid said:

the government has made it near impossible for tourist to come, but what happened to all the Thai's that supported it?  have they simply moved on to newer malls?  Festival and Central Airport are doing very well apparently, but they lack soul unlike KSK.

You answered your own question.

I agree Central Festival has really no soul, but considering that most people walk around looking into their phones it probably doesn't matter to them. Apt Plaza on the contrary I like, always new things popping up in the basement and in the annex, lots of shops, good food courts, decent parking for m/bikes, the Baan&Beyond complex nearby, and above all a nice middle-income crowd that doesn't go to the mall just to show off their fashion or hairdo.

[sqwakvfr]

I know a lot of foreigners who go to KSK almost everyday just for coffee, pastry and spend hours there.  Unlike the new malls KSK has a lot of  tables where one can just sit and have a coffee.  The bottom level where Tops is located is still rather busy with the DQ,, Amazon Coffee and other food vendors.  It will be a shame for the theses businesses to close.  I will really miss the Eve Laser Print shop(this is where many get copies and documents printed).  Once a place like this closes “temporarily” it is doubtful they will come back(unless a new owner is willing to invest a lot of money to modernize it?).  RIP and it looks like Maya and Rimping will now be my regular place.

[soi3eddie]

Rarely get up to Chiang Mai but stayed behind Maya Mall at Jed Yod-Chang Kian Road for nearly a week in 2017. Went to KSK and wow it was like going back 30 years. It did have a lot of charm though and the TOPS there was great for UK branded products - Waitrose IIRC. Sad to hear of it's demise (same for Promenada too). If footfall is down or non-existent then no future for certain places. As for Loi Kroh then was there in October in 2020 and had a good time ????

 

 

Edited June 18, 2022 by soi3eddie

[brommers]

Bangkok Bank KSK is awaiting a directive from head office as to where accounts will be moved. It appears that account holders will not be allowed to select the branch to which their accounts are moved and will not be consulted. A typical lack of customer service!

[Burma Bill]

50 minutes ago, brommers said:

Bangkok Bank KSK is awaiting a directive from head office as to where accounts will be moved. It appears that account holders will not be allowed to select the branch to which their accounts are moved and will not be consulted. A typical lack of customer service!

With respect, one simple answer, close your account and open another with a bank of your choice - as I have recently done here in Cambodia when my original bank withdrew personal internet banking on laptops and computers without any customer consultation other than "you must now use a smartphone"! I told the bank in no uncertain words to go and get st........ffed when it would not listen to my reason for not owning a smartphone. I am now with a much more amiable and professional bank that offers what I require. The only hassle for me was informing my 3 pension companies of the new account details - but it was worth it!!

[sqwakvfr]

Just left KSK  and i have never seen so many cars and people there.  I guess there are some going out business sales? The selection of milk at Tops was pretty thin.  My guess the end is near and no need to order more inventory.  

[Dazinoz]

3 hours ago, brommers said:

Bangkok Bank KSK is awaiting a directive from head office as to where accounts will be moved. It appears that account holders will not be allowed to select the branch to which their accounts are moved and will not be consulted. A typical lack of customer service!

This happened when the BB closed in Panthip Plaza in Chiang Mai. I received a letter, in Thai, stating what branch my account was moved to. It was in Changklan road a few hundred meters away. Hardest part there is parking as compared Panthip. It would have been nice to be able to change it to my local BB in a Big C shopping centre.

[dunroaming]

14 hours ago, arithai12 said:

Shame really, for those who were around 10+ years ago KSK was "the" shopping mall along with Airport Plaza, conveniently located. However, not only the newer malls and especially Maya proved a tough competition, but also it made some idiotic moves of its own. I remember dearly the food court of ten years ago in front of TOPS with free live music in the evening, but with the Chinese wave they converted it to something very fake where I never found anything that appealed to me. At the same time, parking started to be difficult, the main entrance once covered with small food/clothes stands became the domain of aggressive red buses, and there were no new investments. Venturing above the 3rd floor in the back of the building felt like visiting an archeological site, the bathrooms started to show their age. The traffic along Huay Kaew and the invasion of food delivery m/bikes taking every parking spot for scooters did the rest. I stopped going there even before Covid.

KSK had become a place to get depression, not distraction.

 

Does anyone know what will happen to the BKB branch there?

Nostalgia alert!

 

It was twenty one years ago when I first moved to Chiang Mai and rented an apartment in Rimping Condo.  At that time my food shop was always at Tops in KSK or Central as we farangs called it.  Tuk-Tuk  was fifty baht each way with a ten baht tip.  After my girlfriend (now my wife) moved in with me the Tuk-Tuk fare miraculously became thirty baht each way or fifty baht return, with the driver waiting for us. 

 

But as I am sure many of you ex-pats will relate to, shopping became a whole different ball game with her arrival.  Warorot market replaced Tops for all the fresh food although we still used supermarkets for meat and frozen stuff.  So KSK was a once in a while visit that was eventually replaced by Airport Plaza.  Once we discovered Rimping Supermarket we rarely went anywhere else, even though my wife never stopped complaining about the prices!

[arithai12]

12 hours ago, brommers said:

Bangkok Bank KSK is awaiting a directive from head office as to where accounts will be moved. It appears that account holders will not be allowed to select the branch to which their accounts are moved and will not be consulted. A typical lack of customer service!

Did you ask? I intend to do so in the next few days. I was hoping they would relocate the same branch at a new address. They had a lot of foreign customers, and all the staff at the right-hand side counters dealing with accounts/transfers and so on spoke very good English and had lots of experience. It would be a shame if they disband it.

[sqwakvfr]

It looks serious because they are now packing up the wine and spirits at Tops.  Oh well Tops was not having a going out of business sale on wine.  Bata, the show store had sign that said "70 % Sale".  So far no official word from Bangkok Bank  Logically, of course this does not apply in LOS, the nearest Bangkok Bank branch is on Nimman and all accounts should be move there?????  

[arithai12]

On 6/19/2022 at 10:50 AM, brommers said:

Bangkok Bank KSK is awaiting a directive from head office as to where accounts will be moved. It appears that account holders will not be allowed to select the branch to which their accounts are moved and will not be consulted. A typical lack of customer service!

I went today to ask about this. They told me ALL accounts for all customers will be moved to the BKB branch near Thanin Market. We should receive soon a letter with the info. Apart from the bank postal address, nothing will change in terms of acc. numbers, online access, types of services. Unfortunately, it seems that the current KSK branch staff could be disbanded to different locations. Pity because they were pretty good IMO.

[arithai12]

23 hours ago, sqwakvfr said:

It looks serious because they are now packing up the wine and spirits at Tops.  Oh well Tops was not having a going out of business sale on wine.  Bata, the show store had sign that said "70 % Sale".  So far no official word from Bangkok Bank  Logically, of course this does not apply in LOS, the nearest Bangkok Bank branch is on Nimman and all accounts should be move there?????  

See previous about BKB. About sales and discounts in KSK: today it was madness, people like ants around the sugar. But actually, only the stores closing for good had good offers. TOPS, being just one branch of a chain, will simply move their goods around, no special offers that I could see. Bata: I suspect that 70% sign has been there since KSK was inaugurated. Well anyway they never have my size.

[sqwakvfr]

1 hour ago, arithai12 said:

I went today to ask about this. They told me ALL accounts for all customers will be moved to the BKB branch near Thanin Market. We should receive soon a letter with the info. Apart from the bank postal address, nothing will change in terms of acc. numbers, online access, types of services. Unfortunately, it seems that the current KSK branch staff could be disbanded to different locations. Pity because they were pretty good IMO.

So Immigration Bank letters will be provided at the Thanin Market Branch only or at any Bangkok Bank Branch?  I was just told any location will help you?  

[arithai12]

2 hours ago, sqwakvfr said:

So Immigration Bank letters will be provided at the Thanin Market Branch only or at any Bangkok Bank Branch?  I was just told any location will help you?  

I asked if the "new" branch will also provide immigration letters as until now at KSK where I have my fixed deposit, she said yes.

I don't know that any branch can do that - I doubt it but I may be wrong.

[DezLez]

14 hours ago, arithai12 said:

I asked if the "new" branch will also provide immigration letters as until now at KSK where I have my fixed deposit, she said yes.

I don't know that any branch can do that - I doubt it but I may be wrong.

 No problem with immigration letters at either the ex Panthip branch or when we were moved to the Chanklan Branch after the closure of the Panthip branch.

[elektrified]

16 hours ago, arithai12 said:

I asked if the "new" branch will also provide immigration letters as until now at KSK where I have my fixed deposit, she said yes.

I don't know that any branch can do that - I doubt it but I may be wrong.

Any branch can do it. Get past the "home branch" concept. That is a concept left over from the early 2000's. All over the world they are closing down "branches" to encourage more people to bank from ATM, Internet and smart phone banking. Same in Thailand. They have slowly been shutting down 750 branches of Thai Pannich all over the Kingdom. Kasikorn and others are next.

[Dazinoz]

35 minutes ago, elektrified said:

Get past the "home branch" concept.

Maybe you need to tell the "home branches" that. Many a times in the last 9 years I have been told I have to goto branch where I opened the account to do what I wanted to do.

 

My friend opened a BB account in Chiang Rai and when she was charged to make a deposit we asked why and the girl actually said "a different country". I said you mean province and she said oh yes but still have to pay fee.