Why I Like Mike Shopping

[BugJackBaron]

Well, it's the only department store I've ever been able to ask

"How Much" for a pair of shorts

"600 Baht"

"Sorry I want 300 Baht" (start to walk away)

"OK,OK"

Come on, how many department stores let you BARGAIN in them?

And the knapsack and shirts I bought a couple of years

ago(alas the prices have gone up for shirts) are still in good shape

(unlike the street bought shirts)

Finally the ice cream shop(forget the name) has real traditional Thai coffee

for 40 baht

It is also an interesting store with its 1950s design and feel and whith things like pool, hapkido

lessons, and a Thai food court(great place to practice thai reading skills as little english)

at the top. Curiously it seems like it was never fully finished judging by the back wall...

Edited April 22, 2008 by BugJackBaron

[zaphodbeeblebrox]

I also like it. Easy to get those 2XL and 3XL farang sizes. I also like to go to the fruit stands outside, on the 2nd Road side of the shopping center.

[PattayaParent]

Prbably you can bargain 'cos it's twice the price of Robinson's in Sri Racha so there's some room for manoeuvre.

[cali4995]

Many of those folks on the first floor are indendent vendors selling much of that copyright

infringement stuff, I'm sure you've heard the boys in brown have been over there a few times

confiscating massive amounts of junk. They've got everything labeled with various name brands

but of course it's not. The quality of the stitching even the material varies wildly. I always thought

they manufactured that in factories in bangkok but they buy it for cheap. I would guess those

shirts probably 100-150baht and they they turn around and try to sell them for 400-500 baht.

[nonameidentified]

They've marked their price so high and if you're a thai, they'll probably give you a better price than a farang. And you'll need to check the quality to be sure. Every vendor varies.

I've chatted with some of the vendors before. Strangely, they always tells me where they've got their stocks and that I could get them there cos it'll be cheaper. Their stocks were mostly from Bobae, Pratunam and chatutchak in Bangkok.

[BROWNY]

Well I just use it as an air-conditioned short cut between Beach road & Second road.

I have to try hard to resist some of those loud patterned shirts on display near the rear entrance - but luckily the Russians are always crowded round them.

[tropo]

I hate the place. Why shop at a place where they are flogging counterfeit goods as the real deal.

Better of at markets where you know they are fake and there's no pretense about it.

[Cuban]

I thought it was a 80s design - and most of the cheap stuff was made in China where it is cheaper.

I was also of the opinion that much of the clothes for sale on the lower level were different vendors and the 'department store' was from level 2 up.

I bought bits and pieces there before but they seem to prefer shoppers by the coach load rather than those with their own cars, it indicates their prefered customer.

[BugJackBaron]

I hate the place. Why shop at a place where they are flogging counterfeit goods as the real deal.

Better of at markets where you know they are fake and there's no pretense about it.

Fair enough.

But I almost never buy name-brands unless there is no choice(Levis monopoly)

Why buy name brands at all when noname can be just as good in some cases and

considerably cheaper

[barryofthailand]

If you tell the vendor that you live here they will give you the Thai price which is 50% less. You can't blame them, all they are trying to do is get the most money they can get. This is a tourist town, and all the tourist towns and cities throughout the world do the same.

Barry

[toptuan]

So, what's the name of this place, and where is it? (For us out-of-towners) Maybe directions from SkyTrain?

[CHdiver]

So, what's the name of this place, and where is it? (For us out-of-towners) Maybe directions from SkyTrain?

Ok; take the Skytrain to Ekamai. There go to the Bus Station and buy a Bus ticket to PATTAYA. After roughly 2 hours you will arive at Pattaya's North Busstation. From there you take the PATTAYA Skytrain called Song Taew and stop at Beachrd. Soi 11. Walk up in direction of Soi 12. Between the two Sois is Mikes. Should you miss Soi 11, you could walk back or simply go to the end off Beachrd. turn into 2. Rd and drive down to Soi 12. Stop there and walk towards Soi 11. Repeat if necessary. If you own a Car, I highly recomend you to buy a GPS, so you will not get lost.

IMHO; you would be better off by taking the Skytrain to National Stadium and visit MBK. Bigger, better and most probably cheaper.

[tropo]

I hate the place. Why shop at a place where they are flogging counterfeit goods as the real deal.

Better of at markets where you know they are fake and there's no pretense about it.

Fair enough.

But I almost never buy name-brands unless there is no choice(Levis monopoly)

Why buy name brands at all when noname can be just as good in some cases and

considerably cheaper

The point is not whether name brands are better or not. The point is I don't want to shop where the sellers are trying to deceive me into thinking they have the original product. Some Chinese copies are very good, so detection is not always easy for the casual shopper.

Edited April 23, 2008 by tropo

[chuckd]

I like it because they have such cute sales girls.

[tropo]

I like it because they have such cute sales girls.

Yeah, cute girls are so rare in Pattaya, right?

[Mighty Mouse]

I like it because they have such cute sales girls.

The 'cute sales girls' who sit behind the jewelery counter spend most of their time checking themselves out in a small mirror and squeezing their zits.

[popshirt]

Why buy name brands at all when noname can be just as good in some cases and

considerably cheaper

Try to tell that to my Thai friends.........if it doesn't have something like ABERCROMBIE & FITCH emblazoned they are simply not interested.

[toptuan]

So, what's the name of this place, and where is it? (For us out-of-towners) Maybe directions from SkyTrain?

Ok; take the Skytrain to Ekamai. There go to the Bus Station and buy a Bus ticket to PATTAYA. After roughly 2 hours you will arive at Pattaya's North Busstation. From there you take the PATTAYA Skytrain called Song Taew and stop at Beachrd. Soi 11. Walk up in direction of Soi 12. Between the two Sois is Mikes. Should you miss Soi 11, you could walk back or simply go to the end off Beachrd. turn into 2. Rd and drive down to Soi 12. Stop there and walk towards Soi 11. Repeat if necessary. If you own a Car, I highly recomend you to buy a GPS, so you will not get lost.

IMHO; you would be better off by taking the Skytrain to National Stadium and visit MBK. Bigger, better and most probably cheaper.

Thx CH. NOW I realize I was in the Pattaya forum

[libya 115]

Next door to Mikes Mall, hidden away behind a wall of Tee-Shirts and assorted stalls is Model City and if you venture deep inside there is a supermarket which must be the cheapest in Pattaya, with loads of cut-price booze and cheap tinned stuff and 'end of line' bargains.

[LKIBA]

Well, it's the only department store I've ever been able to ask

"How Much" for a pair of shorts

"600 Baht"

"Sorry I want 300 Baht" (start to walk away)

"OK,OK"

Come on, how many department stores let you BARGAIN in them?

And the knapsack and shirts I bought a couple of years

ago(alas the prices have gone up for shirts) are still in good shape

(unlike the street bought shirts)

Finally the ice cream shop(forget the name) has real traditional Thai coffee

for 40 baht

It is also an interesting store with its 1950s design and feel and whith things like pool, hapkido

lessons, and a Thai food court(great place to practice thai reading skills as little english)

at the top. Curiously it seems like it was never fully finished judging by the back wall...

[LKIBA]

Well, it's the only department store I've ever been able to ask

"How Much" for a pair of shorts

"600 Baht"

"Sorry I want 300 Baht" (start to walk away)

"OK,OK"

Come on, how many department stores let you BARGAIN in them?

And the knapsack and shirts I bought a couple of years

ago(alas the prices have gone up for shirts) are still in good shape

(unlike the street bought shirts)

Finally the ice cream shop(forget the name) has real traditional Thai coffee

for 40 ba

what a coincidence i was in mikes 2 days ago as you go in from beach road look on the right the 1st small stall sells sunglasses and i inquired how much for them D&G sunglasses i had previously warning her that i lived in pattaya for 6 years and i normally by 30 minimum at a time she said 290 baht, i said why are you so greedy i prewarned you, i know where in BKK where you buy them and you only pay 50 baht for them and her reply was you are ugly farang, i could see that she was no oil painting herself, so i responded your half chinese right. how you know that she said ? cos if you were 100% thai you would be not be so ugly, she went bolistic and used the "F" word a number times and i came back with a pair of designer sunglasses and walked past her and said loi baht loi baht as you would imagine the "F" word was predominant

It is also an interesting store with its 1950s design and feel and whith things like pool, hapkido

lessons, and a Thai food court(great place to practice thai reading skills as little english)

at the top. Curiously it seems like it was never fully finished judging by the back wall...

[thx1138]

I loved the swimming pool on the roof, 900 Bht for 6 months pass (maybe more now?). Also good for cutting through from 2nd Rd to Beach Rd, aaahh.. nice A/C and pleasant staff as you saunter on through, to do what it is that you do.

Edited April 27, 2008 by thx1138