Poll About Frequency Of Royal Garden Mall Visits

[Jingthing]

I reckon Royal Garden Mall is going to have problems now that the glittering new mall has opened. Food court not popular. Cinema closed. Au Bon Pain closed. Restaurant choices much less interesting than the new mall. No anchor department store. I know Sizzler has fans, God knows why. Tourists will probably still walk in just based on location but I can't see locals going there much anymore. I haven't been in once since the new mall opened. How about you?

[Pdaz]

Lets face the fact that apart from one or two shops all the Malls here in Pattaya have exactly the same vendors.. So if you need something the choice of Mall that you visit more than likely depends on where you live, what you drive/ride, what day of the week and what time of the day..

I was really hoping that the new Mall would introduce some variety into the Pattaya shopping scene.. But sadly it's the same old names in a new package... (Pla Ra Gao nai hai mai, as the Thais say )

So just like 'Royaan' the new place has a bunch of shops full of clothes and shoes that are either overpriced or two small for a 90kg/192cm farang... Central Dept. store does have a better selction of homewares and sheets etc. But that's about it... Only saving grace is that there are a couple of new eating spots and the mall has generated a few hundred extra parking spaces... The lower floor (basement) is full of handicrafts and OTOP junk, we already have enough cinemas and the other stores like 'Guess' aren't any larger or significantly better stocked than their rivals in RGP... It's a 'nicer' Mall than RGP but fails to offer anything different... So guess as usual if Iwant something 'specal' or more choice it's off to 'Bangers'....

But then I only seem to go to RGP to buy overpriced B'day cards... and the occaisional pair of similarly overpriced 'Timberland' shoes...

[monty]

Never went to RG to start with, not after the old style food court disappeared!

Checked out the new Central, and as per above have to agree the only positive part is the department store. They do have a much bigger selection then ever before in Pattaya, thing like automatic bread machines, proper kitchen robots (Kenwood), a huge selection of watches,...

[IanForbes]

I agree with Pdaz for much the same reasons. I don't frequent malls that much unless there is something specific I have to buy. Then, I go there for just that one item. For the most part I find malls over priced for what you can buy the same item for on the street.

And, therein lies the problem for ALL Of Thailand! There is very little variety or originality once you start to examine all the shopping stalls. There will be 25 jean shops in a row and every one will have EXACTLY the same make or brand. The same goes for shirts, luggage, nicknacks or whatever it is you MIGHT" be interested in.

Just try finding good quality fleece clothing anywhere, even in the cool months. It's impossible to find. I know, who wears fleece in a warm country like Thailand, but isn't most of the stuff for sale aimed at tourists from cooler climates?

Try finding good quality back packs with PROPER harness straps... again, impossible. The straps on ALL the packs, even the bigger ones, are all thin and flimsy. They would gouge your shoulders if you ever put any amount of weight in the pack.

Try finding ANYTHING with modern, fast drying materials... nada.

And so it goes throughout Thailand.

Malls for the most part don't interest me. I would rather learn of some funky little shop where I know the owners and go there.

[William Osborne]

Don't know what the name of the dept store in the new mall is but i nearly laughed out loud when I saw a pair of puma flip flops for the 1200 baht, these were just a plain single colour, plastic mould type, like the ones you see in a bargain bin elsewhere.

Can't see the point of the place myself as there is already more than enough places. I can't see alot of the shops seeing the year..

[britmaveric]

Like the new mall use Royal Garden as an AC cooled cross over from 2nd to Beach Rd.

[zaphodbeeblebrox]

Zen is the only reason that I went to RGP, so I will continue to go there at the same rate. When Au Bon Pain opened in Avenue Pattaya, I stopped going to the one at RGP, but I rarely went to RGP just to go to Au Bon Pain. With Coffee World upstairs, there is still a coffee shop at RGP, for when I shop at the bookstore there.

[PattayaParent]

I was in RGP yesterday and will certainly be going there more than ever before if it stays the same as is now.

The car park wasn't full and I could easaily get a parking space at around 12:30 whereas in the past it would mean driving round in circles for 20 minutes until someone pulled out.

The pedestrian areas in RGP were uncluttered with the stalls full of tat that I don't want but had to weave and dodge my way through to get where I wanted.

The food court area has been improved and although there is less choice than before I only ever eat the Indian food which is reasonably priced compared to the Indian restaurants in Pattaya or the Vietnamese food which I can't get elsewhere.

On my only trip to the new Central I found it difficult to get a parking space, it was too crowded (although the shops were empty) and the food court is overpriced.

[Jingthing]

It sounds like my assumption was correct. Many people are now staying away from Royal Garden.

Indian food: try the ROYAL INDIAN HUT on Pratumnak near the Beverly Hotel. Probably the best biryani in town, chicken biryani served with a spicy side sauce, large portion, well spiced, 150 baht. Plain nan, 20 baht. Modern, fancy decor. All freshly cooked, unlike any food court curries.

The new mall also has Vietnamese food in the upscale Food Hall (not the basement food court). Haven't tried it yet but it looked better than the Royal Garden Viet. The prices looked similar to the Royal Garden upscale food court to me.

Edited February 23, 2009 by Jingthing

[PattayaParent]

Thanks for the info JT.

I didn't spot the Vietnamese place in the New Central so might just make a trip there 1 more time to try it out. Won't be in a rush though.

I think I've been to the Royal Indian Hut but Biryanis are not my thing.

[Jingthing]

Thanks for the info JT.

I didn't spot the Vietnamese place in the New Central so might just make a trip there 1 more time to try it out. Won't be in a rush though.

I think I've been to the Royal Indian Hut but Biryanis are not my thing.

The Royal Indian Hut on Pratumnak has only been open for a month or so. They have curries too of course (159-200). Most of their customers are Indian so they must be doing something right.

Edited February 23, 2009 by Jingthing

[sheff_mick]

Depends where you are doing personal business ect., but i appreciate the new and the old.

There used to be a few morning regulars in situ at the Au Bon Pain R.G. who where good for a yarn, does anyone know which location they are now using ?

Also any recommendations for a decent cup of tea in the new establishment, without having to order a full breakfast

Thanks

[popshirt]

We stopped going to Sizzler quite some time ago as both of us and also friends on other occasions became very ill from the food there.

When Au Bon Pain closed, I stopped going to Royal Garden altogether.

[syd barrett]

I was in RG Mall today, it was definitely quieter than usual. I only really go to Bookazine on a Monday for my 10% discount. I won't be going less than normal, but I will certainly eat at the new Festival Mall rather than RG.

People are fickle, they will visit which Mall is nearer to them unless they have a definite reason. Plus I was going past Festival on Saturday and the first set of escalators were not working (in both directions). Which is not exactly inviting.

The Avenue will probably end up a total white elephant. I just can't see it surviving except for McDonalds.

Edited February 23, 2009 by syd barrett

[sharecropper]

RGP is a masterclass in how not to manage a mall by panicking and junking some of your best offerings, as they tried to move upmarket in advance of Central opening.

The terrible revamping and overpricing of the food court has resulted in much lower numbers of diners. I assume they thought Russians would fill this, but they are even more price-sensitive than your average pervert, and on an average lunchtime the number of diners is well down compared to how many used to eat there before the change.

One poster mentioned the removal of the Thai flea market on the ground floor as a good thing. Maybe for busy expats unwilling to walk through it, but for the mall business, I think it was disastrous. Many people came into the mall to browse and buy cheap stuff here (or to check out the browsers). Without them and their rental payments, the mall business must be suffering, and, worst of all, the place now looks totally deserted without the stalls, and the activity they created.

It's now more like a mausoleum than a mall.

But I still use the bank, Bookazine, the coffee shop and - as someone else said -the Timberland shop, although I have big doubts about the quality of their offerings of late.

Edited February 23, 2009 by sharecropper

[gmac]

Visited the new Mall just the once when it first opened. Still visit RGP most days for the air-con but rarely buy anything. Living here I don't find the need for shopping apart from the Supermarket and the occasional replacement polo shirt or shorts when I find the Soi Buakhao market more than adequate! I'm happy to leave the shops in these Malls to the well heeled locals and tourists who feel the need to have their pockets lightened.

[Jingthing]

The Avenue will probably end up a total white elephant. I just can't see it surviving except for McDonalds.

The Avenue has an excellent cinema, a trendy bowling alley, Villa Market which is much more useful to many than Central Food Market, Cali Wow gym, all in an unusually designed setting. I think the Avenue will do great. It fills a niche.

Royal Garden on the other hand I think is deep in the doo doo. They cannot compete with Central one for one. They need to do something very different and they don't have it and I don't see any sign they have the creative people involved there to adapt and compete.

If I were Royal Garden, the first thing I would do is CLOSE THE FOOD COURT! Tear it down and hire a panel of local food experts (like me) to select VENDORS to do excellent foods at LOCAL PRICES. Be sure to include things that are not available easily in Pattaya such as:

Peruvian ceviche

Malaysian laksa

Good Mexican food

Better than average Thai classics, big portions, big taste, small money, for things like pad kprapow and tom yum

Burgers with GOOD BEEF

an Indian balti menu

Malaysian savory rotis with curry sauce

Burmese food

Singapore noodle dishes

I could go on and on. The point is: they need a BIG draw. Good food at a good price of interesting offerings not available elsewhere in town is always a draw. Get the asses in the mall, at least they might stop for a coffee or some shampoo at Boots.

The loss of the cinema is very bad. A mall without a cinema is like a dead mall, like a computer without an internet connection ...

Edited February 23, 2009 by Jingthing

[QED]

The Royal Indian Hut on Pratumnak has only been open for a month or so. They have curries too of course (159-200). Most of their customers are Indian so they must be doing something right.

Can you give us a little more detailed location, I don't know the Beverley Hotel, but would like to check the Indian out.

Thanks

[Jingthing]

The Royal Indian Hut on Pratumnak has only been open for a month or so. They have curries too of course (159-200). Most of their customers are Indian so they must be doing something right.

Can you give us a little more detailed location, I don't know the Beverley Hotel, but would like to check the Indian out.

Thanks

Sure thing. One warning. If you aren't Indian, they will tone down the spices unless you VERY FIRMLY demand they cook it like they would for an Indian.

Here is a map. To get to the resto, just turn left at the hotel and walk about 10 seconds.

http://www.hotelbeverlyplaza.com/

By the way, there is a DEDICATED Vietnamese restaurant in the new mall in addition to the stall in the food loft. I haven't eaten there yet but the menu looked very promising, with offerings such as beef pho with raw beef slices for 100 baht.

Edited February 23, 2009 by Jingthing

[Soutpeel]

The Avenue will probably end up a total white elephant. I just can't see it surviving except for McDonalds.

The Avenue has an excellent cinema, a trendy bowling alley, Villa Market which is much more useful to many than Central Food Market, Cali Wow gym, all in an unusually designed setting. I think the Avenue will do great. It fills a niche.

Royal Garden on the other hand I think is deep in the doo doo. They cannot compete with Central one for one. They need to do something very different and they don't have it and I don't see any sign they have the creative people involved there to adapt and compete.

If I were Royal Garden, the first thing I would do is CLOSE THE FOOD COURT! Tear it down and hire a panel of local food experts (like me) to select VENDORS to do excellent foods at LOCAL PRICES. Be sure to include things that are not available easily in Pattaya such as:

Peruvian ceviche

Malaysian laksa

Good Mexican food

Better than average Thai classics, big portions, big taste, small money, for things like pad kprapow and tom yum

Burgers with GOOD BEEF

an Indian balti menu

Malaysian savory rotis with curry sauce

Burmese food

Singapore noodle dishes

I could go on and on. The point is: they need a BIG draw. Good food at a good price of interesting offerings not available elsewhere in town is always a draw. Get the asses in the mall, at least they might stop for a coffee or some shampoo at Boots.

The loss of the cinema is very bad. A mall without a cinema is like a dead mall, like a computer without an internet connection ...

My suggestion for Royal Garden would be to take a lesson from Singapore and open a " 4 floors"...that will get the punters back...

[LennyW]

My suggestion for Royal Garden would be to take a lesson from Singapore and open a " 4 floors"...that will get the punters back...

Yeah, that would do it, clear up the beach promenade at the same time, sounds like a winner!!!

[Soutpeel]

Yeah, that would do it, clear up the beach promenade at the same time, sounds like a winner!!!

Think about it...Wet T shirt competions in the RG fountain, imagine the theme bars you could set up out of Ripleys and the haunted house, 24 hour adult movies in the cimema, etc etc..got to be a winner

[johng]

Sorry ...what is a "4 floors" ???

[Soutpeel]

Sorry ...what is a "4 floors" ???

Its a very famous building in Singapore called Orchard Towers, more commonly know as 4 floors of W...(the profession we cannot mention on TV)

[Jingthing]

4 floors not such a bad idea if they can differentiate. Lots of competition on that front (and back too).

[MZurf]

The Avenue will probably end up a total white elephant. I just can't see it surviving except for McDonalds.

The Avenue has an excellent cinema, a trendy bowling alley, Villa Market which is much more useful to many than Central Food Market, Cali Wow gym, all in an unusually designed setting. I think the Avenue will do great. It fills a niche.

I like The Avenue mainly for its cinemas and the Villa Market, but every time I go there I am struck by how dead the place seems to be.

The last few times the missus and I went to watch a movie there we were no more than eight people inside the theater.

The shop that is on your left as you enter from the motorbike parking area has been closed for months, and a couple of restaurants on the second floor are also closed - Saigon and my favourite, Fat Boy.

Looks to me like The Avenue is struggeling.

[Jingthing]

Saigon's food wasn't very good and Fat Boy was way overpriced. Put in the right place for the market and it will do fine. That BKK Grill chain (cheap and OK) always seems to have customers. Not the malls fault at all!

[PattayaParent]

quote]The Avenue will probably end up a total white elephant. I just can't see it surviving except for McDonalds.

Shennanigan's ??????????????