Christmas Craze Arrived Early In Bangkok

[george]

Mall mayhem

Christmas comes early to Bangkok's shopping district as an avalanche of foreign visitors hits town

File photo.

BANGKOK: -- The biggest malls in Bangkok are rushing to launch attentiongrabbing marketing campaigns for Christmas and New Year's as the reappearance of foreign visitors promises a bumper festival season.

"This month, we have seen a full recovery in foreign tourists. Thai consumers are also in a better mood with the pickup in local and global economies and fall in unemployment," Satima Tanabe, deputy general manager of Gaysorn Land Asset Management, the operator of the Gaysorn Shopping Centre, said yesterday.

Without unexpected incidents such as political unrest, the economy will get stronger quite smoothly, she said.

Tourists are back

"We found that 3,000 hotel rooms in the Ratchaprasong area are fully booked for Christmas and New Year. Tourists from the Middle East, Russia, India, China, Singapore and Hong Kong have returned to Bangkok in dramatic numbers," she said.

During the political unrest that rocked the capital in April and May, traffic at the mall dropped by almost 50 per cent, she said.

The shopping centre has had to revise its strategy to focus more on locals and recently launched a Facebook page to communicate directly with young shoppers.

Christmas promotions

Gaysorn yesterday introduced its Christmas fantasythemed Pure Reward scheme with regional allies such as American Express and the Leading Hotels of the World group. Running in parallel is the shopping centre's Bt10million seasonal campaign, "The Promotion of the Year", with prizes and special activities for every generation and lifestyle.

"We expect to increase visiฌtor traffic by 58 per cent, or 12,00013,000 shoppers a day, over the festive season," Satima said.

Invaded by Europe

Central Pattana (CPN) is about to launch its "World of Happiness" campaign for the festive period at CentralWorld shopping complex.

"An army of toy soldiers from European countries will be marching in to decorate our 'EU' theme," said Nattakit Tangpoonsinthana, CPN's executive vice president for marketing. "And the shelves will be packed with EU products."

The shopping mall has seen shopper numbers grow by 20 per cent over the past few months, to 100,000 on weekdays and up to 130,000 on weekends. "However, trade from foreign tourists is expected to stay flat due to the global H1N1 influenza and financial crises. But as compensation, more local shoppers are visiting the complex, especially teenagers and university students, who see CentralWorld as a good place to hang out," he said.

About 60-70 per cent of visitors to CentralWorld are locals, with foreign tourists making up 30 per cent of shoppers.

-- The Nation 2009-11-11

[newsfooter][/newsfooter]

[trogers]

Aren't they a bit late?

I am already displaying my Easter bunnies...

[rheinwiese]

The shopping mall has seen shopper numbers grow by 20 per cent over the past few months, to 100,000 on weekdays and up to 130,000 on weekends.

Wishful thinking. Were are they? Hiding in the car park???? CentralWorld is empty and dead.

[Thailand]

The shopping mall has seen shopper numbers grow by 20 per cent over the past few months, to 100,000 on weekdays and up to 130,000 on weekends.

Wishful thinking. Were are they? Hiding in the car park???? CentralWorld is empty and dead.

Thailand- the hub of "wishful thinking".

[basjke]

Lat saturday around 5 PM I was coincidental in the shopping mall,don't know the name,located at sukhumvith near soi 2 which has the villa market because i parked my car there.When I walked through the mall when parking and again when pick up the car at 7 PM my footsteps created echo's because there was completely NOBODY inside.From there I went to the peninsula mall and there might have been at least 500% more people inside.But that still makes it only a total of 5 POTENTIAL customers.

[gotlost]

Early?? We start that B.S. in September in the US and their numbers are a joke.

[DaraRai]

omg! i wish i could be in Bangkok right now...during all this crazy holiday shopping...

[johnwills]

Early?? We start that B.S. in September in the US and their numbers are a joke.

I was home in the UK in September and couldn't believe they were selling Christmas cards and the like already, they must be desperate, January sales will no doubt start at the beginning of December.

[lazygourmet]

Are the seasonal beer gardens already open? Any idea...

I am not going often to the city center nowadays, but I might have at Central World this weekend.

[Tafia]

Early?? We start that B.S. in September in the US and their numbers are a joke.

I was home in the UK in September and couldn't believe they were selling Christmas cards and the like already, they must be desperate, January sales will no doubt start at the beginning of December.

Its the same every year, Christmas is just a commercial exercise with overpriced goods.

As you say the January Sales will begin before the end of the year and Easter Eggs will be available mid January..

[salty]

I cannot wait for the 1st Santa and the urge to kick him.

[phayao]

"We expect to increase visiฌtor traffic by 58 per cent, or 12,00013,000 shoppers a day, over the festive season," Satima said

REALLY???? 12,00013,000 shoppers a day?

What have you being smoking recently?

[bkkjames]

There hasn't been that many shoppers there since the place opened. Unless of course she counted the one's that use the Gaysorn pedestrian bridge to cross the road.

[zzaa09]

Early?? We start that B.S. in September in the US and their numbers are a joke.

But, you have the advantage. You're good Christian mindless consumers.

[Matan]

"We expect to increase visiฌtor traffic by 58 per cent, or 12,00013,000 shoppers a day, over the festive season," Satima said

REALLY???? 12,00013,000 shoppers a day?

What have you being smoking recently?

That's right, 1.2 billion people will be shopping EACH DAY in Thailand over the festive season. Because that's how good Amazing Value in Amazing Thailand is.

[anon8]

walked trough CentralWorld mall and Zen. Millions of shoppers everywhere, millions, I tell you.

As for the usual Thai Christmas discounts, I asked the girl if 'can discount'.. Yes, she sayd, 5%. Amazing value, that..

I must say there were some people outside CentralWorld at Chang beer tent and some young couples taking pictures at the big Christmas tree. No, not millions. Billions.

[ballzafire]

"We expect to increase visiฌtor traffic by 58 per cent, or 12,00013,000 shoppers a day, over the festive season," Satima said REALLY???? 12,00013,000 shoppers a day? What have you being smoking recently?

That's right, 1.2 billion people will be shopping EACH DAY in Thailand over the festive season. Because that's how good Amazing Value in Amazing Thailand is.

Of course they meant 12,000 to 13,000.

But, use your imagination. It's prolly more fun...

[neverdie]

I HATE Christmas & guess what people.....Santas not real

[anon8]

you may hate christmas, neverdie, and so do I and millions of other shoppers. But as the title says, Christmas Craze Arrived Early, so apparantly we all storm bkk's shopping centers, in our millions. Correction, BILLIONS, that fact was established in my earlyer post.

[Dpolenz]

I love xmas,will be my 7th xmas in pats.Will be putting the tree up dec1st

[cognos]

count your blessings..it started 3 weeks earlier ( in vancouver than in LOS) here. SIGNED:.. PLEASE don't follow the western model (so much) ,stick with the special santa (clause)..which is.. in LOS, generally..each member of the family buys ONE present ( with a modest price ceiling, like 200 baht) for NEW YEARS..a draw and trading of the "present" ensues..soon the west might "go back" to this..instead of the materialistic FRENZY we " enjoy " here

[teacherthailand77]

I'm amazed that the article says that as long as there is no 'unexpected political unrest' the tourist industry should improve even more. Is the writer not watching the news?

[neverdie]

you may hate christmas, neverdie, and so do I and millions of other shoppers. But as the title says, Christmas Craze Arrived Early, so apparantly we all storm bkk's shopping centers, in our millions. Correction, BILLIONS, that fact was established in my earlyer post.

Everything is so dam_n commercial these days, I'm gonna give it a miss again this year and I will avoid the shops of BKK like the plauge. So many people running around and unneccasarily racking up the balances on their credit cards for this stupidity. ohhh and they they'll be whinging later about not having any money and bank fees or something like that

[Chang_paarp]

I love this

"An army of toy soldiers from European countries will be marching in to decorate our 'EU' theme," said Nattakit Tangpoonsinthana, CPN's executive vice president for marketing. "And the shelves will be packed with EU products."

so the people come all the way from Europe to buy products from Europe to take home? I think they may have missed the idea of going some place "exotic" for a holiday.

[salty]

Good to know that you can also buy Christmas crap sorry presents in Bangkok.

[rheinwiese]

There hasn't been that many shoppers there since the place opened. Unless of course she counted the one's that use the Gaysorn pedestrian bridge to cross the road.

not to mention those who are using CentralWorld as a bypass between the BTS Skywalk and Pratunam/Pantip/Platinum.

[sharecropper]

Without unexpected incidents such as political unrest, the economy will get stronger quite smoothly, she said.

Another nail in the coffin then.

[Thai at Heart]

I love this

"An army of toy soldiers from European countries will be marching in to decorate our 'EU' theme," said Nattakit Tangpoonsinthana, CPN's executive vice president for marketing. "And the shelves will be packed with EU products."

so the people come all the way from Europe to buy products from Europe to take home? I think they may have missed the idea of going some place "exotic" for a holiday.

This is the one issue I don't understand about the idea of attracting shoppers to Bangkok. If any of them bothered to actually check what they are paying for things, the prices are not cheap. They may be relatively cheap in comparison with Tokyo for Japanese tourists, but I can't think of anything that is worth a special trip to Bangkok for shopping, that is actually cheaper than buying it in Europe or the US.

I mean if you want a Louis Vuitton Handbag, take a trip to Italy to buy it, coz Bangkok isn't that cheap.