Is Central Festival Good For Pattaya?

[bubba1]

Is Central festival good for Pattaya? I think so. Progress.

[Jingthing]

It's good. 10 of them, not good.

Next ...

[morphious]

It just adds more traffic to an already packed road system

[Jingthing]

It just adds more traffic to an already packed road system

So what? At least they have something worth going to, not another shophouse selling BAD GUYS GO TO PATTAYA, t-shirts.

[morphious]

It just adds more traffic to an already packed road system

So what? At least they have something worth going to, not another shophouse selling BAD GUYS GO TO PATTAYA, t-shirts.

Dont ya just love them

[FarangBuddha]

Love it!

And free all day parking for a day at the beach.

[britmaveric]

Well obviously it wasn't needed with the 3 other malls in close proximity, but it's here to stay so might as well make the best of it.

Edited October 6, 2010 by britmaveric

[PattayaParent]

It just adds more traffic to an already packed road system

So what? At least they have something worth going to, not another shophouse selling BAD GUYS GO TO PATTAYA, t-shirts.

It doesn't really sell anything more than the shops in Royal Garden Plaza and the original Central Festival Plaza that it has drawn tenants and customers from.

[timekeeper]

i hated it at first, now i like it and go every Saturday for the specialist imported shopping items in the basement

there's always an imported bargain to be found

i think it would improve traffic flow if they had only one way in and one way out maybe in on second road and out on beach

it would also be better if you could find a place to park more easily and it not be full of cars parked all day whilst their owners are at the beach.......

overall i think its taken a while to find its feet but i think its a success now

[anothertorres]

i was there saturday night and the place was absolutely jumping. in fact, my wife and i looked at each other as we were just standing around looking down from the 5th floor and the you could feel the building sway.

anyway, this is a reminder for every one who said "shops will be closing left and right and no one will bother going here as Thai people don't eat bread". oh wait, that was McDonald's. anyway, you get my drift...

[britmaveric]

Dunno most times I have been in there, not much buying going on - sort of window shoppers galore.

[jori]

Christ sake is it good? Where the bloody hel_l do the Cheap Charlies spend their days,where do the pervs flock to look at knickers on the escalators,where the hel_l else can you find Waitrose products on sale(Tops too)

.

I spend all my waking moments there, flash mac permanently on.

[Bangkokhatter]

Dunno most times I have been in there, not much buying going on - sort of window shoppers galore.

Most big shopping centers in Thailand are full of window shoppers, especially at weekends, they go for the free air-con:rolleyes:

[PhilHarries]

As it's siting wiped out the best noodle soup place in town NO I do NOT think it is a good think .

But change is inevitable and none of us has the right to freeze any location in some kind of personal time capsule just because we like it that way.

Anyway I have actually bought something in there. $1,000 worth of camera in about five minutes flat, the girl in the shop couldn't believe her luck but I was off to Angkor and I needed a digital SLR like RIGHT THEN!

[Jimmyd]

So what? At least they have something worth going to, not another shophouse selling BAD GUYS GO TO PATTAYA, t-shirts.

Where do you get the BAD GUYS GO TO PATTAYA t-shirts? I've never seen one.

All the ones I've seen say "BAD GUY GOES TO PATTAYA."

I think the bad grammar is de rigeur.

Edited October 6, 2010 by Jimmyd

[kopite]

It just adds more traffic to an already packed road system

So what? At least they have something worth going to, not another shophouse selling BAD GUYS GO TO PATTAYA, t-shirts.

It doesn't really sell anything more than the shops in Royal Garden Plaza and the original Central Festival Plaza that it has drawn tenants and customers from.

hahaha. your off yer head you.

funniest thing ive heard in ages

[William Osborne]

some good Japanese restaurants upstairs... there's one near the toilet entrance and has a dish with New Zealand beef.. tasty !!

Was looking at some flip-flops with a small PUMA logo in the department store for 1500 baht...LOL !! Good luck with that !!

Edited October 6, 2010 by William Osborne

[Ulysses G.]

It doesn't really sell anything more than the shops in Royal Garden Plaza and the original Central Festival Plaza that it has drawn tenants and customers from.

hahaha. your off yer head you.

funniest thing ive heard in ages

PattayaParent's statement sounds pretty accurate to me.

[powderpuff]

20 years too late.

[kopite]

It doesn't really sell anything more than the shops in Royal Garden Plaza and the original Central Festival Plaza that it has drawn tenants and customers from.

hahaha. your off yer head you.

funniest thing ive heard in ages

PattayaParent's statement sounds pretty accurate to me.

zara, energie, adidas originals shop (imported goods from europe, its not the main adidas shop), chaps, topman, french connection, numchai, i could go on and on. there is a huge list of shops and goods that werent available locally before central opened that you could buy in other malls. there are a number of thai shops that you can find in big c and royal garden, but if you like fashion and recognize the labels, theres so many more in central than elsewhere.

plus, centrals stores, have so many more leading perfumes and cosmetics, watches, girls/womens bits and pieces. i had a couple visit me from milano a few months ago. they couldnt believe the amount of shops that the mall had, and leading brands as well. miss sixty etc...

as we walked in their mouths dropped, they commented how they havenmt got anything nearly as beautiful in italy, and the lady said (in italian of course) "i dont suppose you have zara". she was joking around, i replied "yes, its just over there". she couldnt believe it. the city as a whole is on the up. about time people started taking a bit of pride in it, instead of slagging the place off every 5 minutes. after all, we live here, its our home. arent you proud of it?

[FarangBuddha]

It doesn't really sell anything more than the shops in Royal Garden Plaza and the original Central Festival Plaza that it has drawn tenants and customers from.

hahaha. your off yer head you.

funniest thing ive heard in ages

PattayaParent's statement sounds pretty accurate to me.

zara, energie, adidas originals shop (imported goods from europe, its not the main adidas shop), chaps, topman, french connection, numchai, i could go on and on. there is a huge list of shops and goods that werent available locally before central opened that you could buy in other malls. there are a number of thai shops that you can find in big c and royal garden, but if you like fashion and recognize the labels, theres so many more in central than elsewhere.

plus, centrals stores, have so many more leading perfumes and cosmetics, watches, girls/womens bits and pieces. i had a couple visit me from milano a few months ago. they couldnt believe the amount of shops that the mall had, and leading brands as well. miss sixty etc...

as we walked in their mouths dropped, they commented how they havenmt got anything nearly as beautiful in italy, and the lady said (in italian of course) "i dont suppose you have zara". she was joking around, i replied "yes, its just over there". she couldnt believe it. the city as a whole is on the up. about time people started taking a bit of pride in it, instead of slagging the place off every 5 minutes. after all, we live here, its our home. arent you proud of it?

Completely agree...Pattaya Parent doesn't know what he/she is talking about...in fact, it's just the opposite! Most of the stuff on sale CANNOT be found at Central Festival, or any of the other supposed pre-existing malls, in Pattaya. The Central Department Store alone is a godsend for those who like to buy quality products, from clothes, to bedding/housewares, to watches, etc.

The beach-side location is also great, and as mentioned, so is the free parking (for shopping or a day at the beach). You just have to remember that many of our fellow Western residents like to dump on a new high-end mall because, with the dollar and other currencies hitting 13 year lows against the baht, that they can no longer afford to buy much in there anymore and are reduced to window-shopping and enjoying the air-con like the poor upcountry Thai famialies visiting Pattaya to see little Noi or Lek, who is working as a "waitress" in Pattaya

[Fionaz]

zara, energie, adidas originals shop (imported goods from europe, its not the main adidas shop), chaps, topman, french connection, numchai, i could go on and on. there is a huge list of shops and goods that werent available locally before central opened that you could buy in other malls. there are a number of thai shops that you can find in big c and royal garden, but if you like fashion and recognize the labels, theres so many more in central than elsewhere.

plus, centrals stores, have so many more leading perfumes and cosmetics, watches, girls/womens bits and pieces. i had a couple visit me from milano a few months ago. they couldnt believe the amount of shops that the mall had, and leading brands as well. miss sixty etc...

as we walked in their mouths dropped, they commented how they havenmt got anything nearly as beautiful in italy, and the lady said (in italian of course) "i dont suppose you have zara". she was joking around, i replied "yes, its just lingerie over there". she couldnt believe it. the city as a whole is on the up. about time people started taking a bit of pride in it, instead of slagging the place off every 5 minutes. after all, we live here, its our home. arent you proud of it?

Completely agree...Pattaya Parent doesn't know what he/she is talking about...in fact, it's just the opposite! Most of the stuff on sale CANNOT be found at Central Festival, or any of the other supposed pre-existing malls, in Pattaya. The Central Department Store alone is a godsend for those who like to buy quality products, from clothes, to bedding/housewares, to watches, etc.

The beach-side location is also great, and as mentioned, so is the free parking (for shopping or a day at the beach). You just have to remember that many of our fellow Western residents like to dump on a new high-end mall because, with the dollar and other currencies hitting 13 year lows against the baht, that they can no longer afford to buy much in there anymore and are reduced to window-shopping and enjoying the air-con like the poor upcountry Thai famialies visiting Pattaya to see little Noi or Lek, who is working as a "waitress" in Pattaya

I am sooooo excited to go there now! I'll be there in 2 weeks woooo!!!!!!!!!!!! Can't wait

to shop till i drop!

EDIT

Sorry 12 days!

Edited October 6, 2010 by Fionaz

[Jingthing]

Especially in the hot season, don't discount FREE AIRCON.

[golfho]

Good choice of restaurants and food court in basement is good. Some of the prices

in the stores are ridiculous though. Can only speak for American clothing companies but for most american clothing i.e. Columbia (probably made in Asia anyway) the prices are 33-50% more than the cost in the US. If i was a permanent Thai resident and did not travel back and forth to US i would be screwed - if i had to have Columbia brand. Same with other stuff Nike/Addidas, shoes etc. Golf equipment is 50% more than in US. According to Thai salesperson there is a luxury tax so if i can afford to play golf i can afford to pay 50% more. Chok dee Thailand. Just buy my stuff in the US when i am there. Electronics too.

Movie theatres are excellent during the weekdays. A zoo on weekends.

If your currency is strong against the baht (Russian/Indian/japanese?) then maybe a decent deal can be had. Lot of overhead and big A/C bill in Central Festival.

All in all a nice mall and you can chose to go or not and i would rather have choices than not.

[thaibeachlovers]

It doesn't really sell anything more than the shops in Royal Garden Plaza and the original Central Festival Plaza that it has drawn tenants and customers from.

hahaha. your off yer head you.

funniest thing ive heard in ages

PattayaParent's statement sounds pretty accurate to me.

zara, energie, adidas originals shop (imported goods from europe, its not the main adidas shop), chaps, topman, french connection, numchai, i could go on and on. there is a huge list of shops and goods that werent available locally before central opened that you could buy in other malls. there are a number of thai shops that you can find in big c and royal garden, but if you like fashion and recognize the labels, theres so many more in central than elsewhere.

plus, centrals stores, have so many more leading perfumes and cosmetics, watches, girls/womens bits and pieces. i had a couple visit me from milano a few months ago. they couldnt believe the amount of shops that the mall had, and leading brands as well. miss sixty etc...

as we walked in their mouths dropped, they commented how they havenmt got anything nearly as beautiful in italy, and the lady said (in italian of course) "i dont suppose you have zara". she was joking around, i replied "yes, its just over there". she couldnt believe it. the city as a whole is on the up. about time people started taking a bit of pride in it, instead of slagging the place off every 5 minutes. after all, we live here, its our home. arent you proud of it?

Who's slagging Pattaya off? I love Pattaya, but only as the lovely place I've known for so many years, not as a it is becoming. Who gives a **** if you can buy some poncy overpriced brand name garbage, or some stupid lipstick that you can't buy anywhere else. For goodness sake, most Thais couldn't afford the clothes they sell.

Pattaya was fine, as it was.

And as for people buying stuff- those that said it's mainly window shopping are right. The weekends are busy, but only because the hiso's come from Bangkok. During the week, the rag shops are pretty empty. The only businesses doing well are restaurants, the cinema, and, I believe, the bowling alley.

[Ulysses G.]

Who gives a **** if you can buy some poncy overpriced brand name garbage, or some stupid lipstick that you can't buy anywhere else.

That is pretty much how I was thinking.

[FarangBuddha]

Who gives a **** if you can buy some poncy overpriced brand name garbage, or some stupid lipstick that you can't buy anywhere else.

That is pretty much how I was thinking.

Don't forget, for many tourists, even at a beach resort, shopping is a big part of the vacation experience. Having a large beachfront mall selling name-brand goods is probably a nice addition to Pattaya for many of them. As for locals, as already mentioned, it provides more choices...and more choice is always good, right? I mean, we now have US$ 1 tee-shirts at the Bua Khow market, $ 3 tee-shirts at Tesco, $ 5-10 tee-shirts at Royen, and $100 tee-shirts at Ed Hardy Central Beach.

As for things being more expensive...some are and others aren't...I bought a high-end watch at Central Department Store and taking in account the VAT refund, it was 20% less than USA prices. Don't forget, VAT is now around 20% in UK and I often hear Ozzies commenting on how much cheaper electronics are in Thailand than back home, so prices are not necessarily more expensive compared to people's home markets.

Edited October 7, 2010 by FarangBuddha

[johninbkk]

It's the best thing that has happen to Pattaya in years. But what is going to go up accross the road!!! Thailand night market, it will be pulled down around march.

[PattayaParent]

Well if you don't know where the original locations of zara, energie, adidas, chaps, topman, french connection, numchai, etc. were before Central opened then you don't get out of Walking Street very often.

[craigt3365]

I do like Central. For some reason, I prefer it over the other malls in town. More modern perhaps? Seems to have more choices for eating, especially that international food court where you can sit outside and watch the ocean...with waiter service! And the food market downstairs does have some things that are hard to find anywhere else. At least it's better than another row of beer bars....