Is Central Festival Good For Pattaya?

[Tolley]

I like the food options upstairs on the 5th and 6th floor.

They were not available all in the one handy location before so I see it as a plus.

And there are some new food options there as well that weren't in Pattaya before.

I am not much of a shopper so no comment on all the trendy stores and upmarket products availabe.

All in all a welcome addition to Pattaya and a sign that things are changing in sin city.

[SantiSuk]

Love the VIP cinema (but bring a heavy blanket)

[toenail]

The only ones that I hear complain about Central Festival Shopping Center on Beach Road are the cheap, old timers that remember Pattaya as a post Vietnam war vacation spot. The city has changed with various nationalities visiting Pattaya than just the retired North Americans or Europeans. Many Asian tour groups are visiting along with the largest group, the Russians (who are mostly families). .

It is too bad the city doesn't have the "_alls" (nerve) to zone the city so the adult entertainment was zoned for certain areas or just kept on the side sois of the city. The first couple blocks of Beach Road is starting to look up to international standards with decent restaurants and hotels .

[kopite]

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.

where was they then?

cant wait to hear your reply

[PattayaParent]

Zara in Fly Now, along with Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren and a whole bunch of other top brands.

Adidas (and Nike) were on Second Road but are now in Outlet Mall along with Elle, AIIZ, Triumph, Burberry, Clarks, Nautica (who used to be in RGP) and a whole bunch of others (the official Liverpool outlet used to be there toobut you probably don't remember that far back)

French Connection was on first floor of RGP, AIIZ are still there I think, Timberland were there too on the ground floor (might still be?)

The original Numchai is still in Nahklua at the traffic lights junction. There's a massive new one on Sukhumvit just by Siam Country Club Road.

There were cinemas in RGP and the original Central Festival, a couple of bowling alleys around Pattaya (one still exists), even before the one at The Avenue.

I guess you're a newcomer to Pattaya or don't get out much.

[britmaveric]

Most high end items can get most definitely cheaper back in the west, and for the lad who said electronics were cheaper? Anyways definitely not about dosh because I certainly can buy most anything I like, but who wants to pay premium when you do not have to?

Like I said most cases people do not buy and the same can be said in most of the other malls. You walk into many of the shops and there are more staff members than actual shoppers. I remember walking into Timberland to buy a pair of sandals and I had 3 staff members assisting me. Great customer service, but obviously one can gauge they are not busy.

Now was it necessary to build Central? I think most people would say probably not, but at the end of the day its just another option.

[Jingthing]

Who cares about necessary? Mush and a hut and pretty much no clothes in the tropics are strictly necessary. As far as the developers of the new mall, it was a LONG TERM investment and I think they know what they are doing, empty stores or not.

[FarangBuddha]

It is too bad the city doesn't have the "_alls" (nerve) to zone the city so the adult entertainment was zoned for certain areas or just kept on the side sois of the city. The first couple blocks of Beach Road is starting to look up to international standards with decent restaurants and hotels .

No need for zoning as this is happening naturally. The rectangle formed by N. Road-Beach Rd.-S. Road -2nd Road has gone dramatically upmarket during the past 5 years...so much so to be almost unrecognizable. Beach Road from the Amari up to Soi 4 has been almost completely redeveloped with the new Amari Tower, Holiday Inn, Gulliver's, and more. Even the 2nd Road side has many new hotels and reduction in the number of beer-bars. The land along Beach Road and the sois leading off up to 2nd is too valuable now for low-rent beer-bars and other less savory types of venues. I mean, even sois 7 and 8 are almost devoid of girlie bars now.

Everything is being pushed onto Walking Street or up to the Bua Khow area...away from the Beach promenade.

[britmaveric]

^Soi7/8 devoid of girly bars - there are least hundred there now and every Soi inbetween

[FarangBuddha]

^Soi7/8 devoid of girly bars - there are least hundred there now and every Soi inbetween

No really...nothing like 5 years ago...half the soi 7/8 area has already been torn-up and converted into large hotels. Have you been down there in the past 2-3 years?

[britmaveric]

Have you been down there in the past 2-3 years?

Yep

[timekeeper]

Have you been down there in the past 2-3 years?

Yep

i was down there in the last 2-3 hours.............

[SOMCHAISBROTHER]

I like the food options upstairs on the 5th and 6th floor.

Same here, at least in a new building on the 5th and 6th floor you have half a chance of a good clean meal without the rats and cockroaches running all over the kitchen.

[PhilHarries]

I like the food options upstairs on the 5th and 6th floor.

Same here, at least in a new building on the 5th and 6th floor you have half a chance of a good clean meal without the rats and cockroaches running all over the kitchen.

But have you had a good look around, I mean a really good look around?

Just because you don't see them don't mean thay ain't there.

Where there is food there are rats and 'roaches, don't kid yourself otherwise.

[britmaveric]

^indeed Phil all restaurants have them.

[tropo]

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.

Are you serious? I have purchased many things in Central not available anywhere else.

[tropo]

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

Whether you can understand it or not, a lot of people "gives a ****" about brand names. It's a very good thing that people can purchase brand name products and be confident they're getting the genuine item and fine contrast to all the copy garbage sold around Pattaya.

[craigt3365]

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

Whether you can understand it or not, a lot of people "gives a ****" about brand names. It's a very good thing that people can purchase brand name products and be confident they're getting the genuine item and fine contrast to all the copy garbage sold around Pattaya.

I'm an avid traveler. This reminds me of my first, and last, purchase of a knockoff North Face backpack. Bought it in Bangkok and threw it away on my second trip. Completely fell apart. Same with the cheap clothes I have purchased. They either fall apart or need constant ironing...always looking like cheap clothes.

For some reason, I enjoy Central a lot. Much more than the other 2 malls (forget The Avenue). One is like MBK...a bit of a mess for sure. The other is OK, but nothing like Central. I like it's open design, lots of eating places, great movie theater, and of course, plenty of shopping.

[PattayaParent]

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.

Are you serious? I have purchased many things in Central not available anywhere else.

Such as?

[Phil Conners]

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.

Are you serious? I have purchased many things in Central not available anywhere else.

Such as?

Such as stuff in Central Dept. Store's kitchen section. Amazing stuff for your kitchen available there never seen before in Thailand.

[cardholder]

I was sceptical when it was been built and many stores/floors hold no interest for me personally. I readily acceptthat some tourists will see mall shopping as part of their holiday experience.

The food court is OK and TOPS is interesting but expensive. In a similar way to Villa Market it panders to Westerners who are content to pay inflated prices for imported foods.

I agree about the kitchen shop, it is excellent, although I was disappointed not to find a cheese slicer.

The cinema and restaurant floors are also excellent.

Is it just me or is the parking a complete dog's dinner. Directions are unclear, and parking a motorcy is a bitch.

[tropo]

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.

Are you serious? I have purchased many things in Central not available anywhere else.

Such as?

Just about everything in there. Go and have a look.

Went looking for winter clothes for my girl to wear in NZ early this year. Where do you find them in Pattaya besides Central department store. I'm not talking about a few cheap jumpers, but fashionable clothes she'd be proud to wear.

Bought a good quality suitcase in there from a reputable manufacturer with guarantee. Beats the rubbish you find around the other malls which falls apart after a trip or two.

Good quality ladies shoes and half price too. Watch for sales.

I bought a Sony laptop for my lady last month from the Sony store. The only other outlet is in Tukcom where they have an attitude problem. Got a 5% discount for cash too.

The list goes on, but saying you can get the same stuff from Royal Garden Plaza is just not true. I'm not saying there's not good quality stuff available other places, but this is a one-stop, one-shop affair. Beats going all over the place to find stuff.

One thing I like about shopping in there. You don't have Thai sales staff lying through their teeth trying to get a sale.

Central Mall is the best thing that's happened to Pattaya in the 5 years I've been here.

[tropo]

Is it just me or is the parking a complete dog's dinner. Directions are unclear, and parking a motorcy is a bitch.

Parking a motorcycle there certainly is a bitch. They tried to introduce a fee for motorcycle parking, but it only lasted one weekend. It was one of the few occasions you could easily find a parking space. I reckon free 2 or 3 hour parking along with a validated receipt would have been the best way to go to stop freeloaders from using the parking.

[cardholder]

Is it just me or is the parking a complete dog's dinner. Directions are unclear, and parking a motorcy is a bitch.

Parking a motorcycle there certainly is a bitch. They tried to introduce a fee for motorcycle parking, but it only lasted one weekend. It was one of the few occasions you could easily find a parking space. I reckon free 2 or 3 hour parking along with a validated receipt would have been the best way to go to stop freeloaders from using the parking.

Last week I 'bottled it' and chose to park on the other side of Second Road (opposite Central Festival) and walked in .

(Fortunately, Second Road is not that busy at the moment so I crossed with relative ease)

[kopite]

Zara in Fly Now, along with Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren and a whole bunch of other top brands.

Adidas (and Nike) were on Second Road but are now in Outlet Mall along with Elle, AIIZ, Triumph, Burberry, Clarks, Nautica (who used to be in RGP) and a whole bunch of others (the official Liverpool outlet used to be there toobut you probably don't remember that far back)

French Connection was on first floor of RGP, AIIZ are still there I think, Timberland were there too on the ground floor (might still be?)

The original Numchai is still in Nahklua at the traffic lights junction. There's a massive new one on Sukhumvit just by Siam Country Club Road.

There were cinemas in RGP and the original Central Festival, a couple of bowling alleys around Pattaya (one still exists), even before the one at The Avenue.

I guess you're a newcomer to Pattaya or don't get out much.

zara in fly now. hahaha

there was a seconds shop in royal garden on the first floor that sold french connection, and lasted about 2 months. around 5 years ago.

clarks, nautica, timberland and triumph. liverpool outlet, calvin klein??? really high end, class labels them mate

[tropo]

There were cinemas in RGP and the original Central Festival, a couple of bowling alleys around Pattaya (one still exists), even before the one at The Avenue.

I guess you're a newcomer to Pattaya or don't get out much.

You're living in the past. I get out enough to know that the RGP cinemas disappeared years ago even before the new mall opened. How could you possibly compare 2 old cinema with the world class complex at Central? The main purpose of a large, modern shopping mall is save people from having to get out too much. Everything in one place. Who wants to run around all the pretend malls in the tropical heat (and traffic) to find stuff.

If I can't find something I know who to contact.

[cardholder]

There were cinemas in RGP and the original Central Festival, a couple of bowling alleys around Pattaya (one still exists), even before the one at The Avenue.

I guess you're a newcomer to Pattaya or don't get out much.

You're living in the past. I get out enough to know that the RGP cinemas disappeared years ago even before the new mall opened. How could you possibly compare 2 old cinema with the world class complex at Central? The main purpose of a large, modern shopping mall is save people from having to get out too much. Everything in one place. Who wants to run around all the pretend malls in the tropical heat (and traffic) to find stuff.

If I can't find something I know who to contact.

I think that this is a good point. Central has the size , structure and organisation to literally have everything under one roof.

i have to admit that I have been converted to being a fan, after initially thinking it to be a white elephant. No one is referencing the real white elephant - The Avenue. An appalling place in my view.

[PattayaParent]

Zara in Fly Now, along with Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren and a whole bunch of other top brands.

Adidas (and Nike) were on Second Road but are now in Outlet Mall along with Elle, AIIZ, Triumph, Burberry, Clarks, Nautica (who used to be in RGP) and a whole bunch of others (the official Liverpool outlet used to be there toobut you probably don't remember that far back)

French Connection was on first floor of RGP, AIIZ are still there I think, Timberland were there too on the ground floor (might still be?)

The original Numchai is still in Nahklua at the traffic lights junction. There's a massive new one on Sukhumvit just by Siam Country Club Road.

There were cinemas in RGP and the original Central Festival, a couple of bowling alleys around Pattaya (one still exists), even before the one at The Avenue.

I guess you're a newcomer to Pattaya or don't get out much.

zara in fly now. hahaha

there was a seconds shop in royal garden on the first floor that sold french connection, and lasted about 2 months. around 5 years ago.

clarks, nautica, timberland and triumph. liverpool outlet, calvin klein??? really high end, class labels them mate

Like all the ones you mentioned?

Just showing your lack of class.

And just how many of your 'class' items have you bought?

[PattayaParent]

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.

Are you serious? I have purchased many things in Central not available anywhere else.

Such as?

Just about everything in there. Go and have a look.

Went looking for winter clothes for my girl to wear in NZ early this year. Where do you find them in Pattaya besides Central department store. I'm not talking about a few cheap jumpers, but fashionable clothes she'd be proud to wear.

Bought a good quality suitcase in there from a reputable manufacturer with guarantee. Beats the rubbish you find around the other malls which falls apart after a trip or two.

Good quality ladies shoes and half price too. Watch for sales.

I bought a Sony laptop for my lady last month from the Sony store. The only other outlet is in Tukcom where they have an attitude problem. Got a 5% discount for cash too.

The list goes on, but saying you can get the same stuff from Royal Garden Plaza is just not true. I'm not saying there's not good quality stuff available other places, but this is a one-stop, one-shop affair. Beats going all over the place to find stuff.

One thing I like about shopping in there. You don't have Thai sales staff lying through their teeth trying to get a sale.

Central Mall is the best thing that's happened to Pattaya in the 5 years I've been here.

Like I said, all things available elsewhere.

Edit: there's a Samsonite shop in Outlet Mall if you need luggage.

[PattayaParent]

I was sceptical when it was been built and many stores/floors hold no interest for me personally. I readily acceptthat some tourists will see mall shopping as part of their holiday experience.

The food court is OK and TOPS is interesting but expensive. In a similar way to Villa Market it panders to Westerners who are content to pay inflated prices for imported foods.

I agree about the kitchen shop, it is excellent, although I was disappointed not to find a cheese slicer.

The cinema and restaurant floors are also excellent.

Is it just me or is the parking a complete dog's dinner. Directions are unclear, and parking a motorcy is a bitch.

Your life must be so incomplete without a cheese slicer.

Where I come from they call it a knife, but you can buy sliced cheese these days.