New Mall In Cm

[uptheos]

This is an interesting summary of all the new malls.. .and it doesn't even list S-one!

http://www.chiangmai...news.php?id=382

I find the whole thing very sad. I mean come on, how many B2S, Wawee, Chi Chang and Sports World do they need? Is it worth creating more traffic, pollution, etc. in an environment already bursting at the seams? I mean 1 or 2 B2S shops in a city this size is plenty! There are dozens of other stationers everywhere. Another Wawee?? I can think of at least 3 from the same chain that are practically empty all day long. Does anyone ever actually buy anything in Chi Chang or Sports World? I was shopping for 3 items in Sports World last week; a backpack, some fitness pants for the g/f, and a swimming suit for me. The prices were stupid. We walked over to Central's sport division they call "Super Sports" and got the exact same fitness pants selling at Sports World for 1500 THB for 400 THB on promotion; the exact same swimming suit although in a different color selling for 1450 THB at Sports World for 895 at Super Sports. We went to the Night Bazaar last night and got a MUCH nicer backpack than the one at Sports World (790 THB) for 300 THB!

The Star Avenue chain is destined to fail in my opinion. 1 or 2 of them have been completed for about a year now and they appear to be about 10-20% occupied. There is another development near me that is advertised as a "business park". It was completed 2 years ago. Out of 10 units, only 3 are occupied. The other 7 have been vacant since it was completed. They are asking 4.5 million to buy a unit (reduced from 6 million) or 25,000 THB per month rent.

Like naboo said "Too fast. Too much. Are these going to be the legacy of the next South East Asian financial crash?" It is highly possible.

You know why they can build so many malls with the same stores? Free enterprise. If the developer can find the land at a price he thinks is fair, he can build. If a retailer thinks that the lease terms are such that he can turn a profit, he'll rent.

I don't like all the development either and hate the traffic it brings, but the alternative is worse.

And the Thai's (Asian's) simply love them, can't get enough of them, so why not build them?

[Somnambulist]

On the Mae Jo road, across the street from Ruam Chok Market, there is a sign saying Lanna Festival Shopping Mall with a flashy artist's rendition. Does anyone know what sort of place this is going to be?

[dave2]

re .. Does anyone know what sort of place this is going to be?

according to these pics one says commercial home .. fifth avenue

which i assume might be a new moo ban ?

and your right .. the huge area to the right is going to be the new lanna festival mall

as if we havnt got enough of those : (

dave2

[hellodolly]

This is an interesting summary of all the new malls.. .and it doesn't even list S-one!

http://www.chiangmai...news.php?id=382

I find the whole thing very sad. I mean come on, how many B2S, Wawee, Chi Chang and Sports World do they need? Is it worth creating more traffic, pollution, etc. in an environment already bursting at the seams? I mean 1 or 2 B2S shops in a city this size is plenty! There are dozens of other stationers everywhere. Another Wawee?? I can think of at least 3 from the same chain that are practically empty all day long. Does anyone ever actually buy anything in Chi Chang or Sports World? I was shopping for 3 items in Sports World last week; a backpack, some fitness pants for the g/f, and a swimming suit for me. The prices were stupid. We walked over to Central's sport division they call "Super Sports" and got the exact same fitness pants selling at Sports World for 1500 THB for 400 THB on promotion; the exact same swimming suit although in a different color selling for 1450 THB at Sports World for 895 at Super Sports. We went to the Night Bazaar last night and got a MUCH nicer backpack than the one at Sports World (790 THB) for 300 THB!

The Star Avenue chain is destined to fail in my opinion. 1 or 2 of them have been completed for about a year now and they appear to be about 10-20% occupied. There is another development near me that is advertised as a "business park". It was completed 2 years ago. Out of 10 units, only 3 are occupied. The other 7 have been vacant since it was completed. They are asking 4.5 million to buy a unit (reduced from 6 million) or 25,000 THB per month rent.

Like naboo said "Too fast. Too much. Are these going to be the legacy of the next South East Asian financial crash?" It is highly possible.

You know why they can build so many malls with the same stores? Free enterprise. If the developer can find the land at a price he thinks is fair, he can build. If a retailer thinks that the lease terms are such that he can turn a profit, he'll rent.

I don't like all the development either and hate the traffic it brings, but the alternative is worse.

And the Thai's (Asian's) simply love them, can't get enough of them, so why not build them?

Well some of them look very atractive but can Chiang Mai support all of them?

Also I noticed several of them are supposed to be open now.

Any one know about this one.

Star Avenue has two branches already and a third project is on the way.

Star Avenue 3, or Star Avenue Viva Terrace, is now under construction and will open 19^th May 2012.

It will be at Mahidol Road, near Chiang Mai Airport.

The third project will be the same as the other projects and will be home to small private retailers and restaurants

and none of the big chains.

www.star-avenue.com

There was several others also supposed to be open now.

[khwaibah]

Both Rimping and McDonald thanks there is a great future for they are both building as we talk and opening their stores at the Star Avenue Mall between the super highway and the Arcade bus terminal. McDonald already has a 50 foot tall sign up on the highway side

[Somnambulist]

On the Mae Jo road, across the street from Ruam Chok Market, there is a sign saying Lanna Festival Shopping Mall with a flashy artist's rendition. Does anyone know what sort of place this is going to be?

OK, someone told my wife that Lanna Festival is going to be mainly restaurants and food shops, but has no idea how posh it's going to be. My wife just searched the interwebpipes in Thai but found nothing, so we'll have to wait and see.

[kaptainrob]

OK, someone told my wife that Lanna Festival is going to be mainly restaurants and food shops, but has no idea how posh it's going to be. My wife just searched the interwebpipes in Thai but found nothing, so we'll have to wait and see.

See HERE > http://www1.cpn.co.th/project_detail.aspx?menu=New_Project_Landing&id=4

It will be similar to Central Pattaya, department store + specialty shops, food courts + restaurants >

[Somnambulist]

KaptainRob, thanks but that's not Lanna Festival on the Mae Jo road.

[kaptainrob]

KaptainRob, thanks but that's not Lanna Festival on the Mae Jo road.

How many Lanna Festivals can they be building?

Location:At the intersection of the superhighway and Chiangmai-Doi Saket Road, Fa Ham Sub-district, Muang District, Chiang Mai Province (Northern Thailand)

Edited July 2, 2012 by kaptainrob

[uptheos]

Well some of them look very atractive but can Chiang Mai support all of them?

Absolutely. Build them and the Thai's will fill them up, if only for the air con factor and cheap food courts. Don't forget that we haven't really had the MAIN influx of Chinese, Koreans and Japanese yet.

[Somnambulist]

re .. Does anyone know what sort of place this is going to be?

according to these pics one says commercial home .. fifth avenue

which i assume might be a new moo ban ?

and your right .. the huge area to the right is going to be the new lanna festival mall

as if we havnt got enough of those : (

dave2

Commercial home sounds like yet more shophouses to me, but I'm just guessing. I took a closer look at the Lanna Festival signs and pictures today, and yup, it's going to be pubs and restaurants, as in late-night watering holes. Apparently it hopes to be another JJ because it says Lanna Jatujak on one sign. I hope it fails miserably since I live less than a kilometer away as the crow flies and I like to sleep at night.

Hey Cap'n, have you worked out yet that Lanna Festival and Central Festival are two separate developments in two separate places. It's OK, take your time.

[uptheos]

Wherever these bloody malls are situated, what's the chance of them opening at a sensible hour and closing later?

Probably no chance.

[el jefe]

Well some of them look very atractive but can Chiang Mai support all of them?

it's doubtful CM can support all the malls based on its current population, but wasn't there a thread recently about a building boom here and how many people are coming from Bangkok?

The new malls will do just fine. It's the old ones that will have a problem. KSK will suffer. Airport Plaza will look and feel old in 5 years time.

[hellodolly]

Well some of them look very atractive but can Chiang Mai support all of them?

it's doubtful CM can support all the malls based on its current population, but wasn't there a thread recently about a building boom here and how many people are coming from Bangkok?

The new malls will do just fine. It's the old ones that will have a problem. KSK will suffer. Airport Plaza will look and feel old in 5 years time.

I was to the understanding that KSK was going to in effect close down when some of the new malls come in to existence. The big stores in them were going to be moving into the new Malls.

[hellodolly]

This is an interesting summary of all the new malls.. .and it doesn't even list S-one!

http://www.chiangmai...news.php?id=382

I find the whole thing very sad. I mean come on, how many B2S, Wawee, Chi Chang and Sports World do they need? Is it worth creating more traffic, pollution, etc. in an environment already bursting at the seams? I mean 1 or 2 B2S shops in a city this size is plenty! There are dozens of other stationers everywhere. Another Wawee?? I can think of at least 3 from the same chain that are practically empty all day long. Does anyone ever actually buy anything in Chi Chang or Sports World? I was shopping for 3 items in Sports World last week; a backpack, some fitness pants for the g/f, and a swimming suit for me. The prices were stupid. We walked over to Central's sport division they call "Super Sports" and got the exact same fitness pants selling at Sports World for 1500 THB for 400 THB on promotion; the exact same swimming suit although in a different color selling for 1450 THB at Sports World for 895 at Super Sports. We went to the Night Bazaar last night and got a MUCH nicer backpack than the one at Sports World (790 THB) for 300 THB!

The Star Avenue chain is destined to fail in my opinion. 1 or 2 of them have been completed for about a year now and they appear to be about 10-20% occupied. There is another development near me that is advertised as a "business park". It was completed 2 years ago. Out of 10 units, only 3 are occupied. The other 7 have been vacant since it was completed. They are asking 4.5 million to buy a unit (reduced from 6 million) or 25,000 THB per month rent.

Like naboo said "Too fast. Too much. Are these going to be the legacy of the next South East Asian financial crash?" It is highly possible.

You know why they can build so many malls with the same stores? Free enterprise. If the developer can find the land at a price he thinks is fair, he can build. If a retailer thinks that the lease terms are such that he can turn a profit, he'll rent.

I don't like all the development either and hate the traffic it brings, but the alternative is worse.

What is the alternative. Have fewer malls doing good business or lots of malls hanging on by their finger nails.

And to reach all the stories you have become accustomed to you have to visit several of the newer Malls.

Personally I think once we get through this year with out the massive flooding threat in Bangkok area people

will forget it and stop wanting to and moving to Chiang Mai. A lot of people like Chiang Mai until the smoke

starts polluting the air. When they find out this is really a yearly event they will start to look for other greener pastures

just as they did when they first came here.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Well some of them look very atractive but can Chiang Mai support all of them?

it's doubtful CM can support all the malls based on its current population,

You probably don't know exactly what the current population is exactly. (Neither do I) I do know that many people actively avoid Airport Plaza (esp. on weekends) because it's so over crowded. A couple more malls could be just the ticket for a more civilized experience at each one of them. I kind of look forward to that, driving into a mall and not having to worry about getting stuck in the parking lot for 20 minutes.

The new malls will do just fine. It's the old ones that will have a problem. KSK will suffer. Airport Plaza will look and feel old in 5 years time.

Yes, I think that's a fair assumption. They'll end up like the old Tantraphan, SriSuan Plaza or Sor Sam buildings now.. which isn't pretty. You got to wonder if a use can be found for them. Few things look as sad as dead/dying shopping malls.

Edited July 2, 2012 by WinnieTheKhwai

[Ulysses G.]

I was to the understanding that KSK was going to in effect close down when some of the new malls come in to existence.

I wish that they would knock KSK down and build a new mall there and skip all the rest. It was the first decent shopping mall in Chiang Mai and the location is great, but it really is too run down.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

I was to the understanding that KSK was going to in effect close down when some of the new malls come in to existence.

I wish that they would knock KSK down and build a new mall there and skip all the rest. It was the first decent shopping mall in Chiang Mai and the location is great, but it really is too run down.

Location was great when it was built in the early 1990's. Currently however most mall visitors want to drive their car there, and then the location isn't all that great anymore, resulting in terrible congestion in that area. But yes, for people going by Red Bus or moped it's great. But that was 20 years ago. For the same reason I think any location at the Rincome intersection is doomed.

[uptheos]

Location was great when it was built in the early 1990's. Currently however most mall visitors want to drive their car there, and then the location isn't all that great anymore, resulting in terrible congestion in that area. But yes, for people going by Red Bus or moped it's great. But that was 20 years ago. For the same reason I think any location at the Rincome intersection is doomed.

When I moved here in the early 90's it was a great place as I lived in Santitham. I guess I had the best of both worlds.

You're right, it's not that great any more, you can't even see a movie with English soundtrack in 7 cinemas!. I think that whole area of Huay Kaew including the pretentious Nimmenhemen is awful and I have no doubt KSK will go the way of a few other malls.

[bkkbri]

New cm Mall is due to open in December 2012 it is now the 3rd of July the roofs are going on now and they seem to be powering into it

so just maybe they will make there opening date of December 2012.

[hellodolly]

New cm Mall is due to open in December 2012 it is now the 3rd of July the roofs are going on now and they seem to be powering into it

so just maybe they will make there opening date of December 2012.

Which Mall they have a pile of them on the go or talking about them. And the location please.

[el jefe]

I was to the understanding that KSK was going to in effect close down when some of the new malls come in to existence.

I wish that they would knock KSK down and build a new mall there and skip all the rest. It was the first decent shopping mall in Chiang Mai and the location is great, but it really is too run down.

Location was great when it was built in the early 1990's. Currently however most mall visitors want to drive their car there, and then the location isn't all that great anymore, resulting in terrible congestion in that area. But yes, for people going by Red Bus or moped it's great. But that was 20 years ago. For the same reason I think any location at the Rincome intersection is doomed.

if the Rincome intersection is doomed, what about the new Harbor Mall 1/2 km further west on Huay Kaew Rd? Based on their smaller size they'll probably open before the two at the Rincome intersection and do OK at first, but it will be interesting to see what happens to traffic when the big one opens on the NW corner of that intersection. i still can't figure out how their going to get cars into their parking lot on that corner without building a flyover from the Superhiway heading towards Nimman.

As for UG's comment about tearing down KSK and building a new mall, that won't happen. And It's obvious no one will "skip the rest". KSK is worth more as it is, than it will be as a new mall. You have to take into account the cost of tearing it down, rebuilding it, and the lost rental revenue for the 3+ years it would be closed.

[el jefe]

Location was great when it was built in the early 1990's. Currently however most mall visitors want to drive their car there, and then the location isn't all that great anymore, resulting in terrible congestion in that area. But yes, for people going by Red Bus or moped it's great. But that was 20 years ago. For the same reason I think any location at the Rincome intersection is doomed.

When I moved here in the early 90's it was a great place as I lived in Santitham. I guess I had the best of both worlds.

You're right, it's not that great any more, you can't even see a movie with English soundtrack in 7 cinemas!. I think that whole area of Huay Kaew including the pretentious Nimmenhemen is awful and I have no doubt KSK will go the way of a few other malls.

So a cinema in Thailand shows movies in Thai? How is that bad? The Thais would prefer seeing movies in Thai I suppose. When they showed movies in English, I'd occasionally go. Sometimes there would be less than 10 people in the theatre. They know their market. You may not like it but it was probably a good business decision.

You may not like Nimmanhaemin either but you're in the minority there too. It's one of the few areas in CM where there is a wait for a table at dinner in many restaurants even at this time of year. There is no high season or low season on Nimmanhaemin. The only thing missing from Nimmanhaemin that you can find in the rest of CM is the sleazy bars.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

if the Rincome intersection is doomed, what about the new Harbor Mall 1/2 km further west on Huay Kaew Rd? Based on their smaller size they'll probably open before the two at the Rincome intersection and do OK at first, but it will be interesting to see what happens to traffic when the big one opens on the NW corner of that intersection. i still can't figure out how their going to get cars into their parking lot on that corner without building a flyover from the Superhiway heading towards Nimman.

Yup, same issue. A small community mall might just work though, for people who are in the area anyway. That doesn't attract the same sort of traffic from elsewhere that a Central Festival would. For example Meechoke Plaza is a great little place, but I don't drive all the way out there; it's for people who are in the area anyway.

As for UG's comment about tearing down KSK and building a new mall, that won't happen. And It's obvious no one will "skip the rest". KSK is worth more as it is, than it will be as a new mall. You have to take into account the cost of tearing it down, rebuilding it, and the lost rental revenue for the 3+ years it would be closed.

It could be redeveloped as office space, without tearing the entire structure down, just some moderate renovation. But then again, the upper floors were always intended as such, but I don't think those ever fully rented out.

You may not like Nimmanhaemin either but you're in the minority there too. It's one of the few areas in CM where there is a wait for a table at dinner in many restaurants even at this time of year. There is no high season or low season on Nimmanhaemin. The only thing missing from Nimmanhaemin that you can find in the rest of CM is the sleazy bars.

Well, there is a bit of a high season when many Bangkok people go holiday in Chiang Mai, mostly the winter months and around Thai holidays.

The other thing missing from Nimmanhaemin are parking spots, and sane prices.

Edited July 3, 2012 by WinnieTheKhwai

[el jefe]

if the Rincome intersection is doomed, what about the new Harbor Mall 1/2 km further west on Huay Kaew Rd? Based on their smaller size they'll probably open before the two at the Rincome intersection and do OK at first, but it will be interesting to see what happens to traffic when the big one opens on the NW corner of that intersection. i still can't figure out how their going to get cars into their parking lot on that corner without building a flyover from the Superhiway heading towards Nimman.

Yup, same issue. A small community mall might just work though, for people who are in the area anyway. That doesn't attract the same sort of traffic from elsewhere that a Central Festival would. For example Meechoke Plaza is a great little place, but I don't drive all the way out there; it's for people who are in the area anyway.

As for UG's comment about tearing down KSK and building a new mall, that won't happen. And It's obvious no one will "skip the rest". KSK is worth more as it is, than it will be as a new mall. You have to take into account the cost of tearing it down, rebuilding it, and the lost rental revenue for the 3+ years it would be closed.

It could be redeveloped as office space, without tearing the entire structure down, just some moderate renovation. But then again, the upper floors were always intended as such, but I don't think those ever fully rented out.

You may not like Nimmanhaemin either but you're in the minority there too. It's one of the few areas in CM where there is a wait for a table at dinner in many restaurants even at this time of year. There is no high season or low season on Nimmanhaemin. The only thing missing from Nimmanhaemin that you can find in the rest of CM is the sleazy bars.

Well, there is a bit of a high season when many Bangkok people go holiday in Chiang Mai, mostly the winter months and around Thai holidays.

The other thing missing from Nimmanhaemin are parking spots, and sane prices.

Of course, you're right about the high season. From December to February there are sometimes hour long waits at some of my favorite restaurants. And many of the patrons are obviously Thai tourists -- silver vans and everyone is taking photos of their food. This time of year the wait for a table is rarely longer than 5-10 minutes.

But I disagree with you about prices. There are plenty of restaurants serving great food at reasonable prices. Most of it is Thai though. there are very few farang restaurants serving quality food at prices I would pay.

There's rarely a problem parking, but I would never drive anything other than a motorbike. Actually, if you're willing to walk 100-200 meters, there's not much problem parking any size car this time of year. i do realize most people need a "songtell" if they're going 200 meters.

I think we're on the same page re the malls.

[uptoyoumyfriend]

quote....

So a cinema in Thailand shows movies in Thai? How is that bad? The Thais would prefer seeing movies in Thai I suppose. When they showed movies in English, I'd occasionally go. Sometimes there would be less than 10 people in the theatre. They know their market. You may not like it but it was probably a good business decision.

....quote

i would really be happy of they were in thai with english subtitles-this way everybody could be happy and i could go with the missus

the same with thai tv -i think it would be totally sufficient to have some english sub's at the 11hr news and with the occasional movie...

[hellodolly]

quote....

So a cinema in Thailand shows movies in Thai? How is that bad? The Thais would prefer seeing movies in Thai I suppose. When they showed movies in English, I'd occasionally go. Sometimes there would be less than 10 people in the theatre. They know their market. You may not like it but it was probably a good business decision.

....quote

i would really be happy of they were in thai with english subtitles-this way everybody could be happy and i could go with the missus

the same with thai tv -i think it would be totally sufficient to have some english sub's at the 11hr news and with the occasional movie...

Not sure about the movies but I would love to see English sub titles in the news. Of course with my luck the only one to do it is the one's controlled by the yellow or red shirts.

Does any one know if some of the Thai news channels are as biased as Fox in the states.

[DaamNaam]

Well some of them look very atractive but can Chiang Mai support all of them?

it's doubtful CM can support all the malls based on its current population, but wasn't there a thread recently about a building boom here and how many people are coming from Bangkok?

The new malls will do just fine. It's the old ones that will have a problem. KSK will suffer. Airport Plaza will look and feel old in 5 years time.

Airport Plaza has a regular maintenance program and is generally kept pretty well, unlike KSK, never been a single satang spent on upkeep, and they have the cheek to charge folks to park there. Airport Plaza is free parking, always has been.

Robinsons are Singapore based and have high standards. Central is Thai based, say no more. Different mindset altogether.

[realthaideal]

Airport Plaza has a regular maintenance program and is generally kept pretty well, unlike KSK, never been a single satang spent on upkeep, and they have the cheek to charge folks to park there. Airport Plaza is free parking, always has been.

Robinsons are Singapore based and have high standards. Central is Thai based, say no more. Different mindset altogether.

Howdy DamNaam. As to ownership of the malls, I believe both are Central owned actually, and both have Robinson's stores in them. And thus we get the confusion (at least for me) when Thais say "Ja bai Centran" or "Bai Lobinson." In my mind it could be either one. Unless they say Airport (Central Airport Plaza) or (Central) Kad Suan Kaew, I get confused. I know there's a rhyme or reason to it for the Thais, but I need those words so I don't show up to meet at the wrong place.

With a few of these malls being put up by the same holding groups, I have to imagine there will be similar shortened Thai nomenclature that will confuse (me).

And lastly, yeah, KSK is pretty dumpy and half abandoned if you try the walk-around. It's liekly to only get more catacomb like as vendors leave. Just another giant hunk of cement. UG's right - bulldoze !

[triffid]

"...both have Robinson's stores in them" Really? A Robinson in KSK?