Promenada, Not All Its Cracked Up To Be?

[trainman34014]

After reading all this lot i won't be rushing to visit the place, not that i visit malls often anyway. As for it being 'the most exciting thing that's going on in Chiang Mai at the moment'....well; that's a very bold statement. Quite honestly i find mowing my lawn far more exciting than shopping malls. Each to his own i guess.

[15Peter20]

I was shocked when I went there. Small bike parking area, with other "pockets" among the cars. All car parking full. Aside from unfinished, nothing looked architecturally interesting. Huge wasted space inside and populated with the usual mall shop suspects, none of which stand out.

You can only access the mall from one side of the road, so if you are coming from the ring road, you have to pass it, and make a U-turn under the first flyover and come back.

There is nothing in there (and what is coming) that makes it worth a visit when you have Airport Plaza and Kad Suan Kaew.

I assume the ice skating rink is a joke that people are taking seriously.

The whole thing is a joke.

If you are coming from the ringroad that runs around the side of Promenada, you just do a U-Turn then look left for an entrance into the Promenada carpark. If coming from the direction of Sankampaeng, just turn right at the junction before Promenada and then look left for the same entrance. It isn't well signposted, but you should be able to find it within around 100 meters of the junction.

Not that I'm a fan of the place. It's like a couple of aircraft hangars hosting a coffeeshop expo.

[mania]

Not that I'm a fan of the place. It's like a couple of aircraft hangars hosting a coffeeshop expo.

funny

True but funny

I do wonder whats up with so many little coffee stalls.

Maybe a good money maker? Or maybe new business owners just lack ideas.

Would also kind of think mall property management would help protect business by limiting

the same type of business opening on top of each other.

But I guess like 7-11 it is different here & you have no territorial areas

guaranteed

Edited July 28, 2013 by mania

[Ulysses G.]

There is no need to live in a bamboo hut to experience Thai culture. Just spending a few hours at Doi Suthep will do it, or shopping at Wararote Market, buying flowers at Khontiem Market, buying food at Tannin Market.

I do all that stuff and I eat a lot of Thai food (mostly because the vegetarian dishes are healthy and cheap), but can not see anything bizarre about visiting Rimping supermarket or the Duke's or the Airport Mall as well. I live here because I like all the different things that I like that are available in Chiang Mai. That is pretty much the same reason that I loved living in the Bay Area before I came here.

[FolkGuitar]

I do all that stuff and I eat a lot of Thai food (mostly because the vegetarian dishes are healthy and cheap), but can not see anything bizarre about visiting Rimping supermarket or the Duke's or the Airport Mall as well.

No, it's not bizarre, not if it's part and parcel of your lifestyle. It only becomes that way when it's forms the major entertainment form.

Sort of like looking for the perfect hamburger. Taken alone, it's bizarre. As part of a search for great food, it's not. At least, so it seems to me. Everyone has their own opinions.

[Ulysses G.]

Looking for a perfect hamburger in Thailand is pure masochism. There isn't one.

Edited July 28, 2013 by Ulysses G.

[AngelsLariat]

Looking for a perfect hamburger in Thailand is pure masochism. There isn't one.

I can't wait until someone starts a thread titled "Which Shopping Mall in Chiang Mai Has the Best Burgers?"

His burger analogy is apt because often when a burger thread flares up on ThaiVisa someone will come up with a pearl of wisdom along the lines of "why would anyone move to Thailand to eat burgers". The most obvious answer is that just because someone eats burgers in Thailand doesn't mean that they moved to Thailand for burgers (or for shopping malls), but to cultural purists it's perhaps not so obvious.

Edited July 28, 2013 by AngelsLariat

[hellodolly]

There is something VERY (I won't say wrong, as it's not really wrong... it's just) bizarre when one's enjoyment while living within an ancient culture in a country thousands of miles away from the ones we were born into is going to shopping malls. I understand the 'why' of it, but that doesn't make it any less bizarre. Even more so if you are going there with no plans of shopping! It's sort of like traveling to a foreign country then sitting and staring at your mobile phone while you're there.

Except Thailand is no longer an "ancient culture" and is in fact filled with shopping malls and all the modern conveniences that we all have at home.

Should we avoid them so we can all stay true to our "ancient Thai culture" roots that we never had in the first place and the Thais don't have either? Or should we just add it to the growing list of things to do after we're done pretending to be our version of what we think Thai people should be like?

to live in a bamboo walled shack with uneducated farmers who marry their cousins

If wanted, I'd be doing so already. Instead, I live a comfortable life here. I didn't come here to live in poverty and pretend to be Thai.

Of course the same could be said about Japan. Why would you go to a place with such an ancient culture (a real culture) then waste your time in modern Tokyo?

The thing is why would someone choose to come and live here if its for a comfortable life filled with the things you have at home. It doesn't really make sense, in that case it would seem logical to stay at home.

It doesn't necessarily follow that stupid people live in bamboo houses and smart ones in concrete boxes - humanity isn't that neatly based on the 3 little piggies.

A lot of people came to Thailand to witness the ancient culture and huge ethnic diversity, that doesn't necessarily mean that they avoid malls. But at the end of the day, just what can these malls offer you. Seriously, can't think of a reason to spend more than 10 mins there.

Personally I find malls quite depressing places.

Well I find some malls quite nice particularly the ones with the movie theaters in them.

The rest of your post was spot on.

Not sure what PoodMaiDai was talking about. First they said Thai's had no culture then they said they do have one. But apparently to enjoy it you would have to to live in a bamboo walled shack with uneducated farmers who marry their cousins.

It is beyond me why any one would choose to live in Thailand and only go to western places unless they are a sexpat. That I understand. I was young once myself.

[AngelsLariat]

It is beyond me why any one would choose to live in Thailand and only go to western places unless they are a sexpat. That I understand. I was young once myself.

But that's a red herring. I don't think that anyone was advocating only going to western places. It be difficult to never go to Thai places, I'm not sure that I've ever met anyone in Thailand who has isolated themselves from Thai culture to that degree.

[hellodolly]

Looking for a perfect hamburger in Thailand is pure masochism. There isn't one.

I can't wait until someone starts a thread titled "Which Shopping Mall in Chiang Mai Has the Best Burgers?"

His burger analogy is apt because often when a burger thread flares up on ThaiVisa someone will come up with a pearl of wisdom along the lines of "why would anyone move to Thailand to eat burgers". The most obvious answer is that just because someone eats burgers in Thailand doesn't mean that they moved to Thailand for burgers (or for shopping malls), but to cultural purists it's perhaps not so obvious.

When the Dukes opens in the Promenada the answer will be so obvious that the question will never arise.

[AngelsLariat]

Looking for a perfect hamburger in Thailand is pure masochism. There isn't one.

I can't wait until someone starts a thread titled "Which Shopping Mall in Chiang Mai Has the Best Burgers?"

His burger analogy is apt because often when a burger thread flares up on ThaiVisa someone will come up with a pearl of wisdom along the lines of "why would anyone move to Thailand to eat burgers". The most obvious answer is that just because someone eats burgers in Thailand doesn't mean that they moved to Thailand for burgers (or for shopping malls), but to cultural purists it's perhaps not so obvious.

When the Dukes opens in the Promenada the answer will be so obvious that the question will never arise.

There's sure to be someone who will prefer the Burger King at one of the other malls.

[hellodolly]

It is beyond me why any one would choose to live in Thailand and only go to western places unless they are a sexpat. That I understand. I was young once myself.

But that's a red herring. I don't think that anyone was advocating only going to western places. It be difficult to never go to Thai places, I'm not sure that I've ever met anyone in Thailand who has isolated themselves from Thai culture to that degree.

Well I agree with you on that, How ever

Some by the tone of their posting would indicate that they never go. It is beneath them.

Others claim that the Thai's have no culture.

I actually know one who has been here double digit years and claims they have no culture.

Not surprisingly he is a Thai basher.

Except when it comes to his Thai family then it is he just dosen't understand why they do that. Any other Thai and he just bashes them.

I can understand some one having an important job that they can not find with any other company being forced to move here and not liking it one bit. Them I understand the Thai bashing and refusal to partake of any thing in the Thai culture. The rest of them just perplex me.

Unless they do it so they can feel better about them selves. I have long maintained and still do that there are farongs here because they are not wanted where they come from.

On the whole I find that far and away the majority of the expats here enjoy the country and a lot of the Thai culture. Some like myself can afford to live back where we come from some it would be a stretch but to both groups this is a very nice country with a friendly population.

Sorry I got side tracked from the topic. As for the Promenade being a disappointment I have been there three times and will do the honorable thing and not make a decision on it until it is completed. My guess is in September.

At that time no matter what I think of it, It will become like many other malls stores closing and new ones opening carts in abundance for ever changing and real estate developments in the aisles. I just hope they do not let to much space be taken up by them.

Edited July 28, 2013 by hellodolly

[AngelsLariat]

It is beyond me why any one would choose to live in Thailand and only go to western places unless they are a sexpat. That I understand. I was young once myself.

But that's a red herring. I don't think that anyone was advocating only going to western places. It be difficult to never go to Thai places, I'm not sure that I've ever met anyone in Thailand who has isolated themselves from Thai culture to that degree.

Well I agree with you on that, How ever

Some by the tone of their posting would indicate that they never go. It is beneath them.

Others claim that the Thai's have no culture.

I actually know one who has been here double digit years and claims they have no culture.

Not surprisingly he is a Thai basher.

Except when it comes to his Thai family then it is he just dosen't understand why they do that. Any other Thai and he just bashes them.

I can understand some one having an important job that they can not find with any other company being forced to move here and not liking it one bit. Them I understand the Thai bashing and refusal to partake of any thing in the Thai culture. The rest of them just perplex me.

Unless they do it so they can feel better about them selves. I have long maintained and still do that there are farongs here because they are not wanted where they come from.

On the whole I find that far and away the majority of the expats here enjoy the country and a lot of the Thai culture. Some like myself can afford to live back where we come from some it would be a stretch but to both groups this is a very nice country with a friendly population.

It seems to me that anyone who claims that Thailand has no culture must be using a very non-standard definition of the word "culture".

Part of this whole thing might be the labels Thai and Western not being well enough defined. What makes a place Thai instead of Western? Thai ownership? Majority of customers being Thai? The place being inexpensive? English not being spoken there?

You mention corporate expats and I guess that I'd have to agree that some of the ones that I knew in Bangkok were probably about the most isolated from Thai society. But actually even they were not completely isolated, it's just that their contacts in Thai society were much more hi-so. So on the one hand you would never see them eating at a cheap noodle shop or living in a 5000 baht/month apartment and expats of less means might observe that and conclude that they are isolated from Thai culture, but actually it's more that they are isolated from lower to middle class Thai culture. But by the same token, vagabond expats who think that they are in tune with Thai society never go dining with Thai business executives are hence isolated from that segment of Thai culture.

Edited July 28, 2013 by AngelsLariat

[FolkGuitar]

I'm sure Promenade will be a very nice shopping mall, complete with all the things that make a shopping mall both good and bad.

But it ain't 6 Flags over Texas, nor is it DisneyLand.

It's a shopping mall. Just a shopping mall. Not something I'd get excited about. Others may.

[cabralad]

Yes , I can see this place going bust, not much on offer, I did try the cinema which was excellent but to drive 17 km to watch a movie, not again, airport plaza is still the best in Chiang Mai

[AngelsLariat]

Yes , I can see this place going bust, not much on offer, I did try the cinema which was excellent but to drive 17 km to watch a movie, not again, airport plaza is still the best in Chiang Mai

We visited there once a week or two ago. We were in and out of there in 10 minutes without spending any money. To me that makes it just abut a perfect mall, all that having more interesting stores and having everything open would do is cost me time and money.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Yes , I can see this place going bust, not much on offer, I did try the cinema which was excellent but to drive 17 km to watch a movie, not again,

?!

I drive 23.6 km just for fish and chips!

And it's an easy drive to Promenada, being on the middle ring. I can spend longer inside Airport Plaza's parking lot than I do on the road to Prom.

[chuang]

Drove over there yesterday at about 5 pm, can't find a covered parking lot, had to park outside with slight rain...strange it was a Tuesday and still can't find a space....had dinner there, and it seemed that there were more vehicles than shoppers...